When I told the villagers that Nyau and I were heading to Kataroff Village, they tried everything in their power to stop us.
It made sense, of course. Nyau was injured and in no condition to fight properly.
Still, once we showed them our unwavering resolve, the villagers finally relented and brought out a horse for us.
Now, I was galloping down the highway leading to Kataroff Village with Nyau on the horse's back behind me. Her arms were wrapped around my waist, holding on tight even as she let out faint, ragged breaths. The awkward posture must have been aggravating her wounds; I could hear her small groans caught in the wind every now and then.
At this pace, we would reach the village in a few hours.
"Nyau, you okay? Make sure you don’t get thrown off."
I felt her nod against my back. Honestly, I wanted to slow down for her, but we didn't have a second to spare.
"I’m fine... I’m holding on tight, so it doesn’t matter how fast we go," Nyau murmured, her voice raspy.
The whistling wind and the rhythmic beat of the horse’s hooves against the dirt rang loudly in my ears. I was terrified for Ryune, but if the Demon Beelphegor really was heading for Kataroff Village, I was just as worried about the people there.
Still, this situation—traveling with Nyau on horseback—stirred a deep sense of deja vu.
A hundred years ago, in the midst of a desperate struggle to save the world, the two of us had ridden a horse across vast distances just like this. That timeline had ultimately been erased by my death, but it remained a precious memory to me. I couldn't stop the images of that time from flashing through my mind.
"It feels nostalgic..." Nyau suddenly whispered.
"What?" I blurted out.
I heard her sharp intake of breath, as if she had realized her mistake the moment the words left her lips.
What was that supposed to mean?
The only reason this ride felt "nostalgic" to me was because of what happened in that specific timeline. But Nyau wasn't supposed to remember that. There was no way she could.
And yet, the word had clearly fallen from her lips.
I kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead, but I couldn't hide my agitation. Could it be... does Nyau actually remember?
I gripped the reins tighter to keep my balance and glanced back over my shoulder.
Nyau was looking down, her shoulders heaving as she struggled to breathe. She groaned softly from time to time, likely from the pain of the horse's jolting, but that wasn't all. I could see something hidden deep within her eyes.
"...Nyau. When you said it was 'nostalgic' just now, what did you mean?"
"No... it’s nothing. I just felt like I’d been in a similar situation before. Please don’t mind me," she replied, her voice thin.
Her tone was thick with deception. I didn't have any proof—just a gut feeling—but I couldn't shake the suspicion. Maybe it was just my own wishful thinking.
Looking back, Elsie had asked if Nyau was in love with me. I still hadn't brought myself to believe that. But if Nyau actually remembered the past, that changed everything. Because back then, the two of us had definitely—
Nyau’s arms tightened around my waist. A sudden, overwhelming warmth flared in my chest.
"...Is the pain getting worse?"
"No... I’m okay. The Recovery Potion helped a lot, so I can handle it."
Her voice sounded strained, almost as if she were on the verge of tears.
Doubts swirled in my head. I had a mountain of questions, but I was afraid of making things awkward by pressing her too hard. She was already at her physical and mental limit. Maybe I should just drop it. And yet, I had to know.
"...Hey, Nyau."
When I spoke, my throat felt parched and tight.
"Yes? What is it?"
Her voice was nearly lost in the wind. She seemed frightened, leaning her weight against my back and clinging to me as if for protection.
"Is it possible that you... from back then... I mean..."
I trailed off, frustrated by my own hesitation. I should have just been blunt, but I was terrified of what I might hear.
"E-Err, well... when I said it was 'nostalgic,' I didn't really mean anything by it! I just... felt like I'd seen a similar scene before, or something like that."
Was I just overthinking things?
Even if she did remember, I couldn't imagine why she would be so desperate to hide it. Maybe I should just apologize for asking something weird and end the conversation there.
No, I couldn't do that. Looking back on everything that had happened, too many things didn't add up. To find the truth, I had to know what Nyau was carrying.
"Nyau, listen. This whole incident is just... wrong. Why was your Mana stolen in the first place? Elsie said it was because you were shaken, but I still don't understand why you would be so agitated."
"T-That’s... I just... let my guard down."
"But just letting your guard down? Even Elsie said it was nearly impossible to shake Sage Nyau. And what about Ryune? Did you expect her to turn into... that?"
My tone was getting sharper, but I couldn't help it. I needed her to talk to me. If I didn't understand the cause, I wouldn't know how to protect her—or anyone else—if we ended up in the same situation again.
I had to force the issue.
I felt the strength drain from Nyau’s arms. Her body began to tremble, and her lips parted as if she wanted to speak, only to snap shut again. Her balance wavered, and I quickly reached back to steady her hand.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. But I really need to know. How much did you actually know? What happened to make Ryune become the Demon Beelphegor...?"
"I-I’m sorry... I don't... I can't put it into words..."
The pain in her voice made me feel a surge of guilt.
"...I'm sorry. I'm not trying to blame you. But I want to be clear about this. I need to know how much you knew. Was there really nothing you could do to stop Elsie from taking your Mana?"
"Ugh... uuu..."
A weak, broken sob escaped her. I could see the tears welling in her eyes as she clutched her trembling shoulders, her breathing coming in shallow, frantic gasps.
Dammit, I went too far. I didn't need to corner her like this.
"Sorry! Nyau, you don't have to push yourself. If you don't want to talk about it—"
"Uwaaaaaahhhhh...!"
Nyau suddenly broke down, a gut-wrenching wail escaping her lungs.
She squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head, sobbing as if she were in unbearable agony. I instinctively slowed the horse and held her tighter.
"Ny-Nyau..."
"I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...! It’s true, it's all my fault! If I had just been honest from the start... if I hadn't hidden everything... your Mana wouldn't have been stolen, and Ryune wouldn't have ended up like that!"
Nyau looked up, her face a mask of grief. Huge tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her entire frame was racked with tremors.
"I remember 'That Day'. There’s no way I could ever forget it... Because for me, those are my most precious memories...!"
Her trembling voice dissolved into the cold night wind. I stared at her, speechless. "That Day"... She really did remember? She remembered that timeline?
The rhythmic pounding of the horse's hooves sounded like a ticking clock in the silence that followed.
Nyau choked back another sob, desperately trying to find the words. Looking at her like this, I felt an overwhelming urge to just pull her into my arms.
"Nyau... please, just tell me what's going on."
"I... I’ve been in contact with Chaosism."
The shock of her confession hit me like a physical blow, leaving me unable to utter a single word.