A Style of Digging Up Conversations From the Beginning
(Author: One of those things unique to the final phase.)
Looking up at the starry sky, Mea talked with Eight for as long as time allowed.
About herself. And about Greysphere as well.
Just as the grey fallen angel had said, Eight’s actions had been to divert Greysphere’s targets away from the children.
She said that he, who had been brought forth from Abyss Zero, the Primordial Darkness, was trying to obtain even greater power by taking into himself the power of darkness humans possessed, as a foothold for invading Fairy World.
A few days earlier, having learned that truth, Eight and Charon judged that the new generation of supernatural ability users with aptitude were in danger, and had been trying to reduce the damage by temporarily holding on to their powers.
“Why... didn’t you talk to us?”
However, once her mind had calmed down, Mea threw that natural question at her.
After a few beats of silence and a bitter smile, Eight finally answered as though she had resigned herself.
“It’s because this is a problem of the old era, and I didn’t want to drag you all into it... is I guess how Daat feels. Nee-san agreed with that too.”
Certainly, from the beginning, she and the Savers had not originally been companions.
Mea had noticed that the angel called T.P. Eight Olishua was, for some reason, drawing a line between herself and them. Of course, her other companions had noticed as well.
Even now, after the her innate goodness had become well-known to many people, she was still trying to live in the world of darkness as the Supernatural Ability Phantom Thief.
Even if she was only putting up a facade, Mea felt sympathy with how she is, because it somehow resembled herself, who was always creating walls between herself and others.
...That’s right. Mea had thought that there was something in common between herself and her.
That was exactly why Mea had wished to become a wonderful person like Eight, and had continued to admire her.
However, that Mea... exactly because she was Mea, wanted to say it now.
“You’re unfair... Eight-san.”
Even though Eight easily stepped over the lines that other people draw, she did not allow anyone to intervene with herself.
Mea admired that excessively self-sacrificing girl more than anyone else──and, just a little, envied it.
Things that are alike cannot become the same.
Those words spoken by the fallen angel were lodged into the heart of Mea, who was neither human nor holy beast, like a wedge.
Eight was an angel. She was clearly an existence on the holy beast side. However, she acted as though she and Daat were different people, and at times as an existence on the holy beast side, at times as an existence on the human side... it looked as though she conveniently switched between them.
And yet, she was accepted by many people.
Including Mea herself, everyone liked Eight regardless of whether they were holy beast, human, or Abyss. In front of Eight, Mea spoke out the feelings she had once been unable to put into words, as though this were her chance.
No matter how bravely she behaved, deep within her heart she had always been accumulating darkness. In front of such a girl, Eight lowered her head.
“...You’re right. Just as you said. I’m sorry for not relying on you all.”
Hearing Mea’s true feelings spoken for the first time, Eight made no excuses and wore an apologetic expression.
Seeing her like that──Mea stroked the butterfly brooch attached to her collar, let out a breath, and shook her head.
“...No. I’m the one who should apologize for taking it out on you. Even though Eight-san didn’t do anything wrong...”
Of course, she understood that Eight had no fault at all.
Five years ago as well, T.P. Eight Olishua had always made the best possible move, almost as though she could see the future. Mea understood that this time too, the reason she had not consulted them was because she had considered everything after foreseeing the best possible future.
...Really, this person is unfair, she thought.
She always chose the correct path, and carried it out as though it were only natural.
Mea’s heart was hopelessly burned by that way of life of hers.
Thinking about it now, perhaps it was precisely because she understood that no matter what she did, she could never reach that, that Mea had always felt cornered.
As Mea conducted that self-analysis, Eight stroked her back.
“I was wrong.”
“Eh...?”
As though drawing close and saying, That was hard, wasn’t it.
As though comforting her and saying, You did well.
While gently rubbing the back that had hunched over in self-abasement, Eight sincerely met Mea’s gaze and told her,
“I left my precious niece alone all this time. Once this is over... I’ll give my time to you.”
“...! ...Eight-san...”
It was not that she had wanted to be diligently cared for like a small child.
However, those words gave her a sense of fulfillment, as though something that had been missing inside Mea had finally been filled.
As her eyes widened in surprise, however, for some reason Eight suddenly turned her eyes away in a sulky manner.
“Earlier.”
“?”
“I don’t like it unless you call me what you did earlier.”
Perhaps it was a joke meant to relax Mea’s heart.
But if that was the case, then that itself made her feel that they had become close enough to casually exchange jokes like with Tsubasa──and deep in her chest, she felt a gentle warmth spread.
“...Fufu.”
...And also, one more thing.
The face of Eight, who had turned away, looked somehow childish and cute despite being older than her, and that amused her and made a smile spill out.
Really, this person is unfair, she thought once again.
However, that was probably fine.
Because this person was, at the same time as being the Primordial Angel Daat, also the Supernatural Ability Phantom Thief T.P. Eight Olishua. While she herself was always natural, she used a different face depending on the person before her──just as she herself said, a bad older sister.
“I’m being spoiled... Eight-onee-chan.”
From beyond the interdimensional Gate that hid the moon from the night sky, they sensed a strong presence that seemed to writhe.
Mea understood. It was the presence of the grey aberrations they had fought that evening──Greysphere’s terminals.
However, this time, the number would not stop at just three. Even from only the amount she could currently sense, Mea perceived presences numbering far beyond a hundred.
The moment she sensed them, Mea reflexively stood up from the bench, cold sweat running down from her forehead.
“Eight-onee-chan, this...”
“Yes, Greysphere’s vanguard. This time, it seems they’re coming in numbers to force your surrender.”
“We have to let everyone know...!”
“It’s fine, Nee-san already handled that side skillfully.”
“Ah...”
As Mea was about to dash out to contact Akihiro and the others immediately, Eight called out to her back and stopped her.
That was right. At the Savers headquarters was Charon, who, like Eight, had noticed Greysphere’s existence beforehand and had been dealing with it. Tsubasa’s presence was there as well, and Mea understood that they had likely already grasped most of the situation, so she stopped and turned around.
Over there was the Supernatural Ability Phantom Thief, rising calmly as though it were about time for work, and putting the silk hat back onto her head.
Her gaze stared straight into Mea’s eyes.
“You should just do what you should do.”
“What I... should do...”
Against Mea’s eyes trembling in hesitation, there was no wavering in Eight’s gaze.
In this situation where the two of them faced each other, Mea felt a sense of déjà vu.
And at the question Eight posed, she remembered what it was.
“What have you seen in this world?”
“──!”
It was the exchange Eight had once had with her when she first came to this world.
At that time as well──when Mea first became aware of the angelic power she possessed and tried to go help En and the others with that power──Mea had been asked a meaningful question by Eight.
“What do you want to do in this world?”
With the exact same words as then, she questioned Mitsui Mea.
Five years had passed since then, and Mea, who had even been poor at expressing emotions and immature in both mind and body, had now been blessed with people around her and was able to grow like a human.
Along with that, the way she thought about things and the way she felt about them had also changed greatly from those days. The greatest example was probably the feelings she had held just now toward the brooch she received from Eight. In the past, she had had almost no interest in accessories or fashion.
Because she had seen many different people in this world, Mea had been influenced in many ways.
Including the happy things and the sad things, every kind of experience had blessed her and created a place for Mitsui Mea.
That’s why... gulping as though taking a deep breath, Mea opened her mouth.
“...I was able to change because of you and everyone else.”
In this chaotic world, what would the girl see, and what would she do──the answer already existed within the girl’s own heart.
No matter who she might be, at least those feelings were always genuine.
Mea threw out her chest and looked back with a strong gaze filled with resolve.
“I will protect this town that gave me a place to belong. And... I want to save them too. I want to believe in that his kindness.”
At that time when the relationship between humans and holy beasts had suffered a fatal rift and Chokmah had come to assault the human world, Mea had still believed in the gentle hearts she had received from En, Akari, and the others, and acted to help the Savers.
This time too, it was the same.
──The only difference from that time was that among those she wanted to save were not only the people of this town, but also the grey existences trying to attack this world.
Perhaps even Eight had found those words unexpected, because her eyes widened for just a moment before she smiled with an impressed look, as though saying you got me there, and nodded back.
A few minutes later, the grey aberrations descended once more from the Gate in the sky.
They were the army of Greysphere terminals led by Adyeshach’s reincarnation.
──Thus, the time of the decisive battle arrived.
At the Savers headquarters, there was an event where Tsubasa, who regrouped with them, apologized by saying, “I’m sorry for causing the war to begin because of me,” but commander Akihiro affirmed his judgment, saying, “It wasn’t something that needed to be brought back. It couldn’t be helped.”
Regardless of Greysphere’s objective itself, namely returning to Fairy World, their homeland, there was no way they could choose to once again take up an aggressive position against the holy beasts for that.
At the same time that Mea was talking with the fallen angel, they had heard the same story from Charon and had already made their decision. The answer was no.
Therefore, they gathered forces from nearby branches and prepared for Greysphere’s assault when it came again through the Gate.
Although they lacked both aces, Akatsuki En and Rikidou Chouta, they were still all combatants equally. Holy beasts capable of fighting had also rushed over to cooperate as volunteers, and many of the people in this world were trying to stop Greysphere’s invasion.
And when the clock passed midnight at 0:00, the grey army appeared in the skies over Akebono City, as Charon had predicted.
What appeared from the Gate, swollen across the entire sky over the town on an unprecedented scale, were countless aberrations.
Their wings were black but lacked the ominousness of the Abyss, and their transparent grey appearances like diamonds even possessed a beauty like works of art.
When seen for the first time, their appearances had appeared eerie, but after learning their true nature, the way one viewed them changed. Certainly, in the sense of being messengers of heaven, they too were truly existences that should be called “angels.”
As though protecting the Tree of Evil, they spread out and attacked the people on the ground.
The Savers, having made preparations beforehand thanks to Charon’s words, strenuously resisted the enemy army pressing in like a muddy stream.
...Without the assistance of T.P. Eight Olishua, who had rushed over to support them, this town would likely have been overrun in mere minutes.
Thanks to her drawing the enemies toward herself, the damage to ordinary civilians on the ground was slight, but the difference in war potential was that overwhelming.
If only En and Chouta had remained... but the two of them were currently fighting hard to incinerate the Trees of Evil. Therefore, no rescue from them could be expected, and they had no choice but to fight with the forces they currently had.
“...Even they...”
Mea too had resolved herself and challenged the enemy army.
However, each time she raised her sword, the sorrowful voices she heard from the Greysphere terminals saying “Want to go back” and “Where is home?” dulled her fighting spirit, and she was unable to display her true ability. (tl note: no weird text here)
Toward Greysphere──which had no place to belong anywhere in the world and had even been abandoned by its creator, Abyss Zero──Mea could not cast aside her sympathy.
As though seeing through her feelings, Eight spoke while scattering the enemies with lightning,
“Go, Mea! Leave this place to onee-san.”
“Eight-san... thank you very much...!”
What Mea should do──was by no means to annihilate them.
Toward Eight, who told her that as though she understood everything, Mea can’t beat her… she thought, and yet, she was finally able to honestly depend on her kindness.
Spreading her eight wings wide and soaring high into the air, Mea flew straight along the path Eight had opened for her, heading toward the presence of the boy she sensed from atop the Tree of Evil──.
Very close to the interdimensional Gate spread across the night sky──at the summit of the Tree of Evil, which exceeded 1000 meters in height, the grey fallen angel stood alone overlooking the battlefield. Mea understood that he had dutifully been waiting for her arrival.
...Otherwise, no matter how much support she had received from the Savers and Eight, she should not have been able to reach this point without any exhaustion. The obstruction from the Greysphere terminals against Mea had been unnaturally low.
Gradually making the flapping of her eight wings smaller, Mea landed at the top of the Tree of Evil where he waited.
At a height like a mountain summit, and with the time already past midnight, even for her, the appearance of her lower body consisting of high socks and the short uniform skirt was cold, but perhaps because there were far too many other things to think about right now, she strangely did not feel cold.
Turning toward her, the boy directed his silver eyes at her.
“Tonight is clear, so the view must be good, right?”
Mea’s expression did not soften in the slightest at that carefree question.
Certainly, the nightscape viewed from a height far surpassing Akebono Tower could only be called spectacular.
However, in the current scenery, there were far too many colors that the original Akebono City did not need.
“Who is it that’s staining that view with battle?”
It ended up sounding like a prickling remark, but that too was Mea’s true feeling. Not once in her life had she ever wished for a scene like this.
After giving a bitter smile as though saying it was completely true, the boy changed his expression into a serious one and faced her.
“So, have you decided on your answer?”
“...My answer was decided from the beginning. I won’t go with you.”
Declaring it firmly, Mea’s gaze, filled with conviction, pierced the grey fallen angel head-on.
Then she swore,
“I’m a Saver. Just like everyone else did, Mea will save this world.”
Even while thinking herself that she was saying something audacious, there was no longer any hesitation in Mea’s heart.
However, wanting just a little more courage to take that final step forward, Mea placed her hand over the brooch shining with an aurora on her chest.
Then, after a pause like taking a deep breath, she conveyed her feelings.
“I want to save all of you too.”
“──!”
Even Eight had been surprised by those words, but the reaction the boy before her gave was even greater than hers.
However, the emotions that surfaced were the exact opposite.
Unlike Eight, who had simply smiled happily, what dwelled within his silver eyes were deep sorrow and despair, and emotions resembling anger.
“...Then obey Greysphere. Because that is the only way to save him.”
“That’s wrong! You only assume that... There’s no need for us to fight. If Greysphere also has a heart, then they should surely be able to understand each other even with the Fairies.”
“The ones who rejected that were Charon and the others.”
“...Eh?”
The boy’s gaze seemed to be looking not so much at Mea herself, but at the world called Fairy World itself.
He──they harbored intense hatred smoldering within those nihilistic gazes.
Only then did Mea, for the first time, sense within the presence he emitted the will of a great existence that did not belong to the fallen angel himself.
“...Greysphere?”
The grey “god” that had stood all alone in the world of nothingness.
His will had been clearly carved into him.
The answer the boy gave to that question was affirmation.
“That’s right... Right now, through my eyes, he’s looking at you. His heart has been appealing to me this whole time... There’s no place anywhere for us to belong. The only way we can go back is to fight and seize it.”
The boy grabbed and tore off a tree branch as tall as himself that had slowly extended up from beneath his feet.
At that moment, the branch he held transformed into a grey longsword. Just like the three colored ribbons tying Mea’s hair together, he transformed a branch of the Tree of Evil into a weapon.
The choice they had made against those who would not obey was, no matter how far it went, conflict.
“That’s... wrong.”
Spilling out the emotions she had mustered, Mea denied their choice.
Mea too pulled the orange ribbon from her black ponytail, and while transforming it into the form of a great shield, transformed into Hod Form.
As though receiving the emotions of Greysphere conveyed through him with that shield──she took her stance and fixed her eyes on the grey figure.
“If you deny us, then I can only defeat you. What a shame, Mea.”
The battle between the nameless boy and the girl who was no one began.