Chapter 201: Total Recall 『 Part Four 』
「 "The Garden of Recollection? Did the Glowswather send you? Are you the one meddling with my observations?"
"What do you want with this girl? No matter the nature of your intentions... to plunder another's memories, to blind them as a leaf obscures the view, to make a fool of them—I shall not permit it!"
As that reassuring voice rang out from behind, Fu Xuan approached with steady, measured steps, her amber eyes fixing a withering glare upon the Messenger before them.
Realizing the tide had turned, the entity made a swift escape. Meanwhile, March 7th's memories had drifted to the Astral Express; she was drawing near the source, and soon, the Matrix of Prescience could commence its deductions.
Passing through the corridor, the phantoms of Welt, Dan Heng, and the others flickered into existence before fading away. Piecing together their dialogue… March 7th realized this was the memory of the moment the Express Crew first discovered her.
Yet all of this, she had long since forgotten.
"You retain many things; you are merely unaware of them," Fu Xuan reminded her from the sidelines.
Throwing open the doors to the Parlor Car, March 7th found herself back at the starting point. She attempted to traverse the corridor and open the gate once more… but it was all in vain. She was condemned to repeat this brief path, over and over again.
.....
"I, of course, wish to take her in… or rather, even the most basic moral judgment yields the same conclusion—since we discovered her, we must care for her."
"Everyone agreed to take you in... I'm an exile, and by the looks of things, you might not have a home to go back to, either... But here on the Express, nobody is alone."
Here, March 7th witnessed yet more memories stemming from her companions. But just as she prepared to press forward, Fu Xuan warned her that the Messenger was still interfering—only by 'moving backward' could she find the past.
March 7th understood immediately. She pulled open the carriage door behind her, and amidst a blinding flash of brilliance, she found herself back in her own room. Everything was as it had always been, save for the center… where a block of prismatic ice floated in suspension. 」
「 .....」
〜Chainsaw Man World〜
"Oi, Denji! That ice looks suuuuuper tasty!"
Power practically stretched her neck out of joint, pressing her face against the light screen.
"It looks like that rainbow ice cream they sell at the convenience store!"
"Moron, that's just a foreign object in someone's memory."
Denji lay sprawled lazily on the sofa, tossing popcorn into his mouth.
"I don't get it… The Express clearly has everything. You can eat sandwiches and drink Himeko's coffee for breakfast, have yogurt and whatever lunch Power makes… You're even a VIP on the Xianzhou Luofu. Isn't that kind of life totally awesome? Why bother risking it all just to look for the past?"
Thinking back to his days with Pochita, he used to be satisfied just having a slice of bread with a bit of butter on it. Before following Miss Makima, he had never contemplated anything beyond 'staying alive.'
He honestly couldn't comprehend people who possessed a wonderful life yet refused to simply enjoy it.
"Look, Denji! March 7th is gonna touch the ice block! She's gonna get her past back!"
Power shook Denji excitedly.
"Aaaagh, quit shaking me! The popcorn's spilling everywhere!"
Denji struggled to sit up from the sofa, watching March 7th's fingertips inch closer.
"What if she gets her memories back and finds out her past was total crap?"
Power suddenly froze, tilting her head in thought.
"That's still better than knowing nothing, right? Like… uh, if the Great Me forgot I was the strongest Blood Fiend, that would be super boring, wouldn't it?"
…Power forgetting she's a fiend? The world would probably be a much quieter place. That actually… sounds pretty nice?
—
「 "This appears to be the foreign object… It seems our journey of exploration has reached its final step. This Seat shall confirm with you one last time—are you certain you wish to explore your past?" Fu Xuan looked at March 7th with solemn gravity.
"Mm… I'm sure." March nodded seriously, a rare departure from her usual demeanor.
Her fingertips gently pressed against the multi-colored ice.
In that instant, she felt no chill. Instead, an unseen traction forced her eyes open—she was standing within a void, nothing beneath her feet, yet she seemed to be treading upon the afterimages of countless memories.
"Master Diviner?" March 7th, called out cautiously.
"The Matrix of Prescience has begun its calculations; she cannot step away." The voice of that Messenger suddenly rang out.
"Why is it you again? What business is it of yours if I recall my past? Why are you blocking me?" March 7th complained with dissatisfaction.
"Please believe in the Garden of Recollection. Everything I do is to protect you," the Messenger said sincerely.
"But you can't protect someone by imprisoning them?!"
"…We know."
The Messenger's tone sounded utterly helpless. She materialized before March 7th, guiding her toward a glowing singularity. Yet before they touched it, she implored March 7th one last time to believe her—that finding the past would bring her no benefit.
The singularity gradually morphed into an image, recording the appearance of March 7th in days of yore, sealed within the Six-Phased Ice. 」
「 .....」
〜Gintama World〜
"Ohohoho! Th-This is simply…"
Sakata Gintoki's eyes snapped open instantly. The strawberry milk in his hand hit the floor with a splat, but he remained completely oblivious, staring blankly at the breathtaking scenery on the light screen.
"Oi! Gin-san! What the hell are you doing?!"
Shinpachi pushed up his glasses, unable to endure it any longer, his lenses flashing with a sharp white glint.
"That is a sealed maiden! Don't you dare look at her with that lecherous expression!"
"You guy with absolutely zero artistic cells, this is an appreciation of human art that spans the galaxy!"
Gintoki argued with righteous indignation while scuttling back and forth across the room like a gecko, trying to find the optimal viewing angle.
"Damn it, there's something wrong with the refractive index of this Six-Phased Ice! Why are the critical areas always obscured by lens flare!?"
Shinpachi grabbed Gintoki by the collar and dragged him back.
"It's not a problem with the refractive index, it's your humanity screaming in alarm!"
—
「 "There it is — your origin. From that moment. Your life unfolds from this point on, full of unique experiences and adventure."
"Events before this hold no meaning for you. The value of your life does not lie in what occurred in the past, but in the present, and in the future."
"The eagle spreading its wings does not yearn for the cliff where it once fell; the ship setting sail does not miss the strait where it once ran aground."
"And you, my child, must also know that the past is as illusory as mist and clouds."
"But everything you experience in this moment shall surely be carved in gold and stone."
"It is time to say goodbye... Here — a parting gift for you. I look forward to our next encounter." 」
「 .....」
( Translator-kun: Heard me out, maybe March is the Fuli of the Old universe, or part of Fuli in the Old universe before it got reset again. It's just a theory tho...
If there's a nickname or term that's new, I'll add a link so readers who aren't deeply familiar with the lore can understand who that character or term refers to. )