Meanwhile, Takanashi Rikka, as if sensing something, seemed to feel Yuta approaching.
But... how could that be?
She was in her room, wearing a white dress, looking so pure, yet she sat quietly by the bed alone. At this hour, everyone in her home was asleep, but she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The silvery moonlight outside the window filled Rikka's room. Such a beautiful scene, the old her would probably have meditated under the moon...
She wanted to do that now, but couldn't. She was a normal child, and normal children wouldn't do such things.
Rikka stood up and tiptoed to the window, not wanting to disturb her family's sleep. She quietly walked to the window and looked at the street outside through the thin yet thick window.
Outside, there was nothing, not even many streetlights were on.
A faint white light was already appearing on the horizon... Rikka had sat there for almost an entire night.
Turning around in an instant, she saw that her potted plant looked a bit wilted, and she realized she should water it.
Rikka's accumulated luggage from her previous home had been sent over. There were so many cardboard boxes that it was impossible to fit them all in the house. Under her grandfather's careful inspection, most of the items were discarded—most of the abnormal things, which included countless items Rikka once loved and cherished the most.
To this, Rikka agreed with a smile, but what she truly thought in her heart, we do not know.
From the few remaining cardboard boxes, Rikka took out an inflatable spray bottle, the one she always used, though it used to be a weapon.
A weapon... No, it's just a spray bottle.
Rikka held the spray bottle, aimed it at the wilted potted plant, and pressed the button, but no water came out—there was no water inside, and Rikka hadn't pumped any air into it.
Looking at the familiar spray bottle, now aimed at an unfamiliar object... Rikka recalled that time at Yuta's home.
At that time, she would aim the spray bottle at Yuta and spray him. Although Yuta would be annoyed, he wouldn't do anything to her...
Yuta...
And that phrase, "The magic chamber generates high pressure, releasing the holy water," which now seemed abnormal, was something she missed so much...
Yuta...
Rikka watched as the spray bottle failed to emit water, and the potted plant remained wilted, yet tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
The potted plant was already dead.
Rikka covered her eyes, trying her best to suppress her sobs, but she couldn't hold them back... Even though she gritted her teeth, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her cries still burst forth like a flood, accompanied by gushing tears.
She missed Yuta so much. She longed to see Yuta, even if just for a moment, even if just to hear Yuta's voice... She wished so much that Yuta would be by her side now, as he always was, no matter what happened...
"Rikka... Rikka!"
A somewhat suppressed shout came from beside her, and Rikka only thought she was hallucinating... It wasn't the first time; each time only made her heart ache more.
"...I told you I'd just throw you up there..."
"...No, wait a minute!"
Accompanied by a slight tremor, a loud noise, and a familiar cry of pain, Rikka suddenly lifted her head.
"Yuta...!"
Rikka rushed to the window. She saw the person she had longed for, lying on the roof in front of her window. At the same time, she saw the East not far away; he was no longer wearing an eye patch. Meeting his gaze, those crimson eyes seemed to engulf her, and her expression was momentarily dazed.
But it was only for a moment; her attention quickly shifted to Yuta, her beloved whom she missed so dearly.
Hurriedly opening the window, Rikka couldn't believe Yuta would appear here; it was like a dream, so unreal...
Rubbing her eyes, Rikka stared blankly at Yuta, who was wearing his school uniform, once again. Only then did she see clearly, only then did she feel a little more at ease...
With tears in her eyes, and a smile, Rikka looked at Yuta, anticipating him saying the words she longed to hear.
This time, Yuta did not disappoint her again.
"Yuta..."
"I am not Yuta! I am... the Dark Flame Master!"
Yuta finally made his move.
"Takanashi Rikka... No, Evil King's True Eye! I have something to show you..."
"Yuta..."
Rikka was already sobbing, looking at Yuta. She finally felt her heart fill up again. She finally saw that the world in front of her was no longer black and white.
Yuta stood up straight, facing Rikka, and made the confession that touched her heart the most.
"With me, form a contract!!"
The barrier within Rikka's heart, used to obscure reality, finally shattered, revealing her broken, lonely, and helpless pure heart...
"Who's there! A thief?!"
The commotion from Yuta's side was too great, drawing out Rikka's grandfather. With his presbyopia, the grandfather could only vaguely make out a figure standing on his roof, and the white figure by the window must be Rikka.
Someone was trying to steal something, and even climbed onto the roof... Rikka! Rikka is in danger!
"Rikka!! Go back!! Old woman, the gun! Bring me my shotgun!!"
Looking at Rikka's grandfather, who was constantly staring at him, Yuta felt a sense of foreboding. Setting aside the issue of the shotgun for a moment, just the fact that he came to steal someone and was caught red-handed by her family was a big problem.
"Oh no... Rikka! Come here!"
On the other side, Rikka looked at Yuta, but hesitated... If she left like this, her mother, her grandparents...
"Do you want to return to that boring reality!! Or do you want to change reality with me?!"
Rikka's defenses broke. Yuta's words affirmed her Evil King's True Eye, affirmed her persona, affirmed her invisible boundary line, affirmed everything about her, and accepted everything about her.
This is what she had been waiting for, this is what she had always hoped for!!!
"Yuta..."
Speaking so clearly, Takanashi's grandfather also knew who that figure was... Well, not a thief, but a scoundrel trying to steal someone, which made him even more anxious. But Takanashi's grandmother still hadn't come out, which made him even more desperate, yet he didn't dare to leave... He was just afraid that if he left, Rikka would disappear.
And Rikka had already climbed onto the window, and at Yuta's call, she leaped high, finally landing in Yuta's embrace.
Dressed in white, she was like the bright moon finally setting over the mountain, deeply buried, and like a white-clad angel, finally embraced by the one she loved.
The moment she plunged into Yuta's arms, Rikka's pure, innocent, and lonely heart seemed to be tightly enveloped by an indescribable tenderness. A strange warmth erupted from her heart, completely enveloping her, making it difficult to extricate herself...
In Rikka's eyes, light finally appeared after a long absence.
"Yuta... Yuta... Yuta Yuta..."
Yuta felt the incredibly familiar and dearly missed warmth in his arms and finally couldn't hold back his tears.