I had stopped in my tracks as Erina was blown away, mesmerized by the falling rain of light, but I quickly broke into a sprint toward the cemetery. I couldn't let their feelings go to waste.
I thought I had a chance while the giant dragon's attention was diverted. However, as I drew closer to the cemetery, the beast's head swiveled, its gaze locking onto me once more.
The dragon didn't operate on complex logic. It simply prioritized anyone attempting to reach the cemetery. Ignoring the change in Erina, it launched its next assault at me—the person currently closest to its objective.
I ran with everything I had, but the difference in scale was insurmountable. A few strides from the giant dragon would be enough to close the gap instantly. The beast moved to cut me off.
But then, its legs—the pillars of its mobility—suddenly froze solid.
"What?!"
I skidded to a halt, looking on in shock. The sight was startlingly familiar; the power looked exactly like the magic wielded by the people I loved most.
Two streaks of light flashed before my eyes, carving through the dragon’s legs. On one side stood a blonde woman wielding a greatsword; on the other, a red-haired woman with dual blades.
"...Lilia-san? Sieg-san? No... that's not right."
They were my seniors in this virtual world, Ririka and Lidi. They weren't the Lilia and Sieglinde I knew from the original world.
Still, I couldn't help but whisper their names. From their weapons to their silhouettes, the resemblance was uncanny. Even their strength felt the same.
The giant dragon collapsed as its legs gave out, then spread its massive wings to retreat into the sky. But in the next heartbeat, those wings were severed at the base—sliced away by Arisa and her dagger.
"What is... happening!?"
The wingless, crippled dragon didn't seem to feel pain. It spat a flame bullet directly at me. I had no way to dodge, but a sudden gust of wind erupted in front of me. Like a recording being played in reverse, the explosion surged back toward the dragon's maw.
The blast shattered its guard. Erina materialized beneath the beast’s chin, driving an upward punch into its massive frame.
The dragon—a monster hundreds of meters long—was launched into the stratosphere.
The five companions split into motes of light and merged back into Erina. Wrapped in a rainbow radiance, she took flight, aiming her handgun at the soaring beast.
She fired a rainbow bullet. It left a wake of light shaped like wings as it climbed, piercing the giant dragon's body and erasing it in a burst of iridescent brilliance.
I didn't fully grasp the mechanics of what I'd just seen, but one thing was certain: Erina had won.
Having buried the dragon in an instant, Erina returned to stand before me, and the six of them separated once more.
"Whoa... the 'Real Me' is really something else," Arisa remarked. "Borrowing just a sliver of her power made us that strong?"
Her words finally made sense of the situation. That rain of light... Kuro and the others must have reached through to lend them strength.
I felt a lump in my throat. Knowing people were watching over me, trying to save me... it was an overwhelming, wonderful feeling.
I was basking in that warmth when I noticed something was wrong.
"...Everyone... Wait, the light..."
Luminous particles were drifting off their bodies. They were becoming transparent.
"...It looks like our job is done," Erina said with a serene smile. "From here on, the battle is yours, Kaito-kun."
"...I see. So that's how it ends. Thank you. Thank you all."
They were inhabitants of a virtual world, "help characters" as Arisa called them. With their purpose fulfilled, there was no one left to stop me from reaching the cemetery.
But that also meant we were parting ways.
"Kaito-kun," Erina said, her smile full of sisterly warmth. "When you get back to the real world, tell 'The Real Me' thank you. Tell her that because of her, I was able to protect what mattered most."
"...Erina."
"Please tell the real me as well," Iris said, her smile fragile. "Tell her to... keep being close with Kaito."
"...Iris-san."
"One from me, too," Fey-san added in her usual lazy drawl. "I’m not one to talk, but tell her to keep the slacking to a minimum."
"...Fey-san."
Ririka gave a wry smile. "Tell the real me this: Stop being so shy. If she doesn't take the initiative once in a while, she'll never get anywhere."
"...Riri-senpai."
"And from me," Lidi-senpai said, her eyes brimming with compassion. "Tell her to look after her health—and yours. I hope you both stay happy forever."
"...Lidi-senpai."
"I guess that leaves me," Arisa said. "Well, let's see... it's a bit cliché, but... tell her to... get along with... Kaito-san..."
"Arisa?"
She tried to finish her message, but tears began to stream down her face.
"Oh, for goodness' sake... I messed up the ending. And I was trying so hard to keep it together..."
"..."
"In the end, I was destined for a broken heart from the very start. That's just the way it goes, isn't it? It's so heart-wrenching."
I couldn't find the words to speak. I felt that I shouldn't—not yet. I had to listen to her. I had to catch every single word.
Arisa lowered her head for a moment, then looked up. She was crying, but she was smiling.
"Kaito-san... I've loved you since high school. This feeling might be artificial. I might be a shadow destined to vanish. But even so... the 'me' who fell in love with you was real. I existed. So, please... just for a little while... remember that I was here. It would make me so happy."
"I won't forget. I'll never forget you... Mamonaka Arisa."
Before I knew it, I was holding her tight. I swore to myself that I would never forget her—that I would remember the person who was standing right here.
"Thank you. It was only a short time... but I was happy. I was so happy to be with you."
With those words, Arisa dissolved into light. The warmth in my arms vanished. The others were gone, too. I was standing alone.
A burning ache welled up in my chest, and the tears finally came. One, then two, splashing onto the ground. I wanted to stay there and sob, but I couldn't. I couldn't stop yet.
I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and started walking toward the cemetery.
So many people had helped me. From here on... this was my battle alone.
???: "That was a total wipeout. I guess the guys who eat tuna really are useless."
Serious-senpai: "I told you to stop with the jokes! Still... Arisa was a great heroine. Desperately helping Kaito even though she knew her heart would be broken... then confessing and vanishing. Tragic, but beautiful."
???: "Huh? What are you talking about? There's no way a heroine in this story ends up with a sad ending like that."
Serious-senpai: "Wha? But she just..."
???: "Look, Kaito-san said it himself at the end: 'I won't forget Mamonaka Arisa.' He recognized her as a person he lived with. Now, what was Kaito-san's Heart Tool again?"
???: "...A massive resurrection flag just popped up..."