The day after our hunting trip with Highness Eligion and the others, I headed into the city with Ageha to buy clothes for the theater visit scheduled for two days later.
In the previous timeline, Ageha had worn a black dress, but this time she chose a bright, light blue one. I wore a suit, just as I had before.
The following day was entirely consumed by the Triumphal Ceremony.
And then came today. We went to the theater to watch the opera, and tonight was the night I was destined to be killed.
"Hey, Ageha."
"I know. I'll protect you, Kiska, so don't worry," she told me.
With her reassurance, I felt like I could finally breathe a little easier.
We watched the opera together. Even though I had already seen the performance once before, I wasn't bored. In fact, because it was my second time, I found myself noticing new details, making it even more enjoyable than the first.
"So, Kiska, do you know exactly what time you were attacked?"
Ageha and I were sitting back-to-back on the bed. By positioned ourselves like this, we eliminated any blind spots.
"I’m not sure. By the time I realized what was happening, I had already looped. But I know it was late, since I had stayed up quite a while that night."
"I see. In that case, we might need to prepare ourselves for an all-nighter."
I braced myself, keeping a constant watch on the bedroom door. I had no way of knowing when someone might burst through. For a long while, I simply stared at the wood grain of the door, my focus absolute.
"Hey, Ageha. Are you still awake?"
"Yeah, I’m awake."
Anxiety flared up again, prompting me to check on her. I knew I was only staying calm because she was right there with me. If she hadn't been by my side, the sheer terror likely would have shattered my mind long ago.
I lost track of how much time passed. Nothing unusual happened. If we could just make it to morning without incident, everything would be fine.
"Kiska, someone is approaching the room."
"What?"
"Can't you hear it? The footsteps."
I strained my ears, but no matter how hard I listened, I couldn't hear anything.
"What should we do? Should I go check it out?"
"Yeah, sounds like a plan."
At my response, Ageha stood up and headed toward the door. I felt a sudden, sharp pang of unease at the thought of her leaving.
"Wait, maybe I should go with you?"
"Stay here, Kiska. If it turns into a fight, I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire."
"Understood."
If that was her judgment, I would wait quietly. It felt pathetic to rely on her for protection constantly, but the fact remained that Ageha was far stronger than I was. I had to trust her.
"Now, wait here like a good boy, okay?"
With those final words, Ageha stepped out and closed the door behind her.
◆
"Oh, so it really was you."
Ageha spoke with a smile, her gaze fixed on the figure standing at the end of the hallway.
◆
The sounds of combat echoed through the wall.
It was unmistakable; Ageha was engaged in a fierce struggle. Even though I told myself she would be fine, I couldn't suppress the rising tide of dread. I felt so useless. If I were stronger, I could have been out there fighting alongside her.
I waited, my heart pounding in the silence of the room, listening for the sounds to stop.
"Is it over...?"
I couldn't tell what was happening through the wall, but the clashing and thudding had ceased.
"Ageha!"
Judging the fight to be over, I threw the door open and dashed into the hallway.
"—Huh?"
I couldn't immediately process the scene before me.
Blood was everywhere—splattered across the walls and pooling on the floor. The devastation left no doubt about the violence of the struggle that had occurred.
"Ageha...?"
There, in the center of the crimson pool, Ageha lay limp.
"Hey, are you okay...?"
I tried to lift her, but her body felt heavier than I expected, and my hands kept slipping. Her eyes were open, staring at nothing. She was unconscious... no, it was clear she was dead.
"I'm sorry..."
The words tumbled out before I could stop them. This was my mistake. I shouldn't have left it all to her. If I had been stronger, Ageha wouldn't have had to die.
"I'm sorry, Ageha..."
I pulled her cold body into a tight embrace, crushed by a wave of regret. I hated this. More than anything, I hated watching her die right in front of me. The memory of the timeline where she had hanged herself flashed through my mind. I never wanted her to suffer like that again.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...!"
No matter how many times I begged for forgiveness, Ageha didn't move.
I have to do better next time. I can't let her suffer like this anymore.
"Gah...!"
Suddenly, blood sprayed from my mouth. I looked down to see a blade protruding from my abdomen. I had been stabbed through the back.
"Who is it...?"
I forced myself to turn around. If I didn't see the culprit's face now, it would be impossible to plan a countermeasure after my Return by Death. I had to know who it was.
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Simultaneously, my world went black.
"Aaaaaaaaaagh!!"
I couldn't stop the scream. Both of my eyes had been slashed open.
An instant later, a massive impact jolted my chest. I had been stabbed again.
And then, I lost consciousness.
◆
I woke up.
It seemed my Return by Death had triggered successfully.
However, it was clear I needed a massive change in strategy. I never imagined the enemy would be someone stronger than Ageha. I couldn't just assume she would handle everything.
"Kiska, you're spacing out. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get going, Ageha."
Black Ageha was standing before me. Since I hadn't broken Ageha's Seal yet, the one currently with me was just a clone.
First, I had to break the seal, then I had to defeat Demon King Zoga.
Adopting my persona as Assassin Noc, I sought out Highness Eligion. I managed to persuade him to lend me the Holy Sword.
Then, acting as Noc, I held a gemstone over the blade to break the seal. A dazzling light erupted from the Holy Sword.
As the radiance faded, a young girl stood in its place.
"Finally, I can breathe the outside air again."
She turned her gaze toward me.
Wait... something felt off.
"Hmm? What is it, Kiska? You have an even more dim-witted expression than usual."
Ah, that's right. The girl before me was Ageha, and yet she wasn't the Ageha I knew best.
"Are you... the Black Ageha personality?"
Ageha contained two distinct personas: the normal Ageha and the aggressive personality I called Black Ageha.
"What is this 'Black Ageha'?"
I realized that "Black Ageha" was just a name I had come up with on my own. There was no way she would recognize it.
"Ah, I see. So Black Ageha is your name for me."
She seemed to catch on quickly and nodded.
"Indeed, I am the aspect in charge of malice for Ageha. Therefore, the name Black Ageha is quite fitting."
Yes, the one standing before me now was Ageha’s other personality—Black Ageha.