A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat
chapter-97-2

"...Let go, Rachel."

I gently pushed her away.

With a slight resistance, the brown-haired girl's body slowly detached from mine.

"Young master..."

Her brown eyes were filled with trembling.

I deliberately avoided her gaze and turned my head.

...Please, I wished she wouldn't shake me any further.

I savored the feeling of the sweet warmth leaving me.

My tightly clenched fist was proof of our broken bond.

I cut off the corner of my heart that held onto lingering attachment and locked the door to my tattered heart.

One by one.

And then one by one again.

I sorted out my complicated thoughts.

Having prepared for my departure, I let out my last breath.

It was time to say goodbye.

"Rachel."

"Yes...?"

"...I'm leaving."

"......"

The words left my mouth abruptly.

Rachel closed her mouth.

As if she had expected this, she bit her lip.

After a moment of silence, Rachel opened her mouth again.

"Where... are you going...?"

"...Far away."

I couldn't bring myself to say that I was going to die.

Just, far away.

That was all I could answer.

"I'll go with you."

"No."

"Will you... come back?"

"...No."

My voice was calm, but...

The girl's face turned deathly pale.

As I felt a lump forming in my throat, I turned my gaze slightly, and slender fingers grasped my sleeve.

"You promised... You promised you wouldn't leave..."

Rachel looked like she was about to crumble.

Faced with the fragile girl, I let out a bitter sigh.

"...I'm sorry."

Those short words passed between us.

Just three words, but they were cruel nonetheless.

The hand that had been holding onto my sleeve fell limply to her side.

The loss of weight brought a wave of clear emotions.

In the swaying tide, I muttered.

I'm sorry.

Those were the only words I could offer.

Stepping on my meager guilt, I started walking again.

***

Meanwhile.

In an unknown space beyond consciousness.

In a place hidden so deep that even Raiden himself wasn't aware of it.

Two boys with hazy forms sat side by side, conversing.

"...So it's come to this."

"It can't be helped... Honestly, it was a bit irresponsible of us to ask him to endure that situation without breaking down."

The two boys, one resembling Kim Naru and the other Raiden.

They were currently observing the present situation through the window of consciousness.

"Everyone's going to be heartbroken."

"You can say that again..."

The boys, who shared a strange resemblance, sighed as they exchanged words.

"...So, what are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Us... I mean, 'me.' Are we just going to leave him like this?"

"What else can we do? As long as that wall is up, there's no way for us to intervene directly..."

"The Iron Will is off, you idiot."

"Ah, right."

Raiden slapped his knee at the sharp remark.

The two fell into thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Well... Don't we have work to do?"

"That's true...."

"We should get ready. It's our turn to step in."

"It's a pain... but yeah, we have to."

The boys, who had been exchanging cryptic words from the beginning, finally patted each other's shoulders once and disappeared.

Only a dark silence remained in the space where the two figures had been.

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