A massive cocoon rested at the very heart of the Sanctuary. It pulsed with a divine radiance, appearing so majestic that it commanded awe from any who looked upon it. Standing before the shell where Kaito slept, Shallow Vernal gazed at him in silence.
Without shifting her posture, she spoke a single command to those waiting behind her.
"...I leave the rest to you."
"Yes, Lady Shallow Vernal!"
The three who bowed their heads in response were the God Realm’s greatest powers—the three Supreme Gods: Chronoa, Fate, and Life.
Having been briefed on the nature of this conflict and bolstered by a temporary surge of Shallow Vernal's own magic, the Supreme Gods possessed power that transcended all logic. They stood, turned their backs to the cocoon, and began to walk away.
All three of them knew Kaito well; they had shared a relationship that could only be described as fond. However, personal feelings held no weight here. Once they had received an order from the absolute Shallow Vernal, their only mission was to follow her will and eliminate her enemies.
Even if it resulted in Kaito Miyama's death... they would not hesitate.
Or so it should have been. Yet, just before they crossed the threshold of the Sanctuary, one of them looked back. She whispered in a voice so faint it was barely a breath.
"...Kaito-kun... Is this... is this really the right thing for me to do?"
There was no answer to her tremulous doubt. Fate shook her head once and stepped out of the Sanctuary.
A heavy silence descended upon the Sanctuary after the Supreme Gods departed, but it lasted only a heartbeat before it was shattered by a magic power so immense it threatened to warp the fabric of space itself.
"Shi-rooooo!"
"...So, you have arrived."
The Underworld King, Kuromueina—she was a being of almost helpless kindness. She was sweet, perhaps to a fault. It was likely for that very reason that no one had ever seen her like this. Her face was completely consumed by a white-hot, jagged fury.
Kuromueina touched down, the ground of the Sanctuary shattering beneath the weight of her terrifying magic. She screamed at Shallow Vernal, her expression twisted with rage.
"Why?! Why did you use the Cradle of Forgetfulness on Kaito-kun?! Do you even understand what that means?!"
"..."
Kuro was kind, and she was soft. She had heard from Shaltier—Alice—that Shallow Vernal might attempt to seize Kaito's memories, but she had desperately wanted to believe in her friend until the very end.
She had clung to a fragile hope that Shallow Vernal, who cherished Kaito, would never resort to a method that was tantamount to killing him. She had prayed Shiro would reconsider. But those hopes had been betrayed. Shallow Vernal was attempting to steal the one thing Alice had deemed the absolute worst-case scenario. It was unforgivable.
"To erase Kaito-kun's memories... it’s the same as killing him! Why?! Didn't you treasure him too, Shiro?! Kaito-kun trusted you!"
"..."
"So why do something so cruel?! Why would you betray his trust like this?!"
"...You..."
"Answer me, Shiro!"
"You!! What could you possibly understand about me?!"
"!?"
The outburst was so shocking that Kuromueina, who had been the one consumed by rage, found herself stumbling backward.
Shallow Vernal—the Goddess who was always expressionless, who never let a flicker of emotion touch her face—was screaming. Her voice was raw, and her face was contorted with a passion so intense that even Kuro, her companion of eons, had never seen anything like it.
"Why? I am the one who wants to ask that! Why is it you?! Of all people!!"
"...Shi...ro...?"
"I was the one who sought him! I was the one who wanted him! So why was it you?! Why did you get what I wanted?! Why are you standing in the place where I wanted to stand?!"
Shallow Vernal’s voice cracked as she screamed. For a moment, she looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"We were originally the same being! So tell me! What is the difference between you and me?!"
"..."
Kuro stood stunned, watching the Creation God lay her soul bare. Shallow Vernal’s shoulders heaved as she took a jagged breath, before her face smoothed back into its usual, chilling mask of indifference. She turned her gaze back to the cocoon where Kaito slept.
"...If Kaito-san loses the memories of the year he spent in this world... if I save the Kaito-san who existed before you ever reached him... then I can finally become his special... his one and only."
"...Shiro, you..."
Seeing her like that helped Kuro regain a measure of her own composure. She closed her eyes, thinking for a moment, before looking back at Shallow Vernal with eyes full of quiet, immovable resolve.
"...I guess we really are similar, even if we look like opposites. In the end, we both wanted the same thing. Yeah... I think I can finally understand how you feel, Shiro."
"..."
"But I won't let you. Even so, that’s the one thing you can’t do. I cannot allow it."
"Is it because I am trying to take what is precious to you?"
"That’s part of it, but it’s more than that. Kaito-kun's memories belong to him and him alone. No matter what your reasons are... I won't let you steal them."
This was the final rupture. Shallow Vernal and Kuromueina both loved the same person, but at this moment, their desires were fundamentally incompatible.
The path forward was clear. If neither would yield, there was only one option left.
"I knew it would come to this."
"...I'm going to stop you."
"Then I shall strike you down."
As the words were whispered, the world shifted. The Sanctuary vanished, and the cocoon containing Kaito disappeared from view. In their place was an infinitely expanding void that resembled a starless cosmos.
This was a world newly created by Shallow Vernal—a stage set for a clash between two absolute beings.
On this night, countless worlds would be born and perish in the wake of their power. This was not the simple scuffle of twenty thousand years ago, nor was it one of their occasional sparring matches to vent frustration.
Over the story of a single young man, the Beginning Black and the Ending White clashed for the first time with every ounce of their strength.
Serious-senpai: "...Wait, who’s the protagonist again?"
???: "Kaito-san, obviously."
Serious-senpai: "And the main heroine?"
???: "Kuro-san."
Serious-senpai: "...So one of them is the captive princess and the other is the hero charging into the final boss fight. Isn't that totally backward?"
???: "It’s hard to deny."