Chapter 226 Burning Flame
“One.”
[-?]
I only have one question. Ryoma Kotjo. Can you be cured?
[Cure…?]
“Yeah. I don’t know. I don’t know, but you feel like you’re being manipulated by someone, don’t you? What if…”
If you don’t mean what you’re doing.
I’m here to help you get better…
I tried to tell him that, but he ignored me.
Ryoma-san was holding out his pointed claws as if to clutch at my heart,
“-!”
I’ll just duck and dodge.
“-<<fireball>!”
Then, he aimed a single shot at Ryouma-san’s face and hit him with a <<Fire Magic II>>.
[… Chi!]]
Ryoma drops to one knee, like a boxer taking a critical hit to the chin.
Apparently, he’s slowing down.
Well, that’s understandable after all those attacks.
Or, as we say, we may be close to running out of magic.
“Kotjo, Ryoma,” you said.
I took advantage of the opportunity he had to break his knees and continued our chat.
Now I remember… Your name, Wang, was talking about you.
-About a week ago… He left a woman with a kid in her belly and went away. I’m trying to find him, but I’ve got his picture all over the place.
You have children, don’t you?
[…]
“Remember, with love. “when you were sane.”
I’m feeling a bit empty.
If love could work miracles, this world wouldn’t be full of zombies.
[children,-ka]
But surprisingly, it kind of worked.
Ryoma-san smiled sadly,
[That word is like a skinned rabbit.]
No more riddles.
[Have you ever eaten a monkey’s hand?]
“… No.”
[Then surely you don’t know how I feel.]
“Well… Do you feel like you’re completely helpless?
[Salvation is…]
“?”
[Drink my blood. Then you’ll understand.]
“…”
I mean, that’s…
“If I sacrifice myself, I’ll know who you really are?”
Ryoma nodded silently.
I held up my hands [. NOTHANKYOU pose.
“Oh, I’m sorry. We don’t do that kind of thing.”
I’m not the type to sacrifice myself that much.
Then, Mr. Ryoma,
[Okay. That’s too bad.]
You respond in a less-than-disappointing way.
[Then we’ll die together.]
Oh, my God.
This person might be someone important to me before I lost my memory… and if there’s a chance to save him, I’d like to save him as much as possible.
All I want is peace.
Even if I could save the world, I can’t accept an ending where I end up suffering from PTSD.
I know it sounds insistent, but I tried to convince him again.
“But… you know, you can’t keep doing this… You’re aware of that, aren’t you?
Since a moment ago… No, or I’ve felt his eyes on me from the moment he ran out onto this avenue.
Not just one or two.
Ten,… Or maybe 20.
Eyes that glow blue in the dark.
<Skill Appraisal> light.
It seems that our battle has already attracted the attention of the “players” who live in Akiba.
Give up. I don’t know how I used to be, but I’m a rather pacifist man now.
Ryoma-san laughed sarcastically.
[it’s like giving ants candy that’s been licked once. It’s like giving ants candy you once licked.]
What the hell is that?
I’m a little more relaxed, I’ll give you that.
“You’ve been saying a lot of meaningful and poetic lines since a while ago, but they’re mostly meaningless, aren’t they? It’s the kind of thing that was popular in the Sekai-kei anime after Eva, the kind of thing that makes the viewer read too much into it but the creator doesn’t really think anything of it, right?”
He hardly heard the hateful words and instead responded.
[but. -I will say one thing in return for your former friendship and mercy.]
“?”
[Boku-no-kuno-no-kubi wo hane-ro-ro…] Just as that little warrior woman screamed just now.]
It was just for a moment.
I saw a glint of reason in Ryoma Kotoshiro’s eyes that reminded me of a dead fish.
“… I knew you’d come to your senses.
I’m asking you and..,
[chirp]
Suddenly, both horses leaped high into the sky almost at the same time.
And he discovers a magic circle of patterns floating beneath his feet.
I recognized the shape. The magic I’d just used.
<Fire Magic V>.
I’m not casting a spell.
Perhaps one of the players is watching us.
At the same time, a single pillar of fire illuminates the electric town at midnight.
The real surprise came the next moment.
In front of the large screen with dancing pretty girl characters, countless magic circles appeared in the area of the main street where I was standing.
Apparently, the first shot was a diversion.
The second shot, which is triggered when you land, is the real deal… I guess.
“Geez.”
I groaned.
That “real” magic circle seemed to have appeared right under my feet.
I know you’re trying to make sure Ryoma’s dead, but I didn’t think you’d drag us into this.
I leap backwards, barely out of range of the attack.
[Hu,ahahahaha!]
I could hear Ryoma’s laughter in the air.
The next thing you know.
High in the sky, a mighty pillar of fire, reaching the walls surrounding Akiba, lit up the city at night.
On the big screen that illuminated the main street, the title of [Lucky Star] was just being displayed.
