Chapter 10: The End

"…Okay… fi… nished…"

This is the end.
Everything is over.

Do I have regrets? Of course I do. How could I not? It’s only been, what, a little over two years since my consciousness woke up in this world. Give me a break, seriously.
…Well, most of the reasons it ended up like this are my own fault anyway.

I chose to hide myself in the Black Market—sure, escaping from Senpai was part of it, but it was still my decision. And I took on this kind of job because I wanted to. If I’d just stayed away from Problem Solver 68 from the start—if I’d backed off at that moment—maybe none of this would've happened.

"Sigh…"

I chug down an energy drink in one go.

Clunk. Something hits outside the door, followed by a beep as my drone drags in the nearly-scrap cleaning unit it captured. As expected of my drone. Fast work.

"You… did your best too."

I pat the scorched armor plating.
You worked hard. You really did. You gave everything you had. So this is enough. Let’s call it satisfaction.

"…I wish I could’ve had one last bowl of Shibaseki Ramen…"

I mutter softly.

That’s when it happened.

A noise sounded again from outside the door.

"…Who?"

Sen—no way. Impossible. Do you know how long it would take to get here from that place? He shouldn’t even know where I live in the first place.

Then… who?

"‘Scuse the intrusion."

With a violent crash, the door is blown off its hinges, and light from outside floods into the room.

And standing beyond that light, wearing a black school uniform, face hidden behind a mask—

"…Sen…pai…?"

"Hah? Oh, I’m shocked, really! Who would've thought the one inside that cleaner bot was a tiny brat like you, Komori!"

"H-hi!?"

Why—why why why why!?

Why is she here? Why are they here?

That scene flashes back. On the way home from the entrance ceremony—just for being a Trinity student, just because they thought I had money—they dragged me into an alley, beat me until my halo nearly shattered, kicked me, shot me, hurt me over and over.

"H…ha… w-why…"

"Why? Because we’ve been chasin’ you this whole time."

"E… eh?"

"Back then, you got saved by that cleaning bot, remember? Ever since, we planned to pay you back someday, so we kept lookin’ for ya. Who would've thought we’d get this kinda coincidence!"

Worst-case scenario. Absolutely the worst. This can’t be happening. This can’t be the end. Not like this—anything but this—

"Well then, time to give ya some real special treatment!"

"Eek!"

The shotgun in her hand swings toward me, the pitch-black barrel aimed straight at my chest. I can’t do anything. I can’t run—my legs have given out completely. The only resistance I have left is shutting my eyes, refusing to see the terror rushing toward me.

The gunshot slams into my eardrums.

—But the pain never comes.

Cautiously, I open my eyes—and see my partner collapsing in slow motion.

"…Huh?"

"Tch! Hey! Keep your junk cleaned up! This scrap heap fell right on top of me! Get it out of the way!"

The metal wreckage is kicked aside and topples over right next to me.

It doesn’t move. Of course it doesn’t. The battery is dead, the frame’s completely destroyed, and I’m not holding the controller.

But to me, it looked like he had protected me.

It looked like he was telling me to live.

"Alright, let’s try this again… huh? And what’s that toy supposed to be?"

"Hah… hah…!"

I pick up the handgun still clutched in the fallen cleaning unit’s hand. I raise it, aim it, and align the sights directly with the delinquent’s head.

"Weak little Komori. Go on! If you can shoot, then shoot!"

"—!—"

I’ll do it. I’ll do it!

The enemy is even giving me the time.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot already.

Morality doesn’t matter. Kill her. Kill her and survive. That’s what my partner would have wanted.

"U… uwaaaaahhhhh!!"

I put strength into the finger pulling the trigger—and then—

Before I can fire, I notice something happening outside.

It’s noisy.

"Huh? What the hell? Hey, what are you idiots—"

Then the delinquent in front of me flies past my side and is launched backward. I hear a loud crash as she slams into something.

"Hah… hah… looks like I made it in time."

"Why… are you…"

"Why? Because I’m your Sensei, that’s why."

From beyond the light, hope arrives.

"But… I…"

"You’re the cleaning unit, right?"

"…Huh?"

"I wasn’t completely sure, but the outgoing data from MomoTalk and the signals from your unit were coming from the same place."

"O-oh… so, what? Did you come to arrest me?"

"No. I came to save you."

"…Why…? I lied to you so much… I did awful things… I did so many bad things…"

"Why? Like I said—because you’re my student."

Ah… Sensei really is so cool.

"…You piece of shiiiiiit!!"

It happens then. Senpai—who had been blasted backward a moment ago—gets back up and charges at us.

And—

"Don’t you dare lay a hand on my Sensei and my friend!"

From beyond the door, that voice—and a single bullet—came flying.

"Ugh!?"

The bullet strikes Senpai, who explodes backward and collapses to the ground. This time, she seems truly unconscious.

"Phew… are you okay!? Sensei! Komori!"

"Al…-san…?"

"Thank goodness! You’re safe!"

"Wh-what—"

"Friend?! Of course I am!"

"I-I haven’t… even said anything yet…"

The hug tightens.

"I knew from the start that you were the cleaning unit. But that’s fine. You’re still my friend."

"You only just found out, though."

Because he’s my student… because he’s my friend…

Ha, hahahaha.
What even is that?

"U-uwahhhhhhhhhhh!!"

All my fretting feels utterly ridiculous now.

"I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m sorry! Even though you thought I was your friend! I did awful things to everyone! I even… tried to kill everyone! I’m sorry!"

"Kill—!? I-it’s okay. I’m the CEO of Problem Solver 68. I’m an outlaw even beyond a cleaning unit! I’m not gonna hate you for something like that!"

"Y-yes! Komori-chan is my friend! …I-it’s okay for someone like me to be your friend, right?"

"Yeah, it’s fine. If I hated people for something like that, I couldn’t survive in Gehenna."

"Ahaha! I had fun too, so it’s fine! Let’s hang out again sometime~!"

"U-uh…"

"No matter what you do, you’ll always be my student. I’ll always be on your side."

That day, for the first time in this world, I let out a real scream while crying in someone’s arms. Pathetic, childish. In hindsight, embarrassingly so.

"That said, though, you will have to face punishment for destroying public property and stuff."

"Eh…"

.

.

.

Eh…?