Chapter 34: The End of Unreasonable Malice (8)
“Mika-san?”
“Ah, sorry, Nagisa-chan☆ I met you after a long time, and I was lost in thought☆”
You see. I think I wanted to be punished. Because I betrayed Trinity, because I tried to harm my only childhood friend.
In the end, it ended well, but not for me!
Even if everyone has a happy ending, the fact that I am a betrayer doesn’t change.
I put everyone in danger.
So I have to accept the price.
…
I thought so.
That day, I met her. The princess just for me, who sees me as just an ordinary student.
Not the betrayer Misano, but a friend who sees me as Mika, a student of Trinity.
I couldn’t understand it.
Why are you helping me?
I’m a betrayer, right? If you help me like that, you’ll get hurt too?
‘You helped me with the club support.’
…Just that?
Lies.
You wouldn’t help me for such a reason.
…
I thought so.
But then I met her, she said this with such a pure look and I just couldn’t help but be persuaded.
This kid is really kind. She’s a student who looks at me without prejudice.
Hime-chan was that kind of kid. A kid who reached out her hand to me first, no matter if I was a betrayer or not.
Really… I’m a bad kid who should be punished. This is Hime-chan’s fault for reaching out her hand to me first.
When you offer me such a warm hand when I shiver from the cold every day, I can’t refuse.
In the end, the betrayer Misano ran away. From her own sin.
She was intoxicated by warmth and forgot that she was a betrayer.
Yes.
That’s how it is.
This is the price.
“Mika.”
Desiring immediate comfort and losing the most precious thing.
“Mika, look at Sensei.”
It’s the perfect end for the betrayer Misano.
“Don’t turn your head, look at me.”
Ha, ahaha….
…
Hime-chan.
What should I do now…?
“[Ba, Valkyrie has been contacted! They say they’ll be here as soon as possible!]”
“…How long until they arrive…?”
“[…Calculation in progress. Approximately 20 minutes are expected. Sensei.]”
“…One more thing.”
Sensei looked at the ceiling with trembling eyes.
“…How long has this been going on…?”
“[…13 hours.]”
“……”
Sensei bit his lip.
Sensei is not an omnipotent being. Therefore, he cannot undo what has already happened.
Especially if it’s death.
But Sensei wasn’t one to give up.
“[S, Sensei?]”
He takes out the card of an adult.
Sensei raises the card with a determined face. Resurrecting someone who has met death is a violation of the rules. Therefore, the concept of resurrection cannot be established in this world.
But Sensei doesn’t care about that. With the thought that things will work out somehow, he is about to use the card.
However, it won’t work.
The dead cannot be brought back to life.
It is more strict than any other rule, something absolute.
There’s no way Sensei could do anything about that rule, like an unchangeable truth.
“Why, why isn’t it working…!”
Sensei knows very well. That it’s beyond his capabilities to bring the dead back to life.
But.
The fact that his student was dead. Though he doesn’t seem to show his emotions well, the fact that his most emotional student was slumped over, he could only hold onto the card and beg.
“I’ll give everything, please, please bring her back to life. Bring her back to life!”
“[Sensei….]”
“[Calm down, Sensei. First of all, we must inform the students waiting outside about the situation.]”
Arona and Sensei were greatly shocked to see the death of a student for the first time, but Plana, who had seen death too many times, was able to remain calm in this situation.
She quickly assesses the situation and organizes what needs to be done.
At Plana’s cold voice, Sensei also came to his senses.
He is not alone here. There are also students. Students who are still unaware of this situation.
He must pull himself together.
“…Right. You’re right. I can’t change what has already happened. What happens next is important.”
Outside the door right now, there is Mika and Hoshino, who might be Hime’s junior.
If those two see Hime’s figure, it will be the worst for them.
So, telling them to go back first is the priority.
It’s better not to see this heartbreaking scene.
One corner of his heart still aches madly. But he is an adult.
He must think about what to do, not despair at the situation.
“First, I should tell the children to go home….”
But Sensei had to stop what he was saying. Of course, that’s the only way.
Sensei looked at the door with a bewildered expression.
In front of the door stood his student. And her gaze was fixed on the ceiling.
“Hime-chan…?”
Sensei ran to Mika.
“Mika.”
Sensei knelt down and matched his gaze with Mika’s.
“Sensei? Something’s wrong. Why is Hime-chan like that?”
“Mika, look at Sensei.”
Sensei grabbed Mika’s face with both hands and fixed her gaze on him.
“Se, Sensei… He, help me… Something’s wrong. It’s scary. So scary. Sensei.”
“Mika, don’t turn your head. Look at me.”
Tears welled up in Mika’s eyes. The fear etched in her eyes had spread throughout her body and was consuming her.
Sensei, noticing that, spoke to Mika in a gentle voice.
“Mika, take a deep breath slowly. Come on, follow me.”
“Huk, uheuk… Se, Sensei….”
For a child who is still a student, death is too big of a concept.
If that were all, it wouldn’t matter, but she witnessed her friend’s death right before her eyes.
The shock and fear are beyond imagination.
Especially in Kivotos, where death is uncommon.
“Huk, hwaaaaa….”
A being who was once called a betrayer of Trinity and put countless people in danger was still a young student.
A young student who is ignorant of death and not familiar with fear.
Sensei is only there to stay by that child’s side and comfort her.
Even though a large scar had formed in Sensei’s heart as well.