3 – September 23rd (Saturday) – Third time

The crisp fall sky shone a cool, bright blue. The air was dry, light, and bouncy.

Asai Kei, Haruki Misora, and Nonō Seika were in an otherwise empty park near the hospital. They all sat together on a bench, Haruki holding a script for the school festival play in her lap.

“September 23rd, 12:48:41,” Haruki said.

Kei thought back. A deluge of events taking place from that moment until the following night poured forth. Tyltyl and Mytyl. The old man and Nonō. Everything regarding all the people shut up in their tiny paradise.

He took a deep breath in, then let it out. As if trying to replace all the air in his body. “It would appear we’ve reset.”

Haruki Misora looked his way. “What happened?”

“A lot of stuff. The dream world had everything from gods to monsters to Ukawa-san in it, so there was quite a fuss.”

“Ukawa as in Ukawa Sasane?”

“Yup. Ever the champion of justice, she found her role in destroying the dream world.”

Haruki tilted her head. “I do not quite understand.”

“It’s all really complicated.” Now he had to find some way to explain Tyltyl, Mytyl, the monster, Nonō Seika, the Cat House Gramps, Ukawa Sasane, the Blue Bird, and paradise.

Kei made sure to pointedly speak also to Nonō, who was yawning next to Haruki. “I’ll do my best to explain everything, so this’ll take a moment, but please listen carefully.”

Rubbing her eyes, Nonō asked, “I have to listen, too?”

Kei nodded. “Yes. Half of it has to do with you and the Cat House Gramps, anyway. Oh, but first…” Kei looked up at the sky. “Souma. I’m assuming you can see this future. That being the case, I have a request. I need you to make it so I can meet with Tyltyl as soon as possible when I get into the dream world.”

Nonō frowned. “The heck is that about?”

“Just think of it as a magic spell.” Kei knew if he let things run normally, he wouldn’t get a chance to talk with Tyltyl until late that night, just before the monster’s appearance. But he was going to be doing things very differently, so he had no idea how that could affect events. The most important thing was to get Tyltyl on his side. “Now then, for the explanation.”

Facing the other two, Kei began his spiel.

✽

Taking as much care as possible, Kei explained everything that had happened since their reset, as well as what he planned to do moving forward. It took a good 30 minutes to run through everything.

After that, they headed into the hospital to be guided by the doctor into their room. As usual, Kei had a rough time falling asleep, meaning he didn’t make it into the dream world until around 2 PM.

As soon as Kei woke up in his bed, he picked himself up, slipping on his socks and shoes. Haruki and Nonō had been given their own directions, and having fallen asleep sooner, were already gone.

He shifted the curtain aside to find a young girl sitting in a metal folding chair. It was Mytyl, her small blue bird atop her shoulder.

She looked to be around Kei’s age, or perhaps a little younger. No doubt she was 14, the age that Katagiri Honoka fell into her coma.

Mytyl smiled upon seeing his face. “Welcome to the dream world. Are you Kei?”

“Yes.”

“Misora told me about you earlier. She said you’d be here before long.”

“Sorry about that. I really kept you waiting, didn’t I?”

“About thirty minutes, I guess. You have a hard time sleeping?”

Kei nodded. “Yeah, I get so much stuff on my mind that it’s hard to fall asleep.” Kei’s ability prevented him from forgetting anything he had ever experienced. Every time he closed his eyes, it felt as though those memories became all that much clearer. He pushed a smile onto his face. “You must be Mytyl.”

She looked up in surprise. “Yes, that’s right. Have we… met before?”

Kei shook his head. “No, but I came here just to see you.”

Mytyl’s mouth shut, and her head bowed slightly. Kei peeked a look at her expression.

She looks like she’s crying.

Just as the thought passed his mind, her face shifted. A grand smile took over. “I get it. You’re here to see Tyltyl, right?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because Tyltyl’s God. He can grant any of your wishes. Do you have a wish for him?”

Kei shook his head once more. “I really only came here to meet with you. I’m not interested in a god.”

“Why… would you lie like that?”

“But I’m not lying.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s the truth. I came here to search for the Blue Bird with you.”

Mytyl stood from her chair. Her face became almost expressionless as she glared at him. “Don’t waste my time with that nonsense. If you’re so interested in my Blue Bird, I’ve already found it. I can be perfectly happy staying in this world.”

Indeed, a blue bird sat perched atop Mytyl’s shoulder. But her claim was a lie.

“The blue bird you caught is a fake. If you give it some time, it’ll lose its color and die. It’s a fake blue bird.”

“What do you know?”

“I know how to find the real Blue Bird.” Kei smiled. “If you think I’m lying, then just humor me. Come with me for a bit.”

“What are you trying to pull?”

“Nothing special. Besides, if I turn out to be a bad guy, then Tyltyl will make sure I’m eliminated.”

“But that’s–”

“Tyltyl will always protect you. Isn’t that right?”

Following a long silence, Mytyl nodded. “I guess so. Fine. I’ll play along.”

That came as a relief. Kei half expected that their little spat would end with them parting ways. But of course, Mytyl– Katagiri Honoka– wanted a connection to the outside world. She wanted it desperately.

“So then, Mytyl. Have you eaten?”

“Not recently.”

“Then let’s start off by getting some lunch.”

“Fine. I’ll treat you to some amazing food.” With that, Mytyl turned around and walked off in a huff. The little blue bird flew off of her shoulder.

Is that bird Tyltyl? Kei wondered, but kept it to himself. He was sure Souma would work something out.

✽

Souma. I’m assuming you can see this future. That being the case, I have a request. I need you to make it so I can meet with Tyltyl as soon as possible when I get into the dream world.

Kei’s plea from the park had, of course, met Souma Sumire’s ears. More accurately, she had gotten a future vision that allowed her to recall him saying that as a past event.

And so, Souma was in the dream world. When it came to Kei, she wanted to do as he asked to her utmost ability.

She sat in her dimly lit hospital room, waiting for Tyltyl to arrive. Eventually, the window curtains vanished, the window’s lock was unlatched, and the pane opened.

Alongside a breeze gentle enough to only ruffle her bangs, a small blue bird flew in the window. The bird spun around the room, landing on the bed opposite her.

“Should I kick up the breeze a bit?” the small blue bird asked. Its beak was unmoving, but its voice was clearly audible.

Souma shook her head. “No, this feels nice. Thank you.”

Faster than could be perceived, the bird was gone, replaced by a single man. He was fairly gangly, looking around 20 years old, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He smiled. “It’s been quite some time, Sumire-chan. I’m so happy to see you again.”

“You’re right. It has been a while.” She tried to smile back, but couldn’t quite pull it off. Knowing the relationship between Mytyl and Tyltyl made her sad just to look at him. She ended up looking out the window to hide her face. “I see you’re still playing the god, Tyltyl.”

The man, Tyltyl, chuckled lightly. “Well, it’s my job. If you ask me, you’re the one who’s more like a god here.”

“You think so?”

Souma Sumire’s ability was activated via conversation.

She referred to it as future sight for the sake of simplicity, but she didn’t actually see any images. She would just talk with someone, then suddenly know. Become aware of their future.

It was a strange feeling. She would know her conversation partner’s future with the same mental effort of remembering any past event. Souma liked to think that it was similar to Kei recalling memories of time lost to a reset.

It would appear we’ve reset, Souma tried mumbling to herself. She could determine whether a reset had been used or not through her future sight.

Souma was currently in September 23rd. Kei had used a reset on September 24th, returning once more to September 23rd. If a reset hadn’t been used yet, the future she saw would put a second September 23rd in the future of September 24th. Resetting didn’t change the flow of time, it simply simulated the exact same situation beginning from where the save had been created. So after the 24th would come the 23rd once more.

But in the future she was currently seeing, the 24th was naturally followed by the 25th. That told her she was in the post-reset period.

Souma smiled, the corners of her mouth softly lifting.

“Well, you seem to be in a good mood,” Tyltyl commented.

Answering as neutrally as possible, Souma answered, “Oh, not particularly.”

It was true that Kei and Haruki’s dinner would now be canceled due to a variety of issues cropping up, and perhaps someone could think of that as a happy occurrence.

It was a terrible way to think about the situation, but she would have to hope that she could be forgiven for being happy about it. It wasn’t as though her personal interference had shut it down or anything.

Souma let out a soft breath, saying, “You must meet up with Asai Kei, Tyltyl.”

“Oh? Whyever for?”

“If things continue on the way they have, the dream world will cease to be. Mytyl… Katagiri-san will stop using her ability.”

Tyltyl’s voice immediately lost all expression. “You never told me about that.”

“I apologize. Doing it this way was the wisest path forward.” Not just for Asai Kei, either. That choice served to help Mytyl and Tyltyl along in the swiftest way possible.

She could have chosen to warn Tyltyl by sharing that Mytyl couldn’t handle the strain of remembering she was Katagiri Honoka. But if she had done that, Mytyl would have remained as Mytyl for all time. She would remain alone in her world, wrapped up in the deceptive life she had created.

“And if I go to see Asai Kei, this problem will be resolved?”

“Yes. Following his instructions will lead to success.”

Tyltyl spent some time staring at her face. He then slowly shook his head. “I don’t have any reason to believe that.”

Souma laughed, like a Witch who knew all. “But you do believe me. That’s the future I see.”

He might hem and haw about it, but would ultimately choose to believe her. Those were the lengths he would go for Mytyl. Mytyl truly was his everything.

Tyltyl looked out the window, took a deep breath, and said, “The stuff you say sounds a lot like the Script, y’know.”

The Script. Absolute truth. A predetermined and guaranteed future.

It was true that peeking into the future could give a person the feeling that they were getting a glimpse of the world’s Script. But that was a misunderstanding.

A breeze blew through the window, ruffling the curtains and Souma’s bangs.

As if to shake off that breeze, Souma Sumire shook her head. “No. The future I see isn’t quite that absolute.”

If nothing else, the futures she saw with her ability could be avoided.

Or at least, she believed they could.

✽

The sun hung low in the sky. It was already around 5:30 PM.

Kei had spent the last few hours going around and doing whatever Mytyl told him to do. They had lunch together, stopped by an arcade, competed in racing and dancing games, and won a panda-styled stuffed animal from a crane game. After that was karaoke, where they sang rock and roll songs. Kei hadn’t shouted out a song in quite a long time, and his throat remained sore from the experience.

They presently sat across from each other in a coffee shop near the arcade. Kei had a cup of lemon squash before him, while Mytyl worked away at some ice cream.

Leaning across the table, Mytyl asked, “So, where’re we goin’ next?”

Shaking his head, Kei responded, “Let’s just stick around here for a while.”

Mytyl shook her spoon, making a face. “Boooring.”

“You still have ice cream to finish.”

“But where will we go when I’m done?”

“Let’s think about it while you eat.” Kei took a sip of his lemon squash. He was honestly quite tired at that point. He didn’t enjoy noisy places, and while he didn’t have a problem with arcades or karaoke, all the clamor was starting to make him feel sick.

Well, it’s not impossible for me to get used to it, Kei thought, sighing internally. He was mostly having a tough time getting Mytyl to drop her guard.

She wanted to be around other people. She wanted to spend time chatting about nothing and laughing at pointless nonsense. Of course, he was willing to grant her that. She had been asleep for nine years, after all.

How long has the Bureau put her in quarantine, anyway? I don’t know the specifics, but I’d guess somewhere around five or six years. And that whole time, she’s been functionally alone. No matter how fulfilled she may act or feel on the surface, she’s gotta be aware of how alone she really is deep down.

Loneliness was a lot like hunger, as far as Kei could tell. He didn’t know for certain, since he had never been truly and desperately lonely. But when experiencing true, desperate hunger, anything would taste good. Taste became a non-factor. The singular pleasure of satisfying that hunger, no matter how briefly, would take over. He figured loneliness worked much the same way, and no matter how it was relieved, any difference was a great pleasure. To that end, Kei didn’t mind spending time just sitting with her.

Spooning herself some ice cream, Mytyl commented, “Y’know, you don’t really have the energy of a young person.”

“Well, I like doing stuff like sliding down slopes on cardboard.”

“Wait… really?”

“Maybe. I’ve never actually done it.” He really did think it sounded fun, though.

Mytyl smiled. “That kinda thing fits your image. You don’t really give off the air of youth, but perhaps more childish things might suit you after all.”

Kei picked up his glass of lemon squash, leaning back into his chair. “Well, I’ve always liked kid’s toys. Miniature cars, Legos, that kinda stuff.”

“I’ve always liked coloring books. I’ll do the outsides with colored pencils, then work my way in until it’s all nicely done. Wow, just thinking about that brings back memories.”

“Wanna go buy one? There’s a store not too far away.”

“Hmm… maybe not today.”

Mytyl’s spoon neatly clinked against the glass plate as they were brought together. Watching her eat her ice cream, Kei asked, “Do you know the Cat House Gramps?”

Mytyl shook her head. “Who’s that?”

“Actually, he’s somebody else from reality. He’s an old man that lives in a Western-style mansion, but Tyltyl made it so people can’t normally find him.”

“Oh, I guess I have heard of him.”

“But you haven’t met him?”

“Nope. That a problem?”

“No, don’t worry about it.”

Mytyl scooped up her last bit of ice cream, shoving it into her mouth. “There. All done.” She lifted the empty plate, showing it off.

“Was it good?”

“‘Course. Hey, I wanna go to the amusement park now.”

“But Sakurada doesn’t have an amusement park.”

“That’s fine. I’ll just ask Tyltyl, and he’ll make one.”

“Well, it’s getting a bit late for that.” Kei glanced out the window. The western sun was already no longer visible, yellow rays faintly mixing low in the sky.

“That’s fine. We could watch a night parade from a Ferris wheel.”

It was quite a wonderful suggestion. But Kei shook his head. “Truth is, I’ve got some plans after this. I won’t have time for an amusement park tonight.”

A tiny, “Wha-?” dropped from Mytyl’s mouth. Her breath halted in her throat. Her gaze quickly shifted to a glare. “You said that your whole plan was just to meet me.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then forget all that other stuff. It doesn’t matter.”

Kei shook his head. “There’s just a lot going on right now. But I can see you again tomorrow.”

Mytyl simply glared for a while, but eventually, her expression slackened into nothing. “You said… you would find my real Blue Bird.”

“That’s not true. I said I would help you look for it.”

“Same difference.”

They were not at all the same phrases. But Kei didn’t open his mouth to argue.

Mytyl stood from her chair. Her expression was cold and lonely. From Kei’s perspective, it was like she had been dreaming about her childhood, only to wake up and realize that she would never get that time back.

“If you can’t stay with me in the dark of night, then I can’t trust you.”

Mytyl headed for the coffee shop’s exit. Her pace was rather slow. It seemed that she was waiting for Kei to call her back over. But Kei only took a sip of his lemon squash, saying nothing. His drink was already half-diluted from ice water, making it significantly weaker. Thin carbonation chased down his throat as the coffee shop’s door closed.

“You’re not going after her?” a voice echoed.

Looking over, Kei saw that the small blue bird had landed on his table.

It was Tyltyl. Kei was glad for the chance to speak with him. Nodding, he answered, “What I’ve done should be enough for now.”

In a flash, the blue bird took the form of a young man. Kei had been watching the whole time, but still couldn’t tell the moment of transformation.

Tyltyl shrugged. “And what exactly have you done?”

“Well, I’m just keeping my promise with you.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. A promise we made before resetting. I would help with Mytyl’s problem, and you would lend me a hand in turn. I’m only going along with that.”

“Then you should have gone to an amusement park with her. Now, Mytyl’s sad.”

“There’s a lot going on right now.”

Kei needed Mytyl to make a monster that night. She had to be able to face it down.

“Mytyl… Katagiri-san is afraid of isolation. She wants to be with someone. Right?”

Tyltyl nodded. “Yes. That’s absolutely right.”

“So why not introduce her to the Cat House Gramps?”

He was the only being consistently in the world not created by Katagiri Honoka herself. A real human, from the real world. He could be the only one capable of helping Mytyl, who so desperately wanted a connection with others.

Tyltyl lowered his eyes. “Before becoming Mytyl… Katagiri Honoka was afraid of him.”

“Why?”

“Before the Administration Bureau gated off access to this world, she was a god that granted everyone’s wishes.”

Kei had heard that before resetting, about Katagiri Honoka being the previous god of the dream world.

Tyltyl continued, “That old man was the only person to deny her status. He was the first to point out that by having something given to you, something else is inherently lost.”

…Oh, that makes sense.

Those words would undoubtedly strike fear in Katagiri Honoka. They were a complete rejection of her world, the source of her only hope.

Tyltyl, the god of his world, spoke in a voice that sounded like a small, crying boy. “Why does the dream world have to be wrong? What’s so bad about this place?”

Asai Kei thought the question over.

The dream world was in every aspect a construction of Katagiri Honoka’s heart and soul.

Tyltyl, a being made to protect her unconditionally, and a symbol of her happiness, her Blue Bird. The destructive nighttime monster was her feelings made manifest. She feared isolation, desired connection, and destroyed the world. Because the world was hers, and only hers.

Mytyl was endlessly attacked by a monster, and endlessly protected by Tyltyl. But Tyltyl couldn’t destroy the monster. And the girl who created a god to escape loneliness could not escape loneliness with a god of her own creation. Katagiri Honoka couldn’t find happiness, even in forgetting everything to become Mytyl. She could tell herself she was happy, but she knew it to be a lie.

The world was, in all its entirety, a single human being. The heart and soul of a single girl, trapped in sleep and isolation for nine years.

All that in mind, Kei answered, “I don’t think… the world has to be inherently wrong.”

Parts of it were wrong, and several things about it contradicted each other. She was running away from reality, pretending she wasn’t, and shutting herself in. But it wasn’t working. There was nowhere to run, nobody she could fool, and no place for her to shut herself away.

Because it was all Katagiri Honoka.

And there was no denying it.

Well, actually… there was one person that did.

Mytyl. Katagiri Honoka. She denied it herself, just before the reset.

And she stopped using her ability.

“And that’s my point, Tyltyl. I want your cooperation. So nobody can deny this world.”

So that Katagiri Honoka could accept it on her own terms.

“What’s your plan?”

“A continuation of what you and Mytyl have been doing all this time.”

“What I’ve been doing?”

Kei nodded. “We’ll craft the perfect deception. I’ll make her believe that this is her paradise.”

She herself needed to accept her world for what it was. So he would put on a whole show, for the audience of one single girl.

The fictional account of a girl finding her one and only Blue Bird.

✽

The old man wrote with his pen.

Learning new things while knowing nothing.

Knowledge that he couldn’t use was meaningless. But he couldn’t think of anything more valuable than his meaningless pursuit.

Truths lined his notebook with no context or symmetry. Undiscovered mathematical formulas would be placed beside descriptions of the Earth’s structure, which would come just before the location of a ball hidden by a dog. His eyes followed each and every word scribbled by his right hand.

Light scratching sounds echoed from behind him. It seemed a cat was clawing at his study room door. Did it want to come into the room, or simply want more milk put into its dish?

The presence of a cat made him think of a particular girl that used to visit his mansion. She had almost transparently white skin paired with long, black hair. The old man didn’t know so much as her name, yet he felt a strange empathy for her.

She was probably a lot like me, the old man thought, and the thought saddened him. I hope she’s living a different life than me. He had gotten used to being alone, but the process of getting used to isolation was something he wouldn’t wish on anyone.

The cat’s claws continued to echo in the background. He decided it was time to deal with it. Then, at that very moment, he heard a different sound.

Three solid, hard sounds that defied any sense of reason rang out in repetition. It was the sound of a person. Someone knocking on his door with the back of their hand.

The Bureau staff isn’t due to arrive until tomorrow.

He couldn’t imagine it being anyone else.

Before he could even manage a response, a voice came from the other side of the door.

“I am coming in.” The voice was cold, like a thin layer of frost atop a pond on an early winter morning. It resounded sharp and clear.

He knew the voice. He thought it had to be an illusion, because it was the voice of the girl whom he had just been reminiscing about.

With a squeak, the door opened. A small cat dashed into the room before screeching to a halt in front of the desk, then looking around as though it hadn’t found what it was expecting.

A girl stood in the doorway. Her skin was white. Her hair, black. She was the spitting image of the girl in his memory, but grown up.

“It has been quite some time,” the girl said.

Internally, the old man was shocked. But on the outside, he responded in a flat tone. “Ah, it’s you.”

His right hand was still etching away into a notebook. The old man no longer had any intention of following along with its writings, but his ability could not stop until a full sentence was completed.

The girl walked over with soft steps. “I cannot remember how many years it has been since I last saw you. I am unable to remember.”

“Five years, eleven months, and nine days,” the old man answered.

At that moment, his right hand finally stopped. The old man released his pen and shook his hand, as if to shake off a slight fatigue. “How did you get in here?” Nobody was supposed to be allowed into the mansion, according to the Bureau.

“My friend asked for a favor from God. He allowed me to come here.”

Ah, so the girl has a friend. The old man smiled. “What do you want?”

“I have been given many things to reflect upon lately,” the girl replied.

“Reflect?”

“I always thought of you as my grandfather. I was constantly being spoiled by you, as if I were your granddaughter.”

I thought of you as my granddaughter, too, he almost replied, but stopped himself. “I can’t remember spoiling you in any particular way.”

“Is that right? I suppose you didn’t notice, then.”

“What of it?”

“Well, that was what I was reflecting on. People do not try to make God happy in the same way that little children are not responsible for worrying about their grandparents’ happiness.”

The old man nodded. “That’s true. Everyone has their role to play. Children aren’t supposed to have the role of making adults happy.” They were supposed to be more selfish. Then, after growing up and becoming adults, they would have children and grandchildren that they could watch over.

But the girl shook her head. “Even so, if I want to be your friend, then I cannot act that way.”

“My friend?”

“Yes, your friend. I have been considering what the role of a friend is.”

“Did you find an answer?”

“I did.” The girl’s voice was quiet and low, yet contained a sharp and telling conviction. “The role of a friend is to make sure the other person does not have to be alone.”

After a long pause, the old man answered, “I see.” He realized how much six years had changed the girl. She was nothing like him. Perhaps she had managed to gain a strength that she could never have had on her own.

But then she followed up her statement. “I learned that from you. I should have learned that lesson when I was younger, but I somehow forgot it.”

Ah, of course.

The time he had spent with that girl was never lonely. And they had spent so much time in each other’s presence.

The girl was undoubtedly the old man’s friend.

“But I am unable to stay with you forever. I cannot easily enter this world.”

“Yeah. I’m aware.”

“So…” The girl spoke as her face lit up with a beautiful smile. “So I have a request to make of you.”

✽

Mytyl cried.

She stood in a narrow alley just barely lit by the setting sun, her arms pressed against an old concrete wall. Her face was downcast as she silently cried.

The tears had come upon her suddenly, and she wasn’t able to stop them. She didn’t know why. But something told her that those tears had always been inside of her. Every single night, she wanted to cry. She wanted to bury her face into a pillow and wail. Her tears were filled up inside her like a water glass, ready to spill out with the drop of a single coin.

But I never cried before now.

She had always held it in. She had always been able to hold it in.

What are you even crying for, idiot?

I’m happy. I’m content. I live in a paradise that would make anyone jealous.

But no matter what she told herself, the tears wouldn’t stop. Gazing into her chest, she just found a large, gaping hole, overflowing with unstoppable tears.

“Help me.”

Help me, Tyltyl. Tyltyl… Tyltyl.

She called his name time after time.

Then, she felt a warm hand atop her head. It was Tyltyl. She didn’t have to look to know that he was right beside her.

Even so, the tears didn’t stop. The gaping hole in her chest couldn’t be filled by Tyltyl’s warmth. She knew that. But she didn’t have anything else.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, but unable to meet his eyes, she continued to cry out. “Tyltyl… Help me, Tyltyl.”

There was nothing else she could do. Calling for his help was her only chance at salvation.

It’s that boy’s fault.

Asai Kei may not have made the tears, but he was the one that caused them to fall.

The blue bird you caught is a fake. If you give it some time, it’ll lose its color and die. It’s a fake blue bird.

It was all because he said that.

I know how to find the real Blue Bird.

So many things went wrong the moment he said those words. Her paradise crumbled, and her blue bird started to die. Everything was falling apart.

I came here to search for the Blue Bird with you, he had said.

Then protect me. Please… stay with me. Even if it was all a lie, at least keep it up to the end.

She was so sick of everything. She already knew the pain she was feeling. She had experienced it long ago, in a time she could no longer recall. The feeling that reminded her she was all alone.

“Help me, Tyltyl,” she repeated.

Then she could hear Tyltyl’s voice.

“I… can’t.”

She lifted her eyes. Everything in her field of vision was dyed in the red of the setting sun, and in the middle of the shadow-dotted landscape, she saw Tyltyl’s face, distorted by her tears.

He smiled. “You know that, don’t you, Honoka? I… can’t save you.”

Of course she knew.

“That’s not my name.” Mytyl glared at Tyltyl.

With a shake of his head, Tyltyl disappeared.

In his place was a small bird. But it wasn’t blue. It was just an ordinary, small, black bird.

The black bird flapped its wings. Mytyl reached her hand out, but she couldn’t get to him. The small, black bird flew away, vanishing in the sky like a shadow.

It was like Tyltyl had never even existed in the first place. Like Mytyl was all alone. The breeze quickly blew away the warmth of his palm from her head.

“Help me,” Mytyl whispered. But without Tyltyl, who could she turn to for help?

A loud sound rumbled in the distance. It was devastating, as if the world had turned upside-down and shattered on hard asphalt.

It was only 6 PM. But even before the sun had set, darkness appeared. Raising her eyes, she was met with the gargantuan black monster.

Her chin still upraised, tears streaked down Mytyl’s face. She had known for a long time that she wasn’t in paradise. She took slow, tottering steps towards the monster. She exited the narrow alleyway, walking down the two-lane road towards it. Her tears fell, the constant dripping like its own pair of footsteps.

It felt as if the countless eyes covering the monster’s surface were all focused on her. As if every one of the numerous arms were reaching for her. There were enough of them to look like hair, but as she approached, she saw that each one was dozens of times larger than a normal human arm.

Mytyl halted in place.

She knew that nobody could save her.

But even so, she whispered again.

“Somebody… please… help me.”

The monster’s arms were right in front of her.

At that very moment, something collided with Mytyl’s body. Something large, warm, and soft. The impact toppled her over, and her field of vision swung around. Suddenly, she was looking at the sky, the ultramarine heavens.

She braced herself for impact with the asphalt, shutting her eyes tightly. But the pain didn’t come.

Instead, there was a voice.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

She slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurred by tears.

But even so, she could see it clearly. Before her was Asai Kei. She was being held in his arms.

“Why?” she asked.

Holding Mytyl’s hand, Kei pulled her up, answering, “Because I heard your voice.”

Even when she stood up, he didn’t let go of her hand.

Illuminated by the last sliver of the setting sun, he smiled.

“If it’s what you want, then I’ll protect you.”

His voice was strong and certain.

The building beside them collapsed, showering debris over them.

✽

“If it’s what you want, then I’ll protect you,” Asai Kei said.

It was a lie, but he was determined to lie spectacularly.

A loud noise came from the building next to them. Kei grabbed Mytyl’s hand and ran. Rubble fell with a grand crushing noise in the spot they had just been standing in.

Of course, Kei was in on it. That hadn’t been done by the monster. Tyltyl had brought that rubble down, and on Kei’s orders.

It was all just a performance. A stage perfectly set to deceive Mytyl. A script written to look like Kei was protecting her despite all odds.

Kei gripped Mytyl’s hand a little tighter. “I may not be able to defeat the monster, but I can still protect you.” He considered that it might look more heroic for him to carry her as he ran, but he wasn’t really fit enough to run around carrying a girl. Holding her hand would have to do.

The sun faded, giving way to night. The monster continued swallowing everything in its path, growing larger. It was like a tsunami, watching it up close. Or it was like the night itself, swallowing the city.

Kei held Mytyl’s hand, continuing to run and avoid the great, black mass. He pondered over which expression to show her, and which would be the most dramatic.

“Why?”

Kei turned around at her voice.

“Why… are you here?” Mytyl asked.

There was nothing in the dream world Tyltyl wouldn’t know, so finding out from him would have been trivial. But that wasn’t what Kei had done. Kei had actually been waiting in the shadows nearby for the perfect opportunity to appear in front of Mytyl, but there was certainly no need to tell her that.

Instead, he thrust out his chest, answering, “I know how to find your Blue Bird. If you’ll just reach out your hand, I can tell you how to grasp it for yourself.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You don’t have to understand. Even if you don’t, you can still be saved.”

“But it’s no use. We can’t run from the monster.”

“You think so? I was at least able to stop your crying.”

Mytyl touched her cheek with her free hand. Although her face was still wet, she was no longer crying.

“Whether we can run from the monster or not, I’ll be right here with you,” Kei affirmed.

He ran on the white-striped asphalt, their breaths and footsteps bouncing in time. He ignored traffic lights, not bothering to distinguish between sidewalk and road. The monster followed right behind them, swallowing the asphalt they had just crossed. It chased them wherever they went.

“You’re lying,” Mytyl said in a crushed voice. “You didn’t even want to come with me to an amusement park. You’re just gonna go away soon, anyway.”

She was right.

I will be gone soon.

He couldn’t stay by her side forever. He couldn’t give her all the attention she so pined for.

I really wish I could.

If only he could wrap her in warmth, telling her beautiful lies, passing the time with her. If only he didn’t have to lie, and could protect her paradise for her, whispering gentle words into her ears.

But he couldn’t. And even if it was possible, his plans couldn’t afford it. He couldn’t spend all his time from then on with Mytyl. Haruki and Souma came before anyone else.

He couldn’t actually save Mytyl, in the truest sense of the word. So he would instead protect her in the falsest, most fabricated way. Instantly, dramatically, like a great hero of fiction.

That was his decision, so he carried on his stupendous lie.

“I won’t leave until you can find your Blue Bird.”

The monster screamed. Glass windows above them shattered. Kei hugged Mytyl, glass shard slicing his cheeks. But he knew Mytyl herself would be unharmed. He was in on the whole thing. Tyltyl was just manipulating the outcomes as per Kei’s instructions.

The monster closed the space between them them like a great black wave. But it would never actually catch them. Tyltyl reshaped the world in real time, creating a vacuum between them and the monster that could never be breached.

They were never in any danger.

We just have to keep running until it’s time.

All that was left was to run until their deception over Mytyl could become complete.

✽

Having turned into a small, black bird, Tyltyl flew high in the sky.

He was reconstructing the world according to Asai Kei’s demands in a place where Mytyl would never see him.

Mytyl stumbled, and Asai Kei supported her. One of the monster’s arms reached out right behind her. Tyltyl flapped his wings, and the distance between the monster and the duo lengthened, leaving the black arm to swipe empty air.

The duo began running again. They were constantly out of breath, continuously at risk of being swallowed by the monster, dashing through the town as night fell.

This is such a scam.

What was the point in taking fake risks to deceive her, all the while knowing how safe he was?

But then again, all the dangers of the world had only ever been fake since its conception. If there could only be false danger, would that guarantee the creation of false heroes? Could that somehow become the real thing for Mytyl?

The massive, black monster swallowed the city, growing ever larger.

The boy held onto the girl’s hand, running as hard as he could. They looked only ahead, running with all they had, sweating profusely.

I guess that’s all I can hope for, Tyltyl thought.

Tyltyl had never seen Mytyl in such a state, gritting her teeth and running with all her strength. The boy and the girl, hand in hand, winded, under a cloudy night sky. It truly was dramatic. To put it even more grandly, it was moving.

It was all he could hope for. So the god could only help the boy and girl along.

I’m just a false god, too, at the end of the day.

He was a hand-crafted miracle, a fake happiness. It only made sense that he should be moved by something else fake.

Tyltyl couldn’t help but wish that Mytyl would be spectacularly fooled.

✽

He was completely winded. That was the only real feeling. Pretty much everything else was fake.

A replicated city, a monster prepared ahead of time, and a decorative blanket of night. Would his direction, acting, and lies be enough to save her?

Their joined hands were beginning to feel uncomfortably hot. But Asai Kei continued to run. His heart was racing, his chest constricting, and even breathing was beginning to take everything he had.

“I can’t… keep going,” Mytyl said.

Kei was a little surprised she even had the energy to speak. But nonetheless, he forced a laugh and thrust out his voice. “Yes, you can.”

“But look… the monster is… right the–”

“That doesn’t matter. It never has.”

Just a little more, he thought.

He just needed a little more time, and then he would reach what he was waiting for.

But if this takes much longer, it’ll start to be a problem.

How long had he been running? He wasn’t really sure, but the sky had turned entirely dark. A large, swollen moon sat in the sky, just a few days away from its full phase. He was sure he could find the evening star if he looked up, but he instead focused on running.

They had to keep running from the monster, so they had been sprinting away the whole time. But how long had he been running, hoping the finish line would only be another 100 yards away?

His legs were heavy. His sides were splitting. Even the blood pumping through him began to feel overheated. His vision blurred from a lack of oxygen, and he bit the inside of his mouth. But he continued to pull Mytyl’s hand. If he ever stopped, the illusion of escaping the monster would be lost.

“What… are you trying… to do?” Mytyl asked, in a voice that sounded like she was forcing out every word.

“I’m gonna… catch your Blue Bird,” he responded, his head spinning from lack of oxygen. But he pushed through it. “You can’t make a paradise with just one hand.”

He couldn’t let go of her hand.

The paradise Mytyl desired truly couldn’t be created by a single hand. Because she would never be able to convince herself that her selfish, isolated happiness was true happiness. All she needed was somebody, anybody, it didn’t matter who, to hold on to her hand.

“Your paradise… is right… between the palms… of our hands!”

That was where her Blue Bird resided.

And he couldn’t let that paradise, born from both of their hands, be destroyed.

Even if it was fake. Even if it was a lie that could shatter like glass from a single moment of mishandling. It only needed to look like a lovely truth for just a moment. He would have to line all the fakes up together to deceive her.

“This is… how you make paradise. This is how… you’ll catch your Blue Bird.”

Mytyl would understand the pain of an unheld hand better than anyone. She would know the value of having someone beside her, holding onto that hand.

She shook her head. “You’re lying. You don’t… know anything… about me.”

“I know more… than you might think.”

It was true that he had hardly ever seen Mytyl face to face. But he was in the dream world for two days before a reset, meaning he was up to day three. And that was all the time he needed.

“I learned so much… about you… just from seeing… this world.”

He had seen the depths of Mytyl’s, and of Katagiri Honoka’s, heart and soul. The distortions, the contradictions, the pain– all of it with his own eyes.

The monster destroyed the city. Roads were ripped apart. Buildings crumbled. A sign fell down with a great clatter, and the two of them ran right over it.

In between the overwhelming din, Mytyl’s voice slipped through. “I don’t… understand.”

“Are you sure? Because if… you really got… everything, you could… even destroy the monster.”

And of course, she really did understand.

Asai Kei just had to keep running until Mytyl remembered.

✽

Asai Kei held Mytyl’s hand, running through the night city. The whole show was watched by Souma Sumire from the rooftop of a building not too far away.

Of course, she had been aware of this event for a long time. She knew exactly what would happen, but wanted to watch him regardless. She didn’t get the chance to watch him sprint at full speed very often.

You’re so odd, Kei.

Four years ago, upon visiting Sakurada, Kei had been taken by abilities and decided to stay. He had fully believed in the great value of having abilities. But there he was, going off to save Mytyl in a way that had nothing to do with using abilities.

He was trying to solve an ability-related problem purely through words and actions. It was like an affirmation of the Bureau employee who hated abilities, Urachi Masamune.

But despite that, Kei would never reject abilities. No matter what kinds of problems abilities might cause, he firmly believed that there was a right way to use them.

Souma watched his retreating figure intently. He was so sensitive, and being attacked on all sides by various problems, yet he staunchly refused to reshape his ideals. He was beautiful.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening echoed from behind her.

Someone’s here? Who?

A chill ran up her spine.

I didn’t see this future.

Souma Sumire’s ability was activated via conversation. She could only peek into another’s future while conversing with them. She remained unable to see her own future.

But it was likely things would be okay.

Nothing should happen here that puts me at a disadvantage.

If the current moment was some kind of problem, she could have done something about it, like shouting down towards Kei. Then, her past self would have learned of the danger, allowing her future self to avoid it.

For whatever reason, my future self didn’t try to avoid this. So there was no way it could have been a problem.

Souma Sumire turned around.

A lone girl stood in the entryway to the rooftop. Souma hadn’t expected to see her at all. Even if she had tried to guess, she would have never gotten the correct answer without seeing it for herself.

There before her was Haruki Misora. The other girl began closing the distance, walking straight towards Souma.

Souma felt strangely nervous. Something about meeting with Haruki face-to-face was awkward.

“It has been quite some time, Souma Sumire.”

“You’re right, it has. You doing well?”

“More or less.”

“So… why are you here?”

Haruki tilted her head. “Kei did not ask anything of me, so now I have nothing to do.”

“Bummer. Now what?”

“Since I had nothing to do, I came here to see you.”

She said it so easily.

“How’d you know I was here?”

“I had a hunch. In all honesty, I did not really believe I would find you here. However…” Haruki turned her gaze towards Kei dashing through the streets below. “This location provides the perfect view of Kei. I thought that with your future sight, you would know where to come and watch.”

Souma Sumire sighed internally. Haruki Misora was the last person she expected to get the jump on her. She had never sized up the girl as capable of that. Certainly, she could make precise and unhesitating judgements, but she had never felt like much more than an accessory to Kei. “This is the first time you’ve ever come to me of your own accord.” During all their middle school years, there had never been even one example.

“Is that right? I cannot recall.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Souma saw Mytyl stumble, and Kei leaned down to support her. It almost looked like he was hugging her.

Souma caught a glimpse of that scene, then immediately looked at Haruki’s face. They were both staring at each other. No doubt to gauge each other’s reactions. As their eyes met, Souma smiled. Haruki remained expressionless.

“He might just be acting, but it’s a little weird how easily he can hug a girl like that,” Souma commented.

“Kei will do what he deems to be necessary.”

“I’m aware of that. But that doesn’t mean he likes it.”

“It would be better than choosing not to act the part at all.”

That was fair enough.

If it were Haruki Misora down there instead of Mytyl, Souma Sumire doubted she would have come to watch. She didn’t really want to see something like that.

Haruki spoke, her voice as quiet as the night sky. “What exactly is your objective, Souma Sumire?”

“Can’t tell. I didn’t even tell Kei. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Can you tell me if your actions will make Kei sad?”

That was a difficult question to answer.

Souma gently closed her eyes. She considered lying, but didn’t know what she could possibly say. In the end, she decided to tell the truth. “It probably will make him sad. No, I know it will. But it’s better than the alternative. Kei being sad or suffering won’t be enough to change my plans.”

The monster continued to consume the city, growing ever larger. Its black mass struck the building they stood on, making the structure shake.

Amidst the horrendous trembling, Haruki Misora peacefully spoke. Her voice sounded like a pre-recorded message. “If that is the case, Souma Sumire, then I do not want you anywhere near Kei.”

The trembling eventually stopped. The building they stood on was tilted, but not fallen over.

Their footing was unstable. Grabbing onto the fence railing, Sumire answered, “I thought the exact same thing about you two years ago, Haruki Misora, not wanting you to get close to Kei.”

“But you were the one to introduce Kei and I.”

Souma looked up from the building into the white moon. The sky was not quite black, despite night having fallen. Instead, it was a deep, deep ultramarine. It was a heavy, vivid color.

“You’re right. Sadness, pain, hate; none of that matters. They won’t stop me from chasing after the one single future that I have chosen.”

Besides, Souma knew that even if she did nothing, they still would have met. It still would have been two years ago, just in a different way, forming a relationship not unlike the one they currently had. She had seen that future before.

A breeze blew by. The building shifted even more underneath them, though the wind couldn’t have possibly been the trigger. Evidently, it was unable to bear its weight, beginning to crumble.

Nothing that happened in the dream world would affect their reality. They would just wake up, so there was no need to panic.

Well, if it was Kei in front of me, I’d probably scream and grab onto him.

But, she was faced with Haruki, so there was no point in that. Souma stared at the girl silently.

Then, Haruki Misora spoke, her voice quiet as always. “Just tell me one final thing.”

“Sure, what’s that?”

“Are you Kei’s enemy?”

Finally, something she could answer confidently. “No. I’m only here for him.”

He was the only reason for Souma Sumire to remain in Sakurada after having died two years prior.

I exist for Asai Kei. Nothing more, nothing less.

“I see.” Haruki’s voice was soft, almost approaching relief.

With a final sound, the building collapsed.

The fall downwards was more like levitation. Haruki Misora was no longer in her line of sight. Souma Sumire fell down headfirst, gazing into the ultramarine sky and white moon, and smiled.

With that smile on her face, she plunged into the pitch-black depths of the monster.

✽

“Help me, Tyltyl.” Mytyl said, her voice sounding stronger than before.

Although her tone was still quiet, Kei definitely heard it.

Finally… So those were the words we were waiting for, he thought.

Mytyl had constantly asked Tyltyl for help in the past. But she had always known deep down that he could never save her, because Tyltyl was just a construct of Mytyl, of Katagiri Honoka. Mytyl wanted someone to save her, but Tyltyl, her own creation, would never be able to do it.

As a result, her pleas for Tyltyl’s protection and salvation were usually lies, only repeated to deepen her self-deception. But if she could ever once truly ask Tyltyl for help from the depths of her soul, the request would take on a completely different meaning.

It would mean she was relying on her own power. It would mean she wished to take action with her power.

All the lies Kei had strung together that night were to reach that single moment. A moment where Mytyl would beg for Tyltyl’s help, in the same way she had countless times before, but with a new purpose.

Thank goodness we finally made it. He really couldn’t run any further. But it was finally time to close the curtain on the night of lies. “Tyltyl won’t be coming.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don’t need him. Katagiri-san. Your power can take away the monster.”

Likely out of reflex, she shook her head. “That’s not my–”

Cutting her off, Kei continued, “Remember. Open your eyes. It’s okay now… you’re not alone any more.”

He couldn’t help but be a little worried. But he was sure everything would turn out alright.

Looks like it’s time to pass the baton.

Kei was running out of time to be with her. He had to leave things with someone who could stick around for a little while longer. Someone who can protect her without having to lie.

“Katagiri-san. Katagiri… Honoka-san.” He pulled her hand a little tighter, then lost all strength in his legs. His balance was thrown.

Kei pushed her away with all the power he had left, finally reaching his limits. He collapsed onto the ground.

“Please… accept your monster.”

His words were weak, and he couldn’t be sure they reached her.

Looking her way, he forced on a smile.

Everything should be okay.

That belief in his heart, Asai Kei was swallowed up in the inky blackness of the monster.

✽

Katagiri Honoka watched with wide eyes as Asai Kei was swallowed up in a violent wave of black.

She remembered everything. She was Katagiri Honoka.

Please, don’t call me by that name.

Please, just leave me alone. Let me forget my cold isolation.

But as she hesitated, he was taken away. She had been so close to having what she wanted. She was finally able to talk and interact with someone who wasn’t her.

It’s because I was running away.

Playing pretend as Mytyl had only served to leave her all alone once again.

Upon realizing that, Katagiri Honoka cried. She felt so foolish. The Blue Bird she had spent so long searching for had been right in front of her, and she let it fly away.

The monster washed in like a wave. But it didn’t matter. She just cried.

It might as well just be swallowed up by it all.

Everything should just disappear.

So went her thoughts as she cried.

Suddenly, someone stood in her field of vision. She could barely make them out, swimming through her tears.

First, she assumed she was seeing things. Then, she thought it might be Asai Kei. Finally, assuming it to be Tyltyl, she raised her head. But it was none of them.

Standing before her was a single old man.

She recognized him. He had come into her world several years prior, in a time when she was still God. He was the only person to come in who didn’t want anything, and he rejected her world, shutting himself away in his Western-style mansion. He stood as a symbol of isolation.

He looked in her direction with a displeased expression, then thrust out his right hand. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but when you fall down, you have to stand back up,” he said.

She didn’t understand what was happening. Taking the old man’s hand, Katagiri Honoka stood. “Who are you?”

The old man lightly shook his head. “An old acquaintance of mine came to visit. She told me a friend of a friend was crying, and asked that I go see them. I was only just talking with her, but then I was suddenly here.”

What did any of that mean?

Who’s the old acquaintance? Am I this “friend of a friend”?

She could hardly make sense of it all, but it seemed that his approach had been due to some very roundabout relationships.

“You came here… just to see me?”

Even right in front of the monster’s ire.

“I certainly did. It was quite troublesome, I must say. But, oh well, it isn’t as though avoiding all trouble is what leads to happiness.”

His calm words seemed entirely out of place.

Katagiri Honoka was still confused, but managed to stammer out, “Thank you… so much.”

With a chuckle that sounded more like a cough, the old man said, “If you’re going to thank me, you may as well do it with a smile.”

Was it really the most appropriate time to smile? She wasn’t sure. In fact, she could hardly even remember how to smile.

“By the by, I believe I’ve met you once before.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, yes, of course, you’re the god of this world.”

She almost denied his claim, then stopped herself. “Yes. I am the one who created this world.”

“I see. That being the case, I have something I need to tell you.” Stroking his chin, the old man continued, “I’ve discovered the difference between a god and a devil.”

The words pierced through her heart.

If you are a god, what makes you any different from being a devil?

As she recalled, those words were used in a conversation meant to prove that her world could never be paradise.

She fearfully asked, “What would… that be?”

“A god smiles for people, whereas a devil only smiles for himself. I haven’t written that in the Script yet, but I’m quite certain it’s true.”

But then… “What’s the difference between those two?” If the result was the same, then how could they be any different?

The thought plagued her, but the old man confidently shook his head. “They’re quite different. Smiling for someone else is the same as smiling for a friend. I should know… because my friend smiled for me.”

Then, that means…

I’m not a god.

She had spent all her time alone, only trying to think of ways that she could smile for herself.

“Now then, God. I have a request for you.” The old man pointed behind him. “That thing destroyed my house. Could you manage to do anything about that?”

He was pointing over at the monster. It was being blocked by a white wall, unable to move any closer.

Tyltyl.

Even now, he’s still protecting me.

She was onset by the urge to cry once more. I’ve been such an idiot, she thought again.

Katagiri Honoka walked towards the wall. “Tyltyl. It’s okay.”

The white wall of mist immediately broke, clearing her field of vision. The monster, tall enough to block even the moonlight, began trudging towards her.

She almost commanded it to disappear, but that didn’t feel quite right.

The monster…

My emotions. My greatest wish.

“Return to me.”

As soon as she uttered those words, the monster vanished. She assumed it made its way into her heart.

A false moonlight shone over the dream world.

Time itself seemed to rewind. Buildings reappeared, light leaked through windows, and noise began arising from all locations, as though nothing had ever happened. Conversations, televisions, car engines, all overlapping in one great song.

Katagiri Honoka turned around to face the old man. “Will that do?”

The old man nodded. “Yes, quite. Could I possibly ask for one more thing?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“I need a coffee cup.”

“A coffee cup?”

“The old acquaintance of mine asked me to treat her, her friends, and you to coffee tomorrow, but I’ll be one cup short. I just couldn’t stand the thought of not having enough cups.”

✽

Moonlight shone down on the replica city.

Tyltyl, the dream world’s false god, watched the scene below, from a rooftop behind Katagiri Honoka, out of her line of sight.

Her voice echoed.

“Tyltyl. You’re there, aren’t you, Tyltyl?”

The false god stared at the moon.

“You’re not going to answer her?” Asai Kei asked. The boy had requested to be saved once he was swallowed up by the monster.

The false god shook his head.

His name once more echoed atop the building they stood on.

Struck by an idea, the false god held out his palm. A blue bird came into being atop it. But it was only a bird that happened to be blue. It held no special powers.

The blue bird jumped from his palm, flying off into the sky.

It flew, illuminated by the moonlight, spinning in circles above her head.

The false god carefully stole a glimpse of the situation down below.

The girl looked up at the blue bird. Then, as her eyes widened in surprise, she smiled.

She smiled.

Making the face the false god had always longed to see, she smiled.

The blue bird flew. High and far away, it flew. So far away that it could no longer be known whether it was fake or real. And before long, it wouldn’t even be visible any more.

But it would always be there.

Somewhere, out in the world’s sky, a blue bird would be flying.