Kuro’s teleportation magic brought us back to the Hill of Heroes, a place I had already visited once earlier that day.
Standing before the massive stone monument said to have been left behind by Noin-san, Kuro turned toward me and spoke with a gentle, serene smile.
"Kaito-kun... thank you. Truly."
"Oh... no, I’m just glad you and Fia-sensei were finally able to make up."
I understood immediately that her gratitude was for my role in the situation with Fia-sensei.
"Yes. If you hadn't stepped in, Kaito-kun... neither I nor Fia would have found the right timing. We might have gone on forever without ever reconciling."
"……"
"I’m so glad... and I’m happy from the bottom of my heart. You really are amazing, Kaito-kun. I’m so incredibly lucky to have met you and to be your lover... Thank you again."
It was a strange feeling. This whole ordeal had been quite a struggle in its own way, and I was definitely exhausted. Yet, seeing Kuro’s smile, I felt as though all that fatigue had been worth it.
In the end, I realized there was no complex logic behind why I had pushed myself so hard. I simply wanted to see her smile like this.
Kuro continued to beam at me for a few moments before stretching her hand toward the night sky.
"……Kuro?"
"Wait just a moment."
As soon as she spoke, a massive surge of magic power erupted from her body, powerful enough to make the very air vibrate.
"……Twilight of the Stars, Memories of the World, Afterglow of a Distant Day... Planet Memory."
"Eh? Wha—!?"
Kuro spoke the words in a calm, steady voice, and in that instant, the world before my eyes transformed.
The night sky, which should have been slightly overcast, was suddenly replaced by a breathtaking expanse of shimmering stars. If I wasn't mistaken, Kuro had done this. Had she... changed the weather?
"……This is the starry sky from one thousand years ago."
"O-One thousand years?"
"Yes. I interfered with the world just a bit—only for a short while."
She said it so casually, but the scale of it was staggering. She had essentially wound back time for the sky alone by a millennium. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from her, but still...
As I stood there in awe, Kuro kept her eyes fixed on the massive stone monument and continued.
"One thousand years ago, beneath this very sky... I presented a choice to Noin... no, to Hikari-chan."
"A choice? To Noin-san?"
"Yes. Right here, I let her choose whether she would return to her original world or remain in this one."
If I recalled correctly from what Lilia-san told me, this monument and the Japanese sword kept here were under an incredibly powerful status preservation magic. Based on what she just said, it was almost certainly Kuro who had cast it. But why was she telling me this now, after recreating the sky from that night?
Just as the question surfaced in my mind, Kuro looked away from the monument and met my gaze.
"……The truth is, if I had really wanted to, I could have sent you back to your original world without waiting for the year to end."
"……I see."
I wasn't particularly surprised. Kuro was the half of Shiro-san—the Creator God—and her power was a near-perfect match for Shiro-san’s nearly almighty abilities. It made sense that she could have sent me home whenever she wished. However, that only made me more confused as to why she was bringing it up now.
"……Kaito-kun. I told you that I wouldn't ask what you planned to do after the Hero Festival, didn't I? I said I would respect your choice..."
"Yeah."
"……But, would it be okay if I was just a little... selfish?"
"Huh?"
I hadn't yet told Kuro what I intended to do once the Hero Festival was over. I had tried to once, but she had stopped me, saying I could tell her when the time came. She had insisted that she would respect whatever I decided, and she hadn't touched the subject since.
But now, after mentioning the time following the festival, Kuro took a few small steps toward me. Then, she wrapped her small frame around me in a hug.
"……Kaito-kun. Please don't go back to your original world. In this world that I love so much... I want to be with you, the person I love, forever. So, please... stay here by my side."
"……Kuro."
Knowing how kind she was, I knew she had stayed silent until now to avoid influencing my decision or limiting my options. But now, she was explicitly asking me not to leave. To be honest, it made me feel an overwhelming surge of happiness.
I gently returned her embrace, speaking softly to reassure her.
"……Kuro, the truth is, I made a request to Shiro-san."
"……To Shiro?"
"Yeah. I asked her to let me say goodbye to the people who took care of me back in my world, just one last time."
The request I had made to Shiro-san was simply for the chance to say a proper farewell to my uncle and aunt, whether in person or through a letter. In response, Shiro-san had agreed to let me return to my original world once and then come back here... though it came with the condition that I clear a "final trial" first.
"K-Kaito-kun... does that mean...?"
"Yeah. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stay in this world... and live my life by your side, Kuro."
"Kaito-kun……"
"Kuro... um, also... I love you."
I felt incredibly self-conscious saying it, but as soon as I voiced my feelings, Kuro squeezed me even tighter.
"I love you too, Kaito-kun! I’m so happy... so, so happy."
"Ah, haha... this is kind of embarrassing."
Kuro was pressed firmly against me, and I tightened my own grip, unwilling to let go of her precious warmth. Still clinging to me, she looked up with a smile that radiated pure, unadulterated joy.
"……Hey, Kaito-kun."
"Yeah?"
"……I want to kiss you."
"Me too……"
Beneath the cascading starlight, our faces drew closer until the distance between us vanished.
Dear Mother, Father—Beneath a sky full of stars, I unexpectedly gave Kuro my answer, just as Noin-san had done so long ago. It isn't that I have no lingering attachments to the world I came from. But my mind is made up. Even after the Hero Festival ends—I intend to live my life in this world.