Before I knew it, I found myself in the middle of a forest.
The sky was tinged with the colors of sunset, a cool wind rustling the leaves of the trees. This place was a lot like our school’s forest… or perhaps it was modeled after it.
Behind me, I heard the sound of grass being trampled underfoot.
“Mia?”
“Mm.”
There she was—the girl I hadn’t stopped longing for since the moment I’d lost her. Mia, looking just the same age as when we’d parted, still wearing our school’s PE uniform.
When she looked up at me, it was with her usual indifferent expression. “Kayla said I could only meet you when I go back to the other world. The energy released by the Demon Lord disappearing was a bit too strong. I intervened through the Wedge; I sucked everything inside out, outside the Earth, and just threw it out. In the process, I saved you, Kazu.”
“If you could do that, you could have helped from the beginning…”
“There are rules.”
“So, you couldn’t act until the Demon Lord was defeated?”
“Something like that. It’s thanks to all of you guys that I was able to act.”
I sighed and sat down. Mia sat down directly in front of me; her bearing was formal, as if we were in a meeting.
“You’re quite humble today.”
“Mm. It’s been a while since I’ve done this. I’m not used to it anymore.”
For me, it had been only a day. But for her? It must have seemed an eternity. Long enough to forget how to use her body, her familiar way of speaking, her sarcasm and wit.
There was so much I wanted to talk about, so much I wanted to say, but first…
“I have two questions,” I began. “Can you stay with me from now on?”
Mia slowly shook her head. Although her expression didn’t change, her eyes seemed to soften slightly.
“Okay. Second question… Why did you let Kayla die?”
“Kayla exists.”
“Wait, but she… When we parted… She was alone…”
“Her new body will be ready soon. Her soul has been retrieved.”
I pressed a hand to my forehead. Wait, just wait, I need everything to wait.
What the hell…? I mean, I think I understand what she’s saying, but still…
“Will that really still be Kayla?”
“The essence of her soul remains the same,” Mia insisted, tilting her head as if puzzled by my question. There wasn’t a trace of jest in her voice; she really didn’t see what the problem was.
I let out a heavy sigh. I’m just so tired… You’ve… yes, you’ve been through so much that I can’t even imagine. That’s why. That’s why you’re…
“Kazu, you look like you’re about to cry.”
Without a word, I hugged Mia tightly. I never wanted to let go.
My chest hurt. There was so much I wanted to say, but no words came out. I bit my lip hard.
“Kazu.” Mia wrapped her arms around my back and gently patted—and that was my breaking point. Hot tears slid down my cheeks.
“Kazu, we have to go back. Time flows the same here as it does on Earth. Arisu, Tamaki, and Rushia must be worried.”
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to leave.”
“We can’t stay.”
Gently but firmly, Mia pulled away from me. Despite her slender build, she was incredibly strong.
Her current form was temporary, created just for this meeting. She went through all this effort just to see me, I marveled. I understood her dedication. But still…
“I don’t want to, Mia. I don’t want to be apart from you.”
I cried like a child. Like a petulant, unreasonable toddler. Like a brat who knew nothing of the ways of the world. I simply wailed. I should have been ashamed, but I felt nothing.
✦ ✦ ✦
I don’t know how long I cried for, but Mia stayed by my side the whole time, watching with a silent intensity that only she possessed.
Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. Turning around, I saw Kayla standing there—dressed in a spotless, pure white tunic. It was the same outfit she’d been wearing when I first met her.
“Papa, I’m back.”
“Welcome back, Kayla… Is your body, I mean… Are you okay now?”
“Yes. Kayla is healthy,” she reported with a bright smile. It seemed she remembered everything up until now…
“Kayla, do you remember what you did before we said goodbye?”
“Um…” Kayla looked unsure, and I finally understood.
The final kiss. She’d desperately wanted something that could be uniquely hers.
The girl in front of me was the same Kayla, but she didn’t have that memory.
“Yeah, it seems the White Room acts like a save point, huh?” I asked Mia, but I already knew the answer.
“Mm,” came her voice from behind me. “Correct. As a reward, here’s Kayla as a present.”
“Mia…”
When I turned back, her lips were curled awkwardly into a smile. “Kayla can’t return here anymore.”
“Does that mean… she won’t be revived?”
“The Demon Lord is no more. There was no other way. Sorry, Kazu. It’s true we used our daughter.”
“That’s all right. I mean, no, it’s not all right, but, Mia, from now on…”
Mia shook her head again, as she had done many times before. “I’ll always be watching. That alone makes me happy.”
“That’s not enough…”
“Then, level up.”
Is she suggesting I go to the White Room?
“Mm. I’ll prepare a way for you to communicate with me in the White Room. Now that there’s no need to allocate resources to defeating the Demon Lord, I’ll have a bit more leeway.”
“I see. I’m counting on you.”
“And… get stronger. Much, much stronger. Then, maybe someday…” she trailed off.
Someday, what? I wondered, but Mia just shook her head.
Perhaps, after we’d leveled up further, our paths could intersect with Mia’s again. Maybe there was more to this system she’d apparently made.
If so… No matter how long it takes, we will achieve it.
I stood up, taking Kayla’s hand, and nodded firmly at Mia.
“So, this is just a brief goodbye.”
“Mm. Just for a little while.”
“Let’s meet again, Mia.”
“Bye-bye,” she said. The next moment, my consciousness faded to black.