Lossy's Journal

I am Renko Usami, and this is my report.

It details how Merry and I uncovered the truth behind the "Lost Barriers."

I cannot allow anyone but Merry to read what I have written. So, if you're reading this, you must be her.

I wrote the publicly available parts of this report in a secret code so only we can uncover the report's true contents.

While it pains me to say this, we cannot let anyone read the information contained herein, not even "our friend."

We are the Secret Sealing Club. We expose barriers for what they are and cross boundaries.

These acts are officially forbidden because they disrupt the balance of this world. But that is what we do.

The Lost Barriers weren't our fault... At least, I'm fairly certain they weren't. I'm sure Merry would tell me if they were.

No one can know what our club really gets up to. We have to keep the fact that we investigate barriers a secret.

And we have to expose the truth behind the Lost Barriers while we still can.

It was a stroke of good fortune that our friend received that mysterious sealed letter... that blank invitation.

No, perhaps everything had already been set into motion before it arrived. In fact, I'm sure of it.

It wasn't by chance that we investigated that ward or ventured into that ruin near the sanitorium.

Nor was it a coincidence that we were staying the night when the invitation arrived.

There's something else at work here.

Our friend had yet to fully investigate the subway. It seems she only learned that it was still operational when we did.

Of course, she also didn't know that the tracks led somewhere.

There was nothing dangerous about the subway. It was merely used to transport people and cargo.

The train was an old one. It still ran on wheels as opposed to electromagnets. But it was a surprisingly comfortable ride.

I'd say that was thanks to the pink noise.

Once the train stopped, we stepped off onto a smelly subway platform that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages.

The lights were on, though. LEDs last for a long time, I guess. Either way, we soon discovered why there was still electricity.

We climbed all the stairs leading up from the platform and stepped outside...

We were left speechless by what we found.

But it didn't take me long to figure out where we were.

I had heard about this place before.

I grew up in Tokyo, so it'd be pretty strange if I hadn't.

It was a district in Tokyo called the Last Tokyo Ward, or Last Ward for short.

This was the first time I'd been there...

...because this ward is a remnant of the old Tokyo that had been buried underground.

We decided to head back before venturing too far from the station. And by "we," I mean me, Merry, and our friend.

There were three reasons for this.

First, we needed to make preparations before exploring such a large area.

Second, our friend told us that she couldn't stray far from her research facility.

Third, Merry and I didn't want to drag her into this.

Renko

As the Secret Sealing Club, we've got no choice but to investigate.

Renko

We must find the truth behind the Lost Barriers...

I am Maribel Hearn, and this is my report.

It details Renko's and my actions for our Secret Sealing Club.

I can't let anyone but Renko read its contents. So you must be her.

I have ensured this by writing the introduction of that other report in a code that only Renko can decipher.

We can't drag "our friend" into this. This is a problem for the Secret Sealing Club.

The event that caused the "Lost Barriers" happened fairly recently. Check the other report for more details.

As the name implies, this was the moment when barriers all over the world suddenly disappeared.

Before then, extraordinary things could be found in everyday life, with new discoveries being made every now and then.

But then they were gone without any warning.

Now, if you're wondering what effect this had on the world...

Surprisingly, nothing really changed. In fact, you can even say that it had no real detrimental effects at all.

In the past, before the advent of science, there was one thing that no civilization could control... nature.

This also includes things like wild animals that live in remote regions and natural disasters.

But the people back then weren't scared of nature because they took precautions to minimize its threats.

And that is what barriers were to us. A threat, but one that could be avoided.

It might've been different in the past when barriers first appeared, but we eventually learned how to deal with them.

The same could be said about abilities, which have steadily grown weaker ever since the barriers disappeared.

Abilities are rare. They are usually discovered in children, and they have always grown weaker with age.

The effects of most abilities can also be replicated by modern science.

In fact, the deterioration of abilities was welcomed by people who had abilities with undesirable effects...

...and by people whose abilities would have been declared an illness rather than an eccentricity in an earlier era.

Nowadays, it is generally believed that there is an inseparable link between abilities and barriers.

It is theorized that abilities are powers pulled from the other side of a barrier.

That's why the Lost Barriers didn't affect society at large, but they did affect specific individuals.

You can separate these individuals into three distinct camps.

First, the few people who study barriers and abilities either for political leverage or economic gain. It's not very efficient.

Second, those who find solace in abilities and barriers. These come in varying degrees, from mere hobbyists to cults.

And lastly, there is me and Renko with our Secret Sealing Club.

Merry

(As far as I can tell, Renko's ability hasn't deteriorated yet, but that could change.)

Merry

(Everyone's abilities are getting weaker.)

Merry

(So why...? Why is mine getting stronger?)

The following is what I remember about Sanae Kochiya.

We were friends in elementary school.

Everyone at school knew her for her angelic smile. But she also seemed more mature than most kids her age.

She was smart, respectable, beautiful, and healthy, was good at sports, music, art, and cooking, and got lots of awards.

She was always polite, kind, approachable, decisive, and generous, and she was among the tallest in her class.

In other words... she was perfect.

I have just the story to illustrate what kind of person she was.

The time was autumn, and a single quince fruit fell from a tree in the corner of the school grounds.

The fruit fell right into a pond with a resounding "plop."

As an aside, quinces are full of sclereids, or stone cells, and the Frog Stone is a famous tourist attraction near Tokyo.

Doesn't this make you think of Bashou's poem about the sound a frog makes when it jumps into an ancient pond?

Anyway, Sanae was in class when she saw this quince fall. So she raised her hand and asked the teacher a question.

"Why do quinces fall down to the ground?"

It was a simple but profound question... not something you'd usually hear from an elementary schooler.

The teacher said, "Because it's autumn. That's when they fall." But Sanae asked the same question to other teachers.

The Science teacher's "Because of gravity" was the most direct answer, but it's interesting how they all answered differently.

The PE teacher said, "Because they do," the music teacher said she didn't know, and the art teacher looked annoyed.

The math teacher talked about quadratic equations, and the language teacher dodged the question by reciting a poem.

What's surprising is that the part-time IT teacher spoke at length about the super-unified physics theory of gravity.

Apparently, she wanted to be a science teacher but was unable to pass the exams.

In any case, Sanae's simple question was enough to destroy a common misconception that the other kids took for granted.

The kids learned that adults aren't perfect.

Adults don't know everything. They are people just like us kids.

The kids realized that, just like them, each teacher was a person with their own unique personality and quirks.

Sanae brought about this great change in the school without any apparent effort at all.

I have another anecdote that I'd like to tell about Sanae. Of the two, this one left a much stronger impression on me.

Which makes sense because it only involved us.

It was a sunny day in the middle of summer―so, about three months before she asked that question I mentioned earlier.

I remember a stark contrast between bright light and a large shadow, so I think we were behind the main school building.

There were puffy white clouds in the sky, and the cicadas were chirping as she shyly whispered...

"Renko, I can create miracles."

Her hands were clasped together, one on top of the other, as if she was trying to keep water from spilling...

...or a tiny insect from escaping. Curious, I bent down and peeked inside.

And that's when I saw "it."

No, that can't be right.

We weren't at school, and it wasn't the middle of the day. Yeah, I'm fairly sure...

We were at a shrine.

This has just made me more certain of what I had already suspected.

I don't know her.

While I can clearly remember the time I spent with Sanae, and I'm sure they're my actual memories...

...I'm also sure that I don't know her.

I have no idea why these memories suddenly came back to me now. Or why I had never thought about them before.

Which is why I'm certain that...

I don't know any Sanae Kochiya.

Renko

...All right, are you following so far?

Renko

We're going to keep presenting our reports like this. It's kinda like a debriefing for our Lost Barriers investigation.

Merry

Yeah, we're fulfilling our promise.

Merry

You have to stay here, so hearing the results of our investigation into the Lost Barriers...

Merry

...might help you find your lost memories.

Renko

Yeah, that's the only lead we have right now.

Thanks, Renko. Thanks, Merry.

...The tea's ready, so let's take a little break.

Merry & Renko

Thanks, PLAYER.

You

The subway is connected to the Last Tokyo Ward.

You

Tokyo isn't that far from here by train. And that autonomous train is much more technologically advanced than it looks.

You

Without the train, the subway would just be an incredibly long tunnel. There's no way we could reach Tokyo on foot.

You

What I'm trying to say is that I had no idea that the tunnel led to Tokyo.

You

If it wasn't for that sealed letter that appeared on my desk, I doubt I'd have ever figured out where it led.

You

I don't have the time to investigate it.

You

This facility houses a library's worth of documents. There are more rooms like this one, filled with just as many books.

You

I can't leave this place for long until I finish sorting through them.

You

That's the promise I made with my kind benefactor, who practically gave this place to me for free.

You

Of course, I also know about the Lost Barriers.

You

They're why we made that promise in the first place.

You

"Gaps in barriers..."

You

"...are the source of everything in this world that's mysterious, supernatural, strange, or wondrous."

You

"They're the genesis. Without them, none of these books would exist."

You

"But now, they're gone, and I don't know how long the information stored here will last."

You

"So, you have to copy it all."

You

"Preserve it."

You

"Make it your own."

You

Renko and Merry confided that they are investigating the Lost Barriers to ensure the survival of their Secret Sealing Club.

You

As far as I know, the main activities of their club are field and desk research into various aspects of folklore.

You

And apparently, this has become much harder ever since the barriers disappeared...

You

Meaning they have probably made the unusual decision to specialize in folklore that deals with barriers.

You

Unfortunately, there is something that I cannot discuss with them.

You

Recently, I've been meeting them both in the world of dreams and illusions when my consciousness flies there.

You

However, unlike me, they don't remember anything that happens there.

You

Taking all this into account, I have come up with a tentative theory.

You

I'm guessing that the true goal of the Secret Sealing Club is to expose barriers.

You

They probably interfere with the gaps in barriers and even pass through them if they can.

You

This endangers themselves and everything around them. There's even a rumor that this can rewrite the laws of physics.

You

And some people think the very idea of exposing barriers is sacrilegious.

You

I think there's also a law that makes it a criminal offense... though I'm not sure since I haven't really looked into it.

You

The general consensus is that the act of exposing barriers is as deadly as getting stranded at sea or lost in the mountains.

You

Of course, this begs the question...

You

What if the barriers disappeared because they were exposed?

Huh?!

Why am I dreaming again?!

Reimu

Pause!

Marisa

Don't blame us!

Reimu

You're really touching it now.

Marisa

Yep, you've got your hands all over it.

Huh? What are you talking about?

Reimu

You are touching a tiny possibility while standing here in the space between all the dying worlds.

Reimu

Oh, but don't get the wrong idea. You're not saving anything. It isn't a possibility that could stop a world from ending.

Marisa

Observing the end is anything but simple. It's a real pain, and you're in the thick of it now.

Marisa

But, well, there's no point worrying. You just need to learn the ropes.

??? & ???

Move it!

???

Thanks for taking care of things while I was away, you two. I'll handle it from here.

???

...Hello, ordinary human. I'm Mima.

Mima

I'll be straight with you. You're in a precarious position, and I really don't want you to fail.

???

The box is still closed right now, so the information inside will only be determined once you open it.

???

...My name is Shinki. And you are a human, from the human world, are you not?

Shinki

And by information, I'm referring to the reports those two girls are presenting to you.

But they're reports...

They're about things that have already happened...

...so shouldn't that information already be determined?

Mima

No, not yet, which is why you shall make it so.

Shinki

All right, I think we better show you who we found this time.

Where did they come from?!

Mima

To put it simply, these girls are your ten-foot pole.

Shinki

They are fragments we extracted from dead worlds to help you out.

Mima

They will let you touch places out of your reach.

Shinki

In other words, they are tools.

The events in the reports have already happened...

...but you need me to change fate after the fact?

Will this reveal the truth behind the Lost Barriers?

Mima

The only option available to you now is to pursue the truth.

Shinki

But who's to say the "truth" you're searching for even exists?

...?

(It's no good... They've completely lost me.)

Mima

Now, let's see if you can get your tools to obey you.

Shinki

I'm sure you know what to do.

Mima & Shinki

It's time for a battle of bullets.

???

...

???

...

???

...

???

...

The absurdly long stairs at the end of the dank and moldy platform led up to the Last Tokyo Ward station's entrance.

If we looked around, we might have found an elevator, but Renko and I are pretty used to long walks by now.

That said, climbing those stairs really felt like a "climb" in every sense of the word.

And it wasn't just an upward climb. We had to climb up, then down, then back up again.

Renko jokingly said she felt like an ant or a mole winding through the earth.

That's because there weren't stairs all the way to the station's entrance. In fact, we walked most of the way on flat ground.

We walked past rows of dilapidated restaurants and unmoving moving walkways next to crumbling displays of modern art.

There were unreadable advertisements that had slowly eroded over time and a plaza with a dried-out fountain.

These things made it easy to imagine what this place used to look like and easy to identify what was missing.

The people were long gone. However, even though this place had been abandoned...

...people leave a part of themselves in every place they use. They leave regrets.

Renko

It's a really nice day today, huh?

A different location calls for a different outfit. It helps set the mood.

Renko's gone with a more casual look today. She looks really good.

I may as well mention this here, but modern technology has made it really easy to follow the latest fashion trends.

Of course, there are still people who stick to the old way of doing things, and that includes us sometimes, too.

But there are many more options available now, and they're all cheap. There's more freedom to express yourself.

With the power of science, anyone can easily arrange their hair, makeup, and outfits at a reasonable rate.

The latest developments in nanomachines, holography, meta-materials, and bio-engineering help you look your best.

I like how you can adjust the length and shape of your hair at the touch of a button. You can become a whole new person.

However, all these options created a disparity between those who know how to use the tools available and those who don't.

It's not easy to design a look that gives off a specific impression or find the look that suits you best.

You can't get those things just by copying someone... When I put it like that, maybe fashion hasn't changed much after all.

Well, whatever. It seems I'll have to wait for Renko to judge my fashion choices today.

She hasn't said anything for a while. What's she thinking about?

Renko

Hmm...

Renko

Maybe we should've come up with a plan before we got here. This place is so big that I don't know where to investigate first.

Merry

How could she not expect this?

Renko was the one who suggested that we just go and see what happens... even though that's usually my job.

"Yeah, what should we do?"

That was what I was going to say, but those words never got the chance to leave my lips.

I was convinced we were alone in this abandoned city. But that assumption collapsed in the face of what was before me.

There was another person.

???

Hello, do you need any help?

???

Is this your first time here? Can I show you to a nice cafe where we can have a chat and get a coffee or some tea?

???

I'm a reporter who writes about this Last Ward. Call me Aya Shameimaru. That's my pen name and my business name.

Renko

U-Ummm...

Aya

Don't worry about the tea. I'm happy to pay for it, as long as you answer a few questions.

Aya

Of course, I can also provide you with some information that'll help you explore the Last Ward.

Aya

C'mon, let's go.

To be honest, Renko and I already knew about the Last Ward before we got here.

But there are different levels of knowledge. Or, I guess you could call them different types of knowledge.

Knowing a place's geography is different from knowing what it's like to visit for a holiday or live there.

You generally know a lot about places you've actually been to or lived in. They leave a lasting impression in your memory.

But there are some places you know about through pictures or travel guides, even though you've never been there in person.

Like famous tourist spots or large cities.

However, there are also famous places that you've heard about but can't point to on a map.

Or places that you've never been to but know a lot about because you've studied them extensively.

You might be familiar with a small, inconsequential town from living there. Or know nothing about a place but its name.

The last one describes our relationship with the Last Tokyo Ward.

Tokyo is where Renko grew up. It has a long and convoluted history, which makes sense since it used to be the capital city.

Advancements in science, such as new technology and energy solutions, influenced how the city evolved.

But what truly steered its course was the thoughts and feelings of the people.

Humans have long memories, imaginations, and the ability to predict.

That is why we have dreams, see illusions, paint visions of the future, and expect groups to make efficient plans.

Like the plan to cover the whole city in a weather-simulating dome that'll also act as the base for a space elevator.

Or the plan to create a geofront and fill the vast subterranean cavity with a utopian vertical city.

However, the problem with distancing the city from the surface is that it becomes much harder to procure resources.

If you go underground, you'd have to abandon sunlight, and if you went up in the sky, you'd have to compete with gravity.

There's also the issue that some people might be extremely hesitant to abandon the old city.

In the past, urban renewal was facilitated by demolishing old, dilapidated buildings to then build new ones.

It's like how old-fashioned computers free up memory. Cities have a lot in common with integrated circuits.

That's how someone came up with the idea that we might be able to increase the memory capacity of cities.

Who, you ask? Probably some kind of city planning AI.

The plan the government chose to go with was incredibly greedy. You could also call it indecisive.

It was a turning point that could very well direct the course of our civilization for the next ten thousand years.

That is the effect that creating a city has on our collective history.

Nevertheless, this plan resulted in the Last Tokyo Ward.

They chose to bury the old Tokyo underground, pushing it deeper with each urban renewal...

This effectively recorded Tokyo's past in a tangible form, with the Last Ward being the deepest layer.

Minimum maintenance is performed to ensure the structural integrity of the layers, but nature was left to run rampant.

The Last Ward is really only talked about by eccentrics, so most people don't even know or care that it exists.

It's become something of an urban legend.

So, like most urban legends, it attracts tourists. It's possible to go there, and there are a few people who have.

I've also talked to Renko about going there someday.

However, even though this city was abandoned for greener grass, humans produce the same things wherever they go.

So we assumed that even if we went there, we'd just find the same old sights, only older and more run-down.

And that's where our discussion ended.

Then again, the slight differences might make the Last Ward's history worth investigating...

Aya

...Well, there are quite a few people living here. All the urban developments were done to solve overpopulation, after all.

Aya

Only, the Last Ward is at the very bottom, so we have a much lower population than any of the upper layers.

Renko

It was made this way to physically preserve culture, so it makes sense that the people living here are a part of that.

Aya

We live in a time where you can do anything, no matter where you are. We have internet and can get things delivered.

Aya

I've even heard that some people run companies or trade in stocks from down here.

Renko

That makes it sound like a resort or something.

Merry

I bet it'd be the perfect resort for inquisitive people who enjoy their freedom.

Aya

Exactly.

Aya

By the way, have you noticed anything familiar about this cafe's interior design or menu?

Renko

Now that you mention it...!

Merry

It looks just like the cafe near our university. The one we always go to.

Aya

I've forgotten whether this one's a chain or a franchise, but you'll find most well-known brands have outlets here, too.

Aya

That's partly because they're run by companies established long ago but mostly because money can be made here.

Renko

So why are we the only ones here? I know the service is fully automated, like most cafes, but what about the customers?

Merry

It's still in business, so it must get enough customers to pay the bills.

Aya

Exactly. In the Last Ward, even when it looks like no one's around, there is always someone there.

Aya

Ayaya, I didn't mean to scare you. But it's best to be cautious.

Aya

People tend to act recklessly when there's no one else around. And the laws aren't always enforced here if you get my drift...

Aya

On the other hand... while there might not be any security cameras, this place is managed by some observant people.

Aya

This is still a part of Japan, governed by its laws, and it goes without saying that order is a product of human culture.

Renko

R-Right... I think I follow you.

Merry

You mean that this place is still safe in its own way and that we don't have to worry about getting robbed or attacked?

Aya

Yes, that is correct. Well, in theory, at least.

Aya

Oh, is that the time already? Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you so long. I have some business I must attend to soon.

Aya

I really enjoyed hearing about your search for the truth behind the Lost Barriers. Here, take my business card.

Aya

I'd be grateful if you kept me updated. As someone who lives in this city, I know what it's like to search for something.

Renko

Oh, is that right? What are you searching for?

Aya

Let's save that for our next chat. Just know that I am also interested in the mysteries surrounding the Lost Barriers.

Aya

I don't know why, but I get the feeling that this city has changed somehow since the barriers disappeared.

Aya

So, I'm investigating the Lost Barriers to prove that my intuition is correct.

Renko

...!

Aya

It's a bit old-fashioned, but if you need me, call the number on my card. We're bound by fate, headed toward the same goal.

Aya

Until next time. See you.

Renko

Merry...

Merry

I'm thinking the same thing as you, Renko.

Merry

Miss Aya might be able to tell us something about PLAYER's past.

Renko

Yeah, we'll have to meet her again.

Renko

Sometime soon.

Rivers are strange. We don't pay much attention to them, but they have a huge impact on the surrounding environment.

The bigger the river, the harder it is to judge how fast it flows. And fast rivers can transport a crazy amount of cargo.

They're torrents that flow from high to low, gathering water as they go. They're like a symbol of nature's power.

Humans gratefully use them for agriculture and to transport goods. As creatures of Earth, we cannot live without water.

But rivers that cannot be controlled bring the wrath of gods. Flood prevention is needed to protect people and culture.

That's why river management has been a focus of government since forever. Subduing floods inspires awe and confidence.

...Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that it makes sense that civilizations flourish next to water.

I mentioned all this because we're standing before a river. We're on a riverbank.

And the wind is blowing. Incidentally, I've heard it said that rivers are used as highways for the wind.

Rivers are made up of water flowing on land, so their main source is rain.

Rain comes from clouds. Clouds are formed by air currents, mostly above the ocean, and are carried to land by the wind.

The cycle of the Earth's water is a visible representation of the wind's cycle.

Merry

...

Merry

Miss Aya said there were a surprising number of people here... but we still haven't seen anyone.

Renko

Hahaha, maybe we're not in the right place. We should've asked Miss Aya more questions when we had the chance.

Renko

Let's explore a bit more. It's pretty fun walking around and seeing all the sights.

Renko

But then, it's always fun exploring with you.

Merry

Oh, you.

There's no denying that humans are incomplete as individuals. That's one of the universal truths.

That is why gods gave us the power of speech.

At the risk of sounding cliche, it's easier to solve a problem by discussing it rather than just thinking about it by yourself.

And for me, Merry is the best person to talk to.

It's always fun.

Merry

What is it, Renko? Why are you smiling at me like that?

Merry really is like a princess.

Though, I don't mean in the sense of talking all lady-like, flaunting elaborate hairstyles, or wearing expensive jewelry.

She doesn't curtsey and walk all gracefully, nor does she have some special birthmark that denotes a royal lineage.

Merry

...?

But even an ordinary dress becomes a dress fit for a princess when Merry wears it.

And when Merry speaks, I hear the voice of a princess. Her every gesture becomes something a princess would do.

When she stands, she's Merry. When she sits, she's Hearn. And when she walks, she's Maribel.

I might be using tautology, but that doesn't make it any less correct.

In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Maribel actually descended from some exiled heir to a throne.

If I've learned anything from books and movies, you can supposedly tell when someone is a royal.

They have a regal presence.

Renko

Hey, Merry, about your parents...

It was then that the incessant breeze―

―suddenly stopped.

???

Renko?

Renko

Huh?

???

I knew it. It's really you, Renko.

???

It's been a while. Do you remember me?

???

It's me. Sanae Kochiya.

Renko

...?

Merry

...

Sanae

Oh, y-you don't remember me, do you? I've never forgotten you!

Sanae

You were pretty famous back in the day, after all. Everyone knew you.

Renko

Sanae... Kochiya...?

Renko

Sanae... You're Sanae?!

Sanae

Yep! That's me!

Renko

Wow, yeah, I remember you! Well, I do now, anyway! It's been ages! What's with the uniform?

Sanae

It's because my middle school follows the old system. Our uniform is inspired by the ones worn back then.

Sanae

Looks good, doesn't it?

Sanae did a little spin. Seeing skirts when they catch the wind like that really makes you appreciate them more.

Renko

I never expected to see you here in the Last Ward.

Sanae

I didn't expect to see a familiar face either.

Sanae

Sure, it wouldn't be that strange to see a fellow resident of the Last Ward, but you're an outsider, aren't you, Renko?

I'm guessing outsider is the name they use here for people who came from outside the Last Ward.

The age range for middle schools under the old system was from about 12 to 17, so that lines up with her age now.

I'm kinda jealous that she gets to wear a uniform, though. Not that I really want to wear one.

Actually, maybe I do.

Renko

We only just came here today, so it's pretty crazy that we happened to meet each other.

Well, that's not exactly true, but if I said we visited once before and left right away, it'd just make things confusing.

...

My memories about Sanae came flooding back to me. That's how memories work. Once triggered, you can't stop them.

It's like when you watch a film adaptation of a TV series. Hm, that analogy won't make sense unless you're into old media.

It's like an abridged version of events, like the thing you're meant to see just before you die.

I wonder if I'll see this moment before I die. There's a lifetime's worth of information to summarize, so maybe not.

Anyway, I guess I should talk about these memories.

I reckon there are three in particular that perfectly illustrate the girl known as Sanae Kochiya.

I've already mentioned the other two, so it's time to talk about the third.

Sanae and I were friends back in the day.

But it's not like we were inseparable or anything. We were just classmates who got along with each other.

However, there was one specific event that really changed my perception of her.

Sanae Kochiya was always perfect. It sounds like a joke, but it's true.

Most "perfect" kids have some kind of fault or shortcoming. Like, they're actually really mean once you get to know them.

But Sanae didn't have any faults.

She was an angel.

It was like her very existence was proof that the phrase "nothing is perfect" was just that. Nothing but a phrase.

It's said Heaven grants each person one talent, but Sanae had every talent you could think of... Thus, she was an angel.

If you heard a rumor about her, it was always praise. And if you met her, you'd find those rumors didn't do her justice.

Now, back to the event I mentioned... There was a certain "game" that was popular with the girls in our class.

There was nothing special about it. I'm sure lots of girls our age played similar games.

Anyway, that "game" was spiritualism.

I meant it when I said it was nothing special. Summoning and exorcising spirits are some of the most common abilities.

However, the problem was that spiritualism was banned at school. We'd get sent to the principal if a teacher saw us.

That's one of the harshest punishments for a kid. They might end up calling your parents.

Hearing that Sanae was involved in such a dangerous game may make you question whether she was really perfect...

But you can't call someone perfect if they avoid risks by always betting on the odds. You'd just call them smart.

When perfect people bet, there is no risk. Everything turns out in their favor.

Also, people wouldn't like you if you refused to play with them. And Sanae was loved by everyone.

There was never a mean thing said about her, not even in jest. And she was never hated for being "too nice" or "too friendly."

That's why she was perfect. The wind blew in her presence, turning the heads of everyone in class.

She was the solar system's sun, the galactic core, the center of gravity that the whole class revolved around.

Though, she wasn't the class representative. Another kid had that role.

So, what do you think would happen if Sanae joined a seance?

I say seance, but it was just a game using a makeshift Ouija board. In the past, these games were called Kokkuri or Cupid.

We called it... Angel.

Of course, just like most kid games, there were many variations of Angel, depending on where you played it.

There wasn't any common ruleset that everyone followed.

Though, in saying that, there wasn't anything particularly unique about the variation of Angel played at our school.

You needed five players and a piece of paper that had a picture of a torii and the alphabet in the QWERTY order.

You place the paper on a table and then a coin on top... I probably don't need to say this, but you need a physical coin.

Then, everyone sits around the table and lays a finger on the coin. Kids' fingers are tiny, so there was plenty of room.

And then you sing a song.

Actually, this part might be kinda unique to us. We sang a little prayer or chant to bring the angel down to Earth.

There was also a rumor that the summoning would fail if someone else saw it, so we sang quietly and slowly.

"Angel is falling down. Angel is falling down."

Then we repeated it.

"Angel is falling down. Angel is falling down."

I think there were some lyrics after that, like "Onto my head" or "Onto your head," but I can't really remember.

Yeah, thinking about it now, it'd be pretty creepy if you walked in on five kids quietly chanting that in a circle.

Once the song is over, the kid whose turn it is asks a question. The first question is always the same.

"Miss Angel, Miss Angel, are you there?"

If the coin moves to Y, then E, then S, the next kid asks a question. If not, you sing the song again or give up.

We probably should've added a "YES" and "NO" to the paper since that's what most of the answers were.

Regardless, once the angel was summoned, she'd proceed to reveal secrets and answer questions about the future.

Well, that's the idea anyway.

There's also a special ritual for ending the game since you have to send the angel back home.

If you don't, something bad's supposed to happen.

The ritual starts with a song again. It's the same song as before, except "falling down" is replaced by "flying away."

Then, once the song is finished, I'm pretty sure you have to cut the paper into 72 pieces, and then, umm....

I can't remember the rest. I think you burn the pieces of paper or something. You know, destroy the evidence.

If a teacher or parent found out about it, all the kids would get in trouble, so there's always a rule like that.

And to finish the ritual off, we all promise to keep the game a secret while holding each other's hands in a star shape.

From an outside perspective, that's probably the creepiest part of the game.

And now you know how to play Angel.

It should go without saying that the angel doesn't answer every question. In fact, she hardly answers any.

And even if she does, it's rarely coherent. And if the answer does actually consist of proper words, it's usually wrong.

The same could be said for most types of seance, like table-turning and spirit writing.

And just like them, it's revealed that the coin was moved by unconscious muscular actions, not a summoned spirit.

But when Sanae Kochiya plays, it's completely different.

When the first "Are you there?" question is asked, the coin moves to N, then O.

Pretty scary, right? Like, what does that even mean?

How did the coin move? If there's no angel there, the coin should've stayed still.

It's contradictory... Well, unless the angel can work from home or something.

The answers to the other questions were pretty crazy, too. However, the reason for that is much more straightforward.

When Sanae asked a question, there was always an answer, and it was always correct.

Generally, it took a while for us to realize they were correct, particularly with any question regarding the future.

But if it was a question about someone's secret, we could immediately check if it was true by asking that person.

Remember, we were young girls back then, so the "secrets" were pretty harmless, like who has a crush on who.

It didn't take long for the new girls, who hadn't done a seance with Sanae before, to notice something was off.

Especially if the name of their crush was revealed.

There were other occult rumors going around the school, but the Angel one was the most popular since it was easy to test.

And then, I think it started when one of the older kids joined a seance, but Miss Angel became Sanae's nickname.

All the mysteries about the angel became mysteries about her.

This, compounded with how perfect she is, propelled her at interstellar speed to a level above us ordinary humans.

It's almost strange that no one took it a step further and started calling her a god.

Anyway, this should give you a sense of the effect her presence had on the school and everyone in it.

Sanae Kochiya became an angel.

Sanae

Oops, chatting with you was so fun that I lost track of time! I'm actually on my way to school.

Renko

(Huh? Was I talking to her...?)

Sanae

Sorry, but I have to go. I'll give you my address, OK?

Sanae

You haven't changed at all, and I'm really happy to see you again. Why don't we talk some more after school at my place?

Sanae

...Umm, your friend can come too.

Merry

I'm Maribel Hearn. It's hard to pronounce, so just call me Merry.

Sanae

M-Miss Merry...? Right, Merry, got it.

Sanae

You're welcome too, Miss Merry.

Merry

I'll think about it.

Sanae

Um, OK. To get to my place from here, you go...

Renko

(Merry seems kinda angry for some reason.)

Sanae

...so it shouldn't be too hard to find. I share the place with two roommates. They're really nice. You'll like them.

Sanae

Oh, right, I need to let them know about this. I'll send them a message while I run to school.

Sanae

See you later, Renko, Miss Merry!

Sanae

Oh, by the way!

Sanae ran off, but just before she got out of sight, she turned around, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted.

Her big, bright smile was exactly the same as when we were kids.

Sanae

I still remember what you said at that gift shop!

Sanae

You picked up a toy wooden board and said, "I bet the Angel game was made by the kids who couldn't afford to buy this"!

Sanae

For some reason, that made me really happy!

She displayed impressive energy and lung capacity by shouting all that out at once.

Sanae waved her arms about in farewell and disappeared from view.

Then, as if that was some kind of trigger, the wind started blowing again.

Renko

She's just as I remember her.

Merry

Is that right?

Merry

So you have a childhood friend, huh?

Renko

Wh-What's wrong?

Merry

Nothing. It's just you've never told me about her before.

Renko

...?

It's not like I'm angry or anything.

But when Renko mumbled, "I'm pretty sure it was an antique store, not a gift shop," I really wanted to yell at her.

Like, that's not the question you should be asking!

But, well...

Renko seemed to be lost in thought while we were talking to that Sanae girl.

So she probably didn't hear what she said.

But I guess that isn't really a problem since I was listening...

There's a fair bit of time until Miss Sanae finishes school, so we should use it to investigate as much as we can.

This seems to be a residential area.

...

Hmm, no, I can't stop thinking about her.

Just who is Sanae Kochiya?

I know she's not a bad person. In fact, she seemed really nice, like there wasn't a hint of deceit in her.

She seemed like a stereotypical good girl, even though people like that aren't really seen all that much in real life.

They more commonly feature as the protagonist or deuteragonist of movies and TV shows.

But that's fine.

What bothers me is that Renko has never said anything about her before.

Though... they were friends before Renko met me, so perhaps it's only natural that she never cropped up in conversation.

Yeah, maybe that's normal. If I was in Renko's shoes, maybe I wouldn't bother mentioning her.

Like, people don't usually talk about their old friends or even their family unless prompted by something.

Not to their classmates, their friends, their roommates, their relatives, their lover, or even their spouse.

Yes, I'm pretty sure it's normal that Renko didn't talk about her.

Once I reached that conclusion, the feelings of unease swirling about inside me shaped into a new question...

Why am I so concerned about their relationship?

Like an avalanche or a broken dam, once one memory resurfaces in your mind, more follow one after the other.

It's like the storm after the calm.

I remembered how Sanae used to always have a band-aid on her knee.

It was like a strip of tape binding her porcelain skin together. I don't think there was a single day when I didn't see it.

I'm honestly surprised by how strange it felt to me when I noticed that she didn't have a band-aid on her knee just now.

Of course, kids get small injuries all the time, so I didn't really pay it much mind back then.

But thinking about it now... it's odd how Sanae Kochiya had an injury. Especially one that seemed to never go away.

If she injured herself, that would mean she made a mistake. Mistakes and Sanae don't go together.

But if she didn't hurt herself, that means someone hurt her. Could there really be someone who'd do such a thing?

It's not possible for someone to hate Sanae. Everyone loves her, and she loves everyone.

So, if we rule that out, the injuries must've been caused by accident, by a wild animal, or some other natural cause...

But none of these explain why she was always injured. Accidents are unfortunate or unintentional occurrences.

So, if they happen all the time and they're not mistakes, they're not accidents. They must be something more.

...

I've never seen Sanae get hurt. Nor have I heard of anyone else witnessing such a thing.

Nevertheless, I know for sure that there was an actual injury hiding under her band-aid. I happened to see it one time.

I saw her casually adjust her band-aid.

I saw her peel it off and put it back on.

It was like she dug up a hidden chest to check if her treasure was still inside, then reburied it.

The unlocked seal revealed a definite wound.

It was an abrasion, what would colloquially be called a scratch. I saw the red of blood... a sign of life and mortality.

That was one of the few instances I can remember that proved Sanae was not, in fact, an angel.

Renko

(This has reminded me of something else.)

Renko

(Sanae has always been fairly tall, but I remember she had a massive growth spurt and grew even taller.)

Renko

(Before then, when she was shorter, she seemed more headstrong and rebellious.)

Renko

(But that... doesn't really match the image I have of her. Was it not just her height that changed...?)

Renko

(I don't get it. Why did I think Sanae was a troublemaker when I first met her?)

Renko

(Did I forget my first impression because it was incorrect? But first impressions are usually the thing you remember...)

Renko

(It doesn't make sense...)

Renko

Huh?

She appeared so suddenly. Out of nowhere.

There was no sound, and I didn't feel any presence. Of course, she wasn't in my line of sight, either.

The only warning I had, if you could call it that, was a slight change in the wind. It shifted direction slightly.

???

Morning.

A greeting.

Greetings are fixed phrases used to naturally start a conversation or efficiently show that you are friendly.

But I felt the opposite.

The situation engineered by the person who greeted me felt anything but friendly.

No, I couldn't be sure that it was her fault since I couldn't see who was speaking.

Hm? I said, morning. Are you not going to say anything?

Renko

Good morning.

Wow, we set out pretty early, but it must still be morning. I thought it was later.

???

How's it going? Why aren't you at school?

Renko

I'm fine, and I don't have any classes today...

I haven't been able to turn around since this started.

I can hear the voice coming from behind me. It was a woman speaking, and her voice sounded calm and cordial.

So you'd think I would turn around and face her. But I can't.

Why can't I? And I just realized this, but I don't think Merry is with me...

???

You don't have any classes? That's strange.

She has her hand on my shoulder. At least, I think she does. I can't turn to check.

Her hand on my shoulder shouldn't prevent me from turning around. It doesn't explain why I can't move.

Right, I forgot to mention this, but I can't move. I can't turn my head, and my arms and legs are frozen in place.

I can't move a single millimeter. So I can't shake off her hand or turn around.

Even if it didn't make sense logically, I might've been less confused if I felt some kind of pressure coming from her hand.

Like, if her fingers were digging into me or she was holding me down... But I don't feel anything.

I can't even feel the heat of her hand. Is she really touching me?

The only reason I said she put her hand on my shoulder is because that's what I saw out of the corner of my eye.

???

That must mean you're...

In stark contrast to my predicament, the voice didn't sound threatening at all. Though, there wasn't any levity to it either.

Her hand isn't applying any pressure. I can't even be sure she's touching me. It doesn't hurt, and it won't leave a mark.

Wait a sec... Didn't Miss Aya say something about there being laws in the Last Ward?

I got the impression that things like this wouldn't happen. Where are the police?

But, then again, it's not like I'm being attacked. I don't feel any pain.

My freedom has been stolen for the moment, but there's no apparent cause, so it'd be really hard to prove.

I wouldn't be able to press any charges because my testimony would be the only evidence.

I think I'm way more interested in finding out how the person behind me is preventing me from moving than who she is!

If she did something to all my muscles, my heart would've stopped beating, too, and I wouldn't be able to move my eyes.

But I can't move the main muscles in my limbs, neck, or torso. And she did this just by placing her hand on my left shoulder.

Knowing the structure of the human body, this can't be explained mechanically.

So, does that mean she played with my mind? Did she do something to induce a virtual state of paralysis?

They say deer freeze when they're caught in headlights, but does that happen even when the deer faces the other way?

???

...not one of Sanae's friends from school.

Well, I was, but we don't go to the same school now. Wait, does she know Sanae?

???

Their uniforms aren't mandatory, so it's always hard to tell.

Oh, I didn't know that.

...And the next moment, I could move again. A shiver passed from head to foot as I suddenly regained control of my body.

???

Sorry for the confusion. Show me your face.

???

...?

???

You're Renko, aren't you? So Sanae was talking to Renko, huh?

Renko

Yes, that's my name, but, ummm...

I was about to ask who she was, but then it hit me.

I connected the dots.

Sanae said she had two roommates.

And there was a well-known and well-liked older kid who played the Angel game with Sanae.

???

I'm Kanako. Kanako Yasaka. Do you remember me? It's been a while.

Renko

Miss Kanako?!

Kanako was an upperclassman at our primary school. She was more childlike back then, but I can still see hints of that now.

Our primary school used to hold these startup pitch competitions, and she'd win every year.

You'd think a kid who was so business-minded would be stuck-up or not get along with kids their age, but not Kanako.

She was really cool.

Of course, she was also smart, polite, confident, and self-dependent.

But there was more to her than that. She gave the impression of having something the other kids didn't.

That's what made her really cool.

I guess, being popular is all about faith.

Kanako

Sorry about that.

Kanako

I just wanted to see the face of the scaredy cat who got all nervous when all I did was place my hand on their shoulder.

Oh, was that it? Was I just nervous?

By the way, we know each other cause I would always get presented with some other award when she got hers.

We would all have to stand in a line on stage together. It felt more like a punishment than anything.

Kanako

I saw you talking with Sanae by the river, so I just assumed you were one of her current classmates.

Kanako

But by the looks of it, you entered a normal university under the new education system. Probably somewhere in Kyoto.

How did she know?!

Kanako

Hmm, I see.

Renko

...?

Kanako

You came from the outside, so you should explore. This place is like a living fossil with plenty of sights to see.

Kanako

But, then again... Everything changes depending on your perspective.

Renko

Ummm...

Completely lost, I decided to ask what she meant. It seems Kanako considered our reunion to be a stroke of good fortune.

She wanted someone to check in on Sanae at school for her.

She couldn't come to the school open day to check for herself and see if she was handling things OK.

Anyone she could ask for a favor was just as busy as her, and there was no point interviewing Sanae's classmates.

Apparently, she needs the opinion of a neutral party.

And that's where I come in.

Kanako

I want you to check on Sanae at school without her knowing.

Kanako

The school is merely a "fun" recreation of the old education system, so anyone can enter as long as they're respectful.

Renko

Won't someone like me stand out...?

Kanako

No. You're around the right age, and this place doesn't exactly have a tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone.

Kanako

Can you do this for me? You don't have to do much. Just think of it as something extra to do while you see the sights.

Renko

Sure, no problem. I was looking for a good spot to explore, anyway.

Kanako

Really?! Thanks so much. You should stop by our place when you're done.

Kanako

I'll treat you to dinner. It's the least I can do.

I'm pretty sure she lives in the same house as Sanae. I'm honestly looking forward to that dinner.

Kanako is a student at a university that follows the old system and works as an entrepreneur on the side.

Other than her suit, which is practically her new school uniform, she hasn't really changed from how I remember her.

I heard that she skipped most classes at primary school, and it seems she's doing the same with her university lectures.

She runs a small company that she started with her friends.

Apparently, it's not easy, but it's fun and really satisfying.

That's what she just told me now, but she also told me the exact same thing in the past.

She was running late for something when she saw me talking with Sanae by the river and decided to follow me.

That's just like her.

She's exactly as I remember her... or so I thought.

Kanako turned back around just as she was about to leave.

What she said forced me to reevaluate my impression of her.

Kanako

You better not try to force that girl to create a miracle like the others. I'm not sure I'll be able to forgive you if you do.

The old Kanako wouldn't have said something like that.

She's always been good at creating a friendly atmosphere to avoid antagonizing any potential business partners.

But she made the purposeful decision to destroy it completely. She was hedging her bets.

It was a feint.

But thanks to that, I immediately understood what she was trying to tell me.

When she asked me to check on Sanae at school...

...what she really meant is to check how Sanae's classmates treat her... Miracles. Compulsion. And no forgiveness.

...

I heard that back when Kanako participated in a seance with Sanae, Sanae guessed who she had a crush on.

No, it'd be more accurate to say that her crush was revealed when the angel correctly answered Sanae's question.

I don't know who it was. I wasn't there.

But I'm sure that was the moment when a secret bond was forged between them.

Where am I? And where did Renko go?

Uh-oh, doesn't this make me completely―

No, I shouldn't finish that thought.

Like everything that's indeterminate, if I acknowledge it, it becomes a reality. So that's what I should never do.

Thinking about it now, the whole idea of sinking the city beneath the earth is ludicrous.

They even brought the rivers and mountains along despite natural environments being the hardest things to replicate.

Like, really, who came up with this nonsense?!

...Oops, this is a report, so I should try to be more polite and respectful.

Merry

...

Merry

It seems there's nothing else for it. I'll just have to walk until I can walk no more!

I'm good at walking. I walk all the time.

This may come as a surprise, but I've got pretty strong legs.

Merry

*huff* *huff*

Merry

What's... going on...?

I thought I was descending the mountain.

There's a river, so it should be simple. It should be easy. All I have to do is follow it downstream.

So how did I get here?

Merry

...

Merry

That's a shrine... isn't it?

It looks like it's been forgotten.

If it still got any visitors, someone would probably tidy it up a little.

Yeah, it looks like an old shrine that's fallen to ruin.

But despite this... or perhaps because of it...

The shrine looks holy.

It feels like a god might actually live there.

Merry

...

Merry

...

Merry

*deep breath*

Merry

YOU IDIOT!

I don't know who I was yelling at. It might've been me for stupidly wandering up a mountain.

No, who am I kidding? I was probably yelling at Renko.

???

Stop that.

Merry

...?!

???

You shouldn't be here. C'mon, off you go.

Merry

What?!

Merry

No way!

Merry

YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

???

I told you not to shout!

She heard me, didn't she?! She heard me scream!

This is too much...

I feel so embarrassed!

???

Lots of wild animals live around here, and even I don't know what might pop out if you disturb their peace.

???

It might roar even louder than you. You don't want that, do you?

Merry

OF CO―!

???

Hm?

Merry

...Of course not.

???

Well done. I know that took a lot of effort.

???

I'm Suwako Moriya. I was following you for my own reasons, but it seems I mistook you for someone else.

Suwako

No, don't worry. I'm glad that's the case.

Merry

Miss... Suwako?

Suwako

Yep, that's me. You spoke to Sanae by the river a little while ago, right? Well, I'm her roommate.

Suwako

I was on my way back home to retrieve something when I saw you chatting.

Suwako

I thought you might've been one of Sanae's classmates, but seeing as how you got lost all the way out here, I guess not.

Suwako

Haha, sorry, I mean that in a good way.

Why would she want to follow one of Miss Sanae's classmates...?

Anyway, it was pretty incredible how high she jumped... not to mention her landing. Is she a professional gymnast?

Only someone with a petite build like her could move so elegantly... And I thought I had strong legs!

It seems I can still improve.

Merry

This is the first time I've ever been to the Last Ward, and that was the first time I met Miss Sanae.

Merry

Though my friend, Renko, seems to know her from when they were kids.

Suwako

Hmm, is that right?

Merry

Oh!

Merry

Sorry, my name is Maribel Hearn. It's hard to pronounce, so you can just call me Merry.

Suwako

Merry, huh? Merry... Yeah, that works. Then you can respectfully call me Miss Suwako.

Merry

Huh?! O-OK! No problem, Miss Suwako!

Suwako

Hehe, good. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Suwako

All right, let's head down the mountain, shall we? It's dangerous here.

Suwako

From what I can gather, your friend has probably gone to Sanae's school to take a look around.

Merry

H-How do you know that?!

Suwako

I just used a little bit of domestic profiling.

Merry

(What's that supposed to mean...?)

Suwako

It'd be best if you two explore together. I'll show you to the school once we're down the mountain. It's not far.

Merry

Thank you...!

Merry

(She's so kind, and she speaks as if she can see the future... Is that the power of profiling?!)

Suwako

I spend most of my time going to all sorts of places, exploring, and bringing stuff back home.

Suwako

Though, I usually lounge about at home on the weekends.

Suwako

I take all the necessary precautions and return home safely. But there's still a lot of adventure to be had.

Merry

...

Suwako

You may not look the part, but I get the feeling you're just as adventurous as myself... No, we'll talk about that later.

Suwako

Let's hurry.

Merry

(Yeah, she really is perceptive.)

Suwako

You should come eat dinner at our place when you're done for the day. I'm heading back there now.

Suwako

Oh, and make sure to bring your friend.

Merry

...

Renko

*sigh*

I brewed some more tea.

Let's take a little break.

Merry

Thanks, PLAYER. We could do with a little rest, Renko.

Renko

...You said it, Merry.

I've been listening to their reports for quite a while now. The sun will be setting soon.

I can't draw any conclusions yet, but from what I've heard so far, their investigation seems to have gone fairly well.

But I'm guessing that will change. No, I'm sure of it.

Sanae Kochiya sounds like a perfect girl with no flaws whatsoever.

When she was little, the "angel" always gave her the correct answers to her questions.

It sounds like all the gods of Heaven and Earth watch over her. Is such a thing truly possible?

And can anyone really be that perfect? Renko and Merry's reports don't even hint at her having any faults or flaws.

In fact, she is described as being remarkably ordinary.

Sanae Kochiya is perfect, but she's perfect in an ordinary sense.

What if Sanae orchestrated things to make everything play out in accordance with the answers she received?

They're all kids, so it wouldn't be hard to trick them into believing that some angel foretold the future.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility. The problem is whether she could keep her co-conspirators quiet.

Again, they're kids, so even if there was only one co-conspirator, it would be hard to stop them from talking.

They'd want to spill the beans. And it's not like a kid could give them anything to buy their silence.

Children won't keep quiet just because you give them money or toys. In fact, they'd probably take them and speak anyway.

Starting rumors is fun, especially for kids who can spread rumors across a whole school.

There would surely be rumors about Sanae being a despicable person, particularly since she has such a perfect image.

And it seems Sanae's "miracles" happened fairly often. They were a part of everyone's life at school.

So if even one of them was revealed as a hoax, the whole house of cards would come crashing down.

The more miracles, the greater the risk of this happening. But it didn't.

So, I think it's safe to assume that Sanae didn't conspire with anyone.

So, does that mean Sanae, a little kid, really caused miracles to happen? Is that possible?

Perhaps it is... if she has an ability.

Abilities that allow an individual to manipulate probabilities are classed as one of the most powerful.

That's because these abilities are impossible to replicate even with the latest technology.

If Sanae still possesses this ability, it's likely that she lives close to a barrier that didn't disappear with the others.

And if there is such a powerful barrier, I might be able to use it to draw out some information about my past.

Regardless, there's something else that bothers me.

It's about Sanae Kochiya and her roommates, Kanako Yasaka and Suwako Moriya.

From what I can tell from the reports...

...they seem eerily similar to the people I saw in my dreams.

Renko

So, Merry, now that we've seen Sanae's school...

Renko

...why don't we go over what we discovered?

Merry

Good idea.

Renko

Ummm, let's start with...

I can't say all my impressions out loud, so I'll write them here. To be honest, sneaking into the school was pretty crazy.

And there was one reason for that... Merry.

Well, I say "sneak," but we're around the right age, and uniforms aren't compulsory, so we just entered normally.

We walked in through the front gate like we had every right to be there. No teacher came out to question us or anything.

Perhaps it's a school under the old system in name only because it was pretty similar to a university campus.

But it did look old, so maybe it's more like an ancient Greek academy where the students taught each other.

Anyway, that's not really important. Oh, but I should mention that it's an all-girls school.

Now, getting back to why it was crazy...

Merry really stood out!

Merry

Hey, why are you smiling at me like that? Are you even listening?

Renko

Of course, I'm listening. I'm even taking notes.

Not! I'm writing about Merry! But, well, I am listening, so I'll write those notes later.

So, yeah, Merry attracted a lot of attention. I've never seen anything like that before.

Everyone wanted to see her. As we walked down the corridors, heads popped out of all the classroom doors and windows.

A few heads were even poking out of the tiny windows up high used for ventilation. It was kinda scary.

Also, a really handsome girl approached her and said, "Hey, you're cute. Wanna grab a coffee milk at the school cafeteria?"

It was like a scene out of one of those old TV shows.

There's a chance that I might have to write about that girl in another report. But for now, I dub her the Coffee Milk Prince.

Merry shooed the prince away like she wasn't even there to peek into a certain classroom.

And I followed her. That was why we were there, after all.

Sanae Kochiya was sitting at the back by a window. She was surrounded by friends who were chatting happily.

Of course, she didn't get caught up in all the fuss over Merry. She had her books out and was preparing for the next class.

But it wasn't like she was ignoring the people around her either. She responded with nods and shakes of her head.

And her expression changed along with the conversation. She looked genuinely happy to be there.

The warm light and gentle breeze coming in from the window gave the impression that this was where she was meant to be.

She was perfectly normal.

Merry

I kind of expected this, but people like her are always popular.

Renko

You say that, but I was actually the most popular kid back in elementary school.

Merry

Yeah right.

Renko

(What? I was being serious.)

We spent the rest of the afternoon interviewing the students, making sure not to bother anyone in class.

Let me summarize what we heard.

First off, practically all the students mentioned how nice Sanae is.

She never gets angry or says anything mean. She never lies, and she keeps her promises.

And she always tries to help people who are sad or in pain. Everyone agrees that she is an incredibly kind person.

They were all happy to talk about her personality, and we heard lots of praise. None of these answers were contentious.

The thing mentioned second most often was how talented she is. She's smart, good at sports, and is a good teacher.

She isn't superhumanly talented, but there's nothing she cannot do. Her grades are nothing to scoff at, either.

There were also a lot of comments about her beauty. She has a cute smile and pretty hair, and she looks good in anything.

It sounds like she'd have no problem winning a beauty pageant... multiple times over.

Now, onto the meat of the matter. Something was mentioned that was more in line with what we wanted to know.

It was something said by practically everyone we questioned.

But it was only ever mentioned in passing, usually tacked on the end of another answer.

They said...

"If I have any problems, she'll hear me out and solve them."

Merry

That's a really strange thing to say, isn't it?

Renko

Yeah, usually you'd say...

Renko

"If I have any problems, she'll hear me out," or "She'll hear me out and offer some advice."

Merry

Exactly. That alone would be very high praise for a friend.

Merry

What's more, everyone we asked had a different problem, but Miss Sanae still managed to solve them all.

"I went to her with A, B, and C to get some advice, and she resolved all our problems!"

"I went to see Sanae with three of my friends, and she helped us all even though we asked for different things."

"I brought friend 1, friend 2, and friend 3 with me to see her. Sanae's really amazing. There's no problem she can't solve."

I omitted the names, just in case.

Merry

I understand that she's really talented and kind. But does that mean she can solve everyone's problems?

Renko

It'd be really difficult for one person to keep solving every problem. Someone's bound to ask for the impossible.

Renko

Sometimes, all you can do is lend an ear and maybe offer some advice. That's part of being human.

Merry

Yeah, she may be perfect, but this isn't something a human can do...

Merry

She'd need the help of a god or a miracle.

A miracle.

Miracles aren't simply things that happen despite the odds.

They are signs used by gods to display their power. If a miracle happens, people will believe a god is present.

They are deeds performed by a god out of pity and compassion for weak humans.

Renko

She really is like an angel.

Merry

Yeah, the role of angels is to share divine revelations with humans.

If that Angel game back then was a result of Sanae's ability to cause miracles to occur...

It's possible she's using the same ability to solve problems. And her motive... might simply be to help people.

If she does have such an ability, then this might help us uncover the mysteries behind the Lost Barriers.

Merry

If only we could've gotten more details. Perhaps we should've been a bit more insistent with our questioning!

Renko

No, there's obviously no way we could've done that.

Merry

Why?

Because whenever there was a break between classes, a scrum would form around the princess.

Merry

...You're laughing at me again.

Renko

No, I'm not.

Suwako & Kanako

Oh?

Merry

Ah.

Kanako

It seems you went and checked out the school.

Kanako

Thank you.

Suwako

All right, let's hear what you found. Our place is right near here.

Suwako

C'mon, follow us.

Kanako

You'll have to tell us all about it before Sanae gets back.

Suwako

Oh, by the way... you're in luck. We're having hot pot for dinner.

Renko & Merry

Lead the way!

Kanako

Sanae is going to follow in my footsteps.

Suwako

What are you on about? She's gonna become my apprentice.

Renko

This is delicious!

Homes are as varied as the people who inhabit them. They're like separate countries, enclosed within unique barriers.

It's natural that different living spaces contain different things. But the atmosphere is what truly sets them apart.

Or, that's what I think, anyway.

Atmosphere can mean the ambiance created by conversation or by different customs, but...

...since humans are a type of animal, the atmosphere is also a scent.

The smell of food, the smell of the building, the smell of the household items, and the scent of the people living there.

They all merge together to create a scent, an atmosphere unique to that household.

The scent of the home you grew up in and the scent of your hometown...

...are signals that help people distinguish their home community. The scent of your hometown is an ubusunagami.

It's like each home has its own barrier.

Kanako

This isn't good...

Suwako

Yeah...

Kanako

So Sanae was the same as usual at school.

Suwako

I haven't been seeing the usual signs lately, so I had hoped everything had resolved itself.

Suwako & Kanako

Hmmm!

Merry

I don't follow. What are you talking about?

Kanako

Oh, sorry. It's just this isn't really something that should be discussed outside the home or the school.

Suwako

We've grown into the habit of keeping it a secret. But that's why you're the only people we can really talk to about this.

Renko

So you have to talk to us because you shouldn't...?

Renko

Logically, that sounds like a contradiction. But I'm guessing this isn't about logic, is it?

Only talking to who you're supposed to will create a closed community. Outside ideas are needed to solve the unsolvable.

Miss Suwako was also Renko's senior at elementary school. That explains why she seems so wise despite being so small.

She was a bit of a wild child who'd recharge the energy she spent running around in the wilderness by sleeping in class.

Renko

You sent us to see what Sanae was like at school. There must be a reason for that. Right, Miss Kanako, Miss Suwako?

Kanako

...

Suwako

Yes, but it's not easy to talk about.

Suwako

We don't want you to think less of Sanae...

Kanako

Let me say it. We have to finish this before Sanae gets back.

Renko

Please tell us.

Merry

Please.

Miss Sanae uses her ability to create miracles. She does this out of the goodness of her heart.

...That's our current hypothesis, but we're still not sure it's correct.

There's no evidence, and we haven't proved anything.

To be sure, we need a testimony that can back it up.

Kanako

...

Kanako

This is just our opinion. Nothing more.

Suwako

...

Renko

...

Merry

...

Kanako

...

Kanako

We think Sanae is being bullied.

Kanako

Her classmates must be forcing her to do things for them, using the "miracles" and the "Angel" as an excuse.

Kanako

That's the only explanation.

Renko

...

Renko

Honestly, I can't see why you'd think Sanae is being bullied.

Renko

Why would anyone want to bully her? And there weren't any signs―

Merry

"She'll solve any problem."

Merry

You could interpret those words to mean that Sanae doesn't have any choice but to solve people's problems.

Renko

R-Right... That makes sense.

Suwako

Of course, we still haven't found any proof of this. We can't really investigate the school because it's a closed community.

Suwako

But... Renko, haven't you seen Sanae with an injury before?

Renko

Y-Yes! I have!

Suwako

Ever since elementary school, Sanae would always...

Suwako

...get injured. It was a regular occurrence.

Merry

...

Suwako

If we ask how she got hurt, she'd always say she fell. But I've never seen her fall. Not even once.

Merry

(She's perfect, so she wouldn't just randomly fall.)

Kanako

She hasn't sustained any injuries lately, so I had hoped it was all over.

Kanako

But the creepy way her friends ask Sanae to solve their problems hasn't changed at all.

Renko

So that's why you sent us to investigate.

Renko

But from what you said, wouldn't that mean Sanae has been getting bullied since elementary school?

Renko

I vaguely remember her always having a sore knee...

Renko

But I don't think she had many injuries around the time when the rumors about Sanae being an angel started to spread.

It seems Renko has a clear idea of the sequence of events even though this happened so long ago.

Sanae didn't have a band-aid on her knee when the Angel first became popular. That started later.

But that could just mean the bullying started later, too.

Perhaps she got along with everyone at first. Or maybe she really could cause miracles to occur.

But then she stopped. Or maybe she wasn't able to cause them to occur any longer.

So they forced her... But they probably couldn't have forced her to use an ability to create miracles.

If she had such a powerful ability, everyone would be too scared to try and bully her.

So does that mean her ability got weaker or disappeared entirely?

Kanako

...No, Sanae has always had lots of injuries.

Renko

But I clearly remember that she only started having band-aids on her knees in the later years of elementary school.

Kanako

It wasn't her knees.

Renko

Huh?

Kanako

I've tried to look out for Sanae ever since I met her. So, I can vividly remember...

Kanako

You're right that she only had injured knees later on, but she often had wounds in another spot when she was younger.

Renko

...

Renko

...Ah.

Kanako

...It was her head.

Kanako

She had scratches on her face.

Kanako

She had band-aids on her nose and cheeks. Always. I never saw her without at least one.

Suwako

I even asked her about it directly. "Are you being bullied?"

Suwako

But she never said yes. No matter how many times I asked.

Suwako

She'd say, "Of course not," or "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Suwako

She acted the same as always. Seeing that smile... would really hurt.

Sanae

I'm baaaack. Sorry, I'm late again.

Sanae

Renko, Miss Merry...

Sanae

You came just as you promised. I'm so happy.

Renko

...

Sanae

Hm?

I was surprised when I heard Sanae wanted to be an astronaut.

That's usually a dream attributed to kids of an earlier generation.

We live in an age where anyone can go to space. You can even go to the Moon if you have enough money.

But after hearing her talk about it more over dinner, it made sense.

It's pretty obvious when you think about it, but Sanae doesn't just want to go to space to have a fun time.

She wants to be an astronaut.

It's like how lawyers use the law to defend their clients and how accountants manage other people's accounts...

Astronauts go to space so other people don't have to.

Tourist spots must be safe and secure. Even low prices won't bring in tourists unless their safety is assured.

And this safety is created by pioneers, and for space, these pioneers are astronauts.

You need lots of skills to become an astronaut. Much more than other professions.

First off, you have to be smart. You also need good management skills to make the most of your time in space.

You have to be fit since muscles deteriorate in zero gravity, and you'll have to rely on your own strength if machines fail.

Getting sick in space could kill you, so you need a high constitution and good eyesight, and you can't have bad teeth.

Spacecraft are minimalist societies. You need to be mature, cooperative, and respectful to avoid causing problems.

Anything can happen on the frontier, so your true skills will be tested when you have to deal with unexpected situations.

A single mistake could cost the lives of multiple people, forever losing the greatest minds humanity has to offer.

You'll have to make the best decisions in a vacuum under time pressure, with the fate of humanity resting on your shoulders.

That's what it means to be an astronaut.

You may think that astronauts help each other out to make up for each other's weak points.

And that they also get support from the surface, robots, and AI. And you wouldn't be wrong to think that. Not exactly.

The fact remains, however, that each individual astronaut is required to possess an extremely diverse range of skills.

Sure, AI and robots have made their job a lot easier compared to what it was like in the past.

But that's only true if the AI and robots function correctly.

Space can only be made safe if there are astronauts to test and make sure that the AI and robots won't malfunction.

On the true frontier, you cannot follow anyone's lead.

The only person an astronaut can rely on is themself.

This is because Earth has gravity, and Earth is where humans are born.

Let me explain.

While there may eventually come a time when designer babies are born in space to become astronauts...

That time hasn't arrived yet. Humans are still born on Earth and are still subject to its gravity.

Sending things and people to space is incredibly difficult because they must overcome Earth's gravity.

It requires a lot of energy. Lots of fuel and propellant.

Some rockets don't need fuel and only require energy, but they cost a whole lot more, so the result is basically the same.

If you're sending something to space, the lighter and smaller, the better. Efficiency is everything.

Instead of bringing two astronauts―one astronaut who can do A and one astronaut who can do B...

It's way better to bring one astronaut who can do both A and B.

Not only is this cheaper, but less redundancy lowers risks and opens more possibilities.

It improves everyone's overall survivability.

Cooperation is only said to be useful because it increases the range of skills available to a group. It improves diversity.

But as long as all the necessary skills are covered, the smaller the group, the better.

Especially if you have to compete against gravity.

The most optimal would be if one astronaut could operate an entire spacecraft. You'd think such a person doesn't exist...

But Sanae Kochiya is perfect.

Sanae

I'd be an even better astronaut if I could lose more weight.

Sanae

But I can't exactly make myself shorter.

Renko

Wow, you're really going all out, huh?

Sanae said this as she pinched her pale skin.

It was as if she was saying that she had excess weight to lose there.

It's not unusual for people our age to worry about our physique, but I doubt anyone has the same reason as Sanae.

Sanae

But, well, it won't be long until we can replace our bodies with machines, so that'll surely become a problem of the past!

I bet anyone else would say that's a waste!

Renko

By the way, Sanae...

Sanae

What is it?

Renko

Why are we in this tiny tub together?

For context, we're currently taking a bath squished together in the same tub.

Well, "squished" might be an exaggeration, but there isn't much space. I definitely wouldn't call this relaxing.

We are sitting facing each other.

Sanae

What do you expect? We aren't exactly rich.

Sanae

That's why the three of us are sharing this apartment. It's fun living with roommates.

She's basically saying she's poor, but she sounds happy. I bet she really loves living here.

To be blunt, this apartment complex is falling to pieces. Though, you could say the same about the rest of the ward.

It's strange how if this building was anywhere else, it'd be a creepy ruin, but here, it's a nice home that's one with nature.

Renko

Do you normally take a bath with Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako?

Sanae

Yeah, it'd be a waste to let the water go cold. If we get in together, it reduces the water's surface-area-to-volume ratio.

She's talking about how tea in a cup cools much faster than in a teapot since there is less water in contact with the air.

The additional body heat probably helps, too. It's an effective way to lower the electricity bill.

Sanae

This also saves on water.

Renko

There's nothing but benefits, huh?

It lowers the water bill, too. I've never seen someone share money-saving tips with such an angelic smile before.

Merry is washing her hair next to us. But I can't see her face 'cause of the shampoo, and her hands seem to have stopped.

Sanae

*contented sigh*

Sanae did a big stretch, releasing all the fatigue built up inside her. It made the tub feel even more cramped.

Then there was quiet. I could hear the night insects singing.

Sanae

...

Sanae

You know...

Sanae

I really do want to become an astronaut.

Renko

...So you said.

Sanae

But in space, there won't be anyone but me.

Sanae

No Miss Kanako, no Miss Suwako, no friends from school... There won't be anyone.

Sanae

They won't be able to visit me, either. No matter what happens up there, be it good or bad...

Sanae

I'm sure I'll feel...

Sanae

...lonely.

Sanae started crying. But she didn't look pitiful. She wasn't bawling her eyes out or anything.

Her tears were like the condensation on the bathroom window or the evening dew on leaves.

Pulled by gravity with a uniform acceleration, water droplets rolled off her smiling cheeks to fall freely into the water below.

I was getting ready to ask her a question. I had already worked out a good way to broach the subject.

But that was no longer necessary.

I was going to ask whether she was happy at school, but her tears answered that for me.

Sanae used her wealth of knowledge and incredible deduction skills to predict her future.

She can become an astronaut. And then she can help a more diverse range of people for a longer time.

She doesn't want to do this for recognition or praise. She merely wishes to dedicate herself to more people.

That ardent wish is her driving force. It is what set her down this path.

She has worked tirelessly to complete the arduous steps necessary to become an astronaut.

And she has already planned out how she will complete the next steps in the future.

That's why she can perfectly envision her emotional state in that future.

She'll be far from Earth, in a dark corner of space.

She'll be all alone, giving every day, every second of her future for the good of humankind.

That sounds more like a star than a human.

And when Sanae envisioned herself as a star, she shed tears. Tears of loneliness.

This means that she doesn't want to be alone. She wants to live together with everyone.

And if that's truly how she will feel in the future, she must have had a happy past.

Or, in other words...

Sanae is happy with her life in the present.

Renko

...

I'm not sure if I should mention this to her. Now that I've worked all this out, I get the feeling that would be insensitive.

But if you want to be absolutely sure, it's always better to double-check with the person involved.

Renko

Then you must be happy now, right, Sanae?

Sanae

...Yeah.

Renko

Zzzz... Zzzz... *snore*

Renko

Merry... slow down... it's dangerous... Zzz...

Renko

Be careful... princess... He... Hehehe....

Renko

Zzzz... Zzzz...

Merry

Stop sleeptalking Renko! This is so embarrassing...!

Sanae

Are you awake, Merry?

Merry

Wh-What?!

Sanae

Shhh, don't shout. You'll wake Renko up.

Merry

S-Sorry...

The three of us are sleeping on separate futons next to each other in the living room. They offered to let us stay the night.

Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako graciously lent us their futons and are sleeping in sleeping bags in another room.

It was Miss Sanae who suggested that we sleep side by side with her in the middle.

Merry

(Ummm...)

I sense some kind of pressure. It's like a change in the wind.

Miss Sanae is trying to chat with me. She rolled over and is looking right at me.

At least, I think she is. I can only see her out of the corner of my eye.

I wasn't rude to her today, was I?

I probably shouldn't have been so standoffish, but honestly, I still haven't made up my mind about her...

Merry

...

Sanae

Miss Merry.

Sanae

You might think I'm a bad person if I say this, but... No, in fact, I'm sure you'll think I'm a bad person.

Sanae

And you'd be right. But I'm going to say it anyway.

Sanae

I can't not say it.

Merry

...?

Sanae

Saying it this way makes me a bad person. If I wasn't bad, I'd say it differently.

Sanae

A good person would say this without any hesitation at all.

Sanae

You're lucky, Miss Merry...

Sanae

You've got Renko with you.

Merry

...

Oh, so that's what she was leading up to.

...Hm? I don't get it.

Sanae

I'm jealous of you, Miss Merry.

Merry

...

Merry

But don't you have Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako? And I'm sure you've got friends at school, too...

Sanae

Yeah, you're right.

Sanae

But I don't have Renko.

Sanae

And you do.

I don't quite understand what she's getting at.

As she herself said, it would be easy to presume the worst.

She could simply be saying that she wants Renko and that she wants to take her from me.

Leaving aside the fact that Renko's not a thing someone can own...

Does Miss Sanae want Renko to be her Renko? Like how Renko is to me?

I don't know why she'd want that.

I'm not even sure that's what she wants.

Is she saying that she wants a friend who is more her equal, unlike Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako?

Yeah, thinking about it now, while they obviously have a really close relationship, they act more like her parents than friends.

As someone who studies relative psychology, I'd say that, in most cases, family is no substitute for friends.

So, is that what Miss Sanae meant?

But she also has lots of friends at school. Or were those girls not really her friends?

Does she not consider them her equals? Does she actually look down on them?

Merry

...

Merry

Miss Sanae.

Merry

...What do you mean?

Honestly, I debated how I should respond. At first, I thought about saying, "I still don't really know you that well."

But... she already knows that.

That's why she said that the way she did. She knew that I might misinterpret her words.

She knew I'd think them over to try not to misinterpret them. She knew I'd think of possible reasons for why she said that.

She knew I'd never be fully convinced of any one reason and that I'd have to ask her what she meant.

She knew that we'd never understand each other unless we talked some more. And that this might not work.

That's because Miss Sanae is perfectly ordinary.

Sanae

You know...

Sanae

I want to be an astronaut, right?

Merry

Yes, you said that at dinner and in the bath. It's a good dream.

The discussion at dinner was a bit different from the one in the bath. It seems Renko didn't write about it, so I will.

We talked about the old Moon rockets, namely the Saturn V rockets.

Perhaps it'd be better if I said we talked about the Apollo program since that name is more well-known.

There's so much to unpack about that program. Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako got really into the conversation, too.

The discussion got particularly lively when we got to the Apollo spacecrafts.

...I think it was about then when I lost track of what the words "Saturn" and "Apollo" actually referred to.

I got even more confused with the different modules, so if you want to know more, you should refer to a proper textbook.

But there was one thing that was really easy to understand, or should I say envision.

We talked about the very end of the Apollo program when the three astronauts re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.

The command module, the round tip of the rocket, returned to Earth and splashed down in the ocean.

The module was, of course, equipped with a parachute, but apparently, its shape also made it a lifting body.

It was designed that way so it could slow its descent. Its center of gravity was also such that it wouldn't flip over.

They thought of all this so the astronauts could get back to Earth as safely as possible.

Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako were the ones who brought this up. You could really feel the love they have for Miss Sanae.

They also told us a bit more about themselves.

Miss Kanako is a student and entrepreneur who's struggling to build a successful software company.

This is so she can create the control system for Miss Sanae's rocket.

And Miss Suwako is like an explorer who hunts for new materials for Miss Sanae's rocket.

They plan to launch their own privately owned rocket together. Although, they still need more research and funding.

Miss Sanae isn't an astronaut yet, either. They've got a long road ahead of them.

But that's why they're making preparations. They're waiting and will continue to wait until Miss Sanae's dream comes true.

At least, that's the impression I got as we all talked over dinner.

Sanae

I know, but...

Sanae

Becoming an astronaut...

Sanae

...isn't really my dream.

Merry

...

Merry

...What?

Did I mishear her? Did she really say that?

Sanae

What I really want...

Sanae

...

Sanae

...is to fly.

Sanae

To fly like the wind. Like a bird.

Sanae

I want to fly all on my own.

Merry

...

It's not that unusual for people to wish they could fly.

It's one of the driving forces behind human innovation.

Without it, there wouldn't be any gliders, jet engines, moon rockets, or orbital stations.

But that's not what Miss Sanae is talking about.

Her wish to fly is different.

Merry

I see...

Merry

I think I finally get you, Miss Sanae.

Merry

I'm not a good person either, so even if you deny it, I've already convinced myself that I understand you.

Merry

And I wanted to say that. I couldn't stop myself because I'm a bad person.

Sanae

...

Sanae

Haha...

Merry

You are thankful for all that you have. You don't have any complaints, and you don't feel like you deserve anything more.

Merry

So, you don't want for anything. You are always satisfied with what you currently have, and you never get greedy.

Merry

You don't run or stop. You simply walk the path set out before you at the same speed that time naturally flows.

Merry

You've got no reason to be angry or worried. You'd help anyone for free, and you would never expect a reward.

Merry

You don't feel hurt when someone is mean to you. And you can convince anyone of the error of their ways.

Merry

...Don't ask me how, but I bet you could even bring the dead back to life if you put your mind to it.

And you could do that without even sacrificing your own life.

If Miss Sanae disappeared, everyone else would have to live in a world where she doesn't exist.

That means there'd be people that Miss Sanae could no longer help.

Then again, there might be people she can only help by sacrificing herself.

To solve this, you'd have to devote all that you are to helping other people while not sacrificing anything.

You'd also have to be immortal.

Sanae

...

Merry

I finally understand why you're so perfect.

Merry

I get you now.

Merry

You're perfect, but...

"...you are absolutely certain that everything you accomplish isn't due to your own skills, talents, or effort."

I was going to say that, but I stopped myself.

I can't say that to her. It would be arrogant to believe my words could reach through to her.

And even if they could... I definitely shouldn't be the one to say them.

I'm proud that I understand her now, but you shouldn't use other people as tools to satisfy your own ego.

You learn new things by speaking to people, but observing something can also distort what you observe.

According to the teachings of relative psychology, there is no such thing as a unique person. Mental states are relative.

Others' quirks are your quirks. An individual's eccentricities are the group's eccentricities.

There's no way that Miss Sanae could be the only exception.

She is irrefutably perfect, but she doesn't believe that any of this perfection belongs to her.

That's because she is perfectly humble. She thinks everything she has was given to her and that she's merely borrowing it.

Everything was given to her by her friends, her family, Heaven, Earth, humans, and gods.

So, she feels forever grateful and has dedicated herself to paying everyone back.

Helping people is all she thinks about.

I'm a human being, so now that I know this, I cannot help but want to admire her.

Feelings of envy or jealousy are like candles held before the wind of her perfection.

...Wait, am I using that idiom correctly?

Anyway, I honestly want to praise her, but I fear doing so would do nothing but satiate my own ego.

Seeing someone go so far beyond the normal limits of altruism...

...is disconcerting. I'd even call it grotesque.

Sanae

...Miss Merry? What's wrong?

Merry

Oh, umm... I walked a lot today, so...

Merry

...I'm pretty tired.

I wanted to ask her more questions, mainly about the Angel game.

I wanted to ask if the answers she got were really miracles and if they were caused by an ability she has.

Miss Sanae is perfect, so she doesn't lie. I'm sure she'd tell me the truth.

So I wanted to ask her.

But I can't.

Merry

Ummm...

I don't think everyone with an ability is the same, but...

It's awkward to talk to other people about abilities that are above a certain power level.

Some people feel embarrassed or ashamed, and for others, having other people know stresses them out. That's how it is.

And that's not even considering problems of discrimination or prejudice. So I can't ask her about it. I'm not worthy.

Merry

Just know...

Merry

That I understand you.

(Renko and Merry fell asleep.)

(I'll hear the rest of their reports in the morning.)

(But I should try to order my thoughts before then.)

I must find the truth behind the Lost Barriers to regain my past.

The Secret Sealing Club also wants the truth, and since I can't leave here, they investigated the Last Ward by themselves.

...Oh, right. I still haven't written in this journal about why I can't leave.

I might as well do that now.

This is my research facility. And from the looks of it, there's a good chance that it was an actual laboratory in the past.

I say that because I've only ever seen it like this. This is how it's always been to me.

I may have mentioned this somewhere else, but my first memories are of this place.

I don't have any memories from my childhood. My memories start from when I was 12 years old.

My age was determined by a state-of-the-art medical test that examined DNA samples from different parts of my body.

We live in an age of luxury, so I'm sure it's possible for 12-year-olds to survive on their own.

But I had someone who took care of me. I guess you could call her my foster parent.

I can't reveal their name due to reasons I won't get into here, so I'll refer to her as my benefactor.

She got angry when I tried to call her my boss.

I really owe her. She took me in and later gave me this research facility.

She was researching something here while compiling all these documents, just like I do now.

Also, I should mention that she didn't always stay cooped up inside. She'd sometimes take time off and go shopping.

I sometimes go out shopping, too, but only rarely since I can get most things delivered.

That said, there are a few reasons why I can't stray far from this place.

One of them is the promise I made to my benefactor, but there were two other reasons before that.

First, I have to prevent these books from getting stolen or destroyed. Though all I can really do is keep an eye on them.

But the main reason is that I'm waiting for something to happen.

I'm like an astronomer staring at the sky, waiting for a rare celestial event. I can't miss what will happen in this facility.

I'm waiting for a hole, a gap in a barrier. I don't know when one will appear, and I don't know how long it'll last.

My benefactor told me that this facility drifted here through one such gap.

Explaining all that will take a while, and it's related to what my benefactor was researching, so I'll save it for another time.

Anyway, my benefactor mostly stayed in this research facility, but she is no longer here.

She disappeared at the same as the Lost Barriers.

It's been said that the barriers disappeared simultaneously all over the world, but that's not true. There was some time lag.

My benefactor said she was going to check the barrier since it might still be there.

And that was the last time I saw her.

That barrier might still exist somewhere.

Like, when barriers decay, they might have really short half-lives...

...so while half of the barrier instantly disappeared, an infinitesimal fraction will always remain.

I can't prove that yet, but it gives me hope that my benefactor still exists somewhere on the other side of the barrier.

This theory would also explain the recorded time lag between each barrier disappearing.

It might also help explain why abilities have deteriorated so slowly, even though they're supposed to come from barriers.

If this facility really appeared from a gap in a barrier, then it might eventually disappear, too.

My benefactor tasked me with copying all the information here. But she didn't want me to just copy it word for word.

I have to make it my own by rewriting it in my own words. It's an odd task, but I have to do it exactly as she said.

That's what I promised.

That was her final request, unless I find her again, of course.

In order to keep this promise, I need the Secret Sealing Club's help with investigating the Lost Barriers.

But what if the Secret Sealing Club really does expose barriers...?

I'm sure they'd try to keep something like that a secret, so I can't ask them directly.

What should I do if that is why they formed the Secret Sealing Club in the first place?

This is just my assumption, based on what I know, but...

I think they can safely expose barriers. That means they must have unique abilities and experience.

If they failed after one or two tries, they would've given up. They would never seek the truth behind the Lost Barriers.

But what if their activities were what caused all the barriers to disappear?

Was ensuring the survival of their club an excuse? Are they trying to make the barriers return because it was their fault?

That seems like a reasonable assumption to make, considering they have the means to make barriers disappear.

They have the means... but they don't have a motive.

I'm guessing they probably can't use their skills with exposing barriers to bring them back.

If they could, they would have done that already. There'd be no reason for them to search for the truth.

So does that mean they're investigating the Lost Barriers in the hope of finding barriers that still exist?

If there is still a barrier out there, then the truth can be revealed using a process similar to radiocarbon dating.

The simplest explanation would be that they just want their lives to return to how they were before.

I can't ask them about their barrier-exposing activities because that would disrupt their lives even more.

They don't remember, but the Secret Sealing Club continues to have adventures in other worlds.

And I can see other worlds when I sleep in the form of dreams and illusions.

It was only recently that these two things coincided, but I've been seeing these dreams for a while now...

...They started when the barriers disappeared.

Can Renko and Merry cross to the other side of a barrier even though the barriers have disappeared? How can they do that?

You can't open a hole in a barrier that isn't there. You can't pass through it, and you can't expose it.

Perhaps the barriers exist as normal, but they hid them somehow. But that wouldn't explain their lost memories.

Or maybe they're only pretending that they don't remember to keep their barrier-exposing activities a secret...

Are they doing this to make me think what I saw was just a dream? Could they really think that far ahead?

No, that just doesn't make sense. They wouldn't keep coming back here if that was the case.

Trying to keep up the facade while letting me witness their adventures would be too risky and needlessly stressful.

Sure, they wouldn't have found a way to the Last Ward if they didn't keep coming here, but that's hindsight bias.

I guess the books here are also an asset to their investigation. But they still haven't made any breakthrough discoveries.

It wouldn't make sense if they're pretending. They truly don't remember their adventures after the barriers disappeared.

So, that means...

...there are ways to go to the other side of barriers and return without opening gaps in them.

But maybe it's limited, like how only my consciousness can cross over or like how Renko and Merry lose their memories.

I can think of three possible explanations for this.

First, there could be another yet-to-be-discovered type of barrier that filters who or what can pass through them.

Second, instead of using gaps in barriers, you might be able to pass over them... like the opposite of quantum tunneling.

Third, the barriers didn't disappear but simply changed form. They can no longer be observed, but they are still there.

I still don't know enough to deduce anything more than this.

Now, onto Sanae Kochiya. If she does have an ability...

...we might be able to find traces of the barrier that influences her ability near her.

That information would bring us one step closer to verifying these theories. Or it could refute them all.

Either way, it would bring us closer to the truth.

However, this is contingent on her having an ability.

...I'm still not convinced she does.

In the past, she could answer any question correctly, and now she can solve any problem.

These things are too improbable, too mysterious, to be coincidences. I can only think that they are miracles.

It doesn't matter how virtuous, smart, or skilled someone is.

No one can cause a miracle to occur at will.

Unless they have an ability.

Does this mean that Sanae Kochiya is truly...

...an angel of miracles?

Renko

...

Merry

Oh, Renko. Good morning.

Merry

Why don't you go wash your face?

Renko

...

Merry

Renko? You there?

Renko

Ah... Right! I'll go do that.

Merry

That was strange. What's up with her?

Merry

Oh, Miss Sanae must've left already. Her bag and uniform are gone.

Merry

I didn't realize schools under the old system started this early in the morning...

Merry

No, that can't be right. We met her much later yesterday.

Merry

And she said she had to run to make it to school on time.

Merry

If she left just now, she could walk to school and back before the bell rings. Is she going to stop by somewhere on the way?

Merry

Thinking about it now, she came home pretty late last night... and everyone acted like it was a regular occurrence.

Merry

Does she hold consultations in the morning and after school? That makes her sound like a popular fortune teller.

Kanako

Wh-Where's Sanae?! Has she already left?!

Suwako

Her shoes aren't here! Oh no, her bag and uniform are gone, too!

Merry

Umm, hasn't she gone to school...?

Kanako

I thought we wouldn't have to worry today cause Renko and Merry are here!

Suwako

Why would you do this, Sanae...?!

Merry

Huh?! Wh-What's going on?!

Renko

Merry! Let's go look for her!

Renko

I'm pretty sure...

Renko

Sanae's in danger!

Merry

What?!

"I didn't notice."

"I should've, but I didn't."

...Full of regret, Renko spat those words out as we ran out of the apartment.

Renko went with Miss Kanako, and I went with Miss Suwako.

We split up to look for Miss Sanae, but neither of us had any idea where she might be.

Her two roommates, the closest people to her, didn't know either. There's no way they could.

Because no one...

...has ever seen...

...Miss Sanae get hurt.

We can't find her.

We don't know where she is.

We're running to every high place in town to see if we can catch a glimpse of her.

Miss Kanako is running with me, but she's so worried that it feels like she might break down into tears at any moment.

But that hasn't stopped her from calling out Sanae's name. And I'm adding my voice to hers.

It's still early in the morning, but we don't care, especially since not many people live in this run-down city anyway.

But... there's no use just running around blindly.

If my reasoning is correct, Sanae is in grave danger right now.

And there's not much time.

I made a mistake. I made a false presumption.

Seances were banned at school, so I had assumed that the Angel game was only popular with little kids.

I thought everyone would naturally grow out of it when they graduated from elementary school and entered middle school.

The alternative never even occurred to me.

Sanae Kochiya has never stopped playing the Angel game. She is still the angel.

Middle schoolers are as intelligent as adults. So they won't divulge a secret just because you ask them some questions.

"She solves problems." They purposely spoke about the angel in that way to avoid suspicion from outsiders.

We never got honest answers to our questions 'cause they had already taken precautions. They're all in it together.

Adults have already persecuted them multiple times for playing their Angel game.

But each persecution only made them more resolute in their beliefs. The punishments were like trials from a god.

Their faith went underground, and they hid the door to their church... Their seances became consultations.

Why is that?

Why would they go to such lengths?

Is it because miracles actually happened?

No.

It's because they're a community.

And just like any other community, they gather together, share things, and support each other.

But communities built by kids are frail.

It's not fair, but they can easily collapse or change by adults making decisions for them or due to the passage of time.

They know this. That's why they dream of this moment lasting forever.

They know they'll eventually lose their community, so they want to treasure it while it lasts. They're all of the same mind.

That's why they needed a symbol, something they could all gather around.

They placed Sanae Kochiya on a pedestal.

So, what did they do then? Did they force Sanae to create mysterious miracles for them?

No, of course not.

It wasn't Sanae who performed the "miracles."

It was her many friends.

One of the rules of the Angel game is that it's played with five people, meaning there is always Sanae and four others.

And all five people place a finger on the coin. They're middle schoolers now, so they probably use their pinkies.

If four out of the five work together, they can freely move the coin. They just have to do it when it's Sanae's turn.

If three out of the five are working together, they can manipulate the coin to show a "miracle" for one other person.

That was probably how they used Kanako to spread the rumors about Sanae and the Angel game when we were little.

And I'm almost certain that they faked the question about her crush by guessing that she doesn't have a crush on anyone.

It's common not to have a crush, and even if you do, you might not correct someone if they say you don't.

No, they probably already figured out that Kanako didn't have a crush before they invited her to join their game.

That's why they decided to use her in the first place.

That's the simplest method. If it turned out that Kanako did have a crush, they would've just chosen someone else.

But why did Sanae's friends keep doing this?

Surely, someone would object to tricking a young girl again and again just to build a community. That's not OK.

The community must've been a side effect.

That's all it ever was. No one ever did this purely for the sake of building a community.

Every single one of Sanae's friends...

...loves her from the bottom of their heart.

To them, Sanae is all that is good, true, wise, kind, exceptional, just, beautiful, and lovely.

She is virtue, righteousness, gratitude, knowledge, and faith.

To her friends, Sanae Kochiya really is an angel.

It probably all started on a whim.

Like, maybe a young Sanae asked the angel what was for dinner.

Then, her friends, who were just as young, thought she was cute, so not thinking too much about it, they moved the coin.

H-A-M-B-U-R-G-E-R-S

Seeing Sanae's face light up with joy made them happy. But they soon realized their mistake.

Sanae would be really disappointed if this prediction didn't come true.

Their careless act will make their beloved Sanae cry. That's not good.

They were young, but they knew how to spell. They had to work together to somehow make that prediction come true.

They had to make it so Sanae ate hamburgers for dinner. They probably ran ahead of Sanae to plead with her parents.

So when Sanae got home, she was really happy. But her smile was too bright...

...That's why it's still happening now.

When Sanae realized the "miracles" kept happening, she probably changed her questions so they'd help someone else.

That's the kind of person she is.

That must've made it easier for her friends to fake them. Though, I doubt they ever thought of it that way.

Since to them, Sanae really is an angel.

Sanae's happy when she gets to help someone. And everyone's happy when Sanae is happy.

So, Sanae would always succeed when she tried to help someone.

Always. Every time.

She was made to succeed with the power of "miracles."

"Others' quirks are your quirks. An individual's eccentricities are the group's eccentricities."

...That's what Merry wrote in her report last night. She really hit the nail on the head.

The "miracles" were powered by her friends' love for Sanae...

Sanae did make and will continue to make any miracle come true because these miracles help other people.

Everyone knows that Sanae will only ever pray to an angel for a miracle if that miracle helps someone else.

So, if everyone works together and gives it their all, they can make it seem like Sanae caused these miracles to happen.

But Sanae must've realized...

...that there are some miracles that never happen.

There are some miracles that Sanae cannot cause to happen. Miracles that no one lets her attempt.

This is an extension of the hamburger scenario.

Sanae does have a wish of her own. She alone wishes that these miracles would happen.

...I saw her skin in the bath. There wasn't a single blemish.

She didn't have any band-aids on her.

When I noticed that, I was relieved, thinking that she doesn't get hurt all the time anymore.

But I was wrong.

The reason why I couldn't see any wounds or band-aids was the same reason why you can't see the New Moon.

It was the moment before the cycle started anew. The moment right before she got hurt again.

The wounds aren't caused by someone else because everyone loves her.

And they're not the result of an accident because Sanae is perfect. She doesn't make careless mistakes.

So, only one possibility remains...

She hurts herself.

At first, the injuries appeared on her head and face, but as she got older, they moved to her knees.

This can be explained by how your center of gravity shifts as you grow older.

Children have bigger heads in proportion to the rest of their bodies. That's one of the reasons why they fall over so much.

But as you get older, you get taller, and the muscles and bones in your limbs and torso get bigger, making it easier to balance.

So, how does Sanae get injured?

Does she run and trip over? Does she fall down the stairs?

No.

That'd be meaningless.

Sanae is perfect, so if she's going to hurt herself, there must be a purpose behind it.

It must be necessary.

And it must be efficient.

Because Sanae Kochiya...

...will become an astronaut.

Renko

...

Merry

...

It's a new day, and Renko and Merry are wearing new clothes, but that's not important right now.

Does Sanae Kochiya not have an ability?!

That seems to be what the reports imply.

Here... I made some tea...

Renko

...Thanks, PLAYER.

Merry

...

The silence is heavy.

They're both exhausted from presenting their reports practically non-stop since yesterday. I'm truly thankful.

They're doing this for me, so I have to see this through to the end.

I have to know what becomes of Sanae Kochiya and her "miracles."

Sanae doesn't have an ability. All the miracles were a fantasy fabricated by her friends.

Their investigation was a failure.

But that's fine. I can't blame the Secret Sealing Club for trying to help me.

As long as they're still up for it, we can keep investigating until we succeed.

The fact that they failed isn't an issue. I don't mind at all.

...And I'm sure they both know that.

They're observant, so they could easily figure that out.

This means that the reason they're so sad...

...isn't because they're tired or because they failed their investigation.

Renko

...Sanae.

Merry

*sob* Miss Sanae...

...Seeing them like this makes me want to cry with them.

I want to ask why they're sad so we can try to process it together. I want to share what they're going through.

They're my friends, so I want to do whatever I can to alleviate their pain...

...I desperately want that.

But, without thinking, I force those feelings down.

Thoughts determine the outcome. Observations will become a reality.

I can't let them say why they're sad, and I cannot ask them about it. We can't even think about it.

I can't skip ahead and let my imagination predict...

...how Sanae's story will end.

...

I bit down hard on my lip, drawing blood.

I can't sit here doing nothing.

My brain keeps trying to think on its own.

I'm sorry.

I know it's a lot to ask, but...

Renko

...

Merry

...

We need to hurry and finish this story.

Please tell me the rest.

Renko & Merry

...OK!

Merry

The Angel game, inspired by spiritualism, was so popular among young girls for so long that it became a social problem.

Merry

It had so many variants that studies were done to see how the names and rules differed from region to region.

Merry

But they were all the same in how kids who played these games acted secretively and were bound together by rules.

Merry

The seances would usually be held during the night at school. This is the main reason why parents objected to them.

Merry

The kids had to hide the evidence in secret. The pieces of paper with weird rows of letters were enough to expose them.

Merry

This was mostly done by cutting up and throwing the paper away, with some versions specifying the number of cuts.

Merry

But apparently, the rules of the Angel game played at Renko and Miss Sanae's school were a little bit different.

Merry

This slight difference...

Merry

...became an iron-clad rule, an unbreakable law that would continue to dictate Miss Sanae's actions.

Merry

It was a smell that tipped me off.

Merry

I smelled it last night while taking a bath.

Merry

Tiny particles, invisible to the naked eye, had stuck to Miss Sanae's hair and clothes.

Merry

But when she went to take a bath, they scattered into the air and tickled my nose.

Merry

The smell felt so out of place.

Merry

It wasn't a smell you'd usually expect from a student who just came home from school.

Merry

It was the smell of smoke.

Merry

The smoke generated when cellulose combusts.

Merry

It was the smell you get when you burn paper.

Merry

This can be explained by what happened yesterday morning.

Merry

I think Miss Sanae meant to burn the papers she and her friends used for the Angel game...

Merry

The rule for hiding the evidence in their version of the game is that the paper must be burned and thrown into a river.

Merry

Miss Sanae tried to follow that rule at her usual spot.

Merry

But she had to change her plans to prevent outsiders from witnessing her. That's the rule.

Merry

She did all this to ensure the "angel's miracles" wouldn't lose their power... and to avoid persecution from the adults.

Merry

Miss Sanae is meant to be perfect. But from an adult's perspective, she has continued to break the rules.

Merry

That doesn't concern her, though. All she cares about is the paradise built by the girls her age.

Merry

She is their guardian angel who follows their laws. And the only way to do this is to dispose of their secret pieces of paper.

Merry

The Angel ritual is sacrosanct. It must be completed.

Merry

Renko and I are the infidels who got in her way.

Merry

I'm guessing Miss Sanae had to burn a lot of paper. A new piece of paper has to be used and disposed of for each seance.

Merry

Judging from what the other students said about the "consultations," they average around five seances per day.

Merry

And they probably use standard A4 paper torn out of the notebooks they use at school.

Merry

The more often she does this, the higher the risk of getting spotted, but if she burns too many at once...

Merry

...the smoke will give her away. Taking this into consideration, she probably burns around 35 pieces of paper at once.

Merry

And she does this once every seven days. That is her usual cycle unless she has to get rid of the evidence in a hurry.

Merry

Try to imagine a teenage girl who wanted to burn 35 pieces of A4 paper.

Merry

On her way down to the river in the morning, she noticed Renko and I. There's no way she could burn them then.

Merry

So, what if she tried to burn them at night? She could finish the afternoon's seances early, go to the river, and light a page.

Merry

If she did that, she'd immediately realize that fire is much more noticeable at night. Someone might come to investigate.

Merry

She had to find a place out of sight, but she also had to stay next to the river. So, she started walking upstream...

Merry

But this wouldn't work. The mountain is upstream, and even if lighting fires there isn't prohibited, it is dangerous.

Merry

After wandering around... she ran out of time. People were waiting for her at home. This curfew was an unwritten law.

Merry

Miss Sanae is smart, so she knew she had no other option... No, Miss Sanae wants to follow all the laws that bind her.

Merry

Thus, Miss Sanae is at the river now.

Merry

She went there to follow her laws...

Merry

...and burn 35 pieces of paper.

Suwako

Sanae! Sanaeeeeeee!

Merry

(It's faint... but I can smell something...)

Merry

Miss Suwako! Miss Sanae's nearby!

???

Merry!

Merry

Huh?!

Renko

I'm glad you're here! That means you must've come to the same conclusion as me!

Merry

She's not on the riverbank!

Renko

What?!

Kanako

Sanae...?!

Kanako

SANAEEEEE!

Kanako

This is bad! Sanae's older now! She grew up so incredibly fast...!

Kanako

She only got scratches until now because she was small and light! It won't be the same this time!

Sanae

...

Sanae

...

Renko

Feathers.

Renko

I saw white feathers floating on the wind.

Renko

They caught the updraft created by the flames and disappeared high up into the sky.

Renko

Sanae Kochiya is spreading her white wings. It was only for a brief moment, lasting less than a second, but...

Renko

That miracle had been firmly etched into my heart and mind.

Renko

Her wings were pure white. Holy and mysterious.

Renko

There was only one word to describe her.

Renko

She's an angel...

Sanae

"Angel is falling down... Angel is falling down."

Renko

...I should've guessed.

Renko

Of course, she'd sing that song.

Renko

But it sounds different when it's only sung by one person.

Renko

It really sounds like a prayer.

Sanae

～♪ ～♪～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪ ～♪

Sanae

～♪

???

...

???

Now then...

???

This is your moment, PLAYER.

...?!

Mima

We retirees know what was lost. But we cannot touch them.

Shinki

Those Secret Sealing Club girls can touch what has been lost. But they cannot know what they are.

Mima

It's tough not being able to interfere.

Shinki

You said it.

At this rate, Miss Sanae will...

Mima

Yes, it's clear what will happen.

Shinki

Falling from that height can only end one way.

...

There's nothing I can do.

Mima

...Oh?

But I don't believe it will turn out like that.

There is still a way to save her.

Shinki

Is that right?

Mima

Be careful what you say, PLAYER. You must prove those words are true now you've said them.

Mima

How can she be saved if she falls from that height? Or what? Can she stop falling after she has already started?

Shinki

And even if she is saved, do you really think her life can return to normal?

Shinki

It looks like that human wants to hurt herself. All her friends will hear about this. Won't the same thing just happen again?

Mima

Taking all this into account...

Shinki

Do you still think it's possible?

...Yes. There's still a chance.

I want to let everyone there know that.

Please help me, Miss Mima, Miss Shinki.

Mima

You're asking us for help...? Ahahaha! That's a surprise! Who'd think that a foolish bug like you would be so audacious?

Shinki

This is what happens when lesser beings want more than they deserve. It's disgusting. Did we mistakenly summon a clown?

Shinki & Mima

I'm impressed!

Renko?!

Merry?!

Mima

We can never cross paths with them. Not because our paths are parallel but because they twist to avoid each other.

Shinki

Only one thing connects us retirees with the Secret Sealing Club... you.

They... transformed?!

Mima

Attire and appearance are types of barriers. So when bonds change (or are perceived to have changed), so do they.

Shinki

Your interference has indirectly bonded (or has appeared to have bonded) them with us.

Mima

But now that it has come to this, you will have to pay the price. Same as us.

Shinki

You chose this, so you have to face the consequences.

(Ow.... My head... It feels like it's splitting apart...)

Mima

Be strong, PLAYER.

Mima

―This is beyond you.

Shinki

You'll never be able to return if you lose consciousness now.

Shinki

―It's impossible. You'll never become anything.

("Or are perceived to have changed"...?)

("Or has appeared to have bonded"...?)

(It's no good... Fantasy is blending with reality...)

...

PLAYER...

Copy it all.

Preserve it.

Make it your own.

You must do all these things―

―to find what was lost.

This will truly be the end if I don't do this.

Everything is riding on me... isn't it?

I'll do it. I'll get it done... with everything I've got!

Mima

That's the spirit.

Shinki

Good.

Shinki & Mima

All right, then...

Shinki & Mima

...OFF YOU GO!

Mima

Listen closely, PLAYER. There's no time to explain in detail, so just accept what I'm about to say as fact.

Mima

Shinki and I manifested this state by using the power of those who've been found. This is what lies beyond a conclusion...

Mima

...attained by the first being that was found. But the final destination for those who are lost is to remain lost.

Mima

Currently, this is the only way to change that. Isn't that right, Shinki?

Kanako?

...

Suwako?

...

Sanae?

...

Sanae

...!

Sanae

...

Sanae

...

Sanae

I can...

Sanae

...fly.

Sanae

I can fly.

Kanako

Don't move, Sanae!

Renko

...!

Suwako

Why...? Why is Sanae doing this...?

Merry

...

Merry

Miss Sanae...

Merry

...is genuinely trying to fly.

Suwako

What?!

Merry

She believes she can fly... with the angel's power.

Kanako

H-How can she think that...?!

Renko

She's convinced herself that she can do it.

Renko

(It doesn't even occur to her that she might be mistaken.)

Kanako

Sanae...!

Sanae

...I can fly.

Sanae

I won't fall.

Sanae

I'm an angel... so I can fly.

Kanako

Sanae.

Kanako

Humans...

Kanako

Humans can't fly!

Sanae

...!

Kanako

Sanae. Humans... can't fly on their own.

Kanako

So, if you step off that bridge, gravity will pull you down, and you will fall.

Kanako

That's how humans are... But that is also why we reach for the sky and the stars.

Suwako

...It's OK, Sanae. You don't need to fly on your own.

Suwako

We'll make you fly together. That's what we promised.

Suwako

We can't do it now... but someday, me and Kanako will send you to space.

Sanae

...

Sanae

...

Sanae

...

Sanae

Yeah.

Sanae

You're right.

Sanae

I don't need to rush, do I?

Sanae

I'm sure that one day... in the future... we'll go to space together!

Kanako

Exactly.

Kanako

Everything's going to be OK. We're here for you.

Kanako

We'll always be together!

Suwako

There's no need to rush. Let's take it step by step.

Suwako

There's nothing wrong with going slow and steady.

Suwako

We don't need to grow up that fast.

Merry

Miss Sanae smiled as she understood how much they loved her. I think that was the first true smile I saw from her.

Merry

I'm sure some people would call it angelic. But to me, it was the smile of an ordinary girl.

Merry

Sanae loves to help people.

Merry

But her own heartfelt prayer was sealed away and hidden beyond the normal limits of altruism.

Merry

But it's not that she couldn't fulfill her own prayer because she always put other people first or anything like that...

Merry

Miss Sanae decided to fly because flying would help everyone.

Merry

Her reasoning is as follows...

Merry

She dreams of becoming an astronaut because that way, she'll be able to help more people in the future.

Merry

And she wants to do all that she can now to make this dream come true.

Merry

So she decided to fly. Her flying will help people, and that is what makes her happy.

Merry

Normally, you'd never think like this. It's a broken way of thinking.

Merry

But it's more than that.

Merry

She hasn't just taken a leap in logic.

Merry

She's taken flight.

Merry

Her mind has been flying from the very beginning.

Renko

I couldn't understand what happened.

Renko

Sanae slipped, and she started to fall. It was the complete opposite of a miracle―the opposite of flight.

Renko

I tried to shout, and I saw Merry try to call out, too.

Renko

It all happened so suddenly.

Renko

I noticed that Miss Suwako wasn't next to Merry and that Miss Kanako was no longer by my side.

Renko

I turned around by reflex, and then I saw them.

Renko

Miss Suwako leaped with all her might. Miss Kanako shouted something just before, so I think she directed her.

Renko

Miss Suwako soared through the air, targeting where Sanae would fall.

Renko

Sanae's leg must've caught something as she started to fall because her body turned in the air. She was falling head-first.

Renko

Having timed her leap correctly, Miss Suwako spread out her jacket.

Renko

Her arms were waiting to catch Sanae, so in a remarkable feat of dexterity... she spread her jacket out with her feet.

Renko

Like a flying frog.

Renko

There was more weight, but the extra surface area increased the air resistance, slowing them down.

Renko

Then Miss Kanako crashed into them, shifting their point of descent from the shallows to the middle of the river.

Renko

And then...

Suwako

*gasp for air*

Kanako

*deep breath*

Sanae

*cough* *cough*

Suwako

Are you OK, Sanae?!

Kanako

Are you hurt?!

Sanae

I-I'm fine! I don't hurt at all!

Renko

Thank goodness...! She's OK.

Merry

At the time, I thought it was a miracle.

Merry

But it probably wasn't.

Merry

They spend all their time researching and talking about the structure of rockets.

Merry

So, this was just the result of their fun everyday experiences together.

Merry

It was always fated to end this way.

Sanae

*sob* *sniff*

Sanae

*breaking down in tears*

Merry

Miss Sanae is just an ordinary girl...

Merry

Who sheds ordinary tears.

Renko

...I'm glad we got to finish presenting our reports to PLAYER.

Renko

So, what did you think of our adventure this time, Merry?

Merry

We didn't discover anything about the Lost Barriers, and Miss Sanae's "miracles" weren't the result of an ability.

Renko

...Yeah, maybe our expectations were too high. That was only our first foray, after all.

Renko

But meeting Sanae again was a big step forward. I'm sure she'll help us investigate the Last Ward in the future.

Renko

Oh, right, we should report our findings to Miss Aya. I also want to ask her some more questions.

Merry

If only we could find someone with an ability as strong as ours. I'm sure that would really help our investigation.

Merry

If I properly used my ability back then, I'm sure I could've found the lingering remnants of a barrier nearby.

Renko

Yeah...

Renko

Was there anything else we could've done better?

Merry

Hmm, let me think...

Merry

I think I should've talked more with Miss Sanae.

Merry

I know she wanted to protect her Angel community but to think she'd try to accomplish that by jumping off a bridge...

Merry

It's too big of a leap in logic. I don't mean to deny Miss Sanae's sincerity, but since I study relative psychology...

Renko

You mean relative psychology can help explain her actions?

Merry

Y-Yeah.

Merry

In relative psychology, objective and subjective perspectives are interchangeable. In fact, a subjective perspective―

Renko

Whoa there, Miss Maribel. You're getting pretty heated.

Merry

Oops! S-Sorry! I forgot we're in public...!

Renko

I reckon you're overthinking things.

Merry

Why do you say that?

Renko

Because you overlooked something very important.

Merry

What do you mean, Renko?! Are you saying you didn't write everything in your report?!

Renko

Don't blame me. You've already decided that we didn't find any abilities, right?

Renko

So, there's no point in me sharing it with you. Or what? Do you want me to tell you about it anyway?

Merry

Wow, is that how you wanna play this?

Renko

Huh?!

Merry

I also didn't add something to my report. But I won't tell you about it if you're going to act like that!

Renko

No way!

Renko

This is an addendum to my report.

Renko

It's possible that Sanae Kochiya has a different ability. One that doesn't cause miracles to happen.

Renko

Sanae didn't create any miracles. They were merely a wishful fantasy fabricated by a community.

Renko

But that doesn't exclude Sanae from having a different ability.

Renko

There's still the question as to why Sanae tried to fly. Why did she think she could fly?

Renko

Her friends manipulated the answers to Sanae's questions in the Angel game to always be correct.

Renko

So if she asked, "Can I fly?" surely none of them would answer "Y-E-S."

Renko

This means that Sanae must've thought she could fly for a completely different reason, one unrelated to her friends.

Renko

What would make her think that?

Renko

The answer is simple.

Renko

It's because she had flown before.

Renko

Sanae's ability must've been something that she could use to fly.

Renko

Those memories of flight were engrained deep in her soul. But for some reason, her ability must've diminished.

Renko

The Lost Barriers might have played a part, but generally, all abilities get weaker or disappear as kids become adults.

Renko

The speed and timing of this deterioration vary from person to person. Sanae's ability might've disappeared really quickly.

Renko

And perhaps she couldn't accept this.

Renko

Most people are reluctant to reveal their abilities. And Sanae was no different. It was an incredibly personal thing to her.

Renko

She kept it to herself. She studied it, learned more about it, and worried about it all by herself.

Renko

But she did occasionally open up to people...

Renko

"Renko, I can create miracles."

Renko

Her hands were clasped together, one on top of the other, as if she was trying to keep water from spilling...

Renko

...or a tiny insect from escaping. Curious, I bent down and peeked inside.

Renko

And that's when I saw "it."

Renko

...A tiny whirlwind dancing on the palm of her hand.

Renko

If she could control the wind, she might be able to fly.

Renko

But that ability has already disappeared or deteriorated to a point where it can't even break her fall.

Renko

Then again, it's not much of a loss.

Renko

There's no air in space.

Renko

So it's not like she could manipulate wind up there anyway.

Merry

This is an addendum to my report.

Merry

It details my conversation with Sanae just before we left the Last Ward.

Merry

...I still don't fully understand why all that happened. Maybe Renko could explain it to me.

Merry

Yeah, maybe she could if she was here! Well, whatever. I'll ask her later.

Sanae

You're leaving soon, aren't you?

Sanae

Wait... Where's Renko?

Merry

She said she saw something interesting and ran off somewhere.

Merry

Even though our train will be here soon. *sigh* She never changes.

Sanae

Haha.

Sanae

You're just like I imagined you, Merry.

Merry

...What?

Merry

Umm, but we only met yesterday... didn't we?

Sanae

Yeah, that's right.

Sanae

I never imagined I'd actually get to meet you, but I'm glad I did.

Sanae

I only knew you by name.

Merry

She knew my name...?

Merry

Does that mean she knew about me before we met?

Merry

How is that possible? When I asked her about it, her reply was incredibly simple.

Merry

She learned my name from the angel when she was little.

Merry

At a seance that Renko participated in.

Merry

Now, this leads to three more questions.

Merry

1. How did the Angel game give her the correct answer?

Merry

2. Can Sanae Kochiya really cause miracles to happen?

Merry

3. What question concerning Renko would give my name as the correct answer?

Merry

Can any of you reading this report solve this mystery? I can't.

Merry

I also have another question. It's a little different from the others, so I decided to group it separately...

Merry

4. The subway led to a mysterious city where we met a reporter and an old friend whose issues got resolved...

Merry

...wouldn't you call that a miracle?

Merry

Hahaha.

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Code L?: Lost Ward

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Code L?: Lost Ward