In the end, no one knew what they were. The many chronicles weave tales whimsical enough to spark interest to even the most uninformed.

Stories of Beasts that devoured the world alongside most if not all its citizens that didn’t have a sliver of a chance to fight back.

Stories of weapons of mass destruction to bring their interpretations of miracles.

Stories of that fated meeting between two rulers, of a deal that formed boundaries.

Stories of, for one reason or the other, became a link to that world to this, in the land of the modern regions.

It was that first signal—a reading that shouldn’t have been detected in the first place, yet when Asimov returned from a day’s work of schooling, he had found this signal within the satellite software used for monitoring electromagnetic radiation on his computer. He adjusted his glasses, recalibrated the systems, checked his screen for any defective pixels, even wiping the monitor. It was still there. After years of painstaking research on the strange occurrences that are the Aoi, another anomaly came to slap him across the face.

Asimov wondered if others detected this strange anomaly as well. It just so happened that he placed his coordinates in this specific area of Sozuraka. He considered scanning other parts of the region, and in others, but decided against it. All he knew was that something had come up in the monitoring system.

The sudden thought hit him. Asimov remembered words from his friend about his theory on ‘Artifacts’. He wasn’t drunk on coffee then? He thought. What was clearly strange to him was that this coincided to news of new abilities that had appeared throughout Fallway. Correlation does not imply causation. But he couldn’t help but think some underlying secret can be found where this signal was found.

And that was why Asimov finally stepped out of his classes and prepared himself for a little exploration—though not an easy operation. The burning feeling of others likely finding the same signal was too strong to ignore, but this may have been a blessing in disguise. After the time spent in his hobby tweaking and assembling mechanical devices, he finally found a way to put his craftsmanship to use. Fully equipped with automata and known knowledge of Aoi, he set out to Sozuraka in his carriage.

Despite the danger presented, he couldn’t wait a day longer. The prospect of discovering something imaginable sent shivers down his back. For Asimov, it was a prospect of a future he couldn’t even dream of. His was of excitement.

But for the girl of limited knowledge, it was merely the living embodiment of her experience with Velma. A tangible piece of evidence. Proof that her adventure had happened.

・・・・・

“For someone to go to such lengths, they wouldn’t just bide their time and wait for people to uncover some treasure for them to swoop in and steal it for a quick buck.” The sounds of metal clashing followed Velma’s voice until it eventually settled into one last clang.

“Go, Nagi! Escape and take the Sword with you!”

That was all what I heard when I hit the ground a second time after my body had mysteriously been knocked back. I strained my head up to see Asimov looking back at me, brows casting a shadow over his eyes. His little flying robot now a full automaton blocking the red sword from the enemy who suddenly appeared before us with its arm. Takeshi, that same exact man from the inn, completely disrupted.

So that was his doing, that weird pull?

Whatever Asimov’s Aoi was, I needed to take advantage of the time it bought for me. With my heart still palpitating, I looked over to Velma who also gave a nod to me.

“Go on.”

“B-But…”

“Despite what I just said, that’s yours to keep.”

Even though the Sword in my hands indeed did not have any physical value to me, I clenched its grip regardless as I got up and turned to face the depths of the labyrinth. No… it did have value. We found it together, why wouldn’t it have value?

I got back onto my feet and returned the nod. Good luck. Please be safe. I knew what I had to do: to get out of this mountain and protect the treasure that I uncovered. My memories. And that I will.

Back into the labyrinth I went, the sounds of metal clashing echoed and bounced around the walls, muffling in time until eventually it disappeared all together. In here, my vision barely registered anything inside the pitch black space. Without the robot’s light source, I couldn’t see the walls to my side or the ground beneath me. Nothing except for the glow of the blade. And speaking of which...

What did we just uncover? The light of the Sword remained blue up until now and it still showed no signs of dwindling. In addition to the glowing oddity, there was this strange feeling through my arm while holding it, as if the Sword was freezing yet warming up to my shoulder at the same time. Were those stories actually true? All that stuff about rulers, riddles, Artifacts, it all honestly went over my head. I didn’t have time to think about it, I just needed to get out of here.

Unfortunately, its blue glow wasn’t enough to illuminate the path to navigate through easily. The ice, luckily, was still frozen. My only choice was to follow the feeling beneath my feet. Using my Aoi that much in such a short amount of time really took a toll on me, so I’m thankful all of the ice hadn’t melted yet. But I could tell—there will be no more ice from here on out.

・・・・・

Good. That sword holds the secrets behind the world that we live in. It must be kept out of harm’s way at all costs.

The two men locked eyes from the distance.

“What a way to introduce yourself, huh Takeshi?” Asimov mocked as he took a sip from the mug. The coffee of which has already cooled off.

“Oh? Did those two reveal my name?”

Asimov’s robot, previously a small hovering scouting unit and now assuming a form as tall as him, pushed forward and caused Takeshi to take back a step. Compared to the many automata from before, this one did not succumb to a mere sword slash.

“I had expected this to go a lot smoother and without unintended hiccups.” Takeshi sighed, “Now that the Sword revealed itself, I’m afraid you folks have outlived your usefulness.”

Springing up with an intense force, he drew out his red blade. He spun it in midair, switching it to an underhand grip and supporting the hilt with his left hand, Takeshi thrusted it into the machine.

“—?!”

What should’ve happened was him feeling the blade penetrate through sheer metal. Rather, he felt resistance pushing back against his arms and shoulders.

“—Automata cannot lose memories if they don’t retain ‘memories’ in the first place.”

Hearing Asimov utter this, Takeshi knew that man had every knowledge of his ability, and a workaround for it. To think just before, that man had a frightened look as Takeshi mowed down every automata in front of him at the labyrinth’s entrance.

“—Tch.”

Seeing the tides change, Asimov couldn’t help but to push his glasses upward. “Well, then. That gives me a lot of information. Your Aoi only affects biological lifeforms, hm?”

“Oh? And so what?”

“Looks like I’m getting closer to the truth. The underlying truth to these Aoi, that is.”

Takeshi jumped backwards to gain distance from the automaton, only for sparks to fly into his face as Velma crossed blades with his. Retreat was impossible in the enclosed space of the tomb, despite the sun glaring in their eyes.

“Man, what did I get myself into? You really need to shut that research act up, scientist.” Three more times she delivered blows against Takeshi, him stopping each swing at the last second. “So you did have a plan after all? You being a shield, me being a spear.”

“Ahah. It’s only a matter of improvising with the tools laid out.”

Though, it was the spur of the moment. The two only did what they could do given their circumstances. To defeat a common enemy.

“—Hey Takeshi. It’s been a while.”

Ignoring Velma’s greetings, Takeshi altered the trajectory of his swings in order to find an opening to exploit. But despite the effort, the automaton robot reached its arm out whenever he had the slightest bit of an opportunity. Cumbersome.

“You folks didn’t have to trouble yourself with strategizing a plan against me if you politely left the Sword be and exited without saying another word.”

What a thing to say. Velma let out a faint exhale in response. “The fact that you attempted to decapitate that old man means you wouldn’t care if we are ‘troubled’ or not. Why should I hand over the Sword just for you to stab us in the back either way?”

“...I’ve had enough of this.” Stance lined up to Velma’s, he was ready. Takeshi activated his Aoi. A surefire opportunity for a clean hit and to end this farce.

—But his swing was blocked yet again.

“...?!”

“Oh? I’m guessing that was your ability just now? That little tickle? Hah, I could laugh.”

Asimov stood, watching everything unfold. It was no less like night and day seeing the power balance shift so easily compared to him being so powerless before. And the reason for that was... “As long as some physical object is directly confronting him, his Aoi doesn’t take into effect?”

Finally, a weakness presented itself.

“Having an ability doesn’t make you any more special than anyone else. Is that so hard to remember?” she smirked. It has been a while since Velma provoked an enemy, or anyone for that matter. How long had it been since the last time she had done so? Three years? Five? Haha. Now it hurts to utter such words, but at this moment, it was appropriate.

“Then acting high and mighty is what I will do.” He was used to this. The bitter words from others. He always responded with a solemn tone.

“I can tell. Considering how you're so dead set on getting your hands on this treasure, you act like the center of the world. What exactly are you planning to do with that sword if you don’t mind me asking?”

“...To fulfill a duty left by my comrades. That is all.”

It was a situation both parties wanted to end quickly—both were losing time to reach the girl who was slowly but surely crossing Sozuraka. Yet despite that, they both couldn’t end the stalemate being held. For several minutes Velma and Takeshi exchanged blows, trying to disrupt each other’s rhythms, but to no avail. In the matter of pure technique and endurance, they were tied, however because of the handicap of a machine’s distractions, Velma’s swordsmanship tipped the scales. And Takeshi slowly lost momentum. He couldn’t lose now, not with all of that effort he had done thus far to get to this point. Not when the key to freedom is at his fingertips.

Kirschblüte, weren’t you the one who keeps telling me not to space out and be more observant? It’s funny, I always end up taking damage during our reconnaissance missions while you look like you just came out of the shower.

However, they all should've known. Use whatever on the battlefield to take advantage. Basics that were drilled into him ever since he could remember. Fragments of the obelisk laid beneath his feet. Snatching two, he launched two using his blade towards Velma and Asimov. Both were caught off-guard. An opportunity.

It was like being forked by a knight, only this time, the enemy has two moves.

Just when I had to program it to protect me at all costs…! “Crap—!”

It was just a second where he was out of the robot’s reaches. But that one second was all he needed.

・・・・・

Back into the white wasteland, the light blinding me for a brief moment, I stopped and rested myself on my knees breathless and coughing. The cast of the mountain’s shadow loomed over me, yet I still had to adjust the scarf on my neck. It was all I could do to prevent my body from collapsing onto the ground entirely. Just how long could I keep this up for?

Ugh… This is no time to rest.

After collecting myself, I looked left and right. The sea of endless buildings, scrap metal, and dust stretched across the horizon, making it difficult for me to discern any sensible path. What was the direction we came from again?

I could’ve waited here for them to come back, but was that the best choice? What if... they weren’t able to hold back Takeshi? What if they couldn’t handle him? “Go.” I was sure she wanted me to keep on running until I ran out of land to cross. Hesitation now wasn’t an option.

I picked up my pace. All that I could do was to just go in one direction and hope that I at least reach Alkai’s station again, maybe even run into that pretty lady and ask her to help me. If only I had Velma to lead the way... Velma… She called me a disciple back then. A good disciple is supposed to be aware of their mentor at all times, not lose sight of her. This time, I had to journey without the help of her.

If it were to be my old self in this predicament, I didn’t know what I would have done. Those days in Sappora were the most peaceful times I ever had the privilege of living. To think the outside world can have such conflict… If only I didn’t have such a black and white view of reality.

“Ah—”

I stopped. After an almost endless valley of white, blue engulfed my vision—an ocean greeted me with a view of glistening water that stretched below me.

“A cliff…?”

I looked down and immediately gulped. The drop couldn’t have been any less than the amount of the mountain itself. Those jagged rocks jutting out of the waves pointed at me as if giving of a warning to not come any closer. Great, this was most certainly not a train station. Looked like I ran right to the edge of the region. While the sounds of water crashing into the shore was a break from the endless silent winds, it was a far cry of where I wanted to be.

That was when I heard sand crushing behind me. Footsteps. I peered over my shoulder and my heart instantly sank. There was him again. Takeshi, who was advancing towards me, eyes locked. My fear response kicked in.

“S-Stay back!”

“Unfortunately that can’t be an option. Your escape ends here. If you choose to resist, then I will not hesitate to kill you.” his monotone, yet cold voice couldn’t have been any scarier.

He’ll do it regardless.

But suddenly it dawned on me. Why is he here? Wasn’t Velma and Asimov holding him back so I could escape…? Why then was he standing in front of me now?

“What happened to them…? Asimov and… Velma?”

He didn’t answer right away, instead, seemed to stop himself from speaking the first thought that came to his mind. Instead, he said, “They were heroes in their own right.”

What is he talking about, heroes? Was he dodging the question? If that’s the case, then… it is true...

“Just, why are you doing all of this?”

“Simply for the same reason why you are here with that Sword in your hands.”

I didn’t understand. The only reason I was here was because of a burned atlas and my rather powerful curiosity. What reason was he talking about?

“Tell me. What does it feel like to be called a ‘pig’?”

His sudden question caught me off guard. His expression nor the tone of his voice changed, yet something about his speech felt like it came from resentment.

“I doubt I am the first to dirty hands as a ‘pig’. Just like the multitude of brave souls who weren’t remembered by history as they served Humanity. Merely singular pawns who were forced into their decision to serve themselves.”

“What… are you talking about?”

The wind picked up, carrying some bits of white sands up that stuck onto his black apparel. But despite being present, he appeared far removed from reality.

“I used to have a clear goal to strive for during basic training. A normal time served in Fallway’s military police and making it out with respect in my name. My squadmates all had their own plans in life, but graduating from training was what we all had to do in order to achieve our goals. We went through hell and back during those years. We may as well end up dead in a ditch from day one. Hell, some of us actually did die.

"But one day, some strong migraine hit in the middle of a drill involving rope climbing 25 meters. And suddenly, I forgot everything. In a single second. My mind completely blanked itself out and I ended up loosening my grip. I plummeted. I saw their stares, I heard my officer screaming at me, everything didn’t matter as I was mentally overwhelmed lying in that mud.

"Sitting in the barracks, I couldn’t even remember my friends, family, not even my life that I led up to that point. Back then, everyone was understanding of the ‘condition’ but eventually my comrades grew tired of dealing with me and my state. Relearning all of the drills and information proved far too demanding for me. Eventually I started failing procedures and bringing the entire squadron down.

"The Sergeant, too, was not pleased with my performance. To culminate all of that stress up to that point, I was let out of the program as a result. At the time, I was fine packing up the backpacks I didn’t know I owned, until I got some more news.

"Despite any words to stop them, my comrades left the program out of spite of the system. I didn’t even remember them at the time, yet they still insisted on striking against my treatment. We tried surviving together, retreating in whatever abandoned library, church, hospital, inn out there. We resigned ourselves to a life of refuge.

"But we were targeted for our knowledge of training. Suddenly, my friends were picked off one by one mysteriously without any ways of counterattacking. Stumbling upon their dead bodies as if they were messages to us to face consequences...

"It was only a few weeks later did I remember my past life again. Remnants began filling back in my mind over the course of a couple of hours until my life came back completely. And that’s where everything came crashing down. Knowing the magnitude of my situation, I was completely lost at that point. That military track was my only plan in life and with that destroyed, I had nothing left. I wanted another chance at being a member of society, but I never was granted such an opportunity ever again.”

Takeshi’s voice was calm. It did carry indignation toward the system, but it was as if he’d grown tired of being angry.

“I’m sorry but… how does that justify your actions?”

“It doesn’t, and it doesn’t need to. I just want to return to the home I lost.”

“That home can’t be so…” I couldn’t have continued that thought. My own home is special to me. What right do I have to me to say things about others? “How could this home be so different from mine…”

A sense of community, that was what he was missing? If it were as simple as that, then he wouldn’t be enacting crimes. Seeing my confusion, Takeshi spoke.

“We are all born into this world. Each one of us differs in nationality and ethnicity. Yet each suffer the same problems of the human condition. We people have limited power in this world. Stuck in our positions where we are born into. This reality that we call life, tell me. Where are we walking towards? Where are we heading to? Where is this goal we’re supposedly ‘striving’ for?”

“I can’t answer that. I don’t know what you people think because I’m not from your home.”

“Ho? Then it’ll be interesting to hear an opinion from someone outside the modern world. What would you do if you were to follow the instruction of society, yet to have everything you cherished ripped apart?”

“I…”

“Sorry, let me rephrase that. If your parents were to tell you to follow their plan laid out to you in order to become successful, you would take their word for it and follow them, correct? But what if that leads to you one day finding shelter in the middle of a city while the rain is soaking your only clothing and your stomach is rumbling to no end?”

I could only listen.

“You would feel lied to, right?”

“Yes...”

“What would you do, then?”

“We change.”

His eyebrow raised.

“Sure, we may be weak… we may be put on this Earth without us asking… but we can make the most out of it. At least, that’s what I think. Even if I was starving and homeless, I would do something about it and change.”

“Then we came to the same conclusion.”

“We did?”

“To restore what’s rightfully ours,” Takeshi hardened the grip on his blade, “we’ll change as well. I’m sorry, but this is a step necessary to go forward.”

His final swing. At least, that was probably what he had intended in order for him to obtain this weapon in my possession. But I didn’t want that. I lifted my hand and a wave of icy tendrils shot outwards toward Takeshi in an instant with the intent to freeze him over—his lower half completely covered in frost. But... Just frost?

That’s all I have left…?

I breathed out a frigid breath. It was just enough to slow him down, but not enough to restrain him. If that didn’t work, then what was left to defend myself with? The ground beneath me seemed to waver as I stared down where my boots dug into the sand.

This couldn’t be the end. I finally got a taste of the true world, and I didn’t want that to be lost forever. I wanted to defend myself. I couldn’t just die right here. Not here. Not now. I will fight for my memories. My past, my future.

Can I really change, though?

“...Khh!” I won’t know until I try. Clenching the sword in my hand, I planted my feet onto the ground. With a dash, I ran with all my might with the sword reared back, scared out of my mind but resolved to survive.

Ah… Keery. If only I didn’t dismiss you and your ‘sword training’ throughout those years, maybe I wouldn’t have died here.

“...Respectable.” Takeshi planted himself into a stance, his blade drawn upwards.

—That icy-like feeling, one much more intense, shot through my entire body, causing me to stop in my tracks and rendered me unable to move for a moment. At that moment, I felt nothing. I still registered the pain, but it was as if that sensation was not my own, like I became detached out of my body for the duration of the shock.

A glint of white fell onto his nose. After wiping it, he glanced up, eyes widening.

“It’s snowing…?” Takeshi gazed out in surprise. “And it’s hurting her no less—huh?”

Before I knew it, wisps of blue and white winds circled my vision. The sudden coldness felt relentless, enough for me to clutch my arms. But even if I wanted to—I couldn’t. My entire body felt completely numb.

“What… Is she moving… slower?” Takeshi waved the blade in front of him and a look of confusion came over his face, “No, I am…?”

Blueish white ice overtook the cliff’s surface. The entire landscape was engulfed in a layer of frost. Innumerous icy tendrils crept up to his waist, and because of his slow movements, could not prune away the ice in time. Despite his best efforts, the black uniform chilled into a color of silvery blue and with no option left, he abandoned saving his skin entirely. His only choice was to lift up the blade in the direction of my own to block, but even this action wasn’t fast enough. I was faster.

I planted my feet—and swung.

Accompanied by a sharp noise, the ground beneath us was instantaneously covered in a pure-white frost. Crystalline icicles pointedly shot through the air, a frigid wave burst forth at blinding speeds.

What was left was a sheer wall of ice where Takeshi once stood, spanning almost as high as the trees in the Eastern Forest. A mini mountain made entirely out of ice, its peak glinting in the light of the sun. The sword had gauged itself into the side of the wall it created without being able to move another inch. Letting go of it, I slowly stepped back, attempting to comprehend what had just happened. I’m still alive. And... that wall of ice is frighteningly big. Where did all of that come from? The Sword? All that from one single piece of metal? But wait, if I had done all of this and managed to stay alive… Can I say the same for...

Snow is a wonderful thing. If you ever come to truly know it yourself, take care not to lose it. You must cradle it in your hands, and hold it close, hold it tight.

“...”

Taking care not to lose it, I lost myself in the process. That man, Takeshi, was within that ice encasement enshrouded in all directions. He shouldn’t be able to breathe in there, and the ice touching his skin would lower his body temperature until he reached hypothermia. He’d shiver, mental confusion would increase, until eventually he’d lose consciousness and his heart would stop. Why then, did I cause this to happen?

That Sword gauged in the ice mass, the Kusa no Tsurugi. If that hero and serpent demon really were real, then the Sword was supposed to be used for creating everlasting peace among the villages. This couldn’t be anything but peace.

“Can I really call this as changing myself if I passed my burden onto him?”

“You tell me.”

A voice. I should’ve known. I really should've. Standing next to the ice mountain was an unharmed man, Takeshi, who had his eyes on the resulting amalgamation. He used his Aoi at the last second. A part of me couldn’t shake off the return of that pure fear, but the other part was glad a life wasn’t taken. Still, that didn’t change the fact that the one thing Velma entrusted me with was basically now in his possession. I’m… sorry.

“What in the world is this thing?” With one hand, he grabbed the hilt and forced the Sword out of the side of the ice precipice. After inspecting the weapon from hilt to blade, he gave a suppressed chuckle. “With this, maybe, just maybe my squadron wouldn’t have been picked apart...”

Just then, Takeshi seemed to freeze in place, as if he remembered an important task that had yet to be finished. His eyes were transfixed as he stared blankly at the silvery-blue metal of the Sword—and that was when I saw something behind him in that moment, followed by another voice, one much more familiar.

“...From me to you.”

In the direction where we came, a stone shot its way towards Takeshi at blinding speeds—so fast that no person couldn’t miss the shadow of which that swept across the ground. Noticing it, Takeshi didn’t hesitate to duck his whole body as he turned to face the direction of the shadow. But in the process, a second one, one much thinner came just a second later. It scratched his cheek, causing blood to run down his face.

“—If I can’t conduct research on the sword, then no one can.”

A pull on the Sword. Takeshi’s arm immediately jerked to the right. His hand now finding nothing but empty air.

“—!”

It plunged down into the depths from the cliff’s edge. Down it went, clanging on the sides of the granite, twisting and turning after every impact against the cliff, until it eventually plunged into the water of the sea. It was gone. Without a doubt, the legendary sword was forever lost in the depths of the ocean in just one single action.

“...Asimov, a man of risks, I see.” Uttering this, Takeshi smiled faintly. His smirk was cold, sharp, and ferocious. Like a blade of its own.

“Hahaha! Well you... see Takeshi, safety always comes first. Avoiding having... that Sword in your possession would be in... our best interest. This was a byproduct of that.”

Velma, Asimov, they were still ok! While both disheveled, especially Asimov who was out of breath and his robot which was back in its hovering form covered in scratches, they made their presence known to him.

“So now what? Are you going to send all of us to our graves just because you couldn’t snatch your prize? Let me remind you that the stunt you pulled off allowed us to figure out your Aoi’s weakness.”

There was a pause. Takeshi’s smirk lingered before disappearing. With eyes closed, he returned the blade to his back. “...No. That won’t be necessary.”

“Oh?”

“Perhaps dragging out someone to solve that riddle of the tomb in order for me to take the Artifact wasn’t the most viable choice. It appeared to bring more problems than resolving them.” He turned his back towards us. “I have no other business left here. Staining my blade with crimson is unnecessary at this point and won’t help uncovering any other wealth sources.”

“Ahaha, glad to be of service.” Velma chuckled.

“...I won’t forget this day. Because thanks to you three, I now know there’s another, less cruel side to this world.”

With that, the man merely went on his way without another word, before suddenly disappearing entirely and leaving the three of us in silence. His Aoi, he just had to use it one last time, huh?

“Ah… made you worry there, didn’t I, Junior?”

“Miss you dummy… Leaving me alone like that... I was so scared...” At this point, I didn’t care what happened to the treasure so long as I got to Velma’s face again. She placed her hand on my head as if reading my thoughts.

“I’d like to offer an apology. It’s my fault for telling you to run like that and I’m sure you must’ve hated every single second of it.” Rubbing my head, she smiled, “But hey, looks like your legs brought you to the sea. It’s like your legs wanted you to be granted another opportunity to see me.”

It was difficult to think my legs had any intention of seeing the ocean. It was also interesting for her to say that the sea has anything to do with opportunities, but it did sound like a nice sentiment to keep in mind.

“...I truly wished to take that Artifact in for analysis, but there’s no sense in doing that if you’re lying dead on the ground.” Asimov spoke up after looking disappointed that he let himself get hit by Takeshi’s last move. “By the looks of it, these Artifacts do affect the properties of Aoi. It would have been such an event. All the cheers my peers could’ve had as we sat in the cafe, discussing hypotheses and annoying the workers there… Hah. What’s done is done. That was my choice.”

“What a bold choice it was. Though, there was no way knowing what that bastard could’ve done if Junior here made this.”

Velma gestured to the ice mountain. The two both gazed up at its peak.

“I don’t suppose all of that came from your power alone.” Asimov inquired.

I shook my head.

“...I’m taking this as a learning experience. For one, not to let people drag me into things. And two, dividing the work makes things pretty efficient. Perhaps I could invest in an assistant of sorts. Work is certainly going to get a lot more complex from here on out.”

“That couldn’t have sounded any more ominous.”

“Make of that what you will.” He stifled a laugh. “If you two don’t mind, I’m off back to Fallway. I’ve done all the sightseeing I can here.”

“Yeah yeah. Off you go, scientist.”

He nodded and turned to face along the cliff line. Once again, Asimov’s robot shifted and warped, increasing in size until it transformed into a full-on vehicle: a carriage. Unfortunately it seemed there was only room for one as Asimov filled up the one and only seat within it.

“What a way to make an exit.” As the carriage accelerated, a cloud of sand kicked off into the air, leaving us shielding our eyes. Eventually all of the particles settled back to the ground, with the carriage already a dot in the horizon. Until it phased out of sight entirely, the view of the sun shedding light on its surface was welcoming after everything that happened.

“It’s time to hit the road as well, huh?” Velma’s voice broke my trance of the skyline. That’s right. Following her home was the one last thing I needed to do, that was all that’s left. I returned her gaze and gave a nod. Time to say goodbye to Sozuraka.

“Oh, but first…”

I placed my hands together. To those that have lived in these buildings that once stood on their foundations, I hope that by breaking the bind that restrained the Sword and plunging into the sea, they would find something similar in that. To find a way out of their shackles and take a dive into a sea of opportunities.

・・・・・

“...What a first exploration mission.”

The sunset over the white wasteland that was Sozuraka casted an ambient orange glow over the endless horizon. As Velma said that, I blinked at the light spots in the corner of my vision.

First… It hadn’t occurred to me that this was still my first only experience in adventuring out. So much had happened since heading out on that day. Walking back through the tumultuous lands made me reminisce all of those sights I took in.

“Yeah…” I clutched my hands together, “A lot has happened since then…”

“Kinda forgot how it felt to spread your wings. I’ve been stuck inside that little den surrounded by woods for more time than what I would’ve imagined.”

We both fell silent. The wind picked up again, but this time, the sandy particles in the air glowed like that of the sunset. Sights like this were few and far between whenever it snows almost every single day. Who knows, this might’ve been the last time I get to see the sun giving off its strongest orange hues. Wait, does it have to be the last time? I wanted to ask a selfish question.

“Can we… Can we do this all the time?”

Velma was caught completely off guard. “Hah…?”

“This is the first time I’ve had so much fun. It’s like I’ve changed somehow… I want to keep on exploring, if that’s possible. Please, Miss… Can you take me to more places?”

Selfish. I knew that was going to sound selfish, and that was why Velma gave me a glance of disapproval.

“Do you think this is some sort of game? It isn’t. Plus, I don’t know if you remember me telling you this Junior, but I was in the middle of some plans up in Scandia when you and your friends barged in. The only reason why I went was ‘cause of that atlas revealing that coordinate here. It was only necessary to get to the bottom of it.”

“And yet you took me with you. Even though you could’ve gone alone Miss, you brought me along.”

“...‘Sides, my days traveling around the world are over…! It’s kinda too late for me to go out on crazy adventures now.”

“...And yet you did. Just now.”

At this point, she no longer seemed to carry that authoritative air and instead dawned a more dismayed stance. “It… would be extremely risky… But this kid honestly has so much potential, it’s insane. I’d love to see just how far she could go in life…”

I tilted my head.

“Sorry Junior, just… thinking.”

Velma appeared conflicted, much more than any time I’ve seen her before. To me, it really seemed that she was fighting herself, like she truly wanted to say yes.

“Burning the atlas a second time should help.”

“No it won’t.”

At least her glare right there and then was a lot better than seeing her struggling.

“...All right. I’ve got it.”

“Huh?”

That glare turned into an expression of acceptance. “Someone who sincerely has a curiosity that can’t be satiated with just one little adventure… has a character you can’t say ‘no’ to.”

“—Then?!”

“Yeah. If it’s a world you want, then it’s a world you’ll get. I’ll bring you on the rides of your life.”

Ah… There was that feeling again. Where you could just burst into the air and run around until your legs give out. Where you could just run up and hug anyone that enters your vision. Where you could just be glad that… you could share a bond with another. Velma… Thank you again.

“Ahaha! I’m looking forward to it!”

Before I knew it, I was doing just that as I was already snuggling up by her side. And instead of trying to pry me off of her, she seemed to accept it.

“*Sigh* The things I do to please others…”

Walking through the endless stream of white suddenly became a lot more comfortable afterwards. Enjoyable even. Through those tumultuous lands we went through once again, I reminiscenced through the memories we have just made, recent as they might seem.