Last time I skipped a few lines, thinking to go back to it later and totally forgot about it.
Sorry about that.
Episode 71 — True Face of Ice, Mask of Fire, Contradiction
～ Part 2 ～
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In the end, their arguments never agreed with each other after that. Yukinoshita never changed her opinion, in that case, Kyousuke couldn’t do anything more either. In conclusion, the only result he got was that the lightness of his own words were reconfirmed. Was it because his words lacked substances as usual, or else Yukinoshita was simply stubborn?
Either way, the scheme to break through her mask and solve her problem ended in failure. The root was also deeper than he thought. She didn’t just deceive herself and pretend to have a passionate personality, the root of the problem burrowed further than that.
For a little while, they continued exploring along the beach, Yukinoshita Suzuka only silently followed after Kyousuke. Even knowing that this one was her true character, it was still difficult to deal with.
“It’ll be awkward when we return, huh.”
Looking up at the sky that was getting cloudy at some point in time, Yukinoshita muttered.
“Which character do you think I should go with?”
“As I said, there’s no need to forcibly put up a mask.”
“Then this character…? Everyone will be surprised…”
A derisive smile appeared on Yukinoshita’s mouth. Kyousuke was dissatisfied with that.
He understood that the hot-blooded snow woman was an act, but neither could he agree that the girl who spoke coldly like this was her true character. This one, in its own way, had an unnaturalness like she was forcibly crushing all hopes and dreams.
“Utsurogi-kun, you did your best. It’s not that your words are insufficient or anything.”
While walking several steps behind Kyousuke, Yukinoshita laughed.
“But I think doing your best doesn’t equal opening people’s heart. Not to mention I’m not even familiar with Utsurogi-kun.”
“……”
This time, it was Kyousuke’s turn to stay silent. Just like she said. His outlook was too naive, being told so he couldn’t deny it.
Even so, Kyousuke didn’t want to give up.
“Consider all possibilities, then remove as much impossible stuffs as possible, if there’s something I don’t want to remove even then, then that’s what I truly want do do.”
“What you truly want to do? Is it to make a bet with me?”
“Right now, it is.”
“Himemizu-san will get angry.”
No, Rin won’t get angry. She’ll swell though. As Kyousuke tried to say so, he stopped.
There reason he couldn’t leave Yukinoshita alone was 2. She was similar to himself and she was also similar to Akira. So in fact, Kyousuke was accustomed to being poured cold water with pragmatic words and a cold attitude like this. But Yukinoshita was teetering now, and that was very irritating to the onlookers.
When he noticed it, they had already walked quite a distance on the beach. Two kind of footprints remained: Yukinoshita’s sandals and Kyousuke feet bones.
“We didn’t find anything in the end.” (Yukinoshita)
“That’s right. Looks like it’ll rain soon…. I suddenly thought, but the green area is close, the sea is also close, rain seems to fall frequently too, despite having this kind of environment, why is it that a desert filled the area?”
“Who knows? Isn’t some fantasy power working? Not a single piece of grass growing because of magic or something.”
As long as he didn’t touch the topics concerning her character or possibilities of the future, Yukinoshita’s response was normal. Just that her not being in hot-blooded mode was unnatural though.
That strangely itchy feelings seemed to have appeared in his attitude?
“What’s the matter? Utsurogi-kun. Shall I talk in hot-blooded mode?”
If this is a simulation game, a choices dialog would appear about now, Kyousuke absentmindedly thought.
“It’s fine like this, though, I’m a little interested in what you’ll say in hot-blooded mode.”
“I don’t quite understand your reason, but well, if we continue planting trees everyday, even this desert will surely be restored to green! Humans, in due time, will be even capable of sending snow to the desert!“
“Please return to normal.”
It was a little difficult enduring his laughter.
As I thought, if the mask is peeled off, she is just a little pessimistic ordinary girl. It may be better if I don’t look at her with a too unified point of view. As expected, overthinking things and it’ll get incomprehensible.
“Ah, Utsurogi-kun.”
Suddenly, her tone changed. Kyousuke raised his face, and immediately wide-eyed.
“…That!?”
He saw a horse collapsed on the beach. Its whole body white, smooth mane wet with sea water. A horn grew on its forehead. It was a unicorn.
For Kyousuke and his class, unicorn equaled Hakuba Kazusumi. He couldn’t determine that immediately so he didn’t call that name, but Kyousuke ran on the beach, rushing over to that unicorn. He tried shaking it a little, but it seemed to have fainted and there was no response.
“Hakuba-kun?”
“…Ahh, probably.”
Kyousuke observed the unicorn’s body and nodded.
“He’s wearing the calvary saddle of the Knight Kingdom that was put on by Selena-san…. And this.”
He picked up a black plate that was around Hakuba’s throat, brushing off the sand.
“Washio-kun’s mortuary tablet…”
“So Hakuba also came to this New Continent. In that case, other than this guy…”
“Shokuzura-kun? They’re close, aren’t they?”
Shokuzura? Kyousuke tried looking around the area but didn’t find any shadow that seemed like it. Collapsed on the beach was only Hakuba.
“Is he okay? A thoroughbred’s skin is weak, when touching the ground, bacteria will multiply and fester, or so I heard?”
“Unicorn is not a thoroughbred. He’s more or less a wild horse so I think he’s healthy in that respect, but still…”
For now, Kyousuke tried to lift Hakuba’s body and loaded in his strength, but his feeble body with only bones couldn’t even manage that.
∗Glance∗, when he looked at Yukinoshita, she just crossed her arms, watching.
“Lend me your strength.”
“I can, but it’ll be pointless anyway.”
“You don’t know unless you try!”
Yukinoshita leaked a small sigh and stood next to Kyousuke. She also placed both arms on Hakuba’s neck, and tried pulling at the same timing as Kyousuke, but as expected, not a single thing happened.
It wasn’t that she didn’t put her strength to it. Rather, for just only one moment, Yukinoshita also pulled with her full power.
“Ne~, I told you so? It’s pointless. Shouldn’t we call Himemizu-san and the others?”
“Shit!”
Being told so, it was a sound argument. But Kyousuke couldn’t help getting irritated at that attitude of Yukinoshita.
Anger, thinking back, it was an unusual emotion for him. This was the second time he directed that toward his classmate next to the first time when he beat up Kogane 3 months ago.
However, the reason Hakuba collapsed here weighted on his mind. The reason why no other classmates could be found as well.
Possibly, he was rolled up in some battle and strayed from the other classmates with that, assuming that the case, the situation wasn’t too desirable. There was the possibility that Hakuba was being pursued as well.
“Everyone else may have died.”
Yukinoshita left a cruel mutter.
“…Don’t say that even as a joke.”
“I’m not joking.”
“That’s even worse then…!”
Kyousuke stood up and looked around the surroundings. Whether there was any stray classmates or pursuers, he couldn’t afford to look at only Hakuba here. Yukinoshita also stood up, standing right next to him.
“I only talk about possibility. Besides, at this rate, we are going to die as well.”
Saying so, she pointed toward the desert. From the other side, a group of imps and ghouls were slowly approaching.
Ghouls were undead the blood clan created. Imps were also often used as part of their war potential. In that case, as expected, those guys were also on this New Continent. And perhaps, their target was Hakuba. They were unhesitatingly aiming for this place.
“I guess you understand, Utsurogi-kun. Everyone else are in those guys’ hand. We don’t know if someone has died or being taken away.”
“It’s not the case to be thinking about that. We’ll defeat them.”
“They’re too many. I’m escaping.”
Yukinoshita easily said so. When Kyousuke looked at her, she was smiling, a smile that even had a touch of resignation somewhere.
“There’s no such things as miracles in this world. Utsurogi-kun. As I said at first, I’m already tired.”
Extolling dreams and ideals that won’t come true.
Praising love and courage that doesn’t exist.
The cold and cruel true character had been corroding Yukinoshita. While what she wanted to believed in was being overturned by reality, she was losing the strength to defy it.
“I,”
Kyousuke re-gripped the magic sword.
If he was to escape, Hakuba would fall into their hands.
“I won’t escape.”
“Really. Suit yourself.”
“That’s my line.”
Yukinoshita lightly kicked up the sand and turned her back to Kyousuke.
“If it’s in time, I’ll call Himemizu-san and the others. But don’t get your hopes up.”
That might be the best compromise that the pessimistic girl could show.
Kyousuke gazed that imps and ghouls swamping in front of his eyes, he again re-gripped the magic sword. If he was to combine with Rin, the enemy would be nothing significant. But now, Kyousuke was alone. He had a magic sword, but it was unclear how long he could hold out against this number.
Despite them not being any great enemy, the situation was hopeless.
Love and courage are only an illusion.
Dreams and ideals would someday fade away.
Miracle will never happen.
Is that really the case? Kyousuke didn’t want to think so. Even supposing reality was cold and cruel, Kyousuke would defy it, fight against it. He didn’t want to think that it was pointless.
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO–!!”
Utsurogi Kyousuke roared. Only to encourage himself,
to fight against despair, by himself.
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