Chapter 3 – A Night of Imitation

1 – The same day, 5:50 PM

The dark orange sunset reflected in the side view mirrors.

Kagaya sat in the driver’s seat as always, his back stretched out and his hands on the steering wheel. His driving was very quiet, much like the man himself. He paid great attention to ensuring that minimal inertia from the car’s changes in speed could be felt by the other passengers, and it always showed.

The Index sat in the rear of the car, gazing out the window. Urachi Masamune sat beside her. The trio were headed towards their Administration Bureau department office. Ukawa Sasane had parted ways with them at the hospital.

Looking back into the car, The Index asked, “Do you find the dream world detestable?”

Urachi tilted his head exaggeratedly. “Detestable? Why would you think that?”

“I cannot see any other reason for you to introduce Ukawa Sasane to it.” Urachi had almost certainly wanted to destroy the dream world.

“Well, if I had to answer, then yes, I detest it. That world stands for the very thing I hate most. Do you know what that is?”

“No. What would that be?”

With a rather stunned look, he muttered, “I wish you’d at least try to guess.” He then pointed out the window. “It’s this. It looks too much like this Sakurada.”

That’s… only natural. “But the dream world is meant to mimic the real world.”

“That’s not all it imitates. The One-Handed Eden. An easygoing paradise. It exists in the same ruleset as Sakurada. This bizarre town where wishing gets you real results.”

He turned to look in the direction he was pointing. He gazed into the sunset-drenched Sakurada, continuing, “This place is no different from the dream world. You can create an easygoing paradise here just as easily. I think the abilities of Sakurada should be fully open to criticism. Their very existence goes against the natural order.”

“So, you hate abilities.”

“You bet I do. And they scare me. I can’t just sit around and accept that one individual should have the power to destroy an entire world so easily.”

He was certainly right in that regard. Ukawa Sasane’s abilities were terrifying. The whim of a single individual shouldn’t have been enough to determine the destruction of the world.

“But the Nameless System gave testimony that she was completely harmless.”

Future sight deemed Ukawa Sasane to be safe.

“And who’s supposed to give testimony about the Nameless System? Must I remind you that she spent her last moment prioritizing her own happiness over her duty?” Urachi leaned back into his seat, shaking his head. “Having an ability is like admitting how flawed you are as a human. Only a weakling would search for such an easy road to such special power.”

The Index found it difficult to argue against him.

It was said that Sakurada’s abilities were tied to their user’s true nature and deepest desires. Which meant an ability was something the person desired, but didn’t have. A person with no such needs wouldn’t gain an ability in the first place.

But where do you expect to find someone who has absolutely no self-doubt or needs?

Even The Index had an ability to call her own. She had indeed gotten what she thought she wanted.

Urachi suddenly whipped his head towards The Index, smiling. “You hate your own ability, don’t you?”

Of course I do. Who would like the ability to see straight through everyone’s emotions? “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s something I’ve always appreciated about you. Every ability user should hate their own ability. Anyone thinking rationally would do so.”

The light in front of them blinked red. The car slowed down and stopped without a sound, as if sneaking forward.

“It’s rare for someone to be happy after obtaining their ability,” Urachi continued. “Everybody struggles with their newfound power. Even Asai-kun knows this. The girl who lost her brother in a car accident and the Nameless System only came to know more suffering due to their abilities.”

The Index didn’t bother to argue with him, because she felt the same way.

Abilities weren’t something that should have a place in reality. In fact, they only served to make people unhappy.

Even Asai Kei. If he didn’t have an ability, he could be living an ordinary life with his parents in a faraway town. He could continue on as an ordinary high schooler.

“And yet abilities exist to be used,” The Index commented.

After all, it was a power that was desired by the user. They allowed for results at a wish. Just by acquiring an ability, the same person would meet the conditions to use it.

“Yes. It’s like a demon’s sweet seduction. You have it without any knowledge, and you use it without any intention. It appears to have no downsides, and so even though it can become the cornerstone of your misery, you can’t stop yourself from using it over and over. That’s why they terrify me.”

Urachi Masamune was still smiling throughout his statement, his mouth bending into the same shape.

It looks like the smile of a demon, The Index thought. Not that she had ever seen a demon to compare with. But it seemed likely that a demon would smile while speaking such truths. The Index turned her gaze to the setting sun outside her window.

Even the red of the setting sun seemed demonic.

✽

The sun set on an empty world. But the vast white wall prevented appreciation of the sight. Instead, its effect could only be seen on the upper sky, air, and bare ground.

Nonō Seika marveled at just how many shadows could be created even in a world with no structures. Every little bump on the ground cast its own towering shadow. She had never realized that pebbles had their own shadow before.

Oddly enough, despite the lack of anything in the world, she didn’t feel any kind of negative emotion. The world was fantastical precisely because it was empty. There was a strange separation between her and the scenery, as if she were standing in the ruins of an eons-old civilization. She was part of the environment, and yet it felt as though it all had nothing to do with her.

But I suppose that’s just what the world is.

The town of Sakurada lay upon a place that felt as though it had nothing to do with her. Dream or reality, that impression didn’t change.

The old man beside her spoke as he gazed into the sky, shaded by the long limbs of the tree. “It’s so beautiful.”

In her heart, Nonō agreed. But on the outside, she shook her head. “Do you think so? It’s somewhat boring to me.”

It had been a long time since she last lied. A very, very long time.

But at the moment, she just didn’t want to agree with him. Why? She didn’t know.

She joined the old man in looking up at the sky. “Do you mind if I visit your hospital room in reality? I want to see you again.”

The old man shook his head. “No. That won’t be possible.”

“Why?”

“Nobody can enter my room, on order of the Administration Bureau.”

That made sense. It was only rational.

The old man’s hospital room would naturally be in the effective range of Katagiri Honoka’s ability. The Bureau would guard entry to his room just as heavily as they guarded any access to the dream world.

“Then you could come and see me. Even just the lobby would be fine. I will wait for you.”

But he shook his head once again. “I couldn’t even manage that. I can’t get out of bed any more.”

She couldn’t think of what to say next.

Nonō knew that all living beings would eventually grow old and die. In fact, she probably knew that better than most other people her age. She had seen a countless number of cats die. She had shared consciousness with them in their final moments. She had experienced the sights, sounds, and smells of old age as if they were her own memories.

Aging was only natural, and it was absolute. It couldn’t be avoided, and it couldn’t be talked around. So Nonō didn’t know how to respond.

The old man spoke in a rough voice. “Just forget about me, and live on.”

“But what will you do?”

“There is nothing for me to do. If this world continues on in this manner, then I suppose I’ll spend my time alone, looking up into the sky. Writing in my study or spending time here all ends up the same way.”

At the very least, Nonō thought it would be good for the dream world to go back to the way it was before.

The old man looked his best sitting in a study. Sitting absentmindedly with his pen just fit him so well. Even if he had called it beautiful, there was no way he wanted to just live in an empty world forever.

“What do you think will happen to this world?” Nonō asked.

“Hard to say. Maybe tomorrow it’ll all be back to normal. Or maybe it’ll stay like this for all of time. That’s all for God to decide.”

“God?”

That was a word that didn’t quite fit him.

The old man suddenly moved his gaze towards her. “I met her once, long ago. She was a girl, right around your age.”

“And?”

“If she truly loves this world, then things will go back to the way they were. If she doesn’t, then they won’t. But I have no place to say anything about it either way.”

“Could there be a God that doesn’t love its own created world?”

“Hard to say. But there are people like that. If there can be people that don’t love their own selves, then there could be a God that doesn’t love its own world.”

Somehow, it didn’t feel like the old man was really talking about God.

It seemed like he was sharing something more personal.

After overcoming her slight hesitation, Nonō probed, “Why did you continue to stay in your study, using your ability?”

“Because it was peaceful. There were no annoying sounds, no people to be concerned about. Living alone and concerning myself only with writing the truth was comforting.”

Nonō knew exactly how that felt. She liked to distance herself from everything, and only immerse herself into the world of cats. But…

“Did that bring you happiness?”

“Yes. Being by myself was happiness.”

But he had said something else before.

Just be with someone.

Happiness is when the person next to you can smile.

He had told her not to believe that a fake blue was real.

✽

Asai Kei had vanished before she even knew what was happening.

Haruki Misora stood alone in a classroom lit by the setting sun, Tyltyl before her.

“Where has Kei gone?” she asked.

Tyltyl shrugged. “He’s not in danger. Never you mind.”

“Please tell me.”

“Explanations are such a bother. But well, basically, he’s in a classroom just like this one.”

“Which classroom?”

“One that’s too far away to walk to. Don’t you worry, you’ll see him again soon enough.”

Haruki hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded. It wasn’t as though she had any other options.

“Now, sit.” Tyltyl pointed to the chair in front of him.

Haruki Misora took a seat. The evening sky shone from behind Tyltyl. Possibly because it was dark in the classroom, the light of that sky hurt her eyes.

Tyltyl began, “Welcome to the dream world. Here, whatever you wish for shall be given to you. Now, tell me what you wish for.”

Wishes? “Nothing in particular.”

“Really now?”

“Yes.” She felt neither thirsty nor hungry. She was slightly tired, but if she went to sleep, she would only end up back in the real world. She couldn’t do that yet.

So it seemed to her that there was nothing she needed.

But Tyltyl shook his head. “That can’t possibly be true.”

“But it is true. I do not wish for anything.” There was nothing special about her, and nothing special to her name, so she did not want anything. Haruki Misora was just as Asai Kei had defined her.

Which means I don’t want anything. That was her answer.

Even so, Tyltyl shook his head. “You’ve been so tightly bound by just one boy.”

“Yes.” She certainly couldn’t deny that.

Tyltyl’s expression was illuminated by the setting sun, and it made him look more like a devil than a god. “It’s like you’ve been cursed. Your bond to that boy has turned your very simple self into a much more complex being.”

“I do not understand what you mean.”

“Are you sure? It’s a rather simple concept. At some point, the Haruki Misora he defined for you and the real you began to split. You wish for many things, yet you wear a mask that proclaims you want for nothing. You hold two contradictory selves.”

“I am only one being. There are no contradictions.”

“But you see, I know a spell that can summon the other you here. Here, I’ll give it a go.” Tyltyl began twirling his finger next to his face, as if casting an incantation. “The way things are going, Asai Kei will soon belong to Souma Sumire. He’ll want only Souma Sumire, and will pay no mind to you.”

Souma Sumire.

A name she had never thought would come up in such a situation.

She felt her heart rate increase. The disorderly lump began to take form in her chest. And suddenly, she was struck with its name.

These are… my feelings.

But they were not beautiful. They were not rational. They only served to introduce chaos into her consciousness, and throw out what could otherwise give way to correct judgements. They were a symbol of confusion.

And I oppose them.

The proper reaction was to suppress them with reason, to allow the right decisions to be made.

Tyltyl’s voice rang out, “I will help you discover your own desires, Haruki Misora.”

“There is no need for that.”

“Just have a nice, long chat with your other you, the one who knows who you really are.”

Tyltyl snapped his fingers.

By the time that sound faded away, he was gone. He was replaced by a single girl standing before her.

It was their first meeting, but Haruki could never have mistaken who the girl was.

“You hate me, but that’s just a contradiction. There’s no way you could hate someone who doesn’t have anything special about them.”

So said the other Haruki Misora standing across from her.

✽

Haruki Misora had vanished before he even knew what was happening.

Asai Kei stood before Tyltyl in a classroom lit by the setting sun.

“What did you do?” Kei demanded.

“I sent Haruki Misora to chat with a different me.”

“How many more of you are there?”

“None, usually. But I can always make more for the occasion. Now, sit.”

Kei sat down in the pronounced chair in front of Tyltyl.

The god continued, “Welcome to the dream world. Here, whatever you wish for shall be given to you. Now, tell me what you wish for.”

Wishes? The query brought to mind that Mytyl had asked Kei the exact same question the day before, right after they met. He wondered if the question carried some kind of significance.

The thought interested him, but the convenience of the current situation outweighed his curiosity. He did have something to ask of Tyltyl, after all.

“I have two particular requests I’d like to make.”

“My, how greedy. What would they be?”

“I’d like the volume of the Script that has ‘No. 407’ written on the front cover.”

Tyltyl shook his head. “But that’s not your wish, is it? That’s just what Sumire-chan told you.”

Sumire-chan. The naming convention made him uncomfortable. “You know Souma Sumire?”

“She’s my friend. The one and only, in fact.”

Evidently, Souma Sumire had made frequent past visits to the dream world.

Kei thought back to something she had once told him. She had gone to the exact same hospital they were currently in as a child. The thought was kind of strange. He had a hard time picturing her as a kid.

Tyltyl fixed his gaze on Kei’s face. “You have another wish, right? Now, I’m waiting for what you really desire.”

Kei nodded. “I want to know if anything will happen if I were to take Souma Sumire outside of Sakurada. In fact, I’d like to put the notion to test right here in the dream world.” It was the entire reason he had come in the first place.

Tyltyl frowned.

Taking note of the expression, Kei continued, “More specifically, I’d like to start by acquiring the assistance of a girl by the name of Oka Eri. I plan to use her to rewrite the memories of Souma’s parents.”

Oka Eri possessed the ability to rewrite another person’s memories.

The essence of the plan was to remove the memory of Souma’s death from her parents, replacing it with the decision to move away from Sakurada. Then, together with Souma, they would all leave town.

“My ultimate goal with the plan is to erase the fact that Souma died two years ago, and allow her to live her life normally.”

When a person left Sakurada, any memories regarding an ability would be lost, to be replaced with natural and convenient fillers.

If Souma was alive and with her parents, it would force their memories to mesh with that reality. Of course, certain government documents and other details could get in the way, but Kei planned to create effective counterfeits and simulate a different reality where necessary.

“Would that be possible?” he asked.

“Of course it’s possible,” Tyltyl admitted, nodding. But his expression hardened into a glare. “But you’ll have to understand that from my perspective, this is the real world.”

“Right, I understand.”

“Oh, you do? Then surely you’ll understand that I won’t allow you to use this world’s Sumire-chan like some kind of guinea pig.”

“But no matter what may happen to Souma here, you can protect her.”

“Be that as it may, do you think you can justify any unhappiness by promising that happiness is right around the corner? Do you find it a palatable thought to kill someone just because you promise to bring them back to life?”

It wasn’t a nice thought at all. But if that was what it took, Kei knew he would do it.

Then again, I am talking to God here. Perhaps there were more intelligent ways of working around the current situation.

“I don’t care if I use the physical Souma from the dream world or not for the purposes of the experiment. Just tell me the results, and I’ll be good to go.”

“Can’t do that. All I can do is change the world. I can’t know its future.”

And there it was. Evidently the god was not all-powerful.

“Well then, looks like we’ll just have to run it ourselves,” Kei suggested.

Tyltyl shook his head. “I was told that you’re intelligent. I don’t know how many times I’ll have to repeat myself for you to understand, but I have no intention of using the denizens of this world as test subjects.”

Kei smiled. “Oh, I don’t know about that. You already sacrificed a whole town’s worth of people.”

Tyltyl did nothing to stop Ukawa from destroying the fake Sakurada. He had priorities to protect, even at the cost of the entire false town.

“Let’s just do something along the same lines. If you don’t want to use this world’s Souma, then whip me up another one. I don’t care what it looks like, as long as it’ll give me accurate and repeatable results.”

Tyltyl spent a great deal of time staring at Kei. Peering at Kei’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. As if he were checking each feature. Kei never dropped his smile during it all. Instead, he kept up his grin, observing Tyltyl’s expression.

The two glowered at each other for a while. But the conversation couldn’t continue on by itself.

Tired of the silence, Kei changed his tact. “Look, Tyltyl, if you’re so concerned about the well-being of this world, then why does the monster exist?”

The monster. That great thing that came out at night, destroying the town.

If Tyltyl was so devoted to ensuring that the people under him never suffered, then there was no need for a monster.

Kei didn’t get an answer, so he continued with his questions. “Did Mytyl create the monster?”

Mytyl. Katagiri Honoka. The woman whose ability created the very world they stood in. The real god. If the monster was beyond even Tyltyl’s power to control, then there was only one other being that could have created it: Mytyl.

Tyltyl’s expression sharpened into irritation, which leaked into his voice. “What’s it to you?”

Kei nodded. “Right. You see, I think I’ve finally come to understand the truth of this world.”

“And just what would you know?”

Kei had made such a simple error in assumption. It was incredible that he hadn’t considered it before.

“Mytyl’s not the only thing that’s Katagiri Honoka-san,” Kei stated. “This whole world is.”

✽

So said the other Haruki Misora standing across from her.

“You hate me, but that’s just a contradiction. There’s no way you could hate someone who doesn’t have anything special about them.”

“Yup. That’s a contradiction, alright,” Haruki Misora answered.

Then, she noticed. I don’t speak politely to myself.

It was such a strange realization. Haruki never failed to speak politely to everyone, even babies. She treated everyone equally. With one apparent exception. Herself.

The her before her spoke. “Why do you hate me?”

Haruki answered, “I’d say it’s pretty obvious.”

I claimed that there was nothing special to me, but I was wrong.

There was one thing in her life that was absolutely and completely exceptional. Asai Kei. He was the only one who was special.

I guess the me I’m looking at is my emotions. It was the disordered mass that stemmed from her chest, taking form.

“You’re useless to Kei. So I hate you.”

“But I came from you. Just like your ability. You want me, way down deep inside.”

Haruki didn’t want to listen to her. She just wanted to block her ears.

I definitely can’t listen to my emotions.

She wasn’t rational. She would destroy her chances of making the right judgements.

But the other Haruki continued, “You didn’t like it when Souma Sumire came back to life. With future sight around, resetting wouldn’t mean anything to Kei. You knew that, and it scared you.”

Haruki nodded. “You’re right. But that doesn’t matter. It was Kei’s choice, so all I’ll do is follow it.”

“But you were so happy when Kei decided to take Souma Sumire out of Sakurada. That meant your reset would still mean something.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with me. Kei wanted to do it, so I approved.”

Haruki’s emotions tilted her head. “But I don’t like that. Maybe it’s better for Souma Sumire to stay in Sakurada.”

“Says who?”

“Kei clearly wishes to be with Souma Sumire. If Asai Kei’s happiness is so important that it’s worth overlooking yourself, then isn’t it possible that Souma Sumire staying in town is better?”

Haruki thought back to two years ago, when Kei and Souma Sumire embraced on the rooftop. She still couldn’t forget.

The girl in front of her, Haruki Misora’s emotions, stared at her with a blank face. She looked into the depths of Haruki Misora’s being, and spoke from there. “That’s what you really hate. That’s what really scares you. The thought that you might not actually care about what would make Asai Kei happy. You have a primal disgust of your desire to have him all to yourself. You and me both.”

Her head hurt. Haruki Misora pressed her forehead with her hands.

…I know that she’s right.

She had probably known all along. Her rationality had been wearing away for a long time. At some point, the emotion in her realized that the only reason she so blindly followed Asai Kei was so that he wouldn’t hate her. She knew it, and she went on pretending like she didn’t.

I’m not following him to help him. I’m following him to help me.

But the second she acknowledged that, everything she had lived for would crumble away, and she’d have nothing.

But that didn’t stop the girl before her from continuing. “It’s not Kei’s happiness that makes you happy. You’re just using him for your own happiness.”

She was absolutely right.

In the summer of her second year in middle school, Haruki Misora had begun the search for her own emotions. It had been a whole two years.

I really did have my own emotions… I just didn’t understand them.

Just like how the Blue Bird in the story had been in the house all along, Haruki had always had what she was looking for, she just didn’t notice it. Which became pretending to not notice.

Haruki Misora’s emotions spoke. “You were off in your own little paradise. It was so easygoing there, and you could stay protected and safe.”

Haruki Misora shut her eyes. As tightly as she could, then tighter still.

She couldn’t see any more. But that didn’t stop the voice from ringing in her ears. Even if she covered her ears, it wouldn’t silence her. She was inside of her, after all.

“Now then, tell me…”

The girl’s voice had suddenly changed.

“…What is it that you desire?”

When Haruki Misora opened her eyes, she was no longer looking at her own emotions.

At some point, Tyltyl had taken her place, sitting atop the desk.

The sun had already set outside the window, blanketing the room in shadow.

“Please tell me what it is you desire,” Tyltyl said.

✽

It was such a simple error.

Kei had only met Mytyl the one time. As such, he concluded that he didn’t have the information to know her very well.

But there are so many other ways to get to know her. Because Mytyl was Katagiri Honoka.

He had spent all day and the day before in a dream world. A dream world created by Katagiri Honoka. He was still in Katagiri Honoka’s dream. Everything would be connected to Katagiri Honoka. If he wanted to understand her, all he had to do was look at the world and treat it as a window directly to her heart.

“I understand why there is a monster here now.” It was quite obvious, really. “It’s because Mytyl demands it. It’s why there’s a god here, and it’s why there’s a monster.”

Tyltyl looked him over with wary eyes. “And why do you think that?”

“Because you can’t be protected unless something is attacking you.”

Ukawa Sasane had a particular opinion about the dream world.

It’s no different from sitting in your room all day, playing with dolls. Running away from reality, pretending you’re not, and shutting yourself in.

Honestly, Kei completely agreed with her assessment.

Mytyl, which was to say Katagiri Honoka, was playing out the entire world completely by herself. She attacked herself with a doll shaped like a monster, then protected herself with a doll shaped like a god. On and on she continued, playing the same game for eternity. It was like running a stage where only one performance was ever given.

“Mytyl just wants someone to protect her, doesn’t she?”

“Silence.”

“She just wants a connection to somebody.”

“I said shut up.”

Her desires were simple. Simple and beautiful. She wanted someone to step forward and offer her their hand. She wanted to be rid of her isolation. That was all she ever wanted.

With the caution of taking a first, timid step forward, Tyltyl slowly opened his mouth. “Do you… think she was wrong for that?”

“Not inherently, at least. But her ends and her means just don’t line up right.”

She set up a god and everything else for herself, all through her own power. But that just meant she was helping herself with her own strength. That wouldn’t serve to give her any connections.

It wouldn’t make Mytyl’s wishes come true.

Tyltyl shook his head. “Well, yeah. I agree. But what’s there to do? For Mytyl– Katagiri Honoka… this world is all she has.”

The real Katagiri Honoka was asleep. Just as she had been for the past nine years.

Kei couldn’t even begin to imagine that kind of isolation.

But wanting a human connection is absolutely natural.

Even if it was fake, even if it was a lie. Wishing for someone to hold on to was a natural urge. And Kei wouldn’t deny that for anyone.

“I’ve got an old story for you. A story of mythos and legend. A time when a real god walked this world, not a fake one like me,” Tyltyl began. “Mytyl was still Katagiri Honoka back then, and this world existed as a place for her to communicate with other people from reality. She was happy with just being able to talk to the person in the next hospital room over.”

That sounded like the right use for her power. Kei doubted that would go against Ukawa Sasane’s sense of justice. It came from a girl who couldn’t move her hands or open her eyes, yet wished for human connection. Her ability to share a world of her dreams was undeniably sourced from that wish.

Tyltyl continued, “She was probably quite timid. I bet that’s why she just kept on granting wishes to whoever happened to come to her world. She took away the pain from their bodies, and gave them anything they wanted. She probably believed that if she just made everybody who visited her happy, then they would be her ally.”

And so, Katagiri Honoka became the god of her world.

Truly a very convenient god for those visiting from reality.

“But everyone who came here was just selfish. They knew they’d eventually wake up, so while they were here in a dream world by themselves, they just did whatever they wanted. You know something? When God exists to make people happy, nobody really cares about making God happy.”

Kei couldn’t say that he understood. The troubles of a god were far beyond him.

“But she was alright with that. She totally believed that as long as she could make someone happy, that was like making a connection with someone. Then the Administration Bureau prohibited entry into this world. They decided that the paradise she made… was fake.”

A One-Handed Eden. An easygoing paradise created by a god with the wave of a hand. That was a fake blue as far as the Bureau was concerned.

Kei cut in. “So once Katagiri-san lost her connection with others, she created a god and a monster, right?”

She was alone once more, but she still wanted someone, wanted a connection.

And so Tyltyl came into being, the brother who could protect her. And to make sure that he would reach out his hand towards her, the monster came next.

“Yeah. And the day I was created was the day that she became the unknowing Mytyl.” Tyltyl lowered his eyes, continuing, “But… But she couldn’t just cleanly pull one over on herself like that. Mytyl has forgotten everything about the past, and gave this paradise a do-over. But deep in her heart, she knows it’s a lie. She knows how alone she is.”

Mytyl continually affirmed that the fruit in her hands was sweet. She knew how sour it was, really. But she also knew that the sweet fruit was out of reach.

The whole world was Katagiri Honoka. The entire world, Tyltyl, the monster, the fake city, it was a single person. It was the resultant mixture of one person’s suffering, conflict, and deception.

The sky behind Tyltyl had darkened considerably. It was now nightfall. The time of the monster.

Night served to remind her of her isolation.

“Is Mytyl still inside the white wall?” Kei asked, referring to the false city that Ukawa Sasane had destroyed.

“Oh, of course.”

“You made it for her, didn’t you?” Kei was sure that Tyltyl had prepared that whole replica for Mytyl. A place that Ukawa Sasane could level down, leaving Mytyl all alone.

Tyltyl’s head shook almost imperceptibly. “That place is supposed to be paradise, but a monster runs amok every night. She can’t be happy in a place like that. Mytyl needs to remember that she is Katagiri Honoka.”

Kei was sure that everything he had seen up to that point was all connected to that one purpose.

It’s all conveying a single message.

God prepared a replica town so that he could convey that message.

“Mytyl’s crying alone right now, in what’s left of that town. She doesn’t understand why I won’t come save her, and she’s lonely, so she’s crying.”

As far as Mytyl was concerned, those white walls were the limits of her dream world. So her entire world was destroyed, and she was crying in her sorrow.

“But then, when the crying stops, she’ll start thinking. How can she stop being alone? Where did the paradise go that protected her, fake or otherwise? Mytyl only knows of a small town surrounded by white walls. But Katagiri Honoka knows that her world is so much bigger. She made it, after all.”

Kei’s eyes lowered. “And you think that when Mytyl remembers Katagiri Honoka, she’ll come out from her walls?”

“I believe she will.”

It was all so that she would remember.

Everything was meticulously planned and prepared to get her memories back. Even to the point of Ukawa Sasane destroying the world. The fake god constructed the perfect circumstances. And yet…

“Will that really save Mytyl?”

What would happen to her when she remembered all the sadness she so desperately wanted to abandon?

“I don’t know. But things can’t stay like this. This world is just a little too sad.”

The beautiful reds of the sunset were dissipating from the air. The window was letting in less light, and yet it still somehow felt like the darkness was lessening.

Kei asked an obvious question. “You really love Mytyl, don’t you?”

Tyltyl nodded without hesitation. “Well, that’s only natural. That was what I was made for.” Then he smiled. Kei couldn’t make out his face well in the dark, but that seemed to be what happened. Smiling, his face still unseen, he continued, “And that’s why I can’t save Mytyl.”

Because Mytyl made him. Because he loved her unconditionally, as he was created to do.

He couldn’t save Mytyl. The god that she had created couldn’t do it. Only a human could save her.

This’ll do, Kei thought. He knew everything he needed to know. All that was left was the negotiations. “Well, Tyltyl, I don’t think I can become a god, but I could probably help Mytyl make some friends.”

If Mytyl wanted a connection to others, then that was all that could save her.

Kei saw that Tyltyl was looking his way in the darkness. He continued, “I want to do all I can to make this world a real paradise for her.”

It was his genuine desire. He wanted to do everything he could to bring Mytyl true happiness.

Tyltyl probably wouldn’t believe that, though. Especially after what he was planning to say next.

Kei smiled. “So then, Tyltyl, I have a request. In exchange, you let me experiment on taking Souma out of Sakurada.”

As long as the possibility of saving Mytyl existed, he knew Tyltyl wouldn’t refuse.

He knew how messed up it was. He was basically setting a trap. But Kei had decided he would use any means necessary to let Souma Sumire be a regular girl.

Tyltyl stared at him for a long time. His expression remained unclear. But eventually, he nodded. “Fine. Okay.” His voice was broken. It continued on, weak and frail, sounding like he was crying. “It’d be nice to try granting someone’s wish for once.”

So said the false god.

✽

“Please tell me what it is you desire.”

Haruki Misora considered Tyltyl’s words.

She thought of the conflicting emotions within her. The pain in her chest. Things that could be more important than Asai Kei’s happiness. And she thought of her heart’s deepest desire.

Once she thought all of it through, she answered. “There is nothing that I desire… from you.”

Tyltyl tilted his head. “That can’t be true. There’s no need for such modesty. I have complete power over this world. I could make Asai Kei yours, for one.”

“Make him… mine?”

“His hands will be there to hold you, and his lips will be there to whisper sweet words of love to you. I could remake him to do just that.”

Ah, that would be so wonderful, Haruki thought.

She was sure that would bring her great happiness. It would let her pass her days in great comfort.

But Haruki shook her head. “There is nothing that I could desire less.”

The boy who would be exactly what she imagined would no longer be him. She didn’t want to warp Kei. The Asai Kei that she knew, the one that she was with, was the one that was most valuable to her.

“I have finally understood my greatest desire, Tyltyl.”

“Which is?”

“It is something that you cannot help me with.”

The god of a dream world wouldn’t be able to give it to her.

Perhaps if he held some sway over reality, he would be of assistance. But it would be meaningless to only have it in a dream.

“I want to mature. If I become the person who is most valuable to Kei, then I will have nothing to fear.”

She was sure that was the correct answer.

It was logical, it was emotional, and it was right.

Haruki Misora wanted to close the distance between them without relying on the value of a reset, and to be so valued as to turn his gaze even with Souma Sumire in their midst. If she could do that, then wishing for Souma Sumire to stay in Sakurada for Asai Kei’s sake would be trivial.

Tyltyl’s voice rang out. “Then I can change you to be just as you want.”

“That would be pointless in the dream world. He will be returning to reality.”

“This world has a person just like him, you know.”

“Having him would be meaningless.”

It wouldn’t do to have another person that was like Asai Kei in front of her. Haruki Misora needed to be in front of Kei.

“As it stands, Tyltyl… there is nothing that I desire from you.”

Tyltyl nodded slowly. “I see.”

He sighed, then snapped his fingers. The clicking sound echoed throughout the room.

When the sound faded away, Haruki fell onto her back. The chair she had been sitting on had vanished. She felt a chill on her palms as her hands instinctively supported her weight. She forced her eyes open.

But Tyltyl was gone.

Haruki was sitting alone in a school corridor.

The hallway was dark, but a single door was open, light leaking out from it.

✽

So said the false god.

“It’d be nice to try granting someone’s wish for once.”

His voice was broken, sounding as though he was crying, and didn’t sound like the voice of a god at all. It sounded more like a young child who had just had a sad dream.

Tyltyl snapped his fingers. A clicking sound echoed through the room, and the fluorescent lights immediately flicked on.

The darkness outside the window became heavily pronounced. It was like night only came when he turned on the lights.

“Well then, I’ll leave Mytyl in your hands.”

Kei knew it was Tyltyl’s voice, but when he looked in that direction, Tyltyl was gone. Instead, there was a small blue bird atop the desk.

No wait, that bird… is Tyltyl.

Mytyl’s desired happiness, her Blue Bird, was Tyltyl.

Mytyl’s form of happiness was a brother who would protect her from life’s troubles.

The window opened, letting in the breeze. The little blue bird flapped its wings, flying up and out. It quickly disappeared into the night sky.

A notebook sat atop the desk where the bird had just been. Kei stood from his chair, picking the notebook up. It was an old, college-bound notebook with “No. 407” scrawled across the cover.

It was a volume of the Script. A notebook containing absolute truth.

Kei sat down on the desk, much like Tyltyl did, and began flipping through the notebook.

Most of its contents didn’t seem to be of much value. The location of a lost sock, the reason why woodpeckers smacked their heads against trees endlessly, statistics on traffic accidents in a foreign country. He skipped through the pages, trying to pick out words, when suddenly something popped out. Sakurada, abilities, the Administration Bureau.

Kei’s hand stopped, and immediately began tracing the sentences of origin.

The beginning of the line read, “The first year…”

That dated the events to some forty years prior. Way back when the first abilities were granted in Sakurada, and the Administration Bureau was established. Descriptions were given regarding three exceptionally powerful abilities that made up the Administration Bureau from within the town of Sakurada.

No doubt about it, this is what Souma wanted me to know.

Only problem was, he didn’t know what for. He couldn’t begin to conclude what possible meaning the information held for him.

What he did know was that the information was meant to be strictly confined to the Bureau. He didn’t even like the idea of telling Haruki what he had learned yet.

Kei closed the notebook, tucking it away in the desk.

At the exact same time, the classroom door opened up.

Turning his eyes, he saw Haruki standing in the doorway. He gave her a smile. “Heya. Where’d you get off to?”

“I was in some other classroom, having a meeting with Tyltyl.”

“Oh. Anything come of it?”

After a brief silence, Haruki shook her head. “Nothing of particular importance. Tyltyl asked if I desired anything, and I answered that I did not.”

She was speaking faster than usual, not to mention a little louder. She was obviously hiding something.

As she approached him with a jog, Kei remarked, “Well, that’s too bad. You could’ve at least asked for cake or something.”

“I do not share your sweet tooth, Kei.”

“Well, then what about some really rare cat merch?” She was a collector, after all.

“I do not strictly need such things. Regardless, it was decided that I should only purchase such things as I found them.”

Haruki Misora always acted as though she were bound by a strict ruleset. In that regard, she still came off as rather emotionless.

But Kei knew that would be a horrendous misunderstanding. He smiled, knowing that Haruki Misora was fundamentally just another totally normal girl. “But it’s not like you hate cats or anything, right?”

“I do not. If I had to choose, I rather like them,” Haruki confirmed, nodding. “What happened to you, Kei?”

“Same as you. Tyltyl came up, asking if I had any desires.” Haruki tilted her head, so he continued, “Well, being a god and all, it seems he’s perfectly capable of creating two of himself. That’s why we could meet two of him at the same time in different places.”

“Did you request anything in particular?”

“Mhm. I went along with the plan. I offered my help in exchange for finding out what would happen if Souma left Sakurada. That said, I’m obliged to help solve Mytyl’s problem now.”

“Mytyl’s problem?”

“Well, it’s technically Katagiri Honoka’s problem, but on a larger scale it’s really the whole world’s problem.”

“Were Ukawa Sasane’s actions mistaken?”

Ki nodded. “You could think of this whole world as Katagiri-san. And she may have made some mistakes, but I don’t like the idea that that gives us the right to forcibly destroy her.”

To put it in a way Ukawa Sasane might, Asai Kei’s justice determined that to be wrong.

As Kei hopped off the desk onto the floor, a deafening sound came from the window. It sounded as though Katagiri Honoka’s entire world was screaming.

He looked out the window towards the sea. Towards the replica Sakurada and its white, misty wall. Of course, that very wall was blocking his view of the ocean.

And that wall…

The white wall, constructed by a false god to help a single girl remember who she truly was, had begun to crack.

The more that white wall cracked, the more room was made for some great thing, as black as night, to come spilling out.

There it was. Countless arms sprouted from it, only failing to grow from the areas taken up by its countless eyes. Its arms stretched out, crushing the very world, taking it into itself, and growing it larger. As if it sought to cover the entire Earth.

“What… is that?” Haruki asked.

“It’s Katagiri Honoka-san. Just like everything else in this world, that’s her, too.”

The monster suddenly froze in place, opening its mouth.

A great mass of sound struck the entire city. Any buildings near the monster immediately crumbled into rubble. Even the school Kei and Haruki stood in from so far away was affected, its windows trembling and cracking.

“That is… a person?”

“Mhm.”

The more he understood, the simpler it all became.

Katagiri Honoka wanted to open her eyes. So the monster had more eyes than could be counted.

Katagiri Honoka wanted someone to take her hand. So countless arms sprouted from the monster’s mass.

It opened its mouth to scream from its loneliness, its isolation, and its fear.

Those were Katagiri Honoka’s feelings. The longing for human connection, and the pain of it never arriving, all formed into a monster. Her emotions ate away at the world, tearing it to pieces. And the more that the monster ate, the greater it became. She wanted protection from those feelings.

“What is the monster doing?” Haruki asked.

There was only one answer.

“It’s searching. Searching for the Blue Bird.”

It was grabbing at everything in sight, but that wasn’t enough to find what it was looking for. And eventually, the search devolved into complete chaos, and she couldn’t even remember what she had even been searching for in the first place.

“She definitely won’t find the Blue Bird that way.”

And yet Katagiri Honoka’s monster went on, searching for the Blue Bird.

✽

Help me, Mytyl cried.

But her words had no sound.

The world was being filled by the monster, with Mytyl in the heart of it all. Inside the heart of the great monster she sat, curled in the fetal position. It was a dark and terrifying place.

Help me, Tyltyl.

But no matter how much she cried, he never came. It was to the point that Mytyl had to wonder if she was even crying at all. Why am I so unable to cry?

She wanted to reach out her hands, but she just couldn’t do it.

She wanted to open her eyes, but she just couldn’t do it.

She wanted to scream for help, but she just couldn’t do it.

And yet still, she reached out her hand. She opened her eyes. She screamed.

As if in response, the monster stretched out countless arms, opened countless eyes, and bellowed destructive noise in all directions. Anything and everything that was nearby was grabbed and pulled into its core.

But Mytyl couldn’t move.

Please, come help me.

She wanted to say that. But her voice wasn’t making any sound. There was only the rampaging of the monster.

She was familiar with the pain.

In a time long past, that had been the entirety of Mytyl’s world.

She couldn’t move. She just remained enveloped in the darkness.

…But why? This was supposed to be paradise.

A place free of worry. A place filled with only happiness.

But she was alone. All alone, in a dark place. Her Blue Bird was nowhere to be seen.

I guess that means this place… isn’t paradise.

The monster absorbed the world, growing ever larger.

I don’t need something like this.

The monster wouldn’t go away until it took the whole world with it.

Somebody help me! she cried.

But she knew that voicing her wish would only serve to demolish her paradise.