Ultimately, Yuta returned home alone, while Rikka had not yet returned, nor had Rikka's mother, even though it was already so late...
Yuta stood alone on the balcony, extending his hand outside, meticulously examining his pinky finger that had touched Rikka's… and Rikka's numb expression…
Was this truly the right thing to do?
Time quickly advanced to the next day, which was the day Rikka was to visit the grave. Rikka's mother was already there, and Rikka needed to go by herself, so Rikka pulled Yuta along.
Rikka sat there in a daze. Yuta went to buy drinks and handed one bottle to Rikka.
"Thank you…"
"You seem to be saying 'thank you' a lot lately."
Rikka had learned politeness and how to interact with people. Yuta should have been happy, but when he saw Rikka's face, his mood also soured.
Although Rikka was becoming more polite and better at interacting with people, still…
Rikka was unhappy, and he was unhappy too, but he couldn't make her happy.
He couldn't distinguish what was truly best for Rikka. Was it to indulge in chuunibyou? That would certainly bring temporary happiness, but what about the future? What would Rikka do when she stepped into society? So, was it like the present? Rikka was unhappy, reality was too cruel, and Rikka probably hadn't adapted yet; she still needed psychological adjustment…
The two sat there quietly, in silence, until Yuta broke it.
"I say… you…"
Yuta's sudden words brought a glimmer of hope back to Rikka's face. She looked at Yuta with expectant eyes, hoping he would say what she wanted to hear.
"You… will come back, right? After visiting the grave, you'll come back here, right?"
Rikka's hopes were dashed again. Her small face drooped, returning to its numb state.
This was not what she wanted to hear.
"Mm… I still have school…"
"Yes… that's right…"
Just as the two fell back into silence, and dead quiet was about to return, an unexpected person appeared.
"Wait a minute, death! I told you, death! I will never give up!"
"Totsuka…"
Totsuka still couldn't accept Rikka's sudden change. Not even Nibutani could cure her. At this moment, she was running over, trying to hold Rikka back.
"Since I have become Master's servant, then even if Master falls to the end of darkness, I will remain with her, death!"
Totsuka tearfully accused Rikka of abandoning her, but… she would never abandon Rikka, even if her Master had been corrupted by so-called reality.
Unfortunately, these words from her mouth were certainly useless. If they were said by Yuta…
"Explode, reality! Fracture, nerves! Banish this world!!!"
This would be the most tragic battle of Totsuka's chuunibyou life, because her opponent was Master, existing in another dimension.
In her fantasy, a gigantic hammer materialized in her hand. She gripped it tightly and rushed towards Rikka, beginning her countless attacks.
"Oh, Master!"
But in reality, Totsuka was holding two pigtails, repeatedly hitting Rikka's body with the sandbags at the ends of the braids, weakly and powerlessly.
Even when she used her strongest ultimate skill [Heaven's Mandate Thunder Hammer Rush], in her fantasy this blow had already destroyed the entire station, but in reality it just weakly hit Rikka's body, barely causing much pain.
Totsuka's stamina wasn't very good. Even if Rikka didn't resist, Totsuka was already exhausted, panting heavily with her hands on her knees. But after only a brief rest, she grabbed her two pigtails again and resumed sweeping, hitting Rikka's body only to produce a swishing sound… Rikka silently endured it, not moving, not dodging, not fighting back.
Tears were already welling up in her eyes.
Yuta couldn't bear to watch anymore. He just reached out and slightly stopped Totsuka, who then collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.
Seeing Totsuka kneeling on the ground, Rikka had a mind to show concern, but was sternly rebuffed by Totsuka…
The train had already entered the station. Rikka was still silently watching Totsuka until Yuta gently woke her, and then she could only silently pick up her luggage and leave.
Entering the train, Rikka took one last look at Totsuka, who was kneeling on the ground with her head bowed, then raised her head to look at Yuta's face, which she deeply loved.
"Rikka…"
Yuta spoke to her, and a final glimmer of hope surfaced in her heart. How she wished, how she wished to hear the words "Don't go" from Yuta's mouth. Then, no matter how terrifying or dangerous the path ahead, she would have the motivation to persevere.
But there were none.
Her only response was Yuta's silent smile.
Rikka, in the end, left. The train doors gradually closed. Rikka stared at Yuta's feet, and as the train moved forward, she could see nothing anymore…
...
"Why… why won't you just say it, death…
Why won't you just say that one line, 'Don't go,' death! You should know how much Master hopes you would say it to her yourself!
Just say, 'I'll help you search for the invisible boundary line, so don't leave me'! Is that so hard?!"
"But… she…"
Rikka should accept reality, but Totsuka didn't care about that. She only knew that Master was unhappy, and this departure would likely mean she wouldn't come back.
"Master said! It's precisely because she met Dark Flame Master that she was able to preserve her Evil King's True Eye until now, death! You are the pillar of her heart!
So, when Dark Flame Master said that the invisible boundary line really existed, she even specifically called me to tell me! And when she formed a lover's contract with you, she also called me! She cried! Master cried! That invincible Master! She cried to me!
She clearly! Trusted you so much!"
Totsuka's words were like arrows, piercing Yuta's heart completely, dealing continuous critical hits. What Totsuka said, he understood. He also wished Rikka could stay. He even knew what Rikka was truly hoping for.
But he couldn't, because constantly affirming her would only draw her closer to the abyss. It was he who made Rikka give up chuunibyou. It was so hard to get to this point, so hard to make Rikka accept reality. He absolutely couldn't…
Totsuka's sandbag attacks began to land on his chest, indignantly pounding him.
"Why! Why won't you just say to her, 'Evil King's True Eye is the strongest'! Why won't you say, 'Be consumed by the Black Flame'! If you said it, Master wouldn't leave! Master has always, always, always been waiting for you to make her stay!"
Yuta, whose heart was already riddled with holes, reached out and grabbed Totsuka's continuously attacking hands, beginning his counterattack…
"And then what…? What good would it do? Saying those words, making her happy, what purpose would it serve! You tell me!
Let her stay, and then what? Can she escape reality forever?!
There's no such thing as an invisible boundary line! Her father is in the grave, what can I do for her! No matter how much she hopes… things that don't exist, just don't exist!!"
Totsuka's Dao Heart began to waver. The cruelty of reality also began to strike her. She began to struggle, wanting to escape, but Yuta's strength was greater than Nibutani's. How could she, who couldn't even defeat Nibutani, shake Yuta? Her hands were held tightly, and Yuta continued his output.
"No matter how many settings you create, how many abilities you compile, no matter how much you believe you possess special powers…"
Yuta let go, and Totsuka fell to the ground…
"Things that don't exist just don't exist!! This is reality!!"
Totsuka knelt on the ground, ignoring the pain in her backside from falling, only wanting to deny Yuta's cruel words.
"Did your attacks have any effect?"
"Annoying, death… Although ineffective against humans, they are effective against demons, death…"
"Do demons exist? Have you really seen one?"
Yuta approached step by step, representing cruel reality, forcing Totsuka's fantasy back step by step…
"Have you really summoned a weapon?"
"This…"
"No, right? No matter how much you think, how much you believe… things that don't exist just don't exist!"
Tears had already welled up in Yuta's eyes.