Chapter 66 : Tears of The Girl Falling With Twenty Two

『I’VeSuCkeDDryThISGiRlLifEForCeLonGtImeAgO ThISgIRLHADiED, AndThen――ShEBECamEmYLoYALSERVANt . 』 And then――

Hearing that sentence, I was at a loss for words .

Then, what the f.u.c.k were we doing until now? Were you telling me that from the very start, we were only taking an impossible quest?!

Did this mean…Kanon―― Wouldn’t be able to meet her big sister again?

「…… . . Don’t joke around . 」

I promised Kanon…I promised her that I would save Lilith for sure .

And yet――
 

「DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN IIIIIIIIIIT! 」

I pointed my guns toward the huge face of the oni that was floating in the air .

『I’LlcOmEtOLiVEaGAiNEvEnIfIdIEYouKNOW . BuT, ThISBOdYWiLLVANIShFoREVEEEER . 』

My finger stopped before I pressed the trigger .

What should……… . What should I do to save Lilith’s body from that Oni control? Did she really die?　Would her body really vanish if I defeated that oni?

Tch…………

「DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN IT…………」

Red effect tricled down from the tip of my lips since I chewed my mollar .

Should I gamble on the possibility that this guy was lying?　No, it’s too risky . I really couldn’t put Lilith’s existence at risk here .

So, should I capture and then torture it after beating it senselessly―― As if I could do that to an enemy who could use magic .

Should I really not punch those things?　Was there really no other way to save Lilith?　Was I really, doomed to fail fulfilling my promise with Kanon?

I desperately tried to think of a way to get out of this predicament but…I realized that there’s really no other way . F$CK………

Then, I heard a voice .

『pLeAse…… . . StAB ThIS iNto My HeArT』

「――Eh? 」

When I turned around to the origin of that voice, there, I saw the figure of a trembling girl looking at me . The thing grasped in her trembling hands was a G.o.ddess sculpture, made into something similar to short sword

「Kanon?　No, that voice is . 」

The voice that came out of Kanon lips were not the voice that I heard till now . It did resembled Kanon voice, but how should I say, it’s more like an adult voice .

『Everyone . Thank you very much for what you did to Kanon…… . . And me . 』

Me?　Kanon?　What in the world was Kanon talking about? It’s as if .

「Are you, Lilith-chan? 」

With dumbfounded face, Aoi-san muttered softly asking her that question . Kanon nodded as her smile become imminent .

『Yes . I’m Kanon big sister, Lilith . I finally managed to transmit my thoughts since the controlling power of Onitako on my body had been weakened . 』

「Transmitting your thought! ?　I never heard of such magic」

『I can do that since my job is a little special you see . 』

「, I see now . 」

Because there’s no point in thinking about that, Mop-san had the same opinion as me . Which was just to accept it at face value .

『But this also has its limit . So please . Please stab that dagger into my heart while I seal my body and that face movement . 』

As if to prove her words, the Onitako that was flying in the air and Lilith’s body stopped moving at once .

「But, that means you’ll be,,,,,」

『Don’t mind about me . Even if you kill the main body and me, that oni will be revived before long . But, as long as you stabbed this short sword in my heart, I can trap that Oni forever . Moreover, I……… . . Really have died . My body has died, and my soul was taken captive by that Oni』

What the h.e.l.l was that? Then we…really couldn’t save Lilith anymore?　And to make matters worse, that oni would be revived even if we killed it……… What the h.e.l.l was with that player-like privilege?

『So please . Please seal me……… . . With that Oni . 』

What the h.e.l.l was that……… That was not what Kanon―― No, that was not the kind of ending we wished for .

『Please don’t mind about me . I’m happy enough to be able to meet Kanon at the end of my life . 』

Happy my as5 .  The words that I wanted to say to her shut close for another reason . Yes, the current me, who could do nothing but looking at this unfolding scene just like bystander, had no qualification to say those words .

『Thank you for coming all the way to this place . Because of you guys I can meet Kanon for the last time . And seal that Oni for good . That’s why…… . . I’m happy enough with this ending . 』

「No………… . You, can’t do this………… Lilith-chan . 」

『None of my grat.i.tude were enough for those tears that were trickling down for me and Kanon’s sake . 』

Seeing the crying Aoi-san, Kanon―― And Lilith were shedding tears with a smile on their face .

『That’s why, I beg you . Please, help《Seal》…… . . Me《My big sister》, Oniichan . 』

Could I really…………… Accept this kind of ending? Would I really keep……… . . My promise with Kanon in this way?

『Ple-…… . -Ase . 』

Just……… By……… . Doing this…………… .

『N-NoStOPiT!　DoYoUKnOWWhATYOU’REdoINGLiTTleGiRl? Oi, No, NOOOOOOOO――』

I accepted the dagger from Kanon with swirling dark emotion in my heart .

And then――

『NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 』

『Thank―― You』

I forced my body which felt as heavy as lead to walk all the way till the school .

「Heya, So―― The heck, what’s with that lifeless face the first thing in the morning . Look, there’s such a heavy bag under your eyes . 」

「…… . . Ah, I was just a little bit too enthusiast with my night study . When I noticed, it’s morning already」

「Seriously, all nighter study? Just what in the world happened that made you study like your life depends on it? 」

「U~hm…… . . The dao of protecting one’s promise . 」

「ha？The heck is that――Oi, back to earth, Sou! 」

And just like that, after sleeping during the lesson to regain my sleep deprivation, I met with Aoi-san during lunch . [TL : bad kid will do this, while good kid will take an example of the bad kid . ]

「Sou-kun . I . Am . Really frustrated」

With swelling and bloodshot eyes―― Aoi-san expressed the same feeling as me . The matter of her unable to express her own feelings was already long in the past . And right now, despite her real face still being hidden behind her eyegla.s.ses, which gave a different impression from her in game avatar, I could still feel the fiery pa.s.sion hidden in her eyes now .

「Me too……… Maybe, this is the first time I felt this annoyed」

It’s just a game . Yeah, a game . A virtual world, an artificial world . But right now, when someone said that in front of me, I couldn’t help but feel like my chest was about to explode from frustration .

After we sealed Lilith, we took the depressed Kanon back with us to Sasebo, and then logged out . The words that Kanon said when she parted with us still resounded in my mind .

Thank you very much .

That was her parting word . The girl could still said those words with a smile etched on her face despite having an unimaginable sadness in her heart .

I had never felt myself as pathetic as I did when I heard her saying those words to us with that kind of expression on her face .

Nevertheless, since this was a game……… . Thus, she had no choice but to do so even if she wasn’t willing . That’s just how she was programmed to be . Was I really okay with that kind of ending?

「I won’t give up . 」

Yeah, like h.e.l.l I’d accept that kind of ending .

「Me too . 」

Since the current us were lacking information, we just needed to gather more information until we had enough .

And for that reason――

「Shinji, I have a request」

「Oh, do tell me . I’ll do as much as I can to help you . 」

I needed every possible means .

You might call it as useless struggle but still, I definitely――

Would keep my promise with her .

The next day, my party was waiting for someone in an inn in Sasebo city .

「Will that person really come to this place, Sou-kun?　Rather, can we really trust him? 」

「We have no choice but to trust him . 」

Though Yukihime-san seemed to be restless, we got no other choice than to trust this person that was about to meet us .

「According to my investigation, I’m almost sure that “Item” was in their possession . I don’t think it’s a bad choice in betting on such a possibility, Sou-kun . 」

「I…… . Believe you too . Me, and Sou-kun’s friends were doing our best to investigate about this matter . That’s why I’ll bet on this possibility too . 」

Aoi-san said so with resolute voice while serving tea for all of us who were sitting together around an oblong square table . This atmosphere felt like we’re sitting for a job interview, but it felt like our negotiation partners was sitting for exam .

「I understood your feelings……… Ruu-chan . Well I guess I have to trust them too . 」

There’s no guarantee that everything would be smooth sailing . Though Mop-san said “Indeed”, to be honest, I didn’t know whether we’re going to be at a disadvantage or not . Nevertheless, I-No, it’s we, had no choice but to bet on such a possibility .

「5 minutes till the promised time, they’ll arrive at anytime now . 」

Mop-san muttered so with tense face . Well, it’s not only him though, I guess all of us had the same expression as him on our face . Anyhow, everything would be decided depending on this meeting .

And then, our attention was focused on the turning doork.n.o.b 2 minutes later .