Chapter 458: Nene: Damn That Camera!
"So why exactly won't Kuro choose to become a Desperado?!"
Luke had interrupted her earlier, so Nene never got an answer.
Now that he had finally settled down, she immediately returned to the question. After all, this was what she cared about most.
Luke rubbed his aching head and, under the pressure of the Desperado lady's authority, obediently began explaining.
"If I had told Director Kurono the true nature of Desperado power before she made her choice back then, the outcome might genuinely have changed."
"But now, it's impossible."
"In her current state, she won't push open the Desperado gate."
"Or rather, even if she became a Desperado, she would never return to professional Mage-Knight competition and fight you like before."
"Her bonds have changed."
Luke became somewhat emotional as he spoke.
At the same time, he could not help feeling a little sorry for Nene.
In Nene's world, Kurono unquestionably came first.
No one could possibly be more important to her.
Not even Nangou Torajirou, the master who had taught her.
But in Kurono's world, the most important person was not Nene.
It was her husband, Shinguji Takumi.
If that were the only difference, it actually would not have been too severe.
Just as Kurono was exceptionally important to Nene, Nene was also extremely important to Kurono.
Her husband might rank slightly above Nene in Kurono's heart, but the gap was limited.
One could even barely consider them equally important.
If Kurono had learned back then that becoming a Desperado did not inevitably mean becoming a monster, she might never have retreated.
She might never have retired or abandoned the path of a Mage-Knight.
"But now, someone more important than you—even more important than Shinguji-san—has appeared."
"Director Kurono…"
"Has a child."
That was precisely why Luke felt somewhat sorry for Nene.
Because no matter what happened, she could never again become the most important person in Kurono's heart.
A mother's love was powerful.
If the Kurono of the past merely did not want to abandon the person she loved—Then the Kurono of today simply could not abandon her child.
Whether it meant becoming a monster or entering a life-or-death battle, Kurono could no longer devote herself completely the way she once had.
"Just like my match with Stella."
"The battles between you and Director Kurono were also extremely brutal, where one mistake could mean death, right?"
"Do you really think the current Director Kurono, now that she has a child, would become a Desperado and still fight you without caring whether she lived or died?"
The answer was obvious.
So Nene fell silent.
This time, she remained silent for a very long while.
And she thought for just as long.
As time passed, the loneliness on Nene's face became increasingly obvious.
She could find no argument against Luke's conclusion.
She understood Kurono better than anyone.
So she knew perfectly well—Luke was right.
The World Clock, Takizawa Kurono, who once existed—Would never return.
Tears gradually gathered at the corners of Nene's eyes.
Her voice even began to choke slightly.
She raised her head and asked in a tone already stained with despair,
"Is there really…"
"No way anymore…?"
It was not truly a question.
She already knew the answer.
By asking Luke, Nene was seeking an ending.
She could not bring herself to let go.
Even after realizing it was impossible, she still could not choose to give up on her own.
So she handed the question to Luke.
She wanted someone else to draw the final period for her.
Like a puppet that had lost its soul, Nene stared blankly at him.
Yet just before Luke could answer—The tears finally spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
And then Nene heard his reply.
"There actually is still a way."
"…Huh?"
"Director Kurono can't return in her current state, but that doesn't mean it's impossible."
"It depends on whether she can change the way she thinks."
"Huh… Wait…"
"Before now, the paths you two followed were basically the same, right?"
"Keep moving forward, ignore life and death, and become stronger."
"That kind of path obviously isn't suitable anymore for Director Kurono now that she's a mother."
"Wait! So… then… what you just…"
"My former captain once taught me that people can become stronger in many different ways."
"Fight to protect."
"Fight for others."
"Fight to survive."
"There are paths to strength where you absolutely cannot afford to disregard your own life."
Nene stared blankly at Luke.
Then she noticed the smile on his face.
And the camera that had somehow appeared in his hand.
Her movements became stiff.
Slowly, she touched the tears running down her cheeks.
Then she felt the complicated expression frozen across her face.
Bit by bit—Nene understood what was happening.
And gradually, a deep blush spread across her delicate face.
Her fist slowly tightened.
She did not even wipe away the tears still running down her cheeks.
Instead, she glared viciously at the man lying in the hospital bed.
"LUKE!!!"
"GIVE ME THAT DAMN CAMERA RIGHT NOOOOOOW!!!"
Boom—!
...
The poor chair smashed into the wall and became firmly embedded there.
If Luke had not dodged in time and used Seisenjutsu to establish a soundproof barrier, the chair would probably have been embedded in him instead.
And everyone in the hospital would have come running to see what happened.
Nene had unleashed a lethal strike in her humiliation and rage.
But immediately afterward, she regained her senses.
This was still a hospital.
She could not act recklessly.
Her ability had an enormous range and destructive force, so she absolutely could not use it carelessly here.
So Nene stopped where she was and manifested her Device, Beniiro Ageha.
Pointing the iron fan at Luke, she shouted furiously,
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
"Of course not."
"I hadn't even finished talking. You're the one who decided to fall into despair early."
"Nonsense! Then explain the camera!"
"You obviously prepared it beforehand!"
"I always carry a camera with me."
"You've suffered because of that more than once, so you should know that better than anyone."
"Ugh… D-Damn it!"
"But you still can't secretly take pictures whenever you want!"
"We have an agreement!"
"I won't pursue what happened with that… t-that old photo, but you can't just keep recording my embarrassing moments without a reason!"
"Heh. This time, I have a perfectly legitimate reason."
"Impossible! You don't have anything on me this time!"
"You sent Director Kurono here and caused me all this trouble."
"That was your plan, wasn't it?"
"Huh?! Ugh…"
"S-So what?! A student helping his teacher is basic human decency!"
"Hmm… Fair enough."
"Then pay me for the information about Transcendent Awakening."
"That's top-secret intelligence that barely any countries or organizations in the entire world know."
"Surely that counts as part of our friendship too, right?"
"Well… that…"
"C-Can't that one not count?!"
"…Alright. Fine. That counts too."
"In that case, I won't get involved with Director Kurono's problems anymore."
"Huh?!"
"I already gave you two a possible solution."
"Everything after that is between the two of you."
"Whatever decision Director Kurono makes was never something I should interfere with anyway."
"And I'm not even being paid."
"I've already worried myself sick for my teachers as a student."
"My, I really am incredibly responsible."
"Ugh… W-Wait…"
"Hmm? Is there something else?"
Nene glared viciously at Luke.
But she had already lost the battle of momentum completely.
One could even say Luke had thoroughly suppressed her.
After staring at him for a while, Nene finally had no choice but to compromise with a miserable expression.
"You're bullying me…"
"Heh."
"That's what you get for hitting me!"
…
…
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