The Queen loomed large. He could clearly see Hanabi in her cell. “Senpai!” he called.
Kuon didn’t care if he died. This wasn’t suicide or heroism. Sixty percent of his frame’s functions had ceased and the only limb he could properly move was his left arm. The bullets that had penetrated the barrier weren’t fatal, but they’d left him covered in wounds, and his body was burning up. Even though he was covered in blood and cuts, with no magic left, if he could save the person he loved, then Kuon didn’t care if he died doing it.
Hanabi stared back at him, sobbing. “Kuon-kun! Kuon-kun! Why? Why?!” Even as her expression scolded him for not shooting her, for placing her life on the scale opposite all mankind and making such a stupid choice…
“Why do you always come?!”
Kuon heard a glimmer of hope and joy behind her question. “I won’t ever let you be alone again!”
His radar was still active, displaying enemy coordinates with precision. The alarms sounded. A moment later, countless spear-like tentacles shot out of empty space.
“Nine-Count Strike!”
With only three seconds left, Kuon deployed his special weapon, raising his magic to Division 5. He activated Tensetsu as he did, slowing his sense of time and searching for evasion routes. There were none; of course not. He had no use for evasion routes now. If it meant saving Suzuka Hanabi, Okegawa Kuon would never turn back.
He could only go forward.
Kuon reached the Queen, leaving all the enemy attacks behind in his wake. His body instinctively shifted into the Shimetsu form, the same form he’d used as the final art when he first met Hanabi, and Hanabi’s and his hearts connected in combat.
“Now, Kuon-sama!” En yelled. En was a high-spec AI Device powered by his master’s magic, a reflection of her will that was here to monitor him. She chose this moment to tell Kuon what he needed to know. “The ultimate art of Shichisei Kenbu is called…”
Kuon focused on the Queen’s Core, exposed when she had failed to swallow him in his previous life and fled into this dimension. That Core had captured Hanabi and was draining her magic. There was something else behind it—a Nova Kuon hadn’t previously perceived.
Shichisei Kenbu Ultimate Art: Mumyo Tosen.
His sword flashed.
The Blade Kuon thrust forward struck what appeared to be an ordinary wall of flesh, an arbitrary part of the Jave Queen. But with Kuon’s magic raised to Division 5 and the full force of that magic charging his Ultra Magic Hardened Blade, the blow triggered a baffling reaction in the fleshy monster.
Magic power flooded every part of the Queen’s and Kuon’s bodies. The magic pooled on the Queen’s skin sent ripples running through the rest of her body, and Kuon’s Mumyo Tosen focused all his magic into the pure light of life.
Kuon’s body knew all too well what concentrated magic would do. Usually, magic brought to the critical compression threshold would try expanding, directing its force outward. However, the magic focused by Mumyo Tosen reflected against itself, unable to go anywhere, and the breath of death known as Magic Dispersal began blowing within the Jave Queen.
This was the same Magic Dispersal he’d used to blow himself up in his past life, but it now tore his enemy’s body to pieces. Mumyo Tosen was unstoppable, a fatal blow that forced his enemy’s magic to self-destruct.
Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The Queen’s tentacles whipped around, convulsing. A moment later, the Core cracked open. Kuon grabbed Hanabi and retreated with her in his arms, the Queen’s scream echoing in his ears. That final scream shook the entire space inside the Gate, a cry of rage and loathing and sadness. Even Kuon, who’d once connected with the Queen’s magic, didn’t know what that scream really meant.
“I didn’t think I’d hear a voice like that from you,” he said as he watched the Queen disintegrate. “But sorry. I—we still want to live.”
The Queen dissolved before his eyes as the Gate which allowed her to cross to the other side opened. With no magic left, Kuon and Hanabi were pulled into it, along with chunks of the Queen’s flesh.
It was a quiet place, like the depths of the sea. Two Division Maneuvers floated through it. In Kuon’s arms, Hanabi groaned. Her eyes opened. “Kuon…kun…?”
“How are you feeling, Hanabi-senpai?” Kuon said, smiling at her.
“Ah!”
She just threw her arms around him wordlessly, crying.
“I’m really glad you’re safe,” he said, stroking her head. He was genuinely relieved. En had already examined her condition: She was almost out of magic, but otherwise unharmed.
Hanabi cried for a while, but then she frowned and pinched Kuon’s cheeks hard.
“Mmphhhhhh?!”
“That’s for not shooting when I told you to shoot!”
“Mmmph mmmphhhmphhh.”
“I know. That’s why…” She stopped yanking his cheeks and threw her arms around him. Then she leaned in for a kiss.
“Um…er…is this…?” He felt himself blushing.
Hanabi smiled. “That’s for choosing me.”
“You’re welcome…”
“I love you, my Hero.” She smiled and put her lips on his again.
“Erm. Ahem! Ahem!” En appeared next to them, making a great show of clearing her throat.
“Eeep! Since when were you here, En-kun?”
“Since always? The whole time?”
“You’re bad for the heart, seriously.”
“Much as I would love to trade barbs with you all day, do you realize where we are?”
Hanabi looked around. “Uh…good question.”
“We’re still inside the Gate,” Kuon said. “En, do you know what’s going on? Are we being sucked into the Jave world?”
“No,” his Guide said, shaking her head. “The Queen was maintaining the Gate, and with her destruction, there wasn’t enough magic left to transport us. This is merely conjecture, but I imagine we will be returned to our own world safely. However…”
“What?”
“There is no guarantee we’ll be returned at the same time, and there is a possibility you’ll be forced to abandon your bodies and send your souls back alone.”
“I wouldn’t qualify that as returning safely…”
“Our souls?” Hanabi asked. “What does that mean?”
“Your memories will be transplanted into a baby somewhere. Essentially, you’ll be reincarnated.”
“Reincarnated…?”
“God only knows where. It’ll all sort itself out, I’m sure. You’ll just have to pray your bodies go back with you I suppose.”
Kuon sighed. His hands tightened around Hanabi.
“It’ll be okay, Kuon-kun,” she said.
“I hope so.”
“I’m sure of it. Even if we are reincarnated…” Hanabi gave him another kiss and smiled. “I’m sure we’ll find each other again.”
Her smile nearly blinded Kuon. The girl he’d met at the end of his last life had grown up to be so beautiful. She’d saved him as well, and they’d fallen in love.
“You won’t ever leave me alone, will you?” she asked.
Kuon smiled back. “Not ever.”
Maybe he was about to start a third life. That itself wasn’t frightening. He knew they’d meet again.
The Gate began crumbling, light enveloping them in the place they lost consciousness.