A blade whirs before my eyes.
Kiraboshi laughs.
At the edge of my vision, the Dungeon begins to collapse with a deafening roar.
As my body is carved apart, it becomes difficult for Jougasaki to even maintain coherent thought.
“Ah… ah…”
Reason barely functions. The sound of the chainsaw distorts all senses.
If I answer incorrectly, I’ll be killed.
A sense of crisis.
Faced with the terror of true death and her madness, Jougasaki made the worst decision of her life: to give up on her friendship with her.
Even to the point of bending her own beliefs.
And yet—
Why does the sound of the blade continue to ring out?
Rolling her severed arms, twitching like an upturned caterpillar, Jougasaki tearfully begs for forgiveness from the creature standing before her.
“I… I, I properly, s-said I was wrong… so, wh-why…?”
If I answer, I’ll be forgiven. If I apologize properly, I’ll be forgiven.
I should be having a normal conversation as a human being, but the demon before me carves into my flesh as if she doesn’t understand a word.
If the opponent were a mindless creature, I could understand.
If I were attacked by a bear or a tiger, or a monster from a movie, and torn apart by ferocious fangs, I would be terrified, but I would understand the meaning.
But.
Standing before her now is undoubtedly a classmate she was in the same classroom with, someone she could converse with—yet no words get through at all.
That fact destroys everything, everything Jougasaki Kawai holds as common sense.
I don’t understand anything anymore.
Should I apologize?
Should I cry? Should I scream over and over? None of my past experiences apply.
That’s why, that’s why—
“W-what more do you want me to do…!”
She roared, crying.
There’s nothing more Jougasaki can offer.
Everything precious that Jougasaki held within her has already been shattered, not even a fragment remains.
From such a self, there is nothing more to offer—
“Didn’t I say it? Let’s be the friends I want.”
“I-I will! I’ll be your friend!”
“Such a half-hearted answer won’t do. You see? I want you to answer after properly understanding the meaning of the words. —I’m not listening to such superficial, life-begging answers. Do you understand?”
“That’s…”
Her blade dances in the air once more. Something is gouged out, something becomes lighter.
I don’t understand. I don’t understand.
Even if I’m forced to accept values I can’t comprehend, I don’t know how to answer, I don’t know anything—
“But, isn’t the relationship you wanted… that kind of friendship?”
“!”
“An ideal friend who always fulfills the other’s ideals and never opposes them—you’ve always pushed that onto me, saying ‘for my sake.'”
“…That’s…”
“I told you I didn’t like it, didn’t I? That we couldn’t be friends. But you forced it on me. So now I’m doing the same thing to you.”
Next is the right leg. Even during the conversation, she indifferently raises her blade, shaving off Jougasaki’s volume.
I’m being shaved away. I’m being reduced.
The impossible is happening before my very eyes—my existence is disappearing from this world—please, please stop—
“I-I understand… I understand, I’ll be your friend, your slave, anything! So!”
“The last one, the left leg.”
“Wh-why…!”
“Why?”
“I-I’ve been saying I’ll be your friend…!”
“Why should I listen to you?”
The blade falls on Jougasaki’s left thigh.
My senses are already blurred, and I’m not even sure if I’m feeling pain or cold, but Kiraboshi’s voice reaches my ears clearly.
“What you wanted wasn’t a discussion. It was the imposition of values. So I’m returning the same thing to you. —There’s a difference between physical and mental things, but you wouldn’t understand if I told you with words, would you? So, I’ll teach you with your body.”
“Eek…”
“Do you understand a little? The feeling of having someone’s values forcibly imposed on you?”
Then, what should I do to be forgiven?
What should I apologize for to be saved—what should I do, what should I do?
Faced with that confused question—
Kiraboshi simply states the answer calmly.
“That’s why. All you can do is keep regretting it.”
“…Huh?”
That voice is so distant, so cold.
Without a shred of mercy, only her determination is contained within.
“You didn’t listen to my words. So I won’t listen to you either, and I don’t need your answer. …Regardless of your answer, I’ll continue the violence until I’m convinced you understand. Until the limit, until the very edge, okay?”
That’s all.
I don’t want an answer. Because you—
You never listened to people.
“!”
Witnessing her determination, no, her resolve and actions—
Jougasaki finally understands.
“…Ah…”
The countless acts of unconscious arrogance she had committed against her.
The foolish humanity of Jougasaki Kawai, who pretended to seek dialogue with people while constantly denying it all.
That arrogance is reflected back like a mirror, her own body is burned at the stake, her limbs are torn off, and she is pushed to the brink of life and death, and finally—
Triggered by the loss of her limbs, she understands her own foolish values.
No.
…To be more precise.
The values that had been poisoned by her mother are painted over with a new poison.
From blind faith in her mother.
To the world of overwhelming terror, violence—Jougasaki Kawai’s world collapses, is rebuilt, and turns everything upside down and repaints it.
….
With a creak, the seabed stage groans, and water leaks out faintly as it collapses.
The Dungeon is collapsing.
While witnessing the somewhat mystical scenery, wrapped in a dense aura of death, Jougasaki half-consciously hums as if singing.
“…I will…”
“…”
“…I’ll be your friend… I’ll be Kiraboshi-san’s friend…”
Even words like “help me” don’t follow.
There is no dream or hope there.
Just a unique, sincere feeling.
A vow that I will only obey you—nothing more, nothing less, a pledge that is not even a plea for life, she mutters vaguely, appealing with tears in her eyes.
I don’t want anything anymore.
I don’t even harbor the hope of being saved.
Just as I said, I will become the “friend” you want—
At that faint tone, Kiraboshi raises her eyebrows slightly.
“Jougasaki-san. Will you be my friend?”
“…Yes. I’m Kiraboshi-san’s friend…”
“Really?”
Just to be sure, Kiraboshi stomps on Jougasaki’s face.
She grinds her shoe sole into her twisted nose and crushed eyes, making sure that not a single piece of her impudent heart remains hidden deep inside.
There is no resistance.
Instead, Jougasaki faintly smiles strangely, and obediently laughs, “Yes.”
“I’ll be your friend… Please, let me be…”
“I see. Then you won’t complain even if you’re killed like this, right? We’re friends, after all.”
“…Yes. I’m your friend… K-Kiraboshi-san is a kind person, so…”
“Why am I kind?”
To her, who speaks haltingly like a broken doll, Kiraboshi returns the final question while holding the chainsaw.
The answer, naturally—
Spilled from her mouth as if it were obvious.
“Th-thank you… for stepping on me.”
“…”
“Thank you for carving me up…!”
That’s all.
Because we’re friends.
Haha, ahaha… Kiraboshi finally stops the raised blade in silence at her, who has a dry laugh with broken eyes.
“I’m glad you seem to understand.”
“Ehehe… Thank you…”
Kiraboshi stretches out her hand, satisfied with Jougasaki, who smiles with eyes like a broken doll.
Now then. If you understand, it’s time to make up.
…But, since she doesn’t have any arms.
Instead, Kiraboshi gently lifts her back as if holding a broken doll—
Jougasaki’s left shoulder.
While applying a Magical Power Potion to the wound to restore the missing part, she washes away the magical power traces remaining in the wound—the evidence—as much as possible, and encourages her, patting her head as if soothing a child.
Continuing to heal her right arm and right leg in order.
Kiraboshi gently, gently, as if a mother were soothing a child, rubbing against her skin….
“It hurt, didn’t it? I’m sorry, Jougasaki-san, for doing such terrible things. But I’m glad you understand, my feelings.”
“Yes… I understand well…”
“People can understand each other by talking, was it?”
Kiraboshi smiles and pats her shoulder.
“From now on, let’s ‘reconcile’ in the same way if there are any problems, okay?”
“H-Hii…”
“It’s okay. I’ll always respond. …Because we’re ‘friends,’ right? Right?”
We’re such good friends.
Kiraboshi nods in satisfaction at Shirogasaki, who has a strained smile on her face—and then carries her and starts walking.
Due to the collapse of the Dungeon, the Gate closes.
Burying all the evidence in darkness, as if nothing had happened, back to everyday life—
The sudden Dungeon generation and Gate Crash incident caused by the “Mother Sphere” split entity.
Upon receiving a report from the villa, the members of the Labyrinth Agency who arrived at the scene witnessed an unprecedented report: the Dungeon had been cleared by two high school girls who happened to be present.
When the surprised staff asked them about it.
The girl with glasses, like a very ordinary high school student—responded shyly.
“I was surprised when the Dungeon appeared, but I was able to do my best because I had a friend with me. …The reason I’m here now is thanks to her. Right, Shirogasaki-san?”
“Y-Yes… We’re… g-good friends, so…”
The Labyrinth Agency staff were impressed by the two high school girls who smiled even while facing the difficulty of the Dungeon, and the topic later became a minor news item on social media.
‘Two High School Girls Clear Special Gate on Their Own, Chatting About Friendship with Smiles’
In this day and age, when Dungeons are rampant and public order is steadily deteriorating.
The activities of high school girls who lived in the Dungeon generation, although a small article, stirred the world as a heartwarming story and touched people’s hearts.
—It was a very heartwarming and wonderful story about caring for friends, they said.