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Time quickly passed in this manner.
In the end, we weren’t able to find Chako and have yet to make a new body.
Unfortunately, there’s no more time.
Today’s Valentine’s Day.
Yes. If it’s this day.
I will probably meet Chako.
“Naba, this crystal is a family heirloom.”
Saying so, Yuusei-kun takes out a fist-sized transparent stone from his uniform pocket.
“We didn’t make a new body in time but an ego can probably be placed in this.”
“Okay.”
“Erase Tomonaga’s body and extract only her ego into this. For the body, we should be able to make do with low-grade phantoms at a later date.”
“… Okay.”
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If one looks out the window, a silver full moon is shining.
In the Occult Research clubroom, I nod slowly.
That was the answer Yuusei-kun and I found.
It may not be perfect but it should be able to save Chako.
“Yuusei-kun. Is there any chance that Kuo-sensei will appear because he disapproves of me being with you?”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. Because we maintained a good relationship with the phantoms. The older Kuo had been informed too.”
“I see…”
“The one who disapproves of Naba being with me… is probably Kamo.”
“Yeah.”
Even within the Onmyouji Faction, it appears that there’s an Abe Camp and a Kamo Camp.
The Abe Camp are moderates. The Kamo Camp are radicals.
Because they’ve different goals even though they’re all onmyoujis, if someone was to confront Abe-kun, it will probably be Tomotaka-senpai.
“You can return once again if Tomonaga doesn’t appear.”
“…”
“After which, come to me. Explain to me and I’ll surely believe you.“
“… Yeah.”
“You’ll have to restart your training though. Well, it can’t be helped.”
“Yeah.”
“It doesn’t matter how many times. As long as you succeed.”
“Yeah.”
Yuusei-kun looks at me, full of confidence.
Strong.
He’s truly strong.
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“… So, you’re really fine with this, right?”
“Y’know, Naba. This is what they call a perquisite.”
The eyes behind Yuusei-kun’s glasses shine.
Finding that expression and his words strange, I chuckle.
“Thank you…”
“… Don’t sweat it.”
I gently approach Yuusei-kun’s face.
And land a kiss where we barely touch.
In that instance――an enormous amount of spiritual energy appears outside the window.
“… That’s?”
“This looks bad… at any rate, let’s head out.”
Was Chako’s spiritual energy this strong?
As I didn’t make proper use of my power before, I don’t know how much spiritual energy Chako had.
Nonetheless, this is abnormal.
Suppressing my clamouring heart, Yuusei-kun and I leap from the 4th floor window to the sports ground.
“Chako.”
Chanting a spell, I land without any impact.
At the end of the grounds is a large brown wolf.
“Naba… that’s…”
“Yeah, it’s Chako.”
“But, she, has about the same amount of spiritual energy as the older Kuo.”
“… Yeah.”
The brown wolf opens its golden eyes and drool pours from its mouth.
A black chain tightly constricts its neck and it painfully lets out a “Buu, buu” voice.
“Oi, Kamo! You went overboard!”
“A little. Well, it can’t be helped if I want to beat you.”
“You fool.”
Yuusei-kun calls out to the person standing beside the brown wolf.
That person, seems to be manipulating the chain on the brown wolf; there’s a binding seal on his hand.
“Yuusei-kun, Chako was…”
“Yeah, he probably, made her consume phantoms to the utmost limit. Her spiritual energy increased but… she lost her ego.”
“No way…”
Chewing my lip, I look at the brown wolf.
There’s no light in those golden eyes.
“See that black chain? It’s a spell for shackling familiars. Although there’s no ego, he can keep her from going berserk by binding her with that chain because she’s a familiar.”
“Is it painful?”
“Yeah, it should be painful… What now? Even if her body is erased, whether her ego still remains…”
Yuusei-kun looks at Tomotaka-senpai with chagrin.
Is Chako’s ego not in that brown wolf now?
It will be fine.
This isn’t my first time seeing such an appearance.
“She went berserk the first time too. However, Chako’s ego was able to remain in the end.”
“I see… in that case, shall we give it a try?”
“Yeah.”
We can do it.
If it’s us, we can.
Yuusei-kun runs while chanting a curse to capture the brown wolf.
By his side, I begin running towards the brown wolf too.
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The battle was onerous.
Yuusei-kun made moves to restrict the brown wolf’s body as he chipped away at its strength.
Meanwhile, I disintegrated the miasma in Chako’s body bit by bit as I searched for her ego.
It appeared that Tomotaka-senpai had been giving orders and manipulating the brown wolf so that it didn’t go berserk.
However, even that had came to a close.
Although the brown wolf’s power was enormous, Yuusei-kun eventually captures it and I disintegrate the miasma in the body with my power.
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The brown wolf’s body dissipates, leaving behind only the body of a small wolf.
Tomotaka-senpai seems to have used up his power as he collapses on the ground in a sitting position.
I rush over to the small wolf and gently hug that body.
“Chako, Chako.”
When I call out frantically, golden eyes look at me.
Those eyes widen in a bit of apparent shock.
“Yui-chan.”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry. It was painful, wasn’t it?”
What Tomotaka-senpai disapproved of the most was The Peerless Onmyouji, Yuusei-kun, obtaining power.
Even though I should’ve known that, I left Chako aside and seeked only to make myself stronger.
How much pain had Chako suffered, eating so many phantoms that she lost her ego and being bound by chains unceasingly?
I’m sorry you were hurt, Chako.
But I found a way to save you.
I look at the Yuusei-kun standing behind me.
Yuusei-kun nods and takes out a crystal.
“You know what, Chako, I can transfer your ego alone into this crystal right now.”
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The small wolf’s golden eyes sway.
“With that, you can get a new body, Chako. Your familiar contract will end too. Let’s live together, always.”
Chako.
Take my hand.
Live with me.
“It’s… enough already, Yui-chan.”
I look at the golden eyes in desperation but――those eyes slowly close.
“I’m, tired.”
I don’t want this.
I don’t want this, Chako.
Don’t disappear.
Don’t give up.
“Chako, you know what, it’s fine even just for a bit, go into the crystal for a while… with that, you’ll be free… and then…”
I continue to speak frantically but the small wolf shakes its head.
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“Yui-chan… you looked like you had fun… I wasn’t able to do a thing but, together with Abe-kun, you…”
“Chako, just for a bit. Hey, look at me.”
“I’d always been snatching… snatching… and snatching. In the end, I lost my ego…”
No.
Chako, open your eyes.
Look at me.
“… I’m tired, Yui-chan.”
The body of the small body dissipates.
It dissipates into the air and disappears.
“Chako…!”
“It’s, fine already… Since you’ve chosen, Abe-kun, it’s fine already…”
――I want to disappear.
The last of Chako’s voice wasn’t vocalised.
Even then, I understood what Chako wanted to say.
Yes. Truth be told, I’ve always known.
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That Chako’s fine with this.
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Chako’s body isn’t in my arms.
The arms that had lost their destination slumps down feebly.
“Yuusei-kun… you said that it might have been fate that Chako disappeared, right?”
My hoarse voice melts into the air.
“I didn’t want that. I wasn’t convinced with a fate wherein Chako would disappear. ――However, Chako accepted it.”
Chako always smiled with satisfaction at the end.
Chako said “It’s fine already,” and shook off Yuusei-kun and my hands.
Chako knew that she would disappear and was fine with that.
No matter how many times I repeat.
No matter how many times I start over.
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Chako doesn’t want to remain in this world.
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Ah.
It was useless no matter how many times I start over.
A fate that the person in question accepted.
How can I be able to change things?
‘I want to save Chako’?
‘I want to free Chako’?
I thought something would change if I knew the relationship between Chako and Tomotaka-senpai.
I thought The Strongest Phantom In This World would be able to save her.
I thought everything would go well if I, myself, had become strong.
And this is the result.
I caused Chako the greatest pain so far and made her say that she wants to disappear.
“I can’t do anything…”
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The low and hoarse voice weighs heavily on my heart.
That’s right, huh.
Truth be told, I knew right from the start.
Encouraging myself that I can do it, I pretended not to see the things unfavourable for me.
When Chako told me about being a familiar, I didn’t want her to look sad.
When I was told it may be her fate to disappear, I didn’t want to feel disconcerted.
When I told about turning back time on multiple occasions, I didn’t want to bear the burden.
In this manner I encouraged and gave myself reasons, refusing to face Chako.
Because I’d find out if I face her.
That she’s not trying to remain in this world.
I wanted to find a way to save Chako without her knowing.
I was hoping that, if I know how to save her, she may grab hold of it.
However, Chako didn’t grab hold.
She wouldn’t take my hand.
If that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do anymore.
Unwilling to move at all, I simply sit down absent-mindedly.
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“It’s possible. Believe. You can do it.”
The strong eyes on the other side of Yuusei-kun’s glasses look at me.
“Listen, I’ll help you out. Return. Start over again.”
The Peerless Onmyouji looks at me firmly.
With strong eyes that don’t shrink away.
“But, … what can I do after returning? I don’t feel like doing anything.”
No more.
I don’t want to see Chako disappearing.
“… I don’t feel like trying.”
I was, completely different from Yuusei-kun.
I wasn’t a cheat.
I can’t continue to try.
I can’t.
“That’s fine too.”
He kneels before me and holds my hands tightly.
“You won’t let things end here, right? Go for it.”
I can feel Yuusei-kun’s warm power entering my body.
It draws out my power.
I bite my lip heavily.
The power will lead me.
To that morning.
Even though I don’t want to return.
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—————
『The Peerless Onmyouji』Abe Yuusei　True End achieved.
『The Happiness of Living Together』route has been unlocked.