I crouched with my head on the ground and could do nothing but cower.
All I can think about is Jaja, Nana and Aoi.
They are waiting for me to come home.
I’m sure they’re worried about me.
They’re probably crying because I’m suddenly gone.
I’m sorry.
I’ll be back for sure.
“That’s enough!”
I shouted, not knowing what to do.
But my voice was drowned out by the sound of explosions that echoed in the pit of my stomach.
There are still flashes, explosions and blasts going off all over the wilderness.
Alba, the wise rat, and Clay, the black snake, are having a sister-brother fight that defies my common sense.
No, it’s not a simple fight anymore.
They’re killing each other.
They are hitting each other with magic, probably with a force that would blow the other person to pieces if it hit.
How did this happen?
Until this morning, I had been half-excited and half-anxious about traveling abroad for the first time in my life.
What happened to make me wander into this danger zone?
Think.
To survive.
Figure out what I have to do to see Jaja and Nana again.
It all started in that mysterious place.
The milky white sky and the deep green forest. That battered stone stage in the center of it all.
What I met was a pure white girl.
A girl with white hair longer than her height, who somehow knew about me, Shouhei, and my father.
That’s my mother.
It was our mother, who was supposed to have died of an illness seven years ago.
She may have looked different, but she was definitely our mother.
That’s right.
She told us to live.
She told us not to give up.
She told us to work hard and live together.
… That’s right.
There’s something I need to ask Alba.
He’s hiding something from me, Shouhei, maybe even Aoi, and I need him to explain everything to me.
But why?
Why is he leaving me alone right now?
It’s wrong.
You’ve got the priorities wrong.
Ah, I’m getting frustrated.
Isn’t this a situation where I should get mad?
I’m in this kind of trouble without any explanation. If it was just a fight between normal people, no one would complain if I lost my temper, right?
That’s right.
That rodent.
I’m running out of patience with him.
Clay too.
I don’t know what it is, but he’s the reason I’m here, right?
Then I should be pissed.
He ruined a trip we were looking forward to, and now I’m separated from my family.
Shouhei was so nervous about his first trip abroad that he hasn’t been able to sleep much.
Aoi was too busy getting ready for Jaja and Nana, and stayed up late checking her luggage.
Rouge’s usual blank expression didn’t change, but I knew she was curious about a place she’d never been before.
Even my father stayed at home, holding back his desire to go.
Even Azui and Wera. No, they were having too much fun taking care of the garden and didn’t seem to want to leave the house too much.
But they seemed to miss playing with Jaja and Nana.
Yes, Jaja and Nana.
My precious twin daughters.
My precious twin daughters, cute, cute, cute, and in their prime.
Ah, it’s here.
It’s here, it’s here, it’s here.
I’m so pissed off.
It’s the twins’ first trip abroad.
I’m sure they’ll have all kinds of reactions.
Such a savage thing to do in such a place.
I can’t do this.
“Whoaaaaaaa…”
Something bright red rose from the bottom of my own heart.
“Ohhhhhhhhhh…”
It was boiling hot.
“Aaaaahhhh!”
I was filled with a feeling of nostalgia that I hadn’t felt in a while.
I put strength into my hands and raised my body.
“Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
With a roar, I let out a fierce, formless urge that rises from the bottom of my stomach.
I stood up and looked up at the sky.
The clouds have disappeared due to the explosions and blasts, and the silvery moonlight was shining brightly.
This is a feeling I had many times during my wildest days in middle school.
Pure, unadulterated anger.
When it came to Yule, I couldn’t really get seriously angry with her because she was Aoi’s mother.
When it came to Ruten, I was desperate to protect the children who were running away with me.
When it came to Prince Atol, rather than anger, I was just more fed up.
But now it was different.
From the bottom of my heart.
They’re pissing me off.
“Don’t fuck with meeeeee!”
The more I shouted and the more I spat out, the clearer my thoughts became.
It’s dangerous.
This is a very dangerous situation in my experience.
It’s the first sign that I’m going to overdo things.
My chest is hot.
I feel a fierce heat, as if I’m holding the sun in my arms.
But strangely enough, it feels good.
I had the illusion that magma was being pumped through my veins and from my heart to my entire body.
The heat traveled along my neck and into my eyes.
My eyelids, eyeballs, and the back of my eyes were pulsating and emitting heat.
Then my temples were hot.
Just above the back of my ear, on the side of my head, something was trying to pop through my skin.
There was no pain.
I’d rather it go through.
“…Oh?”
I noticed that there were countless butterflies flying around me.
Green butterflies, their tiny wings flapping, fluttering happily and joyfully.
It’s the “Spirit of Life” that I’ve been seeing lately.
The source of Jaja and Nana’s mysterious abilities.
These butterflies were flying all over my field of vision, and they were beautiful.
Against the backdrop of the black night, a silvery full moon illuminated the wilderness, and the green butterflies danced in countless circles.
Compared to the magical light of Alba and Clay, this was definitely more interesting to watch.
“What do you want to play?”
“Eh?”
Suddenly, I heard a voice.
It was the voice of a small child.
“Do you want to play a lot?”
“Do you want to play with Kunpei again?”
“Do you want to play as much as you did when you were little?”
“I’m happy.”
“I’m happy.”
“Kunpei will play with us again.”
“My favorite, Kunpei, will play with us again.”
I felt as if my heart would be torn apart by nostalgia.
A small voice, a young voice, happily called my name.
I know it.
I can’t remember, but I know this voice.
A long time ago, when I was still small.
Back then, I was always with these guys.
They were always there for me.
My mouth naturally starts to grin.
“Yeah, let’s play.”
The one who was most surprised by the words that came out of my mouth was none other than me.
My mouth moved of its own accord.
My hand moved without my permission.
My feet moved without my permission.
My head.
My tail!
My wings!
I’m in a really great mood! I moved with my emotions, without thinking!
“Together again!”
I spread my arms and spread my wings.
What? When did I get wings?
And this tail, too.
Well, what does it matter?
For now, let’s play with these guys to the fullest.
First, let’s play with those annoying rats and snakes.
“Let’s play.”
“Everybody, play with Kunpei.”
“Let’s play with our favorite, Kunpei, again.”
The green butterflies flapped their wings in unison.
They gathered more and more around me, scattering sparkling grains of light.
Yes.
That’s right.
This is mine.
It’s an extension of my limbs, something that I can move as I please.
It’s an important thing for me and them.
“It’s fun.”
“I’m happy.”
“Do you want to sing?”
“Let’s sing.”
“Kunpei’s song.”
“Our song.”
That’s right.
I have to sing it.
Whenever I’m having fun, I always sing that song.
“Kazamachi Kunpei.”
It’s a song of promise between me and these guys.
“Waits for the wind.”
“Catch the scent of the wind.
“Anytime.”
“Anywhere.”
“Where your wings lead.”
“As your heart desires.”
“When I want to fly.”
Ah, that’s right.
“Fly with a zoom.”
I was free.
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