Afterward, the Shogun and Hare left the infirmary. They went to the passenger ship's deck and leaned against the railing side by side, gazing at the boundless sea as the ocean breeze swept over them.
"Mio..."
Hare took her hand. The warmth drew the Shogun from her thoughts, and she instinctively looked at the girl before her.
"Hare..."
"If possible... I want to go with all of you—"
Hare still did not want to simply watch her leave. She possessed power of her own. Although it was not great, she could still help everyone. She had finally made up her mind, but—
"No~ You are not allowed to go."
The Shogun hurriedly interrupted her. In truth, she had already suspected what Hare wanted to say when the girl called her name. After all, she knew Hare's overly kindhearted nature.
"Mm~ But my Void can heal all of you—"
Hare trembled after being rejected, but she still spoke unwillingly.
"No... Be good and listen to me."
The Shogun refused again, though her tone softened this time. Even the words "be good" carried a trace of tenderness.
"..."
Hare fell silent.
"Hare... You know why I cannot allow you to go. Please do not make this difficult for me, all right?"
The Shogun patiently reasoned with the girl. Setting Hare herself aside, although her Void was a bandage capable of healing all things... it was also extremely fragile. What would happen if it were damaged along the way?
"...All right. But... you must be careful. Do not get hurt. For me, for Inori, and for everyone who loves you, okay?"
Hearing her say that, Hare stopped being willful. Just as the Shogun had said, she knew why and understood... All she could do was state her conditions in a gentle voice.
"Mm... I will."
The Shogun smiled warmly and lightly brushed a fingertip across the girl's cheek, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Then it is a promise."
Hare held out her little finger.
"...What is this?"
The Shogun froze, looking completely bewildered.
"A pinky promise~"
The girl smiled and urged her onward.
"A pinky... what—"
"Like this~"
Hare could not help laughing. She took the Shogun's hand and hooked their little fingers together.
"...?"
The Shogun looked at their joined hands, still somewhat confused, but instinctively curled her little finger more tightly around Hare's.
"Say it with me... Pinky promise, seal it tight, never change for a hundred years~ You have to keep your word."
Hare instructed her.
"P-Perhaps we should not. It is a little—///"
Hearing such a childish nursery rhyme, an adorable blush appeared on the Shogun's face, and she shyly tried to refuse.
"Come on~ Say it~"
Hare puffed out her cheeks at her.
"Mm... Haa, very well... Shall we say it together?"
"Mm..."
"Pinky promise, seal it tight, never change for a hundred years~ You have to keep your word." ×2
Their voices intertwined as they softly recited the nursery rhyme, then gazed into each other's eyes.
"Pfft, honestly... We sound like children."
The Shogun laughed first. A breathtaking smile blossomed across her face as she softly complained to the girl before her.
"Huh? /// B-But Mio is a child too. Of course I have to use a nursery rhyme that stops children from lying, right?"
Hare blushed at her words, then quickly turned the argument back on her.
"Who said I am a chil—"
"You are~"
Hare countered confidently.
"Haa... Forget it. I suppose I am, if you say so."
The Shogun sighed, too lazy to argue any further, and conceded.
Their allies this time included not only Funeral Parlor, but also the United Nations forces. Even an aircraft carrier had arrived. Funeral Parlor's weapons were being supplied by the Kuhouin family, so they were thoroughly prepared. Ayase once again boarded an Endlave after a long absence, ready for their final mission.
Their departure was scheduled to coincide with the United Nations forces' attack, which was set for three in the afternoon. They therefore still had some time to prepare. Naturally, their target was GHQ's Ward 24 fortress floating above the sea.
Although their attack would begin at the same time as the United Nations assault, Funeral Parlor's plan was different. They needed to leave early and reach a dock near Ward 24 so they could slip inside while the enemy was distracted.
While the members of Funeral Parlor prepared their equipment, the Shogun took the opportunity to wander around the ship. She did not need any equipment, nor did she have anything to calibrate, so there was nothing for her to do except wait for their departure.
During her walk, she happened to encounter Yahiro Samukawa speaking on a public telephone in the corridor—
"...Your brother is doing fine here."
"...Mm, I am all right... I was not injured."
Yahiro glanced at the bullet graze on his arm, then merely smiled as he reassured the person on the other end of the line.
"You do not need to worry about me. Just take good care of yourself."
"How are Uncle and Aunt treating you?"
"...That is good."
He paused after every answer, waiting for the reply from the other end of the receiver.
"Mm... You take care too. I should be able to come home before long."
"All right—"
During the call, the boy looked up and saw her approaching, so he nodded in greeting.
"I still have something to do... I will hang up now. Mm, take care of yourself."
Click...
Yahiro hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief...
"Your younger brother?"
Hearing the tone he had used, she asked curiously.
"Yes... Jun has been in good health lately, so I can relax."
Yahiro leaned against the wall and shrugged at her.
"Where is he now?"
She asked.
"I sent him to stay with relatives earlier. He is not in Tokyo."
"Then he should be relatively safe. This place will soon become a battlefield, so it is best for him to remain as far away as possible."
She agreed, then prepared to walk past him.
"..."
Watching the woman pass him, Yahiro's eyes flickered. After hesitating briefly, he still called out to her.
"Mio."
"...?"
The Shogun stopped and turned slightly toward him.
"Will you be able to do it?"
He asked the seemingly inexplicable question.
"...What are you referring to?"
A trace of confusion entered her eyes.
"Inori... If she stands against you when the time comes, will you be able to strike her down for the sake of this world?"
Yahiro asked in a solemn voice.
"..."
She did not answer immediately. Instead, she lowered her eyes and remained silent for several seconds before looking toward the dark sky outside, which had already changed color.
"I will not speculate about such a possibility, because it will never happen. At the very least, I will not allow it to happen."
That was her answer.
"..."
Yahiro froze.
"I am not so weak that something like this could dictate my choices. That includes what happened with your brother. I would choose a solution that saves both sides rather than passively accepting the situation. Even if no opportunity existed, I would create one myself."
She turned to leave after speaking, but then seemed to remember something and glanced back at him.
"Also... You should avoid saying things like 'for the sake of the world.' It always sounds somewhat arrogant when spoken aloud, even when you possess the strength to justify it."
After saying that, she gave him a meaningful smile, then turned around and left.
"..."
Yahiro stared blankly at the woman dressed in a Tennoz High School uniform. Her slender departing figure seemed frozen within his vision.
"Heh... Just as I thought. You truly are different, Mio."
He smiled in understanding and sighed softly.