Tokyo Psychic

Page 289

No wonder even Madoka Kaname and Homura Akemi had to go through so many cycles to try and find a way to resolve the crisis.

Perhaps Ren Amamiya, who mistakenly went down the path of "arrogance" in this world, was just a victim... Rather, the being who brought him to this world was the real mastermind.

I really want to have a good talk with Homura Akemi right now... Akira Kurusu quickly put an end to that thought. Since Homura Akemi has truly experienced countless reincarnations, she should know that "this is not a turning point in fate."

Otherwise, she would have met with him long ago...

If we say that "Ren Amamiya's death, Akira Kurusu's original world being destroyed, and Akira Kurusu's time travel" is the beginning of all time reversals.

So how should this never-ending farce end?

......

The same question arose on the "lunar surface" of the Sea of ​​Hearts.

Yuki saw the Osaka high school student standing in front of her again, holding popcorn, and her feelings were subtly complicated.

At their first meeting, the girl who called herself "Haruhi Suzumiya" posed a question to him: "The only finite world is running in an infinite time loop. Even you and I have died countless times. Since death is inevitable, how do you plan to prepare for a new destiny for yourself?"

Yuki asked her in return, "If I keep maintaining the status quo, can the outcome be improved?"

Haruhi Suzumiya shook her head. "If you choose to maintain the status quo, Nyx will definitely be released."

"Something predetermined by fate?"

"Yes."

Yuki continued to ask her, "You must have come here with a solution to prevent Nyx from returning to reality, right?"

"Haruhi Suzumiya" revealed a smile that an ordinary high school student should have. "After a while, those guys will try to erase my existence from the most fundamental logic of the Impression Space. When that time comes, I will come and guard the gate for you... Although He can banish me from reality, He cannot affect my existence in the Sea of ​​Hearts."

"Based on your description... you should be able to resist this kind of 'erasure,' right?"

Haruhi Suzumiya answered frankly, "I think I tried it in one of the timelines, but since I've returned here, it means that was the wrong choice... So, this time I'm going to try a completely new choice."

Yuuki didn't ask how to return to reality after "Haruhi Suzumiya" had taken over guarding the door for him; he simply asked, "What should I do?"

"You will know when the time comes."

Now, the time and the choice have both reached the right point.

Yuki should leave.

The girl in front of him continued eating popcorn by herself.

But after getting off that door, Yuuki couldn't remember her name at all.

She reached out and patted Yuuki Risa on the shoulder. "I'll take over here. Now... retired Savior, it's time for you to go back to reality."

Feeling a pull from another level of the world, Yuuki bid her farewell with such solemnity, "Goodbye."

The girl, who had moved a small stool to sit in front of the door, waved to Yuuki, who was gradually being dragged back to reality, "When you encounter a problem, don't hesitate to make a choice, or we'll have to meet here again, won't we?"

Yuki felt as if all her senses were leaving her in an instant.

Then, the first thing I felt was an endless chill emanating from my entire body.

Open your eyes.

They met a group of researchers, their faces filled with terror, separated by an ice coffin.

......

at the same time.

At the Saien Castle in Kumamoto.

Akira Kurusu, who was preparing to watch the "Oiran performance," suddenly felt Nina Iori, who was next to her, grip her hand tightly.

Just a moment ago she was holding onto my sleeve, but now she's stuffing her whole warm little hand into my palm.

He glanced at Jing Qinren's tense, pretty face, then followed her gaze to the opposite side of the crowd.

A group of middle school students were taking pictures of each other with their phones.

Meanwhile, Jingqin Rencai hurriedly hid behind Kurusu Akira.

What are you doing?

"Shh..." came the timid voice of Izuru Rina from behind.

From her trembling voice, Lai Xixiao could hear a hint of fear and regret, an emotion that even vaguely veered towards the level of "remorse".

He then glanced again at the group of middle school girls in the distance, his gaze intriguing.

270. The unbearable memories of a young girl's past (2/3)

The desks and chairs were pushed and pulled, making a sharp scraping sound on the classroom floor.

While running away, he seemed to forget to watch where he was going. His body bumped into the corner of a table, and his calf hit the edge of an unrepaired steel chair leg, leaving a thin, long bloodstain from the sharp metal weld.

Waves of pain washed over her, blurring her vision with tears.

She looked up at the sky outside the window, where the colors of dusk were shifting and changing.

The somber light instantly stained the world in her eyes red.

Deep red, almost black.

In the classroom, the shadows of the desks and chairs were stretched out and spread across the walls, like cages used to trap animals, or like openwork prison cells.

Those slender shadows crossed the cage bars, gradually catching up with the crisp sound of footsteps.

In the darkness, their faces were not visible.

When you get closer, you can finally see that those three-dimensional features have been kneaded into a hideous and terrifying image by darkness and twisted desire.

Only the hands and markings of the clock, illuminated by red light, moved slowly beside Jing Qinren, as if telling her a memory soon to be filled with pain and fear...

"Nina."

Someone called from behind.

Jingqin Rencai felt an irresistible force coming from her right hand.

The wall behind her seemed to shatter, and with the surging hot wind, she was suddenly pulled out of that memory filled with gloom and regret.

The "Courtesan Performance" has ended.

On the streets of Chengcaiyuan, most of the onlookers dispersed.

The girls that Jingqin Rencai was afraid of also disappeared without a trace.

Akira Kurusu took Serina Iza's right hand and walked away from the crowd.

Suddenly I looked up at the sky and saw a white dove flapping its wings and flying by.

"Nina, what are you thinking about right now?"

He turned his head to look at the girl beside him.

The girl didn't say anything, but lowered her head and fell into a long silence.

It wasn't until Akira bought another crepe from the roadside and handed it to Serenai that she belatedly answered.

“I’m terrified of them… Akira, I think I’ve told you about these things before,” Izare Rina said softly.

"But... I keep thinking, what if I had mustered the courage to fight back against them back then? I've dreamt many nights of what it would have been like if I had superhuman strength back then, so I could slap them all into the wall and never be able to pry them out, or like Luffy, just throw them out the window, how wonderful that would be..."

Her eyes were incredibly dim. "But anger comes at a price. Even if I truly possess the power and authority to unleash my anger and punish them with violence... can I really return to my normal life?"

As she said this, Izare Nina looked into Kurusu Akira's eyes, as if she wanted to get an answer from him.

After all, Akira Kurusu does possess the power, and even the privilege, to unleash her anger at will.

He could easily, because of his dissatisfaction with something, force the shadow of the person associated with it to die in his memory space, thereby turning that person into a vegetable in reality.

Just like Goro Akechi, whom the members of the Phantom Thieves always looked down on and mocked...

Akira Kurusu did not shy away from Serenai Izakura's words.

He inquired about the celery.

"Do you always want to go back to the moment when they bullied you?"

Jing Qinren opened her mouth, seeing the irreplaceable boy beside her, who was so close and whom she could rely on endlessly.

She shook her head, her delicate chestnut hair brushing against Akira Kurusu's arm.

“That’s how it used to be, but now… I think it’s better to stay by your side.”

Jingqinrencai seemed completely unaware that her statement contained any profound meaning.

Akira Kurusu smiled and reached out to stroke her hair. "Whether you regret it or move forward, it takes a lot of courage... Nina, you are really brave..." After all, she is a girl who made the decision to study in Tokyo alone. How could she really stop or forget her pain because of cowardice?

So... Akira Kurusu already had the answer in her heart.

The bullying that caused Izanagi Rin to feel such fear and constant regret has completely exceeded the boundaries of society's or the public's judgment on bullying.

But it's impossible for a normal high school student to do that... Thinking back, that was also the time when Yardabait was active.

A group of young people with distorted desires are capable of doing anything terrible.

Faced with the potential danger of death, the girl instinctively chose to escape and submit.

Jingqin Rencai did not lose to the bullies, but to an evil god beyond reason.

Akira Kurusu recalled the twisted desires entangled in the group of high school students she had seen. She gently brushed aside Nina Izayoi's hair with her fingers and touched her increasingly hot ear. "Nina, do you want to hear them apologize to you?"

The celery seeds nodded vigorously, like garlic being pounded.

But Jingqin Rencai seemed to feel that this was not enough to vent her anger. She slowly shook her head, as if some tangled things were accumulating and blocking her mind, making it difficult for her to smile freely.

Akira Kurusu didn't explain anything about evil gods or twisted desires to her.

Rather than verbal descriptions, letting her witness the shadows of those girls in a vivid mental space and hear their responses might be more effective...

The white doves that had been circling above the two seemed to be in a very good mood, and quietly flapped their wings and left the street.

......

"Wow, are they about to kiss?"

Far behind Akira Kurusu and Nina Izayoi, An and Subaru stood on tiptoe, trying to catch a glimpse of their expressions.

Kotone Shiomi took off her headphones. "Instead of this... I still suggest you go and deal with the girls over there."

She pointed to the incredibly enthusiastic lead singer of "Diamond Star" in front of Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsu.

This is the girl who is called "Miss Hinata" by her fans.

The other person has a similar figure and age to Izana, and her face is also the very youthful and cute type.

She is the kind of girl who is extremely attractive to Akira Kurusu.

Toyokawa Shoko probably wanted to show her demeanor as a lady from a respectable family, but she remembered the connection between Hina and Iori Nina and felt that it would be a bad thing for her to be too close to Kurusu Akira, so she was caught in a dilemma.

As for Wakaba Mutsu... the child simply shrank behind Toyokawa Shoko, with a little expression that said he had given up thinking.

271. Settling scores even before autumn.

Fortunately.

Miss Hina came looking for Iori Rencai.

After receiving a firm rejection from An and Subaru that "Iori Jinna is on a date with her boyfriend," Hina was both shocked and worried.

Shockingly, Hina didn't quite believe that Iori's personality and way of thinking would allow her to find a boyfriend who completely satisfied her aesthetic and preferences.

Chu remembered that her friend was an outrageously hopeless person who was obsessed with looks.

She's not only interested in guys who are exceptionally good-looking, but she also hopes that the other person genuinely likes her and that they share similar interests.

Hina has complained more than once in the "girls' dating topics" discussion that Iori Jinna is either making a wish or talking about her criteria for choosing a partner.

Of course, she had paid attention to the "End Band" that Izare Jinna and Kawara Momoka belonged to.

I do know that the rhythm guitarist for "The End Band" perfectly matches Izanagi Rina's requirements in every way...

But would a guy who's this good really like a girl like Nina who's short, thin, and even "criminal"?

Hina is certain that Serina Ii is a very cute girl.

But... that "Kurasu Akira" is a big name in the entertainment industry! Shouldn't his rumored girlfriend be a popular teenage idol?