Chapter 5, Section 4
Although Airi is well protected by Echizen, don't be discouraged! You're strong too!
I see your value.
[Extraordinarily powerful, even stronger than Echizen.]
...
Emi Amamiya is right. Aside from this person's evil deeds, it cannot be denied that she is right most of the time, and even quite clear and explicit.
She said she saw my value.
I was still very weak back then.
...
Airi Matsusaka slowed her thoughts and sorted through the information.
The places that have been ignored are gradually being exposed, revealing their true nature.
Emi Amamiya must possess abilities related to [time]. Perhaps she also has a special kind of cognitive ambiguity.
Airi Matsuzaka meticulously processed all the memory fragments about Emi Amamiya, eventually uncovering all the anomalies.
Yuichi never realized he had missed anything, so the only one with problems was that woman.
It confuses and blurs Yuichi's and her perceptions, intrudes into their world together, deceives, and probes.
She had been keeping an eye on Airi Matsuzaka for a long time, and had been gathering information from their side without being absolutely certain of success.
Hibernation, patience, and the hunt.
An excellent hunter.
The prey in her net escaped, and those who died were merely clearing obstacles.
Emi Amamiya will come looking for her again.
It definitely will.
Airi Matsuzaka smiled gently, but her eyes were cold and desolate.
It must be painful, right? The feeling of almost succeeding and then failing. After almost killing me and then losing the chance, your intense love will drive you to find me quickly, and then... kill me.
Can't wait, huh?
Yes, me too.
#
I don't know why Yuichi was able to persevere in protecting me.
Airi grows rapidly after Yuichi's death, transforming from a useless person who needs protection into a master of self-preservation.
What does it feel like to protect someone?
That must be very troublesome.
At first, she was completely clueless about how to escape the pursuit, but now she can easily scale walls and rooftops without being detected.
Yuichi is really amazing.
The people in our memories can never be surpassed.
Because there is no standard for measurement.
Looking back now, Yuichi was truly an extraordinary person.
As she is being hunted down, Airi gradually matures and comes to understand the meaning of being a protector.
Those were truly wonderful memories. Airi no longer lives the same hectic, constantly fearful life she did two years ago; time has become plentiful. She has plenty of free time to hang out in a corner and reminisce about the past. Many small details she hadn't noticed back then are now coming to light through these reflections.
He became increasingly aware of the differences between Yuichi and the others.
So many things were kept from us.
Although it seems that even if we put ourselves in that situation now, we might not be able to find it.
Wine needs to be aged to become something with a lingering aftertaste.
The same applies to the inaccessible realm of memory.
The more I think about it, the more I love it.
The more I think about it, the more I hate it.
The regret was even more overwhelming.
Self-blame was useless, so Airi could only suppress it again and again until she could no longer feel anything when she thought about it again.
There is no purpose other than the goal.
It was only much later that Airi understood the unfinished words Yuichi had left unsaid when he died.
[If I can't survive, then I'll seek revenge.]
Perhaps there was something else, but what happened to Airi afterward is unknown.
She was utterly baffled as to why Yuichi wanted her to live. In truth, Airi wasn't unaware that Yuichi would occasionally look at her with a barely perceptible, chilling gaze.
You really wanted to kill her, didn't you?
If it were Yuichi, his reason for killing her would definitely be different from others.
His reasons for doing things are completely opposite to those of others.
Actually, she had been waiting for a long time, but Yuichi died without taking her with him.
He went to places she could not reach.
He also refused to let her come over.
...
I can't understand it.
Echizen Yuichi is a mysterious person, but even though they have lived together for more than ten years and gone through life and death, Airi still doesn't understand him.
But he saw through himself.
Airi could never know what he was thinking.
#
[Instant.]
He muttered the name to himself before destroying the note.
Airi sounds better.
"This homeless lady is not easy to approach."
If we're lucky, we might catch a glimpse of her as she slips away.
This is already a pretty good result.
If you're unlucky... she might kill you, mistaking you for a radical admirer.
Maintaining a proper distance is the best way to get close to this hedgehog lady.
The closest distance is three meters.
It was still a surprise attack.
"I haven't seen her in a long time..."
Are they hiding again?
Oh dear, I was too defensive. Actually, I didn't mean to hurt her.
Although the curse is powerful, it's not unbearable.
How exactly can I convey my harmlessness?
Even if I told her, she probably wouldn't believe me.
Their pitiful, homeless appearance is truly heartbreaking to see.
Xia Youjie, do you still remember me? Airi.
The person hidden in the darkness looked over, seemingly to confirm his words, but showed no intention of recalling them.
Ten years ago.
She blinked, noticing that he remained wary.
It seems she's remembered.
They just don't want to admit it.
No wonder. Although Airi used to call him a kind older brother, that was ten years ago. Now... he's a stranger.
#
Xia Youjie had noticed the little girl for a long time, and he also sensed the unusual amount of attention that people around him paid to her.
It was like looking at a piece of gold on the ground.
I love it so much, it brings me genuine joy.
She had been standing there for quite some time, during which many people came up to her and asked if she needed any help.
After all, she looked so anxious she was about to cry.
That's strange.
Xia Youjie noticed it the moment he saw her—he had an unexpected fondness for the child.
No matter how you look at it, this seems like a perfect, good child.
Show her special favor, pamper her, and give her the best.
This is clearly a special technique.
Indiscriminate attack.
He should be angry about this inexplicable affection, but he felt nothing but pleasure.
Honestly, I can't hate her.
Even with sufficient reasons, it's impossible to do.
He pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution.
I'm about to cry, I'm about to cry.
Xia Youjie immediately walked over and squatted down. Although they weren't very close, she had already shrank back two steps.
Then the wariness in his eyes lessened somewhat.
After Xia Youjie took out the sweets for Wujiao Wu from the bag.
Ten minutes later they became close friends.
Thank you, Gojo Satoru, for the sweets.
"Oh, I see. They got lost."
"Uh-huh."
Xia Youjie propped his chin up and watched her eat the cake in small bites, finding it especially cute. He wanted to touch her, but restrained himself.
Don't your family members contact you?
"Yuichi told me to stay put after I got lost, and he would come looking for me."
When she spoke of Yuichi, her eyes shone with trust.
Those must be very close friends.
"Stop crying?"
Xia Youjie made a joke.
"Don't cry, don't cry~"
"Kind big brother, what's your name? I want to thank you properly." She finished the cake, completely satisfied.
"My name is Matsusaka Airi, big brother, please call me Airi."
Kids are so easy to coax.
"Xia Youjie".
He sensed a very weak fluctuation of magical power.
It is not because its owner is weak, but because it was deliberately weakened and dispersed.
Are there any other sorcerers around here?
Xia Youjie turned around to look, and the little girl called out the name of the friend who had come to find her with delight.
"Yuichi!"
Excellent.
Xia Youjie fixed his gaze on the boy who was walking over nonchalantly.
His previously absent-minded expression immediately vanished upon seeing Xia Youjie. He quickly walked up to Matsuzaka Airi and subtly blocked her way.
This is the child.
He is quite talented.
It has been completely contained, that curse power.
Was he protecting Airi? It seems he also understands the... curse on Airi.
Yes, a curse.
Although the benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks now, curses have no chance of bringing glory to people and benefiting humanity.
Don't even think about it.
Perhaps there were already some clues, otherwise Yuichi wouldn't be so concerned about her as her protector.
Right now it's just excessive fondness, but it will probably swell into an even more intense love in the future.
Too much love is too much for a person to bear.
#
As she stopped, Xia Youjie also stopped.
She turned around and looked precisely at the place where he was hiding.
"Compared to Airi, my stalking must be shining brightly."
"After all... the essence of stealth is to blend into the darkness."
Xia Youjie walked out openly and stopped at the last warning line to meet Matsuzaka Airi's gaze.
What a pity, the light has disappeared from her eyes.
Nothing can penetrate it.
"Is Airi looking for Amamiya Emi?"
She immediately withdrew her foot.
It's very urgent.
"How about we talk as we walk?" Xia Youjie tentatively suggested.
"..."
Aren't you going to say anything?
"..."
...
The composed expression vanished from Xia Youjie's face. He understood something from this silence.
"Your address will be here in one week."
Upon receiving the news, she disappeared immediately, without lingering for even a moment.
Xia Youjie stayed there for a long time before leaving.
Airi is already in a perfect state without any flaws.
But she really is best suited to shining.
While Airi looks interesting on her own, she suits the way she's protected best.
Airi Matsuzaka has never been one to live alone; she rejects others while simultaneously yearning for support.
If you kill Emi Amamiya, will she still be alive?
Xia Youjie genuinely liked this junior, showing the same care and deference one would show to a highly regarded senior. But if love is irrational and someone insists on dying, then there's nothing that can be done.
The reason for living is something that most people will never grasp in their entire lives.
You have to find it yourself.
So there's nothing I can do to help you.
If I cannot watch you die in front of me because of the curse, then I should avoid it.
After all, it would be a great pity if Airi were to die.
Even more regrettable is that I originally wanted to help you.
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