The instant I held out the Golden Fruit Alice had given me, the atmosphere around Kuro shifted completely.
Her expression vanished, and her golden eyes locked onto me, unblinking and unmoving.
Silence fell between us. The presence radiating from her was so alien that the words I had prepared died in my throat. Then, Kuro slowly lowered her head.
"Heh... hehe... ahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"—!?"
As if she had suddenly gone mad, plumes of black smoke erupted from Kuro’s body, instantly swallowing the entire room. The world turned jet-black.
What is this? Where am I...?
Before I knew it, I was standing in a void of absolute darkness. I couldn't tell up from down. I couldn't even tell if I was standing on solid ground or simply floating in space.
Despite the pitch-black surroundings that made judging distance impossible, my own body remained clearly visible. The space was suffocatingly oppressive. My body trembled slightly, feeling as though the air itself were constricting around me.
The Golden Fruit was gone. Then, in the dark landscape ahead, a pair of glowing golden eyes appeared.
"Oh? You’re more energetic than I expected, aren't you? Hmm, so it’s the barrier those kids made... Hehe, hahahahaha!!"
"...Kuro?"
The voice echoing through the void was chilling, stained with madness. It was a voice I should have known well, yet it sounded like an entirely alien sound.
"Ah... finally... finally... It’s been so long..."
The eyes wavered in the darkness alongside that mocking voice. What was she talking about? Alice told me that Kuro would likely reject me... but this was different from anything I had imagined.
"I failed again and again... but I’m so happy, Kaito-kun. You finally 'succeeded' for me."
"...Succeeded?"
I didn't understand. All I knew was the impossibly heavy, terrifying atmosphere draping over my body. It was like being inside the belly of a great beast. The pressure was so immense that any thought of resistance felt utterly meaningless. It wasn't exactly killing intent, and Kuro was clearly laughing, yet my knees felt ready to buckle.
Kuro said I looked "fine." That meant the sensation I was feeling now was being dampened by the defensive magic Alice and the others had provided. If this was the pressure after being mitigated... then just how powerful was Kuro’s true self?
"Say, Kaito-kun... have you ever played with dominoes?"
"Dominoes?"
"Yes, dominoes. When do you think the most fun part is? It’s the moment they fall."
"Guh... ah..."
The pressure intensified. I heard a sickening creak, like the sound of something being crushed. It was probably the barrier Alice and the others had placed around me. If it hadn't been there, I likely would have lost consciousness long ago.
"That fledgling I raised so tenderly, as if it were my own child... the moment I tear its beautiful wings from its body—that’s what I’ve been waiting for!"
"Wh... at are you..."
"But it didn't go well for the longest time. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, you see. I wanted to tear off the most beautiful wings imaginable... the magnificent wings of someone who had 'fallen in love with me'!"
"A-Aaaah..."
In that instant, it was finally unleashed.
My thoughts were instantly painted black. A primal terror seized me, one so sharp it made me want to scream. It was pure, undiluted killing intent. It far surpassed the fear I had felt when I first met Isis-san. The concept of "death" was seared into my brain with agonizing intensity.
My body was paralyzed, and a wave of nausea washed over me as the terror crawled across my skin.
"Hehehe, it’s useless, Kaito-kun. If I truly felt like it, that defensive magic wouldn't mean a thing. Don't bother hoping for Shiro’s help, either. Shiro cannot enter the space I have created..."
"Guh... ah... —!?"
Along with those icy words, the sensation in my left hand vanished. I looked down. My left arm—everything from the elbow down—was gone. There was no pain, but there was no sensation of having a limb, either. It was as if it had been swallowed by the void, as if it had never existed in the first place.
"It’s all right. I’ll make sure to savor every bite... little by little, bit by bit..."
"..."
The change wasn't limited to my arm. As Kuro spoke, I lost the sensation in my toes. The numbness began to creep upward, disappearing into the black space. What is this? What’s happening to me? What... will become of me?
"...You are going to die."
"............"
Kuro wasn't lying. I didn't need logic to understand that she truly intended to kill me. In fact, it was only after my body realized the danger that my mind finally began to process the reality of death.
...I’m dying? I see. I’m going to die here.
It was strange. I should have been terrified. I didn't want to die, and yet... had my heart already broken? I found myself accepting the situation without a hint of resistance. It felt as though not just my body, but my very thoughts were being submerged in ink.
It was dark and cold. How much of me was left? Had I already vanished? Why couldn't I feel anything? Had my senses already faded? All I could feel was the chill...
"Tell me, Kaito-kun. How does despair taste?"
".................."
Despair. So, this was despair. Now that I thought about it, I knew this feeling. The inside of a mangled car, my mother and father growing cold beside me... a glimpse of a dark, cloudy sky through twisted metal... it was that same cold, dark sensation.
It was scary. It was cold. I felt like I was freezing.
"One last time, let me hear it. Let me hear your voice, stained with despair..."
"........................"
The last time? Right. The end. I was about to be killed by Kuro. What words should I leave for her? My mind was barely functioning. I couldn't think. I didn't want to think.
Amidst my fading consciousness and my darkening vision, a final phrase tumbled naturally from my lips.
"...Kuro... thank you... for everything."
Haha... I really was something else. Even in a situation like this, I felt nothing but gratitude for her. I was afraid to die, but I felt no anger or hatred toward Kuro. I felt that if I had to be killed by her, then that was all right. I really was head over heels for her...
"..."
Suddenly, the entire space shuddered. My fading thoughts and my numb body were suddenly flooded with heat. The terror and the freezing cold vanished in an instant. My vision cleared, and I saw those golden eyes floating in the darkness again.
But I wasn't the only one who had changed. The golden eyes were wavering.
"...Why... why... WHY!?"
"—!?"
It was a scream—not the eerie, mocking tone from before, but a voice thick with raw emotion.
"I’ve gone this far! So why aren't you 'afraid' of me!? Why aren't you trying to 'get away' from me!?"
"...Ku...ro...?"
"Why!? Even though you’re eventually going to go home! Even though you’re going to disappear from my life! Why do you make me hesitate like this!?"
"..."
It was a tragic, sobbing voice. With every cry, the void shook, as if the space itself were a mirror of her heart.
...I see. This was it. This tidal wave of passion she was projecting... this was her innermost self. In other words, everything until now had been an act. She really was incredible. She had likely accounted for my sympathy magic and skillfully guided my emotions to make me believe the act was real. She had ratcheted up the killing intent, making death feel tangible and imminent to break my spirit. I had to hand it to her.
"...Kuro..."
"—!?"
Once again, as if remembering her role, she released an intense burst of killing intent. My body swayed, though there was no wind. But I was fine. My body hadn't vanished—it moved perfectly well. And my heart wouldn't break a second time.
"...D-Don't come any closer... Stay away..."
"..."
I stepped forward into the darkness. I moved in a completely different direction from the golden eyes. Her frightened voice confirmed it. Those eyes were a decoy; the real Kuro was over here.
Even in this pitch-black room, I knew exactly where she was. One step, then another. I reached out into the void. My hand brushed against something. I grabbed it and pulled.
"...Ah."
"—!?"
Emerging from the darkness was the black-haired version of Shiro. No, her appearance didn't matter. This was Kuro.
I pulled her into my arms and held her with everything I had.
"...Kuro, I love you."
"—!?!?"
I poured every ounce of my feelings into those words. Kuro’s body jerked in my arms, but she didn't resist.
"Ever since I came to this world, your smile has always been what cheered me up. I realized that I want to stay by your side, watching you laugh like that forever."
"...Kaito-kun..."
"No matter what you say or what you do... I won't be afraid of you. I won't leave you. Hey, Kuro? I found my treasure. I love you... more than anyone, more than anything else in the world."
"—!?"
As I held her tight and spoke those words, the tension finally drained out of Kuro. At that moment, the black void shattered like glass, and the scenery returned to my familiar bedroom.
It wasn't just the room that returned; Kuro was back in her familiar form as a silver-haired girl. She clutched at my clothes, her body trembling.
"...You’re an idiot... Kaito-kun, you’re such an idiot... Even though I showed you my true power... even though I forced those terrifying emotions on you... you’re still not afraid of me..."
"...Yeah. Maybe I am."
"Idiot... idiot... idiot... idiot... I love you... I love you! I love you too, Kaito-kun!"
Tears spilled from her eyes as she cried out her love and threw herself into my chest. I held her gently as she buried her face against me, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
"...I’m sorry... I’m so sorry... for making you feel so scared..."
"It’s fine. I don't mind. The one who was truly scared... was you, wasn't it, Kuro?"
"...Yes... I was terrified... I knew that if Kaito-kun confessed to me... I wouldn't be able to give up on you anymore... and I thought that if you ever disappeared... I’d never be able to smile again..."
"I’m not going anywhere. I promise... I won't let anyone take your smile away."
"...Kaito-kun... —!?"
Kuro clung to me even tighter. Then, she slowly looked up at me with wet, shimmering eyes.
"...Kaito-kun... I love you. I love you so much."
"Yeah. I love you too, Kuro."
After we shared our feelings once more, Kuro quietly closed her eyes. I brushed her silver hair, which sparkled in the moonlight, then slowly leaned down... and pressed my lips against hers.
The confession was over, and we were officially a couple, but... this is incredibly embarrassing! What do I do!? I can't even look her in the eye!
Now that the adrenaline had faded, a wave of self-consciousness hit me. Kuro, however, smiled and pulled out the Golden Fruit I had offered her earlier.
"Kaito-kun, who gave this to you?"
"...Eh? Uh, Alice did..."
"Hehe, I see. Then you probably don't know the 'meaning' behind it?"
"Meaning?"
I realized I still had no idea what the fruit actually was. I tilted my head as I looked at the smiling Kuro. Kuro’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she gave me a bashful grin.
"Gifting a Golden Fruit is a marriage proposal in the Spirit Race."
"Wait... what!? Eeeeeh!?"
"The idea is that if you give the fruit and the other person eats it, the engagement is official. Humans mimic the tradition quite a bit, so I thought you knew for sure."
"I-I had no idea..."
Dammit, Alice! What did she give me!? So, I had technically proposed to Kuro before I even confessed... That’s so incredibly embarrassing!
As I felt the heat rising in my face, Kuro bit into the fruit with a perfectly casual motion. Wait, what!?
"K-Kuro!?"
"Oh, this is actually quite fresh and tasty."
"N-No, that’s not the point!"
If she ate it, that meant she was accepting my proposal... Oh man, my face is definitely on fire now. Kuro watched me with an amused expression, then stepped forward and hugged me softly.
"...Ah... finally... finally, I found it."
"Kuro?"
"...It’s been so long, truly... I finally found someone who treats me as an equal... someone who will stand beside me..."
"..."
Tears spilled from her eyes again as she held me as if I were a precious treasure. Kuro had always said she was looking for something... and it seemed she had finally found it.
"...Kaito-kun... I’ll tell you everything. About me... about what I was looking for... I’ll tell you all of it."
"Okay."
I hugged her back, feeling her lean her weight against me. A warmth filled my heart, and I gently stroked her hair.
"But, give me just a little while... just a little bit longer."
"Hmm?"
"Right now... my feelings for Kaito-kun are overflowing so much that I can't think of anything else. I don't want to think about anything else."
"...It’s all right. I’m not in a hurry, and I’m right here. Take your time."
"...Yes. Kaito-kun... I love you... I love you... No matter how many times I say it, it’s not enough. Kaito-kun... thank you for coming to this world... and for meeting me..."
Feeling the warmth of the person I loved in my arms, I was enveloped in a sense of peaceful happiness.
Dear Mother, Father—
I met a mysterious Demon girl in this otherworld, and she saved me. She’s kind, sometimes childish and sometimes mature, and I love her more than anyone for the beautiful smiles she always gives me. And starting today, our relationship has taken a major step forward.
From friends to lovers.
[Kuro’s suppressed affection has been released]
Kuro’s Affection toward Kaito: ???/100 -> 266,347 (Increasing) / 100