Episode 184: Hikari and the Girl Who Resembles a Friend
Kei, holding hands with Clam, walks down the sunlit corridor.
Even familiar places looked like exciting playgrounds waiting to be explored through her current perspective.
“What’s that over there?”
“Oh, that’s the training ground,” Clam replied gently after following Kei’s gaze.
Peeking out the window, Kei brightened at the sight of the training area.
“It looks like a park! There are so many things here!”
“Yeah, I think Mizuki mentioned it was handmade. She gathered scrap materials and made it herself.”
“Mizuki?”
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
Seeing Kei tilt her head in curiosity, Clam suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
(That’s one of the children you tried to protect. This place used to be very important to you.)
But saying such things wouldn’t mean anything to this version of Kei.
So Clam just gave an ambiguous smile.
Kei knew she would return to normal eventually.
Still, it pained him that she had even momentarily forgotten about them.
It felt like the greatest betrayal towards her.
“I want to meet Mizuki too!”
“Hmm, she’s working right now. We’ll see her next time.”
“…Muuu, okay.”
Kei nodded dejectedly, and Rinka smiled as she patted her head.
“Instead, we’ll play with you lots!”
With that, Rinka picked up Kei and spun her around high in the air.
Kei quickly returned to a happy expression and laughed.
“Kyahaha! Rinka-oneechan, faster, faster!”
“Alright, I’ll spin you even more!”
Rinka glanced briefly at Clam.
His face wore a complicated smile.
(She seems quite sensitive. Is she worse off than Kei herself?)
To Rinka, it was already clear that Clam’s mental state was deteriorating.
There was nothing to be done, and with a sigh in her heart, Rinka suggested something to both of them.
“Let’s actually go to the training grounds!”
“Really!?”
“Yeah… Come on, you’re coming too.”
“Ahh, alright, let’s go then.”
Kei once again held hands with Clam.
Her face remained pure and innocent as ever.
Under the clear blue sky, the training grounds resembled an adventure playground.
At least, that’s how it appeared to Kei.
“Woo-hoo!”
Upon arriving at the training grounds, Kei broke free from their hands and dashed ahead.
“That’s dangerous!”
Rinka followed with a shrug, though her expression hinted at amusement.
On the other hand, Clam could only watch the scene unfold.
(If this is the real Kei… If she truly fears fighting, what does that make me…)
The more Clam understood Kei, the more he realized his own inadequacy.
(Right now, I should try to make her enjoy herself. And then… send her back to battle again?)
He intellectually understood there was no other option.
Yet, Clam couldn’t help but think…
(I just want her to keep smiling forever.)
It was a pure wish.
An innocent desire that could never come true in this world.
(How can I save her…)
Since reading the notebook, this thought consumed Clam’s mind.
A regular girl who feared battle and death—this was supposed to be Na Takikai.
However, the world wouldn’t allow such an existence.
It forced upon her the role of Solciera instead of letting her be Kei.
(Why must it be her… Why…!)
The anger welled up uncontrollably, intensifying each time he saw Kei laugh innocently.
“—Hey, what’s Clam doing all the way over here?”
Familiar voices brought Clam back from his dark thoughts.
Turning around, he saw the figure of his childhood friend.
“Hikari?”
“Are you looking scary again? Ah, wait, that’s normal for you, haha… Ouch!?”
In response to her carefree laughter, Clam instinctively delivered a chop to her forehead.
Hikari dramatically clutched her head while pouting.
“What was that for!? Professor said violence is the last resort for unintelligent people!”
“Don’t quote such unwise words from an adult.”
Clam sighed exasperatedly while pointing out the irony.
Somehow, he felt slightly better.
Then, Clam noticed an unfamiliar object in Hikari’s hands.
“What’s that… A crossbow?”
“Yes! Check it out, isn’t it cool?! BAKYUN BAKYUN!”
Hikari posed dramatically with the weapon multiple times.
Its purple body adorned with silver parts didn’t seem fitting for her at all.
Rather, it looked like equipment designed specifically for a single girl.
“What is it?”
“Well, I don’t know! Miuye just asked me to test it! Oh, do you want to try it, Clam? It might suit your color scheme better!”
“No, I’m good… Wait, don’t force it on me. And by the way, is Miuye around?”
Looking around hoping to find Miuye to have the cursed collar removed from his neck, Clam spotted no sign of her.
When he turned back to Hikari, she vigorously shook her head.
“Miuye went to Gilneous! Apparently, she has some business with her seniors!”
“Is that so? She seems busy… unlike me.”
“Ah!! Could it be you’re in ‘sensitive mode’? Are you alright!? Should I give you a pat on the head!?”
“Loudly saying such things in public is not ideal.”
Hikari shouted enthusiastically without any regard for the surrounding audience.
Despite her worried tone, the content revealed her regular habit of giving head pats to her childhood friend, which prompted Clam to desperately stop her.
But it was too late.
“Pat-pat me please!”
“Wha-!? What!? Is that Kei!?”
Loud noises naturally attract children’s curiosity, and true to form, Kei ran over with a cheerful wave.
“Oneechan, who’s that?”
“…Clam, what exactly is going on here?”
Hikari whispered conspiratorially while turning away from Kei.
Exhausted from explaining everything in detail, Clam opted for a quick summary.
“Kei’s fever got worse, so we reverted her to a younger form to resolve it.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about…”
“Today’s Kei is a young girl who doesn’t remember anything. Just knowing that much should suffice.”
“Got it!!!”
Hikari turned around energetically and greeted Kei with open arms.
“Hello Kei-chan! I’m Yatsutaka Hikari! My favorite things are justice and singing! I dislike evil deeds! My favorite foods are white rice, cooked rice, and rice grains! Nice to meet you!”
“I like rice too!”
“Great! By the way, look what I can do!”
Two pairs of light wings unfurled from Hikari’s back.
Their brilliance, akin to slices of the sun, made Kei clap her hands in awe.
“Wow!”
“And I can fly too! TOOOOAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!”
Hikari took off into the air using her light wings.
Watching this, Clam examined the crossbow handed to him.
(Wasn’t this brought for testing…?)
Without knowing how to use it, there was no way Clam could operate it.
As he stood puzzled with the crossbow in hand, Linca approached after chasing Kei back.
“What’s that, a crossbow?”
“Yeah, apparently Miuye gave it to Hikari for testing purposes… Clearly a wrong choice if you ask me.”
Hikari wasn’t suited for testing weapons.
After all, her primary weapon was her light wings.
The high-density magical construct served as an excellent tool for both offense and defense.
Hikari had always fought using her wings since ancient times.
So why did they ask her to test projectile weapons?
“Hmm, it’s pretty solidly built. …Hey? Doesn’t it look like it can transform?”
“Uh, don’t mess with it. That’s an invention by the creator of ‘Pervert Detector.”
Upon hearing this, Rinka immediately froze, handed the crossbow back to Clam, and stepped backward with Kei in her arms.
Kei, cradled in her arms, waved enthusiastically at Hikari flying in the sky.
She was entirely captivated by Hikari.
“Amazing!”
“—Heroic Landing!!! …Fufufu, what do you think, Kei-chan? This is what a hero looks like…”
“Cool! I want to fly too!”
Laughing joyfully, Kei slipped out of Rinka’s arms and ran toward Hikari.
“Hikari-oneechan, let’s play together!”
“Sure thing! What shall we play? Tag or hide-and-seek? Anything goes!”
“Let’s play flower shop!”
“Got it!!!”
(Why does she get along so well with someone so much older…)
Witnessing Hikari completely bonding with Kei within minutes, Clam felt half impressed and half exasperated.
Do straightforward emotions and words appeal more to children?
Kei’s face shone brighter than ever before.
“Without overthinking, simply playing like this is the right approach. Definitely.”
Rinka said this beside him.
Clam attempted to retort but found no words and ended up nodding.
No matter how much he worried about Kei, it wouldn’t instantly lead to saving her.
What Clam should do now was merely play with the young Kei.
“…Something happened, right?”
“Nah.”
“Haha, terrible liar. Something’s definitely different.”
When Clam indignantly asked “Where?”, Rinka tapped her own neck.
“The choker, it stopped buzzing halfway through, right? Given how much it annoyed you regarding Kei. Anyone would notice when it stops.”
“…Shut up.”
Saying that, Clam closed his mouth.
Her attitude made Rinka shrug.
“You don’t have to talk to me, but consult someone properly. You’ll end up in trouble if you keep carrying your burdens alone.”
Clam’s nonchalant reply made Rinka silent, clearly indicating she hadn’t grasped the situation.
Instead, she stepped forward.
“Let’s join in too. I’d love to be a customer. Ah, Clam would make a great shopkeeper.”
“Wait, I don’t have to—”
“Clam-oneechan is also a flower shop owner! Let’s run the flower shop together!”
Hearing Rinka’s words, Kei happily jumped up and down.
Seeing this, it was impossible to refuse.
“Alright, let’s have fun, Kei-chan.”
“Okay!”
It was a smile as warm as sunlight.
(…Right, I should focus on playing with this child now.)
Believing this to be the best choice he could make, Clam switched gears.
And he summoned a large number of man-eating frogs to fully enjoy himself.
Just then…
“…Hmm, I’m getting sleepy.”
““Eh?””
“Ahh, me too. I feel drowsy somehow.”
““Eh!?””
Kei and Hikari, walking hand-in-hand towards the planned site for the flower shop, started rubbing their eyes almost simultaneously.
“Clam… Sorry, I’ll wake up by dinner…”
“Hey, don’t fall asleep. Seriously, this freedom is excessive!”
Desperately shaking Hikari’s shoulders proved futile; her head just bobbed lifelessly, and her body leaned heavily on Clam already.
Meanwhile, Rinka effortlessly carried the sleeping Kei on her back.
“…Hmm?”
“Sleepy, Kei-chan? Let’s go to bed together.”
“Okay…”
Rubbing her eyes, Kei responded softly.
The next moment, overwhelmed by sleepiness, she seemed to lose consciousness.
“This must be what Nameless meant by magical exhaustion. It comes suddenly, huh?”
“So why is this big kid falling asleep too…!?”
Clam laid Hikari down on top of a man-eating frog.
“Maybe she got tired from all the excitement?”
“My childhood friend is acting too childish…”
Hikari rested peacefully on the frog bed, seemingly content with a satisfied expression.
“Alright, I’ll take them to bed.”
“Alright.”
Rinka headed towards Kei’s dormitory.
Clam followed behind, carrying Hikari via the man-eating frog.
Stopping, Rinka turned around and tilted her head.
“Why are you following? You should put that child to bed, shouldn’t you?”
“There’s no way I’m leaving you alone with Kei. What if you kiss her or something while she’s asleep?”
Apparently determined to follow alongside her sleeping childhood friend, Clam showed no signs of backing down, veins popping on his forehead.
(…Right, it wouldn’t be interesting without some resistance.)
Seeing Clam’s angry face, Rinka inwardly nodded in satisfaction.
“…Hmm, fine then. Come along. To my room with Kei.”
“Huh? This is my room with Kei, and the extra space is obviously for me, right?”
Though it was a cheap provocation, Clam immediately fell for it.
Veins were clearly visible on his forehead now.
(That’s right, it wouldn’t be satisfying unless it gets competitive.)
Watching Clam’s anger, Rinka inwardly nodded contentedly.
Clicking the heart button lets you easily express your support. (Login required.)
