Aoto and Shihono nodded, satisfied.
“Yeah,” Aoto said. “If we were there, the stars of the show would spend all their time with us. That’d definitely make us feel bad.”
“Yep,” Shihono said. “We didn’t think we’d be able to stick around this long anyway. Liese-tan’s dance with Sieg was beautiful... Not only were they graceful, they were perfectly in sync. I got to see that and say hi to everyone here, so I’m totally satisfied! Is our time up?”
“Yes.” Lirenna nodded, apologetic. “It’s getting hard to sustain your manifestations here. You’ll be returning to your world soon. I’m sorry. Today, I was able to take in a lot of people’s joyful feelings and congratulations towards my revival, so I thought I could do a little better than this, but...”
Like clockwork, she tried to get on her knees and beg for forgiveness, only to be interrupted by Aoto and Shihono’s laughter.
“What’re you talking about?” Aoto asked. “You don’t have to apologize. You already did your best. We’re grateful you brought us here at all, let alone for this long. Thanks, Lirenna.”
“Yeah!” Shihono said. “It seems like you did a lot for us on the side too. Thanks so much, Lirenna.” She squeezed the goddess’s hand, preventing her from kneeling.
Lirenna’s golden eyes were wet with moved, apologetic tears. She looked down and whispered, “I’m the one who must thank you. It’s all because of you two that I was able to revive in this form instead of destroying the world. I really don’t think I’ve done enough for you, seeing as I had to rely so much on mere children, and caused so much trouble with Kuon...” At this point, she had gone past “looking down” and was lowering her head again.
“You’re always so quick to apologize. Do you like groveling that much?” Shihono gave a forced laugh.
“Yes. It’s relaxing. Since I am this planet itself, when my forehead touches the ground, I feel like I’m at home. You could say kneeling is my default position. Oh, but my feelings of apology and gratitude come first, of course.”
Aoto and Shihono gave strained smiles.
“Uh, try to have some more dignity, Goddess of Creation,” Aoto said. “I mean, you’re a powerful being who’s lived long enough to call us high school third-years ‘mere children.’”
“I wonder if we blamed you too much for the Witch of Yore thing,” Shihono said. “You’re basically done for if groveling’s your default position. Think of it from another perspective, Lirenna. We’re applying to universities this year, so we’re gonna be really grateful for the good luck you blessed us with. That’s more than enough to make it up to us.”
The goddess straightened her back at last and smiled gently. “That’s reassuring to hear. Let me just say it one last time, then: on behalf of this world, thank you so much.”
“Thank you too.” Aoto nodded solemnly.
“Yep, thanks,” Shihono said. “This is the end, huh?” She gave a sad smile.
“Well, for today, that is,” Lirenna said. “And I’m going to try one more thing after this! Please open the game when you get back!” She grinned, smug.
Shihono and Aoto tilted their heads.
“Huh?” Shihono said. “I don’t really get it, but sure, we’ll open it. Oh...”
“Yeah, looks like we’re fading away,” Aoto said. “I guess we’ll wake up in our world soon.”
“It really feels like we were dream—”
────
“—ing...”
Before Shihono could finish her sentence, the pair’s consciousnesses returned to the real world. They were in the Kobayashis’ living room. Lirenna had instructed them to sit side by side on the sofa and lean back as if they were taking an afternoon nap, and they woke up in the very same positions.
Even though night had fallen in the other world, it was just as bright here as it had been when they left.
“Mm, oh, we’re back?” Aoto rummaged in his pocket for his phone. “How much time passed... Huh? It’s only been like ten minutes?”
“Whew, that startled me,” Shihono said. “It happened so suddenly. I have no idea what went on on the way there and back. The passage of time is a mystery too. Oh, right. We have to open the game!” She clapped her hands together and approached the game console connected to the TV.
“Oh, yeah, Lirenna said something about that. I wonder what it could be?” Aoto tilted his head. The two students started up the game as usual.
“Who knows? Hmm, I don’t see the weird quicksave we used before to connect to their world. I doubt we’re supposed to start a new game, so I guess we should check the gallery or the regular save data? Wait, what’s this?”
“The regular save files can be loaded as many times as you want, right? This funny-looking one didn’t exist before, did it?”
“Nope. I’ll try opening it.” Shihono gulped as she slowly pressed the button.
The loading time was awfully long. Shihono and Aoto adjusted their sitting positions on the sofa and watched with bated breath.
The screen gradually brightened, showing the interior of the church where Siegwald and Lieselotte had had their wedding ceremony. A mystical light shone down from the heavens.
In the center stood a divine, beautiful woman: Lirenna, the Goddess of Creation. She cleared her throat. “For you two, I’m sure it’s only been a few minutes since we last spoke, but several days have passed in our world. My strength has recovered a little, and combined with the recognition you received from many people the other day, I was able to connect to your world today.”
They were connected. Shihono impulsively shouted for joy, but Lirenna looked down, apologetic.
“However, since my power is lacking, this is essentially a one-way video message. I’ll make sure you can watch it as many times as you want, though, so you don’t have to worry about that. Now then, let’s start with my message.” Lirenna took a deep breath to switch gears and smiled. “Once again, thank you. Honestly, I have so much to be grateful for that I don’t know what to say, but at any rate, I’m really thankful. Also, if we continue to speak our wishes and pray, they’ll actually come true, so I’ll go ahead and promise we’ll meet again. See you next time!”
Lirenna waved and lowered her head. Then she motioned for someone to take her place as she disappeared off-screen.
“Um, over here? They can see me if I stand in this spot?”
The confused person slipping into the frame was Fiene. She was holding hands with a well-built man—presumably Baldur—whose face was cut off due to their height difference.
Fiene straightened her back and laughed shyly. “This is kind of embarrassing, huh? But thank you again, Lord Endo and Lady Kobayashi, for teaching me things and protecting my beloved big sister, Lieselotte!” Her smile was bursting with cheer. However, a moment later, she looked down and continued quietly, “I was really scared I’d have to fight my lovely big sister, who’s cute, beautiful, kind, and capable of everything except expressing her love. Thank you for changing her fate. Let’s meet again! Oh, but I’d appreciate it if you kept your voice down a bit next time!”
Aoto and Shihono chuckled at the playful request.
“We were shouting a lot, huh?” Aoto said. “I guess we were bothering the ones who had to listen to us all the time. Yeah, let’s watch our volume next time.”
“Sieg didn’t seem annoyed, but there were a lot of times when Fiene had a ‘They’re so loud!’ look on her face,” Shihono said.
The camera then shifted diagonally upwards, showing that Fiene’s partner was indeed Baldur.
“Oh, I’m next?” he said. “Thank you, oh great gods, for protecting the hearts of my cousin, Lieselotte, and my fiancée, Fiene. I even heard it’s thanks to you that I’m alive right now. I will continue to better myself so as to not disgrace the blessing you bestowed upon me, and I will protect the crown prince and his wife together with Fiene.”
“Sir Bal, you’re too stiff! Also, aren’t you straying off topic? You’re only supposed to be thanking them.”
“Oh, sorry.” Baldur gave an awkward, apologetic smile. “I’m not very good at this kind of thing. Lieselotte is always lecturing me about it, so I know I’m too curt. It’s a miracle I didn’t have to lose anything in order to hold my beloved’s hand like this. Thank you for your benevolence and guidance. I look forward to the day we meet again.” He lowered his head deeply.
Shihono smiled warmly. “That’s Bal for you: honest and awkward. Well, he differs from the in-game Bal in that he doesn’t have a death wish anymore.”
“Yeah,” Aoto said. “But it’s a good change, so we can call it an evolution. Oh, is Art next?”
Artur, the priest, quietly replaced the couple on the screen. “Gods from a foreign realm, Lord Endo and Lady Kobayashi, I thank you for the miracles you have performed. Also, Lady Kobayashi—or rather, Shihono, you were sooo cute! You seem like the endlessly cheerful type, yet you also have a mysterious air about you that caught my attention and made my heart skip a beat! I couldn’t talk to you much since Lord Endo was shielding you all the time, but I’d like to chat more the next time we meet!”
“He’s not her bodyguard; he’s her boyfriend,” came Lieselotte’s cold voice from off-screen. “There isn’t any room for you between them, Artur Richter.”