Rindou had something to say.
Back when Kaguya suddenly asked Rindou to spar, he hadn’t been sure about her. True, he had been the one to try to push her into it, but he had never expected her to approach him instead.
But he had sensed something in her serious demeanor and decided to see where things went. He soon learned that his instincts were not mistaken. Kaguya truly was trying to change and bring hope.
“You even managed to get in a good hit against me…!”
The sparring, meant as training, had happened suddenly. But in the end, Kaguya managed to succeed. She rushed him one hundred times and was knocked down ninety-nine, but with each and every attack, she gave it her all. And after ninety-nine bouts, just when Rindou was starting to lose steam, she finally managed to connect with a punch.
“It may have just been just once, by random chance, but you managed to beat me…”
And if she could beat him…
“…Kaguya, don’t you fucking lose to that!”
Haru had tried to ask her once.
Why was she trying to save all the heroes? Even those who didn’t want to be saved. Even when there was no benefit in it for Kaguya herself.
But Haru knew the answer even before she was told. That was just the kind of person Kaguya was. She had the kind of strength that could lift a person up even after they had started to give up.
Strength came with its own fragility, but not for Kaguya. Kaguya was the type to conquer her own fragility, righteous enough to sweep away everything that got in the way.
Which is exactly why Haru couldn’t bear it. For things to end in this way.
“Come back to us, Lieutenant Shinohara!”
Koyuki was afraid.
At this rate, she was going to lose Kaguya. No, Kaguya was already lost.
This was what she had been so afraid of. If Kaguya became a hero, no one would be able to help her. Kaguya had saved so many people and had stood by the side of those she couldn’t save up until the end. But there was no one who could see her off in return.
It wasn’t fair.
Koyuki hated unfairness. Especially when it struck someone who was important to her.
She didn’t want to lose anything, not again. And besides, Kaguya had promised.
“Remember you said we would go get parfaits. You told us you never break your promises!!”
It wasn’t just parfaits. There were so many things she still wanted to say to Kaguya. Things she wanted to do together. And now…
“Don’t let it end like this, Kaguya!!”
Azuma’s head was spinning; he was confused and distraught. Part of him was still in denial, clinging to hope. But his more rational self knew it was too late.
She couldn’t be saved. They had failed her. They hadn’t allowed her to die as herself.
The hero standing before them was on a completely different level from any they had ever faced. Strong didn’t even begin to describe the thing. It transcended every hero they had seen before in every conceivable way.
“Come back. Please come back, Kaguya.”
Azuma had his own feelings for Kaguya, different from the others’. Even if she couldn’t return to them…
“If you can’t make it back, don’t worry…”
It may have looked like he was giving up, but this was his own kindness to her.
“…I’ll be sure to kill you.”
And with that, he thrust toward Kaguya with his katana—as hard as he could.