Crash, thud
That kind of noise, followed by a scream, interrupted our conversation.
"What's going on? Did someone trip?"
"Katsuragi-kun! Look! It's Ayumi-san!"
Right next to where the scream came from, there was a fallen hurdle and Ayumi crouching beside it.
Could it be that they got injured?
Even a minor sprain can be fatal for a track and field athlete!
Unable to stand up on her own, Ayumi was carried to the infirmary on a stretcher.
"...Huh?"
I don't know, something feels off.
It's something, well, I don't know what it is...
For now, I'll take a picture of Ayumi with my phone. I'll check it later.
"Princess, what's wrong? Let's go after Ayumi!"
"Yes, I understand."
I become invisible right next to the infirmary door and listen to the conversation of the track and field club members.
"What?! A sprain?!"
"What's going to happen? The tournament is tomorrow..."
I guess I sprained my ankle after all.
Our goal isn't necessarily to get Ayumi to participate in the competition, but...
"Hey, Katsuragi-kun, isn't there anything we can do...?"
"...Just be quiet for a moment. I'm thinking about it."
"I'm sorry."
"..."
I wonder what Katsuragi-kun is thinking...?
I listened to the track and field club members' stories again.
"Hey, wasn't the spacing between those hurdles a little strange?"
"Now that you mention it... that part was short."
"Right?! Otherwise, I wouldn't have tripped and fallen!"
"Could it be that someone moved it?"
Were the hurdles moved...?
So that means someone wanted Ayumi to get hurt?
Does wanting to injure him mean you didn't want him to participate in the tournament?
So the person who benefits the most from this is... that senior who's a substitute?
That means... no way!!
...But even if that were the case, it wouldn't be relevant to the strategy, would it?
The fact remains that Ayumi is injured and can't run.
"Um, Katsuragi-kun..."
" ...Injury...senior...hurdles...cheering... "
...No good. I didn't hear that.
...Oh, right. Let's take a look at that photo. It's too late now, but it won't change anything.
The photo shows Ayumi on a stretcher, with a pained expression on her face.
Hmm, something still bothers me.
Her attire is perfectly normal for a track and field athlete, and her face, aside from her expression, looks just like her profile picture.
Huh? Just like the picture...?
I see, so the strange feeling I had was...
"Katsuragi-kun, I understand."
"...So you noticed too?"
It seems I can see it now. The ending!!
"Huh? Um, Princess? God?"
I don't know anything about games, but... this is definitely something very important.
This, which I, and perhaps Katsuragi-kun, have also discovered, might be what we call a void in our hearts.
"Follow me, you guys, the runaway souls are going out today!"
Are you ready to defeat the runaway souls?
"Yes! I'll sing with all my heart!"
"Okay, I'm going to go confess now! I'm leaving the rest to you!"
"I'm counting on you, Katsuragi-kun!"
"Leave it to me. I'm...the god of conquest!!"