Epilogue

"...Hey. Guest."

　Red, who was walking ahead with small, pitter-patter steps, suddenly stopped.

"I'm a little bit... tired."

　Pitter-patter.

　Step.

　Red sat on a nearby bench with a small "heave-ho" and gestured for Guest to come sit beside her.

　You sit down. 　The evening breeze blows gently, making Red's thin hair flutter softly. Beyond that lies the Academy City dyed in madder red.

"The wind feels nice, doesn't it?"

　Did Guest nod? Or perhaps they simply surrendered themselves to the soft breeze.

　Today was another day of non-stop trouble. 　But sitting here like this, you can think, "That's not so bad."

　If you listen closely, even at this moment, you can hear the sound of Ichika revving her bike engine to the max.

　Was the source of that distant explosion Dolce, or perhaps Sharon...?

　You can see Alpla and Fatia circling the track over and over, saying it's their "last lap."

　Morey is running wild, while Marinera and Toxis are desperately trying to restrain her.

　Mia's energetic voice calling out to customers reaches all the way here. 　　And many, many more. Students whose names Guest does not yet know are here.

　This city was alive.

"...It's nice."

　Red didn't say what was nice. 　Because she knew that was enough.

"Someday, you know. I want to see this with Ledonia."

"Ledonia... probably wants to play more, and laugh more, and cry more... she needs time like that."

　I don't think she'd admit it herself, though. 　Saying that, Red smiled a little sadly.

"Guest."

　She clenched her small fists on her knees, which were pressed together.

"If I'm gone, please look after Ledonia."

　Her crimson eyes are fixed on you.

"I'm like a refuge for Ledonia. But someday, Ledonia has to go on alone. So..."

　A pinky finger held out. 　To that, Guest—

――――――――

"Boing!"

. 　The sky split open. 　A rabbit-eared girl jumped out from it. Rank 75th, Mia. She, who had vanished saying she was returning to the North, landed on this spot.

　And she was clad in the battle attire of Triumph.

"Heh—Hahaha! A 'miracle'? To think she staked her life to call but a single white rabbit... She (Parsee) misused her life!"

　Flutter. 　She must have rocketed here using consecutive space leaps. The scent of sweat and blood wafts from Mia as she lands before Guest.

"So you're the bad guy Delos-chan was talking about!? I heard you turned my shop into a vacant lot!?"

　Mia acts out her anger exaggeratedly, even adding "Hmph!" sound effects with her mouth. 　That appearance, voice, and gesture. Everything is nostalgic. 　Having lost Morey, and with Bandersnatch and Parsee dying one after another... everything was at a dead end—she has returned to tell Guest that it's okay now.

"Yes, I scraped it away entirely. It was a decent 'value.' It'll make a fine pigsty." "Leaving behind the most valuable thing in that shop—me—shows you have no taste, old man." "Ha—"