I arrived back at Alice’s general store using teleportation magic.
Apparently, my body was now shielded by defense magic woven from the Magic Power of every member of the Six Kings except for Kuro, though I couldn't see any physical change.
"……In truth, it would have been great if I could have gotten Ein-san’s cooperation too, but……"
"……Ein-san refused, right?"
"Yes, she flatly refused…… She said she had no intention of responding to my summons."
"I see……"
To Ein-san, who swore absolute loyalty to Kuro and prioritized her above all else, what I was about to do—stepping rudely into Kuro’s heart—must have seemed like an act she couldn't condone.
I didn't intend to use pretty words and claim this was for Kuro’s sake. Regardless of whether Alice and the others had asked me to, I was confessing because I loved Kuro.
Anything less would be disrespectful to her.
As I was lost in thought, I heard the door to the general store open—a rare occurrence for a shop that saw so few customers.
"……Excuse me."
"Wha!?"
"Ein-san!?"
The person who walked through the door was the very subject of our conversation.
Ein-san walked straight toward us and stopped before the startled Alice and me. Her expression remained cold as she turned her wisteria-colored eyes toward me.
"……Kaito-sama, let me confirm one thing first. Do you intend to change your mind?"
"……Wait, Ein-san. What do you plan to do by asking that?"
As I instinctively backed away from her frigid, emotionless voice, Alice quickly stepped in front of me. She glared at Ein-san as she spoke.
"……Shaltier. For now, let me clear up any misunderstanding. I do not believe that Kaito-sama is incapable of achieving what you informed me of…… If we speak only of possibilities, I think the odds are fifty-fifty."
"Then why won't you help us?"
"It is a simple matter. Because it is not a certainty."
"!?"
The two remained locked in a standoff, sharply exchanging words. When Alice pressed her on why she wouldn't help, Ein-san coolly replied that it was because success wasn't guaranteed.
"It does not matter if Chrome-sama is saved as a result of Kaito-sama's actions. If there is even a fragment of a possibility that the current Chrome-sama will be hurt…… do you think I would overlook that?"
"……What do you intend to do to Kaito-san?"
"I will not harm him. I will simply persuade him. I will convince him to reconsider, whether it takes 'hours, days, or years'…… With my power, I can do that."
"Wha!? Are you serious!?"
Probably—no, without a doubt—Ein-san was capable of manipulating time. Her words weren't a bluff.
While the atmosphere around Alice grew heavy with intense anger, Ein-san remained calm, her gaze fixed on me.
"Kaito-sama, having said that…… I ask you again. Do you intend to change your mind?"
"……I do not."
"……I see…… No, I suppose I should say it was as expected…… It cannot be helped."
"!?"
No matter what Ein-san said to me, I had no intention of wavering.
It wasn't because I had some noble reason or a grand philosophy. It was just that I loved Kuro, and I couldn't give up on her. It was as simple as that.
After Ein-san gave a quiet nod at my answer, she held out her hand.
Alice immediately jumped between us, but in the next moment, a Sphere of Magic Power—identical to the ones I had received from the others—appeared before Ein-san’s hand.
"……Eh?"
As Alice let out a surprised gasp, the Sphere of Magic Power left Ein-san’s hand and was absorbed into my body.
"……Ein-san?"
"If it were my usual self, I would have carried out what I said earlier…… It seems I, too, have been poisoned by you…… I’ve decided I want to place a bet. Therefore, just this once in my life, and only this once…… I will break the rule I imposed upon myself."
With a faint, nearly imperceptible smile, Ein-san turned on her heel.
Seeing her prepare to leave as if her business were concluded, Alice let out a long sigh.
"That was a relief. Honestly, if I had to fight Ein-san while most of my Magic Power is exhausted, protecting Kaito-san would have been difficult."
"……Stop talking nonsense. While it is only a guess…… I believe that you are the third strongest existence in the world, following Shallow Vernal-sama and Chrome-sama…… If I had resorted to forceful measures, you would have used some kind of 'trump card,' wouldn't you?"
"……Well, who knows? Aren't you overestimating me?"
Alice shook her head dismissively at Ein-san’s flatly stated assessment.
Without refuting that elusive attitude further, Ein-san walked to the door. She stopped for a moment and spoke without looking back.
"Kaito-sama, regardless of the outcome, if you hurt Chrome-sama…… I will not forgive you."
"……Yes."
"……However, if you save Chrome-sama…… that debt…… I will never forget it as long as I live. I will surely repay you."
"……Eh?"
"Good luck……"
After offering that final, quiet word of encouragement, Ein-san left the store.
A short while after her departure, just as I was thinking it was time to head home, Alice spoke to me in a gentle voice.
"Kaito-san, do you remember when I once asked you…… if you believed power dwells within the heart?"
"Eh? Ah, that was when we met at the Gate, right?"
The words Alice mentioned were those she had spoken to me in her form as the Phantasm King when we encountered each other at the Gate.
The conversation had ended vaguely back then, but it seemed Alice had something specific she wanted to convey now.
"……Power dwells within the heart. If your heart is strong, you can cause any number of miracles."
"……Alice?"
"These are the words of a fool—someone who wasn't strong or particularly clever. They relied on nothing but grit, determination, bonds, and the occasional desperate trick to overcome enemies far more powerful than themselves, and before they knew it, people were calling them a 'hero.' Please keep them in mind."
"……I understand."
I didn't know whose story she was telling, but there was a strange weight of reality to it, as if she were speaking from personal experience.
Come to think of it, she had mentioned "the world I was in" earlier. It seemed Alice still held many secrets.
"Please do your best. I’m cheering for you. From the bottom of my heart……"
"……Thank you."
Regardless of her secrets, now wasn't the time to press her. Right now, I needed to focus solely on Kuro.
I believed that was the best way to show my gratitude to Alice.
"Kaito-kun? Are you thinking about something?"
"Eh? Ah, no, it’s nothing."
It was night, and I was in the middle of a conversation with Kuro, who had visited my room as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It seemed I had been distracted by the events of the day.
It was impossible not to be conscious of the magic protecting me, but Kuro didn't ask a single thing about it.
"Ah! I know! You were thinking about our date tomorrow!"
"U-Uh, yeah…… something like that."
"I’m really looking forward to it! I’m going to dress up and look my best for our date, Kaito-kun!"
"……Yeah."
Someone as powerful as Kuro had to have noticed the barrier of Magic Power from the Six Kings and Ein-san. In fact, she definitely had.
But she didn't touch upon it. Perhaps she was intentionally avoiding the subject.
As I looked at her, I realized her demeanor was slightly off.
She was acting with strangely high energy, but it didn't feel like her usual self. There was a nagging sense of dissonance.
It felt as though she were acting cheerful because she didn't want to address the situation, while inwardly feeling immense anxiety.
"……Hey, Kuro?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
I quietly called her name and gazed into her eyes as she tilted her head.
Her beautiful golden eyes were fixed on me, yet they seemed to waver with uncertainty.
Yeah…… that was it.
I had been truly looking forward to tomorrow's date. I had been restless with excitement.
I wanted tomorrow to be a happy day. I wanted to laugh with Kuro and walk through this beautiful world together. If that was the case, shouldn't I settle this now?
Postponing it would be easy. It would be comfortable. But in the end, that would be no different from running away.
I didn't want to go on a date with these murky feelings, sensing Kuro’s suppressed panic the whole time.
So…… I had to find my resolve. I had to summon my courage.
My hands trembled slightly from the tension. My throat felt incredibly dry, and Kuro looked many times more beautiful than usual.
I had never confessed to anyone in my life. Was it always this nerve-wracking? My body felt stiff, as if I were being squeezed by a vise from all directions.
Before Kuro, who still had her head tilted, I reached into the Magic Box with trembling hands and pulled out the golden fruit I had received from Alice. I slowly held it out to her.
"……I want you to accept this."
"!? Wh…… Why……"
Kuro’s eyes widened and trembled the moment she saw the fruit.
Filled with a mixture of shock and terror, Kuro stared at me in a daze.
Dear Mother, Father—I often hear people say that you don't need a reason to fall in love, and I think that’s true. There were certainly triggers, like being helped or saved, but loving Kuro felt as natural as anything else in the world. Regardless, today, at this moment, in this place—I would finally convey my feelings to Kuro.