NOVEL NEXT The Arius Squad was finally subdued perfectly in my hands. Although there were still questions about how to handle the commotion that happened above and convincing the squad…
“…”
Honestly, I feel that the key point lies in conquering the princess and Saori over here. If I can persuade the princess first, I feel like Saori will follow suit in no time.
But, why do I keep thinking of her as the princess? For me, the only princess is Mika… The problem is that I’m Mika. Is that an excuse?
“Hey, I have a question.”
…Huh? What? Is there anyone here who could be talking to me? No way it’s Atsuko speaking up.
No way…
Really?
“Wow—o…? Atsuko-chan, wasn’t that something you shouldn’t say?”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t just speak recklessly without the madam’s permission. But right now, I’m in a situation where I’m being threatened with my life by a merciless Trinity student. I have to speak to save myself. The madam doesn’t want me to die, so it’s okay even if I get caught.”
Oh wow, why is she being so cheeky? I mean, if Beatrice is inside Arius Autonomous District, how could she possibly know what’s happening outside?
“…Have you considered that if you get caught, Saori-chan will be punished in your place?”
“Ah.”
I can sense Atsuko’s panic from her wavering gaze. Just by looking at her trembling eyes directed at Saori, I can tell how much these kids care for each other.
“Hahaha, it’s fine. If you don’t get caught, it’s no big deal, and as I said earlier, I’m on your side, so you can trust me☆ Well, I know it’s a bit unreasonable to ask you to trust someone you just met moments ago and had a fight with…”
“I trust you.”
“Huh?”
“I trust you.”
“Uh, you didn’t have to answer twice. But still, that’s surprisingly unexpected. So, what exactly are you trusting about me?”
To be honest, I was a little perplexed. The very first to wake up, Atsuko, glanced between the fallen squad members and me, then nodded and brought her hands together as if waiting for me to handcuff her or something.
Not that I had any handcuffs, so I was taken aback and decided to leave Atsuko uncuffed. Just that one action made me want to have a proper conversation with her.
“I can tell by looking at your eyes.”
“Really? What did you see in my eyes, Atsuko-chan?”
“Well, your eyes were crying when you subdued me. You held back when you were about to hit Hiyori-chan, and it’s been like that ever since. Plus, your eyes are warm and pretty.”
“Uum… I’m not sure if that’s a good reason to trust someone. But alright, I got it. By the way, is Atsuko-chan fourteen now?”
At my question, Atsuko nods. It seems that in a place that can’t be seen as a proper school, the Arius Squad stuck together regardless of age.
“But hey, what were you curious about that made you speak up? Are you really curious about how I know about you? Honestly, I was surprised to hear that voice today.”
“You said you’d let me speak freely and that I didn’t have to hide my face. I wondered what that meant. Do you really know the madam? Her true identity?”
“…I do. Yeah, I know exactly what she has done to you and what she is still doing. In fact, I know her too well, it’s a bit of a problem. And since Atsuko-chan seems smart, you probably know why I said that too, right?”
“You’re thinking of killing the madam.”
“Well, I don’t know if I can just kill her because I want to. But I definitely plan to prevent her from laying a hand on you. And once I chase that woman away, the position of Student Council President that was rightfully yours will come back to you, Atsuko-chan.”
“…I’m not sure. I’ve always thought it would be my fate to live as a sacrifice, that I would just accept it if it was my destiny. The madam said there’s no such thing as hope for us. She taught us that everything is pointless and empty.”
“But Atsuko-chan, you know that’s not the truth, right? Not just you, but all of your squad members know it in their hearts already. Yes, it’s just a fake adult who can’t even be called an adult… overwhelmed by the violence and oppression wielded by that monster, you all turned a blind eye to it.”
“We hate Trinity. Everything we endure is because of Trinity, so we were taught to hate. But why can’t I even hate you, the Student Council President of Trinity, whom we should hate?”
“Hahaha, that might mean Atsuko-chan is that smart! Hate isn’t something you can just learn to feel; she knew that and tried to instill hatred in you all in a harsh way. You simply aren’t foolish enough to fall for that woman’s lies. You’ve built a strong barrier.”
“…Is that about Saori-chan?”
As I asked, Atsuko glances at Saori, who is still tied to the pillar with the Halo light turned off. Since they fought bravely alongside Azusa until the very end, their situation was far from what Misaki or Hiyori experienced.
“Yeah, you can all work together like this all thanks to Saori-chan, right? Even knowing it was impossible, she didn’t let go of her gun until the end with just the will to save you all. Isn’t she a really cool person?”
“Yeah, Saori-chan is strong.”
“Right? If given the chance, Saori-chan could shine brighter than anyone else. But that applies to all of you as well.”
Despite the atmosphere, I gently pulled Atsuko, who seemed to be about the same height as me, into a hug. I wouldn’t pretend to understand the hardships and pains these kids faced… but I can promise that things will be different moving forward.
“I’ll help you, Atsuko-chan. Not just you, but everyone in Arius deserves to be free again, to regain the student life and happiness they were supposed to enjoy. This isn’t about seeking reconciliation or asking for forgiveness. No, it’s simply a promise that I’ll do what someone was supposed to do.”
I was an adult as defined on Earth. Even if my body had become a student and my mind affected by that. The fact that I was someone’s adult wouldn’t change.
Can I be considered an adult defined on Kivotos? A being who has reached the end of growth? That’s a tough question.
Hmm… Philosophical musings aren’t my thing. If I still have room to grow personally, then I’m probably not an adult yet. I decided to think that way.
“Hey.”
“Yeah, Atsuko-chan. Are you uncomfortable because I suddenly touched your body? If so, then right now…”
“Can I call you sister?”
“…Huh?”
“Your name was… probably Misono Mika, right? Um, I’ll believe everything that Mika-onee-san said. I won’t ask how you knew about us. I just feel like I can trust you. So please take care of me from now on, Mika-onee-san.”
I didn’t respond with just, “Sure.” I mean, I didn’t have any objections, but it doesn’t matter. At this point, since I’ve long accepted the fact that I’m a girl, I can’t feel repulsed by being called sister anymore.
But still, I was clearly the same age as Saori, yet she prefers calling me sister while I want to call Saori the same. Honestly, looking at her appearance, Saori looks more mature than me, so if it’s about being a sister, wouldn’t it suit her better…? If I were only one year younger, I would have called Saori sister too.
“Oh, someone woke up.”
Huh? Who woke up? Since I was turning my head to see the other squad members’ backs, I realized I didn’t need to.
“Atsuko… A, Atsuko?! Get away from that woman!!! And you! I swear I’ll kill you, Misono Mika!!!”
Saori, seeing me hugging Atsuko, began to spasm uncontrollably, unable to help but realize the situation.
Oh dear, what a situation. It seems like it will take some time to settle this.
“I’ll help you, Mika-onee-san.”
“…Wait, Atsuko! You shouldn’t say that… Ughhh…!”
As I watched Saori flailing wildly, I was thankful for the sturdy rope Azusa had.
*
Warm and pretty. But it also looks sad.
Mika-onee-san’s eyes seem to be shedding tears for us. Maybe that’s why my heart aches even more.
“I’ve already said it three times, but I’m on your side.”
“I can’t believe you. You want me to trust someone who won’t even reveal where they got their information about us? I don’t know how you tricked Atsuko, but I definitely don’t trust you. Never.”
“Hahaha, but Saori-chan, unlike anyone else you have to trust me, right? To save Atsuko-chan, who is more precious than your life. Because that’s what the contract you made with the madam is for.”
“…How do you know that?”
“I’ll say it again. I’m on your side, Saori-chan.”
“No… I can’t trust you. I shouldn’t trust you. There’s no way something good like this could happen to us. Trinity and Gehenna are our enemies that I must defeat with my own hands. How could I trust you, the leader of Trinity…”
“Enemies you must defeat with your own hands? No, that’s wrong. That’s just Beatrice, that idiot who gambled Atsuko-chan’s life… your squad’s lives, making the claims countless times that it’s worthless to fight back.”
“Ah, aaa… No, I have to protect everyone…”
I see… So Saori-chan was the one who made that promise to save me back then. To save us, she was pushing herself to the limit. Saori-chan was always thinking of protecting us.
I don’t know how Mika-onee-san knows all of this… but that’s not important. I just have this feeling that if we let this opportunity pass, happiness will never come our way again.
“Saori-chan.”
“…Atsuko.”
“I’m sorry for making you bear everything alone.”
“…!”
“You’ve worked hard, Saori-chan. But I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself anymore. So let’s hold hands. Just this once, let’s trust each other.”
“No, Atsuko… You shouldn’t go against an adult’s words. You shouldn’t rebel. You shouldn’t have hope or pray for happiness. Everything is just void and futile. Holding hands won’t change anything——”
“If everything is in vain, then why did you try to save Atsuko-chan’s life? Why did you want to protect your whole squad, and why did you keep getting up and charging at me until you fell countless times? Answer me, Jomae Saori. Are you truly thinking that everything is in vain?”
“…”
“Saori-chan, don’t you want to regain the hope that was taken from you? Don’t you want to find the happiness of these kids you wanted to protect so much? Whether everything is in vain or not, let’s not judge it based on someone else’s flawed ideology. Open your eyes and see the world for yourself.”
…Beautiful. So beautiful that they shine… Mika-onee-san felt much more like an adult than the madam who called herself an adult, and for some reason, I began to admire her.
If the adult who came to Arius had been someone like Mika-onee-san instead of the madam, maybe we could have been happy.
“…Actually, I didn’t want to give up hope. I wanted to pray for the happiness that would eventually come. I didn’t want to stop rebelling, but I didn’t have the strength to do so…”
Pitter patter—
“It’s okay, Saori-chan. We can start again from now on. Let’s build our happiness on top of the heart that you’ve shown us, Saori-chan. Together with Mika-onee-san.”
So, today is the first and last time for crying, Saori-chan. From now on, only happy things and bright days await us. And a warm star will shine on the path we take.
So, let’s be happy from now on. Saori-chan.