Fia-sensei watched Noin-san and me with a face that betrayed not a shred of panic. From her composed posture, I could sense an iron-clad resolve—an unspoken declaration that her answer would not change.
After looking between us for a few moments, Fia-sensei spoke, a gentle smile touching her lips.
"That outfit brings back memories, Hikari. Yes, just as I thought, short hair suits you much better."
"Thank you. As for the nostalgia, I feel the same... Facing you like this reminds me of the time we first clashed."
"It does. So... what now? Shall we try fighting again, just like in the old days?"
"No. Unfortunately, I haven't come to defeat you as the Hero this time. I’ve come to persuade you as a friend."
On the surface, it sounded like a peaceful exchange. However, both Noin-san and Fia-sensei kept their eyes locked on one another, their expressions deadly serious. It occurred to me then that their battle had already begun—though it was in a different form and held a different meaning than the ancient conflict between Hero and Demon King.
I watched the scene in silence, refusing to interject. I couldn't afford to break in yet. This conversation belonged to the two of them; as an outsider, my interference would only disrupt the flow. If Noin-san could reach her, that would be the best possible outcome.
But if she couldn't... if the very fact that they were friends made it impossible for Noin-san to push past Fia-sensei's defenses... then I would step in. Until then, I watched and listened, making sure not to miss a single word.
"I’m glad to hear that," Fia-sensei said. "To me, Hikari, you are a very dear friend as well. But tell me... just what are you trying to persuade me of?"
"I’ll put it bluntly. Please, meet with Chrome-sama."
"Then I will be just as brief. I cannot."
"But you want to see her. Am I wrong?"
"You aren't... I have no intention of hiding that. I want to see Chrome-sama. I want to talk to her one more time. But I simply can't."
It wasn't that she didn't want to, but that she couldn't. Noin-san clearly expected this answer and continued without hesitation.
"Fia, just how long do you intend to keep suffering like this? Isn't it enough? I know painfully well how much you've struggled and how you've tried to atone over these last thousand years."
Fia-sensei remained silent.
"You’ve saved countless lives. Whenever dangerous monsters appear, you're there in secret to exterminate them. You donate the majority of the money you earn as a doctor. You’ve dedicated yourself to curing so-called terminal illnesses and shared those treatments freely with other physicians. You refuse all praise and spend every waking moment blaming yourself. How much longer will you keep this up?"
"There is no end," Fia-sensei replied. "The atonement I perform is nothing more than self-satisfaction. It will never, ever end."
"You should be allowed to forgive yourself by now! What did you actually do? Even when you were feared as the Demon King, you never harmed those who couldn't fight. You didn't even kill the people who took up arms against you!"
Fia-sensei said nothing.
That must have been what Noin-san had been burning to say for centuries. Fia-sensei hadn't killed anyone. While she bore the responsibility for the demons she couldn't control, just as Alice had pointed out, Noin-san was right—she was never a heartless, bloodthirsty monster.
And yet, despite that, Fia-sensei undoubtedly viewed herself as the lowest of the low.
"Why won't you let yourself be forgiven?" Noin-san's voice turned bitter. "Why won't you even allow yourself to be happy?"
"The reason is simple. No matter who else might forgive me, I cannot forgive myself. I must not be forgiven. A fool who committed such sins and hurt someone so precious... someone like me has no right to be happy."
Fia-sensei’s flat, dismissive rejection sparked something in me. I felt a surge of genuine anger.
"Why do you say things like that?" Noin-san pressed. "You have the right to have your wishes granted too! You want to see Chrome-sama... so just go see her!"
"I told you, I can't! I can't show my face to her! I don't have the right!"
"You stubborn—"
"Cut the crap!"
"Eh? Ka-Kaito-san?"
"Miyama-kun?"
Before I realized it, I was shouting.
I hadn't intended to join the conversation. I had planned to stay a bystander, believing it was best for them to work it out themselves. But the moment Kuro’s name came up, I couldn't suppress the rage boiling in my heart. I glared at Fia-sensei, who looked at me with wide, startled eyes.
"What is that supposed to mean? Why are you spouting this nonsense about how people who made mistakes in the past aren't allowed to be happy?"
"What? What are you..."
"I don't have anything to say about you trying to make amends for your past. If you want to spend your life atoning until you're satisfied, fine. Keep doing it until you can live with yourself. I’m an outsider; I have no right to interfere with that. But! You don't need 'rights' or 'qualifications' to be happy in the present!"
"Miyama-kun... that's why I'm saying..."
"The truth is you're just terrified of seeing Kuro, aren't you?"
"What!?"
In my agitation, I had dropped my polite tone entirely. For the first time today, Fia-sensei looked visibly shaken.
"You’re scared that if you see her, she might not forgive you. You're so afraid of that possibility that you're hiding behind excuses about 'qualifications' just so you can keep running away!"
"No... that’s not... I..."
"If you really cared about Kuro, and if you really felt bad about the trouble you caused her... why haven't you apologized to her in person?"
Fia-sensei gasped.
From what I understood, she had vanished from Kuro’s life without a word. She claimed she couldn't forgive herself if Kuro forgave her, but I suspected the real reason was different. It was the same thing Kuro had confessed to me—that she wanted to see Fia, but feared that Fia didn't want to see her. They were both trapped in the same cycle.
"You’re afraid that Kuro might hate you. That thought has been stuck in your head, and that’s why you haven't been able to face her all this time, isn't it?"
"That's..."
"Aren't you just using Kuro—the woman you claim to love like a mother—as an excuse to protect yourself?"
Fia-sensei backed away, her expression crumbling. My guess wasn't just close to the mark—it was the bullseye. She wanted to see Kuro. She wanted to apologize and be forgiven. But the paralyzing fear of rejection was keeping her rooted in place. If she didn't realize that on some level, she wouldn't be this desperate.
"I was right, wasn't I? It's not that you can't see her... it's that you're afraid. But you still want to see her. You still want her to forgive you."
"No... no... I..."
She shook her head, but her voice was weak and trembling.
I felt a sense of relief. It wasn't that she didn't want to be happy or that she didn't want to be saved. Just like the person I used to be, she was desperately wishing for someone to reach out and save her, even while she pushed that very hand away.
"Fia-sensei. Please. Go see Kuro."
"No... No! I won't... I won't see Chrome-sama!"
"Fia..."
"I don't want to! I don't want to see her! Because... because if Chrome-sama rejects me... then I'll truly have nothing left!"
Fia-sensei’s composure was gone. In the face of our pleas, she shook her head like a child throwing a tantrum. It was pure, stubborn fear. She wanted to see her, but she couldn't bear the risk.
"I’m sorry, Fia-sensei, but I’ve already decided. I’m not playing by the rules anymore. I don't care what you say. You can hate me for this, you can despise me... but I'm taking you to Kuro by force."
"I won't go! I..."
Fia-sensei’s screams no longer mattered to me. Kuro had told me she wanted to see Fia, and I was going to make that happen. Or perhaps that was just my own excuse to justify my selfishness.
"But Kaito-san, what do you plan to do?" Noin-san asked. "She won't budge easily like this. And even if you mean to use force... Fia is incredibly powerful. If she seriously resists..."
"Noin-san, I told you... I’m not playing by the rules anymore. I’m using my trump card."
"That feather...? What kind of trump card is..."
Answering Noin-san with a quiet calm, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a single, pure white feather.
"I’m going to make Fia-sensei and Kuro see each other. I'm doing this for Kuro... No, that's not it. I just can't stand to leave things like this. This is my own selfish whim. And to make it come true..."
Convincing myself as much as them, I tossed the feather into the air. I watched it flutter downward, caught in the church’s draft, and spoke the key phrase.
"Lend me your strength, Eden-san!"
In an instant, a silvery wind roared through the sanctuary. A massive sphere of ten pairs—twenty individual wings—manifested in the center of the room. One by one, the wings unfurled, radiating an overwhelming pressure as the God of another world descended.
"Thy will be done."