Chapter 96: Surely, from here on too—it’s just a story about doing my best. End

I put on my underwear, then slipped into my clothes. My hands passed through the frayed cuffs of a white coat.

"Hmm…"

It looked like someone had mended it while I was asleep—several spots had visible stitching. Inside the coat, as always, was the "Notebook."

"…Maybe I don’t need this anymore."

I started to put on the cracked mask, then hesitated and tossed it onto the bed instead. Straightening my clothes, I looked at myself in the mirror.

"…"

Bathed in the morning sunlight, my supposedly white hair faintly shimmered red. It was my own, but I remembered Mika once said it looked beautiful. For a moment, I could almost believe her.

My eyes were the usual deep green—round pupils reflecting light from within. The irises were black and white. I’d grown used to them, yet they still didn’t feel like they belonged to me.

The halo, as ever, was cracked. Its glow reflected faintly in the mirror, and it gave me a strange feeling.

"…Yeah. Probably fine! I think."

My clothes weren’t wrinkled, and I didn’t have bedhead. The right side of my hair still stuck out awkwardly—but that was normal for me.

"Ugh… I’m getting nervous…"

Honestly, I had no idea if this would go well. I couldn’t expect to convince everyone. There were still too many things I hadn’t figured out.

"Suou, I’m coming in."

Even so, I wanted to be with everyone—to do what I could, together. To struggle alongside them.

"You’re ready… right?"

It wasn’t meaningless. As long as we were together, it could never be meaningless. Saori and the others had taught me that.

"Yes!"

I slipped a photo from the "Notebook" into my chest pocket and headed for the door.

After about half an hour in the car Seia had arranged, we arrived at Trinity General Academy. The vehicle moved quietly along a back road.

"I-It’s been quite a while since we entered the grounds, but… we’re still not there yet?"

"Trinity’s campus is enormous. We’re taking a less noticeable route, but this is normal."

"I’ve been here a few times… still, it’s incredible."

"I’m used to it by now. They even have shuttle buses."

Seia, seated next to the driver Mine, answered Hiyori’s nervous question.

Trinity truly lived up to its reputation as a refined academy for young ladies. The autonomous district itself was vast, but the campus was on an entirely different scale. It had overwhelmed us back during the operation—and seeing it calmly now only made that clearer.

"…All right, we’re here. This is Trinity Square, the very center of the academy—and the cathedral that serves as the Sisterhood’s headquarters."

It didn’t take long after that. Within five minutes of entering the campus, we reached our destination: the Sisterhood’s clubroom, where the meeting would take place.

Unlike our previous visit, the area was eerily quiet.

"Officially, the Sisterhood is hosting this meeting, with the Tea Party and the Justice Realization Committee aligning their positions for future policy discussions. They still maintain a public stance of neutrality in politics."

"But they’ll be attending today’s meeting, right? Aomori Mine?"

Without a word, Mine nodded. She parked behind the building, and we stepped once more onto Trinity’s grounds. It was my third time here—but this time, I didn’t have to hurt anyone.

"…We’ll be waiting in a separate room, right?"

Inside the Sisterhood’s clubroom near the cathedral, Atsuko spoke softly.

Only the directly involved parties—Azusa, me, and Saori as Arius’s representative—were permitted to attend. Atsuko, Misaki, and Hiyori hadn’t been given that permission.

"…I’ll be blunt. You three are insurance—or rather, hostages. To keep Suou, Saori, and Azusa in check. Without that precaution, this meeting couldn’t have taken place."

"I know… I don’t mind."

Officially, they were our companions. In truth, they were there to restrict our actions. We’d argued against it, but the decision was final.

"Don’t look so gloomy. You’d better settle this properly—or I won’t forgive you. Suou, Saori, Azusa."

Misaki ruffled my hair and gave me a light push forward. Atsuko and Hiyori followed her lead.

"I-I believe in you! B-But please, don’t take too long…!"

"If anything happens, we’ll come running."

Members of the Tea Party’s escort unit—Seia’s guards—urged Misaki’s group to follow them.

"…It’s fine. They’re tougher than they look. You know that."

"…Yeah."

Sensing my unease, Saori reached out and fixed my hair.

"We’ll make this right."

She said it clearly. Misaki looked back and smiled—her usual dark eyes calm, yet filled with quiet confidence. It left a strong impression.

"…Let’s go."

Matching Seia’s pace, we entered one of the Sisterhood’s meeting rooms. The walls were painted white, and the sheer brightness made my eyes ache slightly.

"Welcome, Captain of Arius Squad—Suou Kirihana."

At the round table in the center sat several students. Among them, of course, was the Tea Party’s current host, Nagisa Kirifuji.

Seated nearby was another Tea Party member—the representative of the Pater faction, Mika Misono. She noticed me, turned, and flashed an exaggerated grin.

"Hey hey☆ Suou-chan!" she mouthed. My enhanced hearing picked it up easily. Since she was waving both hands like crazy, whispering didn’t really make sense.

"It’s been a while!"

Next to her was Tsurugi Kenzaki, the fierce, almost menacing leader of the Justice Realization Committee. Mika and Tsurugi—both here, likely as a form of pressure. There was no escaping this room. That much was clear.

"Perhaps introductions aren’t necessary, but… I am Sakurako Utazumi, representative of the Sisterhood. Please, have a seat."

Beside her sat the Sisterhood’s leader, Sakurako, wearing a suspiciously calm smile. I instinctively grew a bit more cautious. Now that I thought about it, she’d been just like this in my previous life, too.

…And then, finally.

"Yo, Suou."

"Haha… It’s been a while, Sensei."

"My apologies. The detour took longer than expected."

Seia offered a nod of thanks as she and Mine took seats beside Nagisa. Hands trembling slightly, I pulled out a chair and sat down opposite the Tea Party.

"That makes everyone present. Thank you all for gathering here despite your busy schedules. I will be moderating today’s proceedings. Since we’re all already acquainted, we’ll skip formal introductions."

When the long hand hit twelve, Sakurako stood and began to speak. The air in the room tightened with tension.

"Today’s topic is the Eden Treaty—and the response to Arius Branch School’s interference. I ask for your cooperation in reaching a conclusion. Please raise your hand for any questions or comments."

After pausing to confirm no objections, she continued.

"The primary charges include attempted murder of Seia Yurizono, assault on Trinity students, espionage, and terrorism. Ordinarily, Arius students would be captured on sight and sent to the Correction Bureau. However, objections were raised—by none other than Mika Misono, and Seia Yurizono herself."

That was news to me. I had assumed my public declaration of terrorism had cast Arius as victims—but it turned out Seia and Mika had stopped that from happening. So in the end, I really hadn’t done anything on my own, huh…

"…"

Still, Mika—please stop giving me that thumbs-up. I get it.

"If this were merely Mika’s testimony, we could dismiss it. But the appeal from Seia, the supposed victim, and the opinion of Sensei from SCHALE, under the Federal Student Council’s supervision—frankly, we’re unable to make a judgment on our own. Regarding the organization known as Arius Branch School—and you, Suou Kirihana."

Suddenly, every gaze in the room turned sharply toward me. My stomach twisted, nausea creeping up once more.

"Therefore, to ensure we share the same understanding, could you begin by explaining Arius Branch School’s current state—and how it came to be?"

"I’ll take that one. As Arius’s representative."

Before I could even open my mouth, Saori stood beside me and began to speak.

"Let me first clarify my position. I’m Saori Joumae, 8th Squad Captain of Arius Branch School. I have authority over ten subordinates and was responsible for leading several operations."

Even though this wasn’t an easy situation for her, Saori spoke clearly, starting with her role within Arius Branch.

"It’s a well-known fact, so I’ll skip explaining how the Arius Branch School came to be. It was rejected during the First Council and yet continues to exist even now—that’s what the Arius Branch is."

"……"

Because the Public Council was so closely tied to the Justina Saint Council—and by extension, its successor, the Sisterhood—Sakurako closed her eyes, as if trying to suppress something within herself.

"But that was all in the past. Old grudges we had no reason to inherit. Or so we thought… No, rather, more and more people began to believe that way. Until ten years ago—the day she arrived."

"…‘She’?"

Mika suddenly covered her mouth, realizing she’d said too much.
Right—come to think of it, I never told Mika about Beatrice, did I?

"The true mastermind behind this entire incident. A sinister being who appeared out of nowhere… Beatrice, or ‘Madam,’ as we used to call her."

Saori went straight to the heart of the matter. It wasn’t that she had any reason to lie—but bringing up that name now was… unexpected.

"She brought many things to Arius. Firearms, supplies, and even… a ‘bomb that destroys halos.’"

"—!"

A bomb that destroys halos.
Those words alone nearly shattered the already tense atmosphere.
Yet Saori remained composed, her calm unbroken.

"At the time, Arius was in the midst of an internal conflict—born from resentment toward Trinity. And she managed to bring that chaos to an end in just a short time."

She glanced around, making sure everyone followed her words.
On the way here, Saori had suddenly asked me about the history of that civil conflict in the car. So this was why.

"She seized control of Arius, used it, and continued exploiting it as a convenient tool to achieve her own goals—through fear, violence, and death. I’m not asking for sympathy, nor am I asking for forgiveness. I only want you to understand that we, too, faced death and made those bitter choices under pressure—and that we did our best to minimize the number of victims. Does anyone have any questions?"

Saori stood firm, unflinching.
She’d really grown a lot since I last saw her. She’d even gotten taller—though maybe she always had been.

"I do."

While I was getting sentimental, Tsurugi raised her hand with a motion that carried an ominous weight—like a reaper preparing to strike.

"The Arius Branch’s suppression was carried out by the Justice Task Force. We also found traces of that civil war. And, as you said… evidence of that so-called ‘bomb that destroys halos.’"

"—!!"

Destroyed halos… human remains.
Not the bomb itself.
No—this kind of verification could only happen here, in Kivotos.
What the Task Force found were probably the remains of two people. The ones I couldn’t find that day—couldn’t even recover.

"But we didn’t find anything else. No trace of that Beatrice person. Still, I doubt you’re lying. The information matches what we received from a self-proclaimed former Arius member—now part of Trinity’s Volunteer Club. So what’s going on here?"

…I’ll have to talk to Tsurugi about that later.
Depending on how things go… no, focus. Stay on task.

"I should’ve clarified earlier—sorry. The truth is, she isn’t human. She’s… something else. Something different from any being that exists in Kivotos."

"Not human…?"

"And because of that, she can wield incomprehensible technology—do the impossible. Like… completely erasing all traces of her existence, for instance."

"…I see."

In short, there was no evidence—nothing tangible left to show.
But the existence of supernatural weapons, and all the inexplicable events that could only be explained through Beatrice’s involvement—those alone made it impossible to deny her completely.
Tsurugi seemed to realize that, as she didn’t press the matter further.

"…Let me continue. To break free from that situation, we waited for the right moment—for a chance to escape Arius. After ten long years, it finally came—the perfect opportunity: the Eden Treaty signing ceremony."

Most people looked puzzled.
Naturally so—under normal circumstances, there’d be no connection between those things.
Saori seemed to understand and quickly continued.

"The black-clad students who appeared at the ceremony—they were a reconstruction of the ancient Saint Council. A creation born from the convergence of complex conditions: the signing ceremony, the Eden Treaty, the Old Cathedral, and Beatrice’s technology. We planned to use them to hold Beatrice back while we escaped. All of us."

"I don’t fully grasp the logic… but I see. That does make sense," murmured Sakurako, apparently understanding now that Saori had known of the Saint Council.

"After that, we sent the children to escape into Shanhaijing and planned to go into hiding ourselves. The former succeeded, but…"

"But the latter failed—due to Suou Kirihana’s betrayal. Correct?"

"…I’m not sure if ‘betrayal’ is the right word. But if you mean she acted in an unexpected way—then yes."

Saori’s voice faltered slightly at Sakurako’s phrasing.
She could’ve called it betrayal outright—but didn’t.
Maybe because she knew exactly what it meant.

"That idiot—pardon me, Suou Kirihana—hijacked the Chronos Information Bureau’s broadcast. Her goal was to take all the blame onto herself—for the missile strike on the ceremony, for the attack on Yurizono Seia, for everything. She wanted to lessen the number of people chasing us—and kill Beatrice along the way. That’s how we interpreted her actions."

Not just roughly—she got almost everything right.
I never said it out loud, but they’d seen through me completely.

"With Sensei, Misono Mika, and Yurizono Seia’s help, we managed to rescue Suou. Though Beatrice escaped, the Arius Branch finally broke free from her control. I’ve skipped over some details, but that’s the current state of the Arius Branch."

"I see. It doesn’t contradict what we’ve heard from others," Nagisa said in a low voice as Saori sat down.

"Suou Kirihana."

She called my name.

"Regarding the motives Saori Joumae just described—do you have any objections?"

Her sharp gaze scanned me from head to toe, evaluating every word, every movement.
But I didn’t feel nervous. Because…

"No. I don’t."

"…I see. Then may I ask a few questions?"

"Of course."

My little sister had carried things this far. As her big sister, I had to show some pride too.

"First, I understand your intentions now. We’ll verify the facts later, but your reasoning is sound. However… why go that far? What drove you to such lengths?"

"……"

Why, huh. There were so many reasons.
Because of the promise I made to Anna.
Because I wanted to pass that promise to Cyan.
Because I wanted to do it—because I had to.
Because, like Sensei, I wanted to save the people suffering before my eyes.

If I had to sum it all up in one line…

"Because I’m everyone’s big sister."

"…Huh?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mika burst into laughter. Even Sensei could only give a wry smile. As for Seia, she looked completely exasperated.

"…Blood relatives?"

"No. I mean, I was abandoned as a baby."

"Then why call each other sisters?"

Still, my answer was a serious one. This was the moment to play my one and only trump card.

"Because it was something I had to do—to protect everyone."

"Protect them from what, exactly?"

"From Beatrice. And from her twisted teachings."

"I see."

Nagisa seemed, at least for now, somewhat convinced, and finally reached for her tea. Honestly, this wasn’t something I wanted to discuss in front of Saori or Azusa. It’s not that I was hiding anything, but… I didn’t want them to think my feelings for everyone—my love for my sisters—were a lie.

"Since when? And how did it start?"

"Ten years ago. To put it simply, it was a rejection of Beatrice’s teachings. And sometimes, that meant using force."

"…You would’ve been six or seven years old at the time. Forgive my bluntness, but that sounds… difficult to believe."

Even so, I still want to live.
I still want to stay with everyone.
No grand purpose, no noble reason—just that simple wish. That’s all that drives me.

"…This notebook," I said quietly. "I wrote it when I was one year old."

Now’s the time to use everything—to reveal everything.
All of myself, and the path that led me here.

"Seventeen years ago… when I was born into this world, I foresaw the future. This is a record of that."

Well… I’m telling a little lie here. Let’s just call it a convenient story.

"This is everything I’ve done since I was born… and everything I’ve lived through."

At last, I finished speaking. I took a sip of water and exhaled. Most of what I told them was the same as what I’d already explained to Seia. The only parts I left out were about the civil war—about Cyan and Anna. That much, at least, I could keep to myself.

I didn’t mention reincarnation, or Blue Archive. They wouldn’t believe that anyway.
But “future sight”? Thanks to Seia’s precedent, that at least sounded plausible.

"……"

I could sense Sensei’s concern—how carefully he’d guided my explanation toward something believable, something that wouldn’t make anyone expect a rescue attempt. Thankfully, he didn’t seem intent on interfering.

"…It’s hard to believe, but… may I take a look at that notebook?"

"Yes, of course."

I stood up and handed the notebook to Nagisa. It contained everything I remembered about Blue Archive—the entire world, its history, its people. I hadn’t written it expecting this situation, but at least I’d avoided mentioning outright that this world was Blue Archive. That much was lucky.

"……"

Nagisa flipped slowly through the pages, one after another, taking her time. As she read, her face gradually drained of color. At one point, I even heard her mutter under her breath, "What on earth were you thinking, Mika?"

The notebook contained everything: the world’s original history, complete profiles of people who existed here, even maps of the schools’ layouts.
Showing it to Nagisa was risky—but not showing it would’ve looked even more suspicious.

"…Thank you. I’ll return this now."

I accepted the notebook and tucked it back into my coat.
As I turned to return to my seat, a long, heavy sigh escaped from behind me.

"This has gotten… considerably more complicated, hasn’t it?"

With a hand pressed to her forehead, Nagisa spoke as if this entire matter were a massive headache.

"But I’ll believe you."

"…Huh?"

For a moment, I didn’t understand what she meant—and an awkward sound escaped my mouth. Then, finally, I realized.

"W–wait, just like that?"

Honestly, I thought the real struggle would start after this.
Not that I was complaining, but still…

"At least for me," she said. "If it were just Mika, I might be skeptical. But you’re also someone both Seia and Sensei trust. I wasn’t planning to treat you with suspicion."

"Nagisa! What’s that supposed to mean, ‘if it were just Mika’!?"

"And besides," she continued, ignoring Mika’s protest, "your story fits together logically. Most importantly… I’ve already made a promise."

"Hey! Don’t ignore me! I’ll get mad!"

I could feel the tension in the room melt away.
No, not just a lack of tension—more like everyone had finally exhaled after holding their breath too long.
Honestly, I thought Nagisa would be the hardest one to convince. Maybe something had changed in her heart.

"Does anyone object to my assessment?"

She turned to confirm with everyone present.
No one raised a hand.

"Now that I think about it, I did feel something was off during the first assault. If what we’ve just heard is true, that explains a lot."

"I agree," said Tsurugi in her usual, menacing tone.
Right—she’s the kind of person who can use polite speech when she needs to. Funny the things that come to mind at times like this.

"However," Nagisa continued, bringing the room back to focus, "that doesn’t mean we can acknowledge this publicly."

Just like that, the relaxed atmosphere tightened again.
She was right. Earning their trust didn’t mean the matter was settled—it only meant we’d reached the starting line.

"I’ll be blunt. As things stand, reconciliation between Arius Branch and Trinity General Academy is impossible. …No, that’s not quite right. There are ways—but any such method would likely be unacceptable to you."

Ways.
In other words, if I became the scapegoat, that would solve everything.
At least, that’s what I would’ve thought before. But now… not so much.

"…Suou. Don’t you dare do anything stupid."

"I won’t let you."

For some reason, two people immediately assumed I was about to.
Do I really seem that unreliable?

"As the host of the Tea Party, I can’t simply force reconciliation. And we can’t dictate individual will, either. That would only lead to more conflict between the two schools."

In my past life’s memories of Trinity—the girls who called Mika a witch and went far beyond what was acceptable—I could understand why Nagisa was so cautious.

"So for now, could you share what Arius Branch plans to do next? We’ll use that as the basis for cooperation and response."

"Ah, about that…"

We’d already decided on a course of action over the past two days—or rather, while I was unconscious, Saori and my sisters had agreed on one.

"We plan to move to the Millennium Autonomous District. Some former Arius students have built a settlement there. We’ll occasionally relocate our base—to Gehenna, Shanhaijing, or Hyakkiyako—to evade pursuit from the Justice Realization Committee and Valkyrie Police Academy."

"…Given that this is an unofficial meeting, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that last part."

A not-so-subtle warning that I’d just said too much.
Yeah, maybe I’d let my guard down a little. I needed to focus.

"Still, I understand your basic intent. Essentially, you’ll keep your existence hidden while working with former Arius students, allowing time to calm the situation. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"That’s acceptable to me as well. If no one objects, we can use that as our foundation—"

"Wait, wait, Nagisa! I have a great idea!"

Nagisa was about to continue when Mika suddenly interrupted.

"…Go on, then," Nagisa said, clearly reluctant.

"‘Go on, then’? You don’t have to sound so cold! Anyway, basically, you’re saying Arius and Trinity shouldn’t interact for a while, right? At least until the fear subsides. I agree with that in principle. But doesn’t that sound… like it’ll take forever?"

"…Well, yes, that’s true," Nagisa admitted.

Mika was right. Reconciliation between Trinity and Arius would be a distant dream. Still, it wasn’t something we could rush. Not everyone was as forgiving—or as gentle—as Mika.

"But of course, we can’t be seen associating publicly. I get that too," Mika added, nodding seriously.

Then, with a mischievous grin—

"So why not just do it in secret?"

"…What?"

Her next words took everyone by surprise.

"What exactly are you suggesting?"

"We’ll just change the Arius Branch’s name—and the uniforms too! Suou, you’ll wear a disguise. Then we can hold regular exchange events with Trinity under the pretense of being another school—like, say, a ‘school merger exchange program.’ How about that?"

Before anyone could even process it, the words kept tumbling from her mouth.

"So that’s how you’ll prove you can live happily in our academy without any trouble—getting along with everyone. There’s really no reason for you to keep being part of the Arius Branch anymore, right?"

That sounded familiar somehow. Specifically, about a year ago—the very first time I met Mika.

"…You’ve got a point. Most of the Arius students aren’t even known by face anyway… Mika, for you, that’s not a bad idea."

"Oh? Was that little jab really necessary?"

"Ah—stop! Stop it!!"

Mika grabbed Seia’s cheeks and squeezed them, making her panic. Having fought Seia once before, I knew—her panic was absolutely genuine. Not that this was the time to be thinking about that.

"Anyway, the point is this. As ‘Arius Branch students,’ we shouldn’t get too involved for a while. That part stays the same. But if it’s under some other pretext, then… it should be fine, right?"

"…But wouldn’t that complicate things once reconciliation talks begin?"

"When that time comes, we’ll just say Arius Branch already merged with another school, like in the original plan. Suou-chan can’t stay disguised forever anyway… so maybe a little makeup, grow your hair out a bit?"

"Eh?"

Grow my hair out, sure—but makeup? I’ve never even done that before… Would it really change how I look that much? No, wait, that’s not the issue here!

"It’s a much better plan than just sitting around and waiting. Besides… that way, Azusa-chan could spend a bit more time with the Supplementary Lessons Department, right?"

"…!"

"To be honest, this part is personal."

The moment Mika mentioned the Supplementary Lessons Department, Nagisa’s eyes changed. She practically adored Hifumi—it was more than admiration, almost obsession. If this would help Hifumi even a little, Nagisa would be more lenient. Mika had clearly said that name knowing exactly what she was doing.

"…Well, it doesn’t have to be official. Let’s try it out first, as an experiment. Someday, everyone will understand one another."

"I agree."

Seia was the first to voice her support.

"There’s the risk that the Justice Realization Committee might find out… Tsurugi, can you handle that?"

"…If we coordinate the time and place properly—it’s possible."

"Then there’s no reason not to do it. Azusa, what about you?"

Azusa, who had been quietly lost in thought, snapped back to reality when her name was called. And without hesitation, she answered.

"I want to do it."

"Good. …Everyone likely has some concerns. Of course, we’ll also need to keep working on calming the situation. From here on, those two objectives will be our focus. Is everyone fine with that?"

Seia summarized Mika’s idea and relayed it to everyone. No one raised any objections.

"…Haah. I suppose we have no choice. Azusa-san."

"What is it?"

"The only reason I trust you right now is because Hifumi-san trusts you. Her faith in you is what makes me believe in you."

"…"

"If you ever betray that trust again—even once—I will never forgive you. Understood?"

"Yeah. I promise. I’ll never hurt Hifumi, Hanako, Koharu… or anyone else ever again. I won’t betray them."

At Azusa’s response, Nagisa gave a small nod, as if to say that was only natural. Then, gathering herself, she concluded the discussion.

"Then we’ll make that our basic policy, and move on to discuss how we’ll proceed from here."

And so, the debate continued anew.

Once we had decided on the basic plan, everything moved fast. We gathered what we had, hunted down what we didn’t, and filled in the gaps however we could.

After reaching a rough conclusion, we decided to take refuge in the Millennium District for the time being. Mayumi had already agreed to the arrangement.

No one picked a fight, no one made any threats—so for now, we dispersed.

"This… pretty much sums up how things went down this time."

"As long as everyone’s alive, that’s good enough. You did well."

When I explained everything to Misaki and the others after their release, they just said, “Well, that’s passing grade, I guess,” and left it at that.

"Yeah. I’m just glad everyone’s safe."

"I-I thought I was going to die…!"

While patting Hiyori’s head as she clung to me in tears, I got into the car we’d used to get here. For some reason, Mika, Seia, and even the teacher came along too.

"Suou-chan, scoot over a little."

"Eh… wait, Mika, this seat’s already—"

"Move it!"

"Guuh!?"

I was shoved to the side and forcefully sat down. The increased contact with Hiyori and Atsuko wasn’t exactly unpleasant, though.

"…So, Suou-chan."

"Owowowowowow!! Please stop!! I was wrong, I was wrong! No silent Iron Claw, please!!"

I thought my skull was going to split open! Seriously, this monster gorilla…!

"Of course! I’m never letting you pull something like that again!"

"Please don’t cause a scene in the car."

"S-sorry!! But it wasn’t even my faaaaault!?"

"Okay, now we’re even. You’re forgiven."

After a few seconds, she finally let go. My head was still pounding.

"‘Mika, violence is bad,’" the teacher chimed in gently.

"S-sensei, Mika’s always been like th—pff! Haha—yeah, since way back—"

Seia, who was laughing safely from the back seat, was absolutely going to get the same treatment later.

"Mika, I understand how you feel, but Suou’s still recovering. Save it for another time."

"I’d rather there not be another time!?"

I spoke my mind clearly—and then realized that meant there would be a next time.

"Ah…"

Outside the window, I saw the glowing Sanctum Tower—and above it, a huge halo spread across the sky. Oh right, that thing existed. I’d been in this world for a while now, but it was the first time I’d really noticed it.

"It’s beautiful… Why that face, though?"

"Nothing. I just thought you looked unusually sentimental."

Did I really look that weird? I prodded my cheeks a bit, but couldn’t tell. When I looked around at Saori and the others, they suddenly burst out laughing, like they couldn’t hold it in any longer.

"Wh-what’s so funny about my face!?"

Before I could protest, the car screeched to a sudden stop.

"Something ahead…? It looks like a vehicle of some kind…"

A… vehicle?

"Sensei, excuse me a moment."

I leaned forward between the front seats to see what was ahead—and instantly recognized that bright, striking blue. A side door opened, and someone stepped out of it. That was—!

"Onee-chaaan!!"

"S-Shio!? Why are you here!?"

She was supposed to be waiting with Mayumi and the others in Millennium! But if that bizarre—no, downright insane—looking vehicle was here, then…!

"Hey! How many times have I told you—stay inside the vehicle! And the rest of you, don’t even think about stepping out, or I’ll flatten you!!"

That shout was the signal. One after another, Sau, Fili, Tou, Rei, Yako, and Yose all came out. A few faces among them were unfamiliar… or maybe faintly familiar.

"Azusa-chan! Are you okay?"

"Hifumi! Hanako! Koharu!"

Even Hifumi, Hanako, Koharu, and the rest of the former Arius members were there.

"Whoa—!"

The moment I stepped out of the car, Shio charged straight into me.

"Onee-chan…! Thank goodness…! You’re alive…! You’re really alive…!"

"Yeah. I’m alive, Shio. I really am."

Even now, it still didn’t feel real—but it was. I was alive.

"I-it’s been a while, Suou-chan…"

A flash of yellow hair caught my eye.

"Huh…? Oh—Asiri-san, right?"

"Y-yes, and I’m actually…"

I figured she’d come with Hifumi and the others to see Azusa, who was busy explaining future plans nearby. But then—what did she want with me?

"I’m your… big sister!"

"…Huh?"

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Around us, people muttered things like “Another Suou?” and “Second squad captain?” but none of it made any sense.

"Asiri, what are you even talking about!? Did someone mess with your head!? This person is Suou! Suou! Get a grip!!"

"But I am the big sister…! I am…!"

Mayumi grabbed Asiri by the shoulders and shook her, trying to snap her out of it—but it didn’t help. Finally, she sighed, turned to me, and gave a strained, awkward smile.

"S-So, Suou-san… do you happen to know who I am?"

"Uh, yes. You’re Mayumi-san, right? I was told about you."

"Not that… maybe this will help you remember."

She loosened her tied-up hair. The strands fell free—deep, vivid blue, bluer than blue itself. A color I remembered.

─── W-what should we do… once we leave Arius!?

"…Ah… you were the one who asked that question…"

"Y-Yes!! That was me!! I’ve been wanting to see you again, Suou-san—oof!!"

I dodged Mayumi’s sudden tackle on instinct—but that didn’t save me, because the others were clearly waiting for their turn.

"Suou-san, right? The hero from back then—it was you, wasn’t it!? I’ve looked up to you ever since!"

A red-haired student I didn’t even know ran up to me.

"Captain, there’s a lot I need to say to you."

Sau pushed the girl aside.

"Captain… I did my best…"

Then Fili jumped forward, cutting Sau off.

"Well, you’re alive, at least. I’ll consider the promise fulfilled."

Tou poked her head out from between them.

"By the way, Captain, aren’t you getting rusty?"

Before I could answer, Rei swooped in and scooped me up like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey! What do you think you’re doing to my sister!?"

Shio immediately picked a fight.

"Captain! I’ve got so much to say to you too!! After everything you said to me back then!!"

Yose shouted over everyone else from the side.

"Rare for us to agree on something, huh, Yose."

Following that, Yako chimed in.

"You're all in the way☆ We're not done talking yet."

With a single punch, Mika sent them all flying.

"…Should we go too?"

"I-I don’t think I have the confidence to join that crowd…!"

From afar, Atsuko and Hiyori were watching.

"Azusa-chan, you’re safe…! H-here! Your stuff! Want to go pick out swimsuits together now? At Millennium!"

"…Yeah. Of course."

Azusa stood off to the side, talking with Hifumi and the others.

"…Good grief."

Misaki sighed and hefted her rocket launcher.

"Squad Leader."

"Squad Leader."

"Squad Leader!"

A wave of people pressed in. It made me happy—but it was too much. Instinctively, I hid behind someone’s back.

"Alright, everyone calm down."

"Disperse, you lot! Suou just recovered from illness! Look! You’re scaring him!!"

Seeing that, Misaki and Saori stepped in to stop the others. Still, being treated like a small animal was… a little insulting.

"Suou, are you okay?"

I looked up to see whose back I was hiding behind—and realized it was Sensei.

"Ah, yes… I’m fine. I’m just not used to this yet."

"I see."

Nothing more was said. I simply watched from behind his back as everyone slowly settled down.

No one wore masks anymore. Everyone stood under the sun. No scars marked their bodies. Mika, Seia, Mine, Asiri, Hifumi, Hanako, Koharu… even some Trinity students were mixed in.

It was all too convenient for me—too peaceful a scene.

"…Sensei."

My lips moved on their own, carrying the thought.

"…Is it really okay for me… to feel this happy… to be alive…?"

I asked a question I already knew the answer to.

"If that’s what you want, Suou, then there’s no reason it shouldn’t be."

"Yeah…"

"Go to them."

"…Yeah!"

At his words, my legs moved on their own. I took Saori’s hand, then Mika’s, and ran straight into the crowd.

I couldn’t think about anything anymore.

"Everyone!! I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…! Thank you…! Thank you all!! I love you guys… so much!!"

I hugged everyone I could reach—and when I couldn’t, I held their hands instead. I wanted to hold them all close, with everything I had.

"…Yeah. We love you too."

My desire for revenge hadn’t vanished. My goal was gone. The memories were missing. Cyan and Anna wouldn’t return. Saori and the others wouldn’t get normal lives. What I’d lost couldn’t be recovered.

Nothing could go back to how it was. And what I did couldn’t be undone.

Even so, I realized there were still so many things left in my hands—so many things worth protecting.

That’s why, to protect them—from now on, and always—I’ll do my best. I’ll live. Together with everyone. To live, for the sake of being with them.

That alone is enough reason to keep going.
So I’ll live. I’ll keep living. I’ll live and do my best—
in this clear, beautiful world.