Chapter 7, Section 6

Until I die, all my time will be spent waiting.

Life is a countdown from the very beginning.

I am very patient.

If you dedicate half your life to one thing, you are bound to succeed.

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When they met again after two years, the scene was very calm. There were no harsh words or much small talk.

I'm looking for you.

And I will kill you with my own hands today.

Both of them harbored the same thought, which had taken root in their hearts since their last meeting, and whose presence was a daily source of pain.

"Airi seems even more beautiful now."

It was Amamiya Emi who broke the balance by speaking first. Her tone was familiar, as if she were greeting an old friend, and it was no different from before.

Airi Matsuzaka thought she had completely forgotten those things, but now seeing her, she can still clearly recall every fragment of memory belonging to Emi Amamiya.

Her movements and expressions matched those in my memory, then vanished like mist.

This person once held a place in her heart second only to Airi herself and Yuichi.

She thought there were some special people in the world besides Yuichi, but it turned out that there weren't.

Many things, like "first" and "best," have no substitute.

She's overthinking it.

Amamiya Emi is trash too.

"Not bad, you've gotten stronger, Airi."

Amamiya Emi spoke with an appreciative tone, glancing lightly at Matsuzaka Airi from behind.

All the things she set up were chopped down.

Although it's not something that can be discussed openly, dealing with a large number of cursed spirits can be quite troublesome.

They tracked us down so quickly; Airi is already a formidable opponent.

Combat capability is adequate.

It was well worth her patience for two years before finally coming out to hunt her down.

"That dog Echizen bit me pretty hard," Emi Amamiya said jokingly, referring to another person.

Airi Matsuzaka showed no reaction whatsoever; her face remained completely unmoved by these utterly humiliating and enraging words.

Oh no.

Amamiya Emi stopped joking and stared intently at Airi, trying to see through her quiet face to understand something.

She tried to touch Airi's territory using the same methods she had used before—but was fiercely torn apart and ripped to shreds.

"How is that possible!"

Amamiya Emi screamed in shock, stunned by the failure of her technique's intrusion, ignoring even the intense pain that resonated within her body.

How could this be? [Intrusion] and [obfuscation] couldn't possibly be detected! She's always done it perfectly, it can't have failed…it can't have failed…they didn't detect it last time either, did they? This must be—

Amamiya Emi's eyes were fixed on Matsuzaka Airi with a terrifying gaze.

She discovered it.

Even though she hadn't spoken and had maintained her quiet demeanor from the beginning, Amamiya Emi looked into those eyes from afar, as if they were answering the question she hadn't uttered.

I've discovered it.

Come on, let's try again.

These eyes say it all.

Like someone bewitched, she opened her eyes and launched another attack on her.

I was captivated by her.

Amamiya Emi was fully aware of this fact, yet she couldn't stop herself from acting.

Knowing and doing are two different things.

She was torn apart again, and knelt on the ground, swaying unsteadily.

The man paused in front of her, looking down at her disheveled appearance.

There was no mockery, no sense of relief at having avenged a great grudge, and not a trace of ridicule.

What does she want to do?

Amamiya Emi gasped for breath, struggling to open her eyes to see her face clearly and to understand her thoughts, only to have her outstretched tentacles shattered once more.

He's incorrigible.

They can easily detect a person's brain and manipulate their mind, so they can play with them without any scruples.

It's a behavior that's already ingrained in our very bones.

Like robbers, they rummage through unlocked rooms, searching for whatever they need.

She and Yuichi were tricked by this robber.

I'm not interested in what you've been through or what you've been through, but killing you with the techniques you're familiar with... I'd be happy to.

Even if I die in it too.

As long as you die before me, everything for me will end here.

Let me give this absurd game an ending.

Life is just a joke you hear from other people.

If you live your life like a joke and bring joy to others, then you're not living a bad life.

Aside from her almost completely forgotten childhood—a time that was happier and more fulfilling than the future—Matsusaka Airi couldn't find any reason to smile before she died.

There's no one I want to laugh out loud with.

Memories cannot replace companionship, so it's impossible to think of Yuichi while waiting to die.

For a long time after Amamiya Emi's vital signs stopped, she was in a daze.

Did I drink too much cold water? Why is my blood cold too?

I'm sorry, Yuichi. It turns out I wasn't actually that angry about your death.

But I should be angry.

So I got angry.

Now is the time to avenge the dead.

So I took my revenge.

I don't want to say anything; this is just my personal opinion.

It's not something I should do.

I don't know when I turned into a monster right under your nose without even realizing it myself.

Feel sorry.

She said this calmly, on behalf of someone she felt she should apologize to.

I want some peace and quiet, but I haven't been able to find a quiet place. I don't know what's making the noise; I'm just very confused and want to rest.

If I were dead, I probably wouldn't find it so noisy anymore.

Just like a long, long time ago, when Yuichi Echizen said, "[Goodnight, Airi]".

Airi Matsuzaka silently wished herself goodnight.

"Don't rush off, miss~"

A lively male voice suddenly appeared.

"It's strange, seeing you all covered in blood and looking so miserable... actually makes my heart race!"

Disrupting someone else's solemn ceremony is extremely impolite.

"Can't you speak? Can't you hear me?"

A very noisy person.

"I've fallen in love with you at first sight, miss. Please cooperate."

The sound was getting closer, very close, right next to my ear.

"..."

noisy.

It seems like he's the stubborn type who won't listen to reason.

He calmly observed the person standing there covered in blood, a young woman who was still in the age of a girl.

She possesses beauty that no one can resist.

The blood splattered on her face added to her beauty and fragility, like a crane with a broken neck dying.

Those tightly closed eyes trembled slightly, as if stirring one's heartstrings.

His calmness was merely a facade; he was now on the verge of his emotions overwhelming his reason.

A surge of love, seemingly out of nowhere, swept through my body, threatening my rational thinking.

The closer you get, the stronger it becomes.

It was such a terrible curse that he didn't even have the thought of exorcising it immediately.

Although this is not something that can be manually removed.

In this strange and exciting torrent of emotions, he wanted to possess her more than kill her.

He doesn't want to be in a one-sided love relationship.

Absolutely not.