CH 114

Abnormality…

‘This seems like a scene out of Fate/Grand Order…’ Seiji coughed dryly.‘I should stop getting sidetracked!’

There was another moment of silence in the student council room.

Seiji finally spoke up again after digesting the information Natsuya had just told him.

“So, there’s no way to solve this?”

Natsuya shook her head.

“Nobody know why these abnormalities… how these unique existences came to be. Everything I just said about the ‘Sea of Karma’ and the ‘Reaper’s Curse’ are actually mere legends, although everybody believes in them.

“Yin Yang Masters can only comprehend their existence and what they can cause. We don’t know where these things originate from, or how to deal with them. Perhaps if it was some type of curse— demons or spirits—then that would be within our realm, but this… has far surpassed that. This is more like… a type of natural phenomenon.”

A natural phenomenon.

It was like the passing of the seasons, or the changing of the weather?

That girl was carrying such a heavy burden!?

Seiji furrowed his brows.

“In the past… something like the ‘Reaper’s Curse’ must have appeared before, right? Then… what happened in the end?”

Natsuya sighed.

“This type of existence is incredibly rare; there are few records about it, so I’m not sure myself…”

Her expression changed as she came to a sudden realization.

“But there is… one legend.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a legend about your ancestor, Seimei Kamijou.” Natsuya looked directly into Seiji’s eyes.

“The legend goes something like this: your ancestor encountered a terrifying demon, whose mere presence brought down calamitous misfortune upon others. He battled with it for seven consecutive days and nights, before succeeding in its suppression. He then spent seventy-four days to positively influence and reform the demon. Finally, he signed a contract with it and turned it into one of his Spirit-branded Retainers.

“This Spirit-branded Retainer was later known as Guren. It was one of your ancestor’s 12 highest-ranked Spirit-branded Retainers.”

Seiji was unable to formulate a response to all this.

“According to the legend’s description of that demon, it possessed something similar or equal to the ‘Reaper’s Curse.’ But at the time, people didn’t have a proper understanding of it, and everyone believed it to be a type of curse rather than a natural phenomenon, so its uncertain whether or not it really was the ‘Reaper’s Curse.’” Natsuya blinked.”But even if it was, the only person powerful enough to subdue and coerce it to sign a contract was your ancestor. Nobody else could accomplish such a feat.”

“There has never been anyone else like Seimei Kamijou. Nobody in existence before or after him has ever reached the same height as a Yin Yang Master.”

Seiji sighed.

“So, you’re telling me that the problem cannot be resolved, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. Even though it’s regrettable, nobody will be able to help Shika Kagura…” Natsuya sighed.”Including you, Seiji Haruta.”

Natsuya’s eyes seemed to be trying to tell Seiji something as she said this.

Seiji understood what she meant.

“I got it,” he said in a calm tone of voice.

Just as he told Hoshi earlier, there would always be times when he wasn’t strong enough.

He wasn’t arrogant to the point where he thought he could save everyone.

A while later, Seiji left the student council office.

Natsuya sighed again after she watched him leave.

She could tell Seiji still hadn’t quite given up just yet. However, some things were truly impossible to change, and if you forcefully went against the flow, you would only be…

She shook her head.

She already told him everything she should have. She could only hope that he wouldn’t do anything foolish now.

Besides, it wasn’t a suitable time to be worrying about others.

Natsuya furrowed her brows.

Her own matters… were quite troublesome as well.

Outside the school.

A red-haired girl was standing on the edge of a certain tall building’s roof. Her arms were folded as she surveyed the surroundings.

This person was Hitaka Shuho.

Her pupils were colored gold, and wispy waves of red light floated up into the sky from her body. It seemed as if a long red cloak were trailing behind her, adding to her mysterious and beautiful appearance.

“Hurry up and come out, Snow Girl…” She focused intensely on the area below her as she continuously swept her surroundings with her enhanced vision.

“This time… I’ll definitely capture you!”

…

Seiji found it difficult to concentrate in his remaining afternoon classes.

Should he go back to the park again tonight?

He already learned that he wouldn’t be able to help her. It seemed meaningless to go.

He suddenly noticed that it had started raining outside. He could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops against the window.

‘It’s already started raining now?’

Seiji idly wondered if the rain would continue into the night. That’d make it even more inconvenient to go.

‘It isn’t convenient, and it’s meaningless as well. There’s no point in going… No! There’s meaning to it!’

He had made a promise, and promises should be kept.

Even if it was only his side that kept the promise.

At the very least, he wanted the girl who shouldered such a heavy burden to feel someone’s compassion, however small.

He was merely going to fulfill a promise.

This was something that he could and should do. That meant that he must do it.

Seiji came to that decision.

…

At a location that wasn’t school.

Shika Kagura slowly removed her clothing and put on a different set of clothes.

Her perfect, petite, snow-white body was reflected in the mirror. Her well-developed chest, firm butt, and straight, slender legs all displayed her alluring beauty.

However, all of this was meaningless to her.

‘One day, this so-called beauty will end up wilting. Then, I’ll turn into the ugly form that I should have originally possessed. If I can live to that time, that is.’

She finished the slow act of putting on her clothes.

‘I might as well go now and follow my contractor’s orders.’

Shika Kagura took a final look at herself in the mirror, before she slowly wore a white mask over her face.

The mask was completely blank and expressionless.

Just like her inner heart.

She walked outside wearing her mask.

It was currently raining.

Seigo Harano had promised to wait there for her tonight.

Would he still go with how hard it was raining?

If she could go, should she take a look?

Her eyes flickered as she thought about the boy who had reached out his hand to her.

Shika Kagura was unable to come to a decision.

…

The rain continued falling through the night.

Seiji covered himself with an umbrella as he walked to the park and waited by the swings.

Would she come? He was filled with doubt as he quietly waited in the torrential downpour.

If she came, what should he say to her?

‘I’m sorry, but your problem is on the scale of a natural disaster attached to you. I can’t help you. Nobody can help you…’

Of course he couldn’t say something like that!

In that case… was consoling her the only thing he could attempt?

Seiji smiled bitterly to himself.

‘I’m still an ordinary person after all. Even with the system being a game-breaking cheat for me, the most I can do is protect myself. Saving others is truly difficult.’

He turned his head to look at the unmoving swing.

In the distant past, he, too, had fantasized about becoming a hero. But as he matured, he understood that true heroes who were able to save everything and everyone didn’t exist.

It wasn’t possible for them to exist.

Even so, people always hoped things would develop for the best. That was why everyone should strive to do what was within their abilities.

This was a very normal way of thinking… At the very least, this was how he thought.

Seiji contemplated the problem deeply.

Even if she brought misfortune down upon others and was destined to live in isolation, she could still enjoy life.

Isolation didn’t equal misfortune. As long as you had things you enjoyed or liked to do, then you could still lead a happy life.

‘Yep, let’s just give Shika some advice like that!’

I’ll tell her about all the various fun things to do in life. She can pick and choose from them… She can do something which she’ll enjoy for her entire life!

Poems… if she didn’t actually like them, she could try reading stories. If reading stories became boring, she could try manga or anime. Perhaps even movies and games… At any rate…

*Boom!!!*

A deafening sound rung out.

Something hurtled down from the sky and crashed into the empty ground in the park.

Seiji was extremely startled as his train of thought was interrupted.

What just happened!?

He squinted, trying to discern what had caused the impact through the dense cloud of dust.

He saw a person wearing strange clothing lay collapsed in a small crater.

A white mask was on that person’s face.