Before I knew it...
I was standing there.
I was worried about the other three, but I had promised them I would return soon.
"..."
It was quiet here, as if all sound had been drained away. I couldn't feel the wind, nor could I sense any presence.
There was only—
White.
A white space that stretched out forever.
"To think I’d end up back here again..." I muttered under my breath.
It hadn't been that long since Leonis first brought me to this place.
"This is..."
I let my gaze wander. It was a vast, expansive space overflowing with light.
The Saint’s Cathedral.
I took a single step forward.
Tap.
The dry sound of my footstep echoed with strange clarity.
"..."
Nana was here. I knew that much for certain.
"What am I going to do if she’s not...?" I whispered, a self-deprecating smile tugging at my lips.
『That wouldn’t be very cool of you, Luka.』
Give me a break, will you?
Just as I was exchanging silent banter with Licia, a voice drifted down to me.
"—You’re late."
"..."
Slowly, I raised my head.
Standing there amidst the radiance was a girl. She had long, flowing hair and seemed to shimmer in the light. She was an existence too perfectly formed, appearing almost inhuman.
"...Nana."
The name left my lips naturally.
"How cruel of you, leaving me behind like that."
Nanalicia smiled. It was a friendly, familiar smile—the Nanalicia I knew.
"..."
I closed the distance between us slightly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes."
I had believed she wouldn't refuse, but I was surprised by how readily she agreed. I searched for the right words.
"Who exactly are we?"
That was the heart of the matter. That was the reason for those memories of the past I had somehow seen.
"...Yes." Nana nodded lightly. "I suppose you would want to know." She gave a small, quiet chuckle. "Very well."
She took a step toward me. She made no sound as she moved.
"I will tell you everything."
Our gazes met directly. Her eyes told me she had no intention of running away from the truth.
"But—"
Her voice dropped an octave.
"No saying 'actually, never mind' halfway through."
"...What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my brows.
"Once you hear it," Nana said quietly, "you can never go back to being the person who didn't know."
That’s a bit ominous, isn't it?
Despite her light tone, she was saying something incredibly heavy.
"..."
I took a breath. I didn't need more than a second to think.
"That’s fine." My answer was already decided. "I intended to find out from the start."
"...I see." Nana smiled, looking a little happy. "Then—"
The atmosphere shifted. The silence seemed to deepen.
"I think you might already know part of this, but..." She slowly opened her mouth to speak. "Shall we start with who you are?"
"...Yeah."
My heart hammered against my ribs. It was starting. The story of "myself" that I never knew.
"...First, the premise," Nana said quietly. "Luka—you have already died three times."
"...Yeah. Three times..."
I’d learned as much from my memories, but hearing it again... I really was something else. Nana continued without pause.
"And your current life is your Fourth Time."
"I suppose it is."
I was surprised, and yet, some part of me accepted it easily.
"Indeed." Nana nodded slightly. "It is much the same for me, though the details differ slightly."
"...Ah, I see." My eyes widened just a fraction. "It wouldn't make sense otherwise."
"No, it wouldn't," she affirmed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I died once—" She lowered her eyes for a fleeting moment. "—and was born once more into the same world as you."
"..."
In my head, the pieces began to click into place. Then those memories were—
『They are the genuine, absolute truth,』 Licia answered quietly.
"...I figured as much." I let out a soft sigh. It wasn't a dream or an illusion. "Then..." I looked back at Nana. "That means you and I were acquaintances before, right?"
"...That word doesn't quite cover it." Nana smiled, looking slightly troubled. "We... traveled together."
"Traveling? With that guy?"
"...Yes." She chose her words carefully. "With you." A beat passed. "And with the Hero."
"...!"
My chest stirred with a faint restlessness. It felt nostalgic, yet it was a memory I almost didn't want to touch.
"...The Hero."
"Do you not remember him?"
"...I remember fragments, but parts of it are missing." It wasn't clear. And yet— "...I feel like I can almost recall his face and his voice."
"...I see." Nana nodded gently. "In a little while, you might remember everything."
She looked off into the distance, as if seeing something far away.
"During that journey, I came to be called the Saint."
"...The Saint."
That was right. This place, too, felt strangely similar to somewhere from my past. It was all connecting.
"It’s not like I was a Saint from the very beginning," she said with a self-deprecating shrug. "However..." Her voice softened. "I healed people. I saved people. I kept doing those things, and before I knew it, that was just what everyone called me."
"...You’re amazing, Nana."
"I was simply following your lead, Luka."
"...So," I said, taking a step closer. "How did that journey end?"
This was the question that reached the core.
"..."
Nana fell silent. It was only for a split second, but in that moment, the world seemed to stop.
"...It ended," she said quietly. "We saved the world—and then, the two of us died."
"..."
The air felt frozen.
"You say that so casually," I blurted out.
"There’s no point in making it sound heavier than it was," Nana replied with a small smile. But her eyes weren't laughing. "As a matter of fact, that is all there is to it."
"..."
I understood.
"...Then," I took another step forward. "Why are we alive again?"
It was the obvious question.
"That is—" Nana started to speak.
In that instant, a voice cut in.
『I will explain what comes next.』
"...Licia?"
Something felt different. The space itself wavered, and another presence began to take physical form beside Nana.
"...You... you could do that?" I stammered.
Nana gave a small smile. "Yes. From here on is the 'main subject'."
Wait, the main subject hasn't even started yet?
"The things I wanted Luka to remember most... and yet, the things I least wanted him to recall."
『What you just heard was the end of the journey with the Hero. From here on is the end of Nanalicia and Minato.』
What I had seen was the beginning of the journey. And now... these were the memories of Nana, Licia, and one other person.
Who was I, in the end?