Chapter 106: Farewell to Childhood

"After all, it's very cold in the mountains at night."

Sora wrapped himself in a blanket, exhaled a puff of white mist, and said:

While wrapped in the same blanket, Kurapika continued to avoid feeling shy due to their body temperatures being so close.

However, he knew that it was his own "selfishness" that had caused them to be shipwrecked in such a big mountain, not to mention the insomnia, so he turned around and apologized again for who knows how many times.

"……Sora, I'm sorry. I'm too selfish."

"That's enough. And the current situation is certainly a Disaster, but there's no need to worry because we aren't in a rush. We have cold-weather gear, food, and drinking water, and if any animals appear, we—I will hunt it for food. Kurapika doesn't need to take any responsibility, because it just adds to the problem of cold protection!"

"Deciding on something so crazy must have been a very urgent situation."

Kurapika's apology was interrupted halfway, and Sora continued in a bright voice, "It's no big deal," but Kurapika's determination to finish what he said about hunting beasts was quite dangerous. Or rather, even Kurapika, who grew up in the forest, had not yet made up his mind to do so.

Sure enough, I decided to treat this sentence as a joke to distract Kurapika. We have been Together for almost a month, and Kurapika's ability to traverse has improved greatly.

And in fact, if you think about it calmly, the current situation is a "half-dead" situation, and as Sora said, it is not hopeless.

Kurapika and the others were completely lost, yet unable to find the "destination" they were looking for, so they prepared for camping with all their might. "No matter what, we must go down the mountain" and look for a river.

The reason for looking for a river is that if they find a river, they can temporarily follow the stream down the mountain, and the two decided that there is a high possibility of villages and settlements nearby. Water source.

When it gets dark, I will pick up dead trees and fallen leaves that can be used to make a Fire, without overdoing it, and now I am resting while keeping warm to keep animals away.

I haven't found the river yet, but if I listen carefully, I can hear the sound of gurgling water, so I believe I will be able to find it tomorrow.

Sora's words are not comforting; they are facts. He knows that optimism is a problem, but pessimism is unhelpful.

Nevertheless, Kurapika still felt sorry.

"……Kurapika."

Kurapika's guilt is something Sora does not know.

With Kurapika's back turned to his side, Sora twisted his body, wrapped his arms around him, and hugged him from behind.

When I was held by Sora, I felt the warmth and softness on my back, and the things accumulated in my chest were blown away, but Sora wasn't doing it for that either.

Just so that Kurapika wouldn't run away, she said it again, holding him in her arms as if to keep him by her side.

"Kurapika, you really don't need to worry.

On the contrary, Kurapika didn't say 'I want to go' or 'I want to find it.' I said we should go ourselves, and I brought you here, so it's fine if you're angry."

Kurapika blushed and pouted, and Sora said the fault was on his side.

"……You pamper me so much, it makes me feel even worse.

I know you said 'let's go' because I was interested, because I felt you really wanted to find it.

……You shouldn't have any connection to or interest in the 'Fairy Village'."

＊＊＊

Old stories heard while living in a nearby village.

There are many folk tales about fairies here, and I have heard that even in modern times, events that can only be attributed to "fairies" have occurred, although they are very rare.

The events that are happening are missing children.

The main content of fairy tales, "replacing children with changelings," but because children are unilaterally kidnapped, it is what is called "sneaky" in Japanese style.

It seems that if a child under 10 years old enters the mountain, the child suddenly disappears.

Most of them seem to disappear when you take your eyes off them for a moment, but in some cases, even if they are holding hands, what they are holding is not the child's hand, but a tree branch. Indeed, it suddenly disappears in front of its parents as if it fell into a hole, and although it didn't let go, the only explanation is that it is the work of a fairy.

90% of missing children never return. Of the remaining 10% who return, 90% are not safe.

At most, it's just scratches, but some kind of abnormality appears in his mind, although the degree varies.

Most of these stories are obscure, folk tales, and fairy tales, but in the past decade, a small number of cases have indeed been recorded as police facts.

Just as Kurapika has thought for a long time, in legends related to "fairies," although their names and appearances are cute, the harm they cause is often not funny at all.

The genre of these fairy tales is particularly bad, and I can't help but think, "Is this really the work of a fairy? Just like fairies are creatures that transcend the world, saying 'children are cruel' because they are innocent and naive, they often play pranks, and the result is not funny." I came to an ambiguous conclusion.

There is one more thing, I was told a story about "fairy tales."

The story of "fairy tales" and the story of the frequent disappearance of children in this area is that the fairies live in a kingdom in the mountains. 'Fairyland Tir na nOg' is somewhere, and Kurapika wants to search for it and find it.

I thought about it, but didn't say it out loud.

Because this is just Kurapika's selfishness. I didn't say anything because it had nothing to do with Sora, and I didn't need to intervene, but Sora, who can see through Kurapika's thoughts better than Kurapika himself, knows everything.

Without giving Kurapika any explanation, he said, "Let's go." Then he reached his hand into the mountain.

I couldn't shake off that hand.

I couldn't even say, "Stop!"

Being with her, I feel like I can end any ending with a smile.

This is the reason why Kurapika and Sora are looking for Fairyland.

I search, praying that I won't be found.

(……In a sense, I guess you could say my wish came true.)

I hugged my knees and tried to think positively, but the attempt was unsuccessful, and my mood was depressed.

Kurapika's guilt is that he doesn't really want to be found, even if he wants to find it.

I want to find what I want to find, but I don't want to find it. I want to find evidence that these things don't exist.

It would be good if the "Fairy Village" that exists on this mountain were "real." After learning about the bad nature of fairies, it has faded a lot, but out of pure curiosity, I still want to find some and want to go there to see.

There is no such thing as a "Fairy City," and the missing people are the result of getting lost in this mountain of crazy magnetic fields, and the mental abnormality is also a sequela of surviving by consuming spirit from an Extreme state of shipwreck, so it's not good, but Kurapika, I can't help it.

It is entirely a problem that the residents of this mountain area should solve and deal with.

But…… if a "fairy town" exists here, even if it is not "real."

If the existence of "Fairy Town" is true, then that is—.

"Even so, even in this world, fairies are basically products of fairy tales.

Suddenly, Sora changed the subject.

If Kurapika guessed that he wanted to find "Fairy Town," Sora guessed that this was the reason.

It is understandable. After all, it was he who told Kurapika about those two fairies.

That is the reason I changed the subject.

The subject itself did not change. It is about "fairies" and "fairies."

But what Sora was talking about was not the "fairyland" that Kurapika was looking for because he did not want to find it.

A year ago, Kurapika dreamed with his best friend, and this stage seemed to be one of the adventures, a land of fantasy and Utopia. The fairyland Tir Na Nog began to speak.

"... What do you think this world is?"

Kurapika also knew that he was being taken care of.

However, the more he thought about "Fairy Village," the more he disliked it, and this was also a fact. Kurapika decided to be honest with Sora and asked back in a slightly angry tone.

"Because, in my view, creatures that disappeared from the world stage a long time ago seem to be fantasy species!"

First of all, I cannot believe that beasts that speak human language and always walk on two legs exist normally. I cannot say it, so I hope there are at least brownies and kelpies!"

Perhaps wanting to pull Kurapika out of a negative vortex, but he seemed to really hope for the existence of fairies, and for some reason, Sora began to speak enthusiastically.

"Even if you say you don't believe it, you can only say that things that exist do, and things that don't exist don't."

Rather, I don't understand why there are no Beasts in Sora's world, even though Sora exists."

"What do you mean!? Am I a phantom-class rare beast!?"

Kurapika smiled, looking at Sora's pouting words half-jokingly, with a youthful face. Half-joking meant the other half was serious.

Sora was furious at this remark, but she was also laughing, so she didn't seem to care at all.

Although I felt I should be a little worried, Kurapika continued in the fluffy chat, which was just for the pleasure of this moment, wrapped in a blanket, a warmth I couldn't let go of.

A year ago, Kurapika must have already known that such time would pass without warning and without reality, but Kurapika believed that this period would last forever.

This is a precious period of time because it is nothing at all.

However, this faint happiness always turns into nothingness silently.

Just like waking up from a dream, the existence of these things disappears like a lie.

"――――――――――"

"!?"

Instead of suddenly blushing and turning away, Kurapika gently opened his eyes and turned his head in a completely different direction.

"? Kurapika, what's wrong?"

Answering this question, Kurapika turned his face back to Sora forcefully, and Sora, seeing his movements, looking at his expression, and the emotions in his eyes, was somewhat puzzled.

With Sora's confusion, Kurapika's emotions deepened.

Kurapika said, "I can't believe it," he, not Sora, realized what he had noticed; Sora was cautious, but he definitely had not noticed what he heard.

"... I heard a child's voice."

Inside a tree you can fit into, Dongwuluo, a child is crying.

"Hiku... hiku... Papa... Mama..."

His hind legs hurt from walking, his stomach hurt from hunger, and although he was shivering from the cold, the child kept crying out for his parents.

The child did not realize that he no longer had the motivation to move.

I don't know how desperate the situation is.

Because they are young, they realize their despair and give up. Believing and continuing to wait.

... Not knowing the process of how he came here, nor the process of why he was alone, and not even asking how long he had been here, the child just kept crying on the spot.

The sobbing stopped.

Hearing footsteps among the grass and trees, the child thought his parents had come to pick him up, so he crawled out of the tree hole.

But it was not his parents.

"Oh, I really am."

The child involuntarily looked up at this person while still on all fours.

Not my parents, I don't even know if it's a man or a woman, but a very beautiful person is looking down at me with blue eyes.

Beside her was a boy who looked about five years older than him, holding the beauty in his arms, looking around uneasily.

The child, mixed with the disappointment of not being the parents he wanted and the relief of finally no longer being alone, did not have tears streaming down his face, but looked down at himself blankly. He asked the beautiful person, "Who are you?"

The beautiful person is a man or a woman.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Sora. I am a Wizard's apprentice."

I smiled and reached out my hand.

Her smile was so beautiful, her voice was so gentle, and her hand was so soft and warm.

But the child did not take his hand.

Not my parents, but I wanted to hold that person's hand, hug him, cry, and hold him.

I wanted to cry and complain that I felt lonely and scared.

But this child, who should be less than ten years old, did none of these things, just looked up at the "Wizard's apprentice."

Precisely because I wanted to cry and hug him, and precisely because I thought he would help me, I couldn't help but be afraid.

The children didn't understand why.

The children didn't notice.

The person who claimed to be a Wizard's apprentice a moment ago, the boy who clung to Sora's side to keep him from leaving and was ready to stop Sora at any time, and the boy who had never seen his eyes, the child tilted his head and asked back.

"... Are you a Wizard? Big Brother, can you use it?"

"I can't use Magic yet because I am an apprentice. But I can use something similar."

Because the child did not grasp the hand extended to him, Sora withdrew his hand, but answered the child's question with a gentle smile.

Seeing Sora's answer, the child's eyes lit up, and he said innocently: "Amazing." I have completely forgotten my current situation.

Sora smiled and reminded him of the reality he had forgotten.

"By the way, who are you? What happened to your parents?"

Sora's question reminded him of the lonely reality; his parents were not coming to pick him up.

My vision was blurred by tears, and the children could not even see the Sora in front of me. I did not notice what kind of expression Sora was wearing as he looked at me.

The children did not know what the boy beside Sora looked like.

I did not know you had a terrifying, terrifying, painful face.

Without realizing it, without noticing it, without seeing anything, the child cried.

I want to see my parents, I want them to come and pick me up, crying. Hoping and remembering.

On the mountain, I was hiking with my parents while Picking edible wild plants.

For a child born and raised in the city with little contact with nature, everything was fresh to him, and he was excited, but he obeyed his parents' instructions and never ran around on his own, nor did he venture to places he hadn't been.

But... but... parents, the child's parents...

"Why... why... why did your parents leave me?"

I discovered a very beautiful flower and wanted to show it to my parents, so I called out to them, but they didn't even turn their heads.

Instead, the parents left the child behind, shouting loudly, running desperately after them, pulling at their clothes and hands, only to be suddenly shaken off as they ran elsewhere.

As the parents pushed through the brush and thickets where there were no paths, the child ran while crying.

I followed desperately behind my parents, not understanding why they left me, why they didn't answer when I called them, but I soon lost sight of them and didn't know where they had come from; this is the child now.

I remember.

Why am I facing this situation now?

The child remembered why he felt pain and fear, and why he was alone in the mountain forest.

I understand.

At the moment of understanding, the child suddenly stopped crying.

The anxiety and loneliness that had brought me to tears were not healed. They were simply redrawn as despair through understanding.

The child was expressionless, whispering like a doll.

"... I was thrown away."

"That is not the same."

The child's despair was too easily denied.

As I saw him tear away the film of tears again, the Wizard's apprentice was laughing.

It was similar to the smile the parents I loved and still love gave me.

＊＊＊

"No. You were not abandoned."

Sora answered with a smile.

Before me was an amorphous mist the size of a child.

Even Sora, who was accustomed to seeing ghosts, could not find them unless he looked at them consciously.

Even if I tell you, it is too late. I know the tragedy began and ended long ago, and this is merely its remnant.

However, I will tell you.

To prevent further tragedy from being exploited by the remnants of this tragedy.

Most importantly, do not let yourself be fooled into forgetting the past, even if it is too late, even if it ended long ago.

Sora asked the child.

Reminding me of the truth I had not yet remembered.

"Hey, did your parents really leave you behind?"

The mist, which barely had a human shape, made a head-tilting motion.

The children did not quite understand what Sora was saying. I didn't quite understand, but I felt that this question, the answer to that question, was extremely important.

"Hey, remember.

Remember what your parents looked like, and what they said when they left you."

... Even without Wind, the trees in the forest were shaking.

I made a whispering sound, interrupting Sora's words.

I heard a "voice" interfering with my child's thoughts and memories.

"Don't be fooled."

"Don't believe me."

"You cannot trust adults."

The children's voices chanted over and over.

Although her voice was high-pitched and cute, it was full of hatred toward the children... and Kurapika, who was still clutching Sora's arm tightly, continued to tell the adults not to trust Sora.

"... Sora."

The silent Kurapika called out Sora's name. His voice trembled, just like his hand clutching Sora's arm.

I am not afraid of the grievances of dozens of children. That is certainly scary, but Kurapika has something even more terrifying.

It was highly likely that because of his age, Kurapika could not meet the conditions at the last moment, but being able to hear this voice meant that he was also identified as a target.

Therefore, although Kurapika was extremely afraid, he did not leave Sora.

Relying on Sora, entrusting everything to him, was extremely miserable and pathetic, making me want to die, yet I could not leave him.

It is not because I cherish my life.

Kurapika persists, and not only she, but Sora will also feel despair toward these "fairies."

Even though Sora is already under the "fairy" Spell, Kurapika—

"Are you alright?"

Sora's hand rests on Kurapika's hand.

Sora's gaze does not change, and Kurapika cannot see anything; he is still looking at the bare ground, but Sora places his hand on Kurapika's hand, shakes his head, and says:

He understands that Kurapika is "here," and tells him that he has not forgotten Kurapika.

Kurapika's fear vanishes with this sentence and the body heat that makes him determined not to let go of his hand again.

There is nothing left to be afraid of.

So Kurapika will also say this.

Declaring war on the "fairies." Then, he speaks of a forgotten fact: that the victims were not pranked, but were the target of the clear "Malice" of a pitiful fairy that he cannot see but certainly exists.

"Remember.

Your parents didn't just ignore you, shake you off, or abandon you... they were also shouting your name, searching for you frantically."

"A—"

Kurapika can hear a child's voice; he suddenly notices something before his eyes, yet he had not noticed it.

The child remembers Sora's question and Kurapika's words.

Blurred memories, unclear due to thick fog, suddenly surface in my mind.

No matter how I cried or called out to my parents, they did not turn back. I myself did not notice.

I ran over crying, chasing after him when he fell, grabbing his hand and the hem of his clothes, but he didn't even look in his direction; he shook him off and ran away.

My parents searched for me desperately, even though I was injured by branches and leaves, as I squeezed through bushes where there were not even animal tracks.

... I, just like me, was crying and searching for my own name over and over again.

The child remembers.

I was not abandoned. They were not left behind.

My parents could not see me, I could not hear my voice, and they did not notice me when I tugged at their hands and clothes, but I remember that my parents were always looking for me.

Remember. Even though he was certainly doted on by his parents, why did he feel that he had been abandoned?

I don't know why I don't remember my parents crying while shouting my name—

"Traitor!"

"Traitor!"

"Traitor!" "Traitor!" "Traitor!"

The children's voices grow higher and higher, continuing to curse.

The objects of abuse are not only Sora, but also the child who remembers Kurapika.

"I thought I would join you without getting tired of it!"

"Do not say unnecessary things!!"

"I told you, adults are all enemies, why not do it!!"

"Shut up."

The voices of the children that Sora found cannot be seen or heard, but these children... Kurapika, who has heard the "fairy" voices from the beginning, still grips Sora's arm tightly, covering only one ear with his hand. He retorts.

"You are absolutely the victims, and it is natural to hate the adults who turned you into 'fairies.'

... However, a long time ago, 'fairies' like you... although it is no longer possible to kill and discard children like being kidnapped by fairies, you really did kidnap children yourselves. Once you pulled them into your ranks, you had no room for sympathy!!"

This is not revenge at all; you are just jealous of parents who are not loved and do not love like you do, you are just driving them out of despair!!"

I wish it were a lie, but this is a conjecture based on another "fairy tale" Sora told. I threw away what I thought was true.

Things like tennis balls, glowing like fireflies, drifting about.

Victims and perpetrators.

Dozens of children who should have been kidnapped by fairies have had their spirits turned into fairies.

Sora told me that as a Magician, she affirmed the existence of "fairies," but she also told me to deny the existence of "fairies" and to truly analyze and dissect their stories.

For example, the representative fairy tale of the changeling: it is said that the replaced fairy baby is usually ugly or has low intelligence, but this is highly likely just because the child was born with some kind of disability.

And the methods to take back the replaced child are often violent, such as drowning the fairy child, burning it in a stove, or beating it with a stick.

Considering the identity of the "prodigy" mentioned above, it is not difficult to predict that this is just an excuse.

This might be considered a waste of food that cannot serve as labor.

It is not my child; a real child was kidnapped by a fairy. So I did this to get my child back.

After repeating such excuses, how many parents have killed their own biological children, and how many children have been killed by their biological parents?

In Sora's world, there seems to be a parent who actually made such a statement after letting their child die from abuse to try to get away with the crime.

Many fairy tales go beyond the scope of pranks and cause non-joking harm; this is the selfish Malice of humanity transferred onto fictional creatures.

... The truth of this mountain fairy tale should be a story that blames fairies.

Since they were accustomed to choosing to kill their own children to survive, they must have decided they were "kidnapped by fairies" in order to turn a blind eye to what they had done.

Not knowing that one day it would become reality.

There are many spirits of abandoned children killed by their parents, bullied, left on the mountain to wait for death.

Stay here, kill that hateful parent who killed you and betrayed you, shift this sin onto the "fairies," and let yourself live a carefree life as a miserable parent whose child was kidnapped. I have not.

More importantly, they cannot bear it. I hate it, it is unbearable. I want to destroy everything.

... Unlike us, we will not starve, nor will we be abandoned and killed by our parents; they cannot tolerate it even more than their parents.

That kind of anger, too young and only describable as a tantrum, turned the victimized children into perpetrators known as "fairies."

No matter how much the children cried, hugged, or held on, they were unrecognizable; as if the suggestion of disappearance suddenly pulled the parents away, leaving the parents panicked and the children lost, even with the fairies recruiting the children into their company, making the parents forget how anxious they were in the process of searching for their children, unaware that they were already dead, and making the parents believe the parents had abandoned them.

The children cried, thinking they had been betrayed by those they trusted; this made no sense at all.

In this mountain, there was actually such a malicious fairy.

"Noisy."

"What do you know?"

"How much do you understand about being protected by adults?"

"Die."

"You are dead too."

"Wandering in this mountain, dying."

"Hungry, hungry, eating dirt, chewing Stone, starving to death."

"Let the beasts eat your whole body alive, then die."

Under Kurapika's accusation, the children—those fairies fluttering everywhere—once again emitted a high-pitched sound of resentment, this time focused on Kurapika.

Kurapika instantly regretted the blood rushing to his head and shouting unintentionally, but his regret was that he had no way to counter the ghosts, thus increasing the burden on Sora, and also increasing the children who had become fairies. Insulting us without resentment or regret. Instead, I cannot say too much.

Admittedly, Kurapika did not understand their feelings, just as they said.

The forest where the Kurta settlement was located had bountiful rewards and no starvation. Kurapika knew he was loved and cared for by his parents.

Kurapika could not imagine the despair of being abandoned by his parents, not even thinking of "sorry" for his own death, shifting the responsibility onto the fairies.

This kind of thing would not happen to Kurapika again, because the most cruel decision was made a year ago, and it did not suit her.

Just like these fairies toward an innocent parent and child who just happened to come to this mountain to play, everything was taken away, just like selfish Malice.

So I absolutely cannot forgive these fairies. Even though he knew he was as angry as they were, whether he was younger than himself or died a violent death, he could not control his anger.

I cannot suppress this hatred on my own, the hatred of losing everyone I care about.

But...

"Kurapika."

My voice was very soft.

Judging by the fairies' anger, the state of Kurapika clinging to his side during the spellcasting shouldn't be strange, but she couldn't even hear her voice. In her eyes, he looked at Kurapika, and the light in his eyes brightened.

Perhaps you really cannot see or hear it.

Even so, she still looked straight into Kurapika's eyes, with a look of no concern; could it be the eyes of the blue sky, even if she couldn't see Kurapika, she could see Kurapika's "death"?

If it were the latter, even if it were a scene that made me feel like I was going crazy, unless I was angry, I couldn't bear it, but Sora still smiled gently and said:

"I am going to destroy the 'Fairy City'."

I don't know if he heard Kurapika's fury.

Either way, it didn't matter, because Sora was a prospect.

Sora knew Kurapika would never forgive this malicious fairy.

And Sora did not like this Fairy City where the fairies gathered.

You cannot control hatred alone.

However, with her there, it wouldn't turn into hatred, it would only hurt herself and those around her.

It is not about stifling and strangling hatred, but guiding us in the right direction, rather than the wrong one.

That is why Kurapika no longer grabbed Sora's arm, nor did he grab Sora's arm with regret, but he grabbed Sora's right hand and did not let go.

He ran, still holding it.

"Come over!"

"Good! Come on, you too!"

I don't know how far they could see or hear, but Sora answered forcefully, holding his hand.

"I will not run away."

"I will not run away."

"I will not run away."

"You will never escape!!"

Kurapika did not forget Kurapika; he did not abandon the child who remembered him, even if he did not become his companion. Blocking your path.

In the fairy tale, the only thing he knew was that parents would not recognize their children, so Kurapika was terrified by the light orbs fluttering before his eyes and the evil spirits of the children themselves.

Perhaps it was just a suggestion, but as I expected, I could not recklessly jump into the mysterious light orbs.

This judgment was correct.

These fairies indeed had no ability other than the suggestion that "adults cannot recognize their own precious children," but the light orbs were the spirits of the children who had turned into fairies... they were Aura themselves.

Although it was Dead's Nen, everyone was the lowest-level ghost, just being there couldn't do anything, and their ability relied on quantity to supplement quality to maintain itself, so if you were a Nen user, you were a Beginner, as long as you weren't lacking Training, wearing a "coat" (Ren) didn't matter, but if an ordinary person who didn't even have their pores half-open was hit by dozens of these light orbs, it wouldn't be free.

Kurapika's judgment was correct. However, if Kurapika's path was blocked, Kurapika would lose the ability to do anything.

Although relying on others, even relying on Sora's "instant death," her hands were occupied by herself and the children's souls.

Since Sora could not let go of the child's hand, he did not know whether he should let go of her hand; separating them in the most vicious night forest seemed like a bad idea.

Kurapika hesitated for a moment, paused, thinking about whether to let go of the hand or let Kurapika hold hands and take the risk of the light orbs, but Sora did not stop.

Kurapika immediately wanted to let go of Sora's hand, but Sora still held it and refused to let go.

Sora threw Kurapika into the light orbs without letting go of the child's hand; the child's outstretched hand refused to retract, for fear that his hand would be swept away...

"I'm counting on you, you self-righteous bastard who shirks responsibility!!"

I kicked toward the light orb without hesitation.

The point where Sora's toes pierced must be the "point" of the light orb. Watching one light orb disappear, as if it were about to collapse and melt, the movements of the other light orbs suddenly stopped.

Apparently, even though Sora was even sweeter than Kurapika had imagined, these fairies were just as unwilling to forgive him as Kurapika was.

"For you, ghosts are things that can be kicked!?"

"Yes."

Leorio, Zepile, and Killua all rushed forward, and Sora immediately replied with a straight face.

Facing such an answer and the heartbeat, Senritsu murmured, "I'm serious, this child..."

"However, Sora was also surprised. Sora felt that if the other party were a child, they wouldn't use 'eyes'."

"Setting aside the fact that you are hurting or killing someone, your ability is running wild without you knowing it, or you are about to lose your mind, you would deliberately deceive and hurt someone while still maintaining enough reason to hold a conversation. I have no intention of spending money on that motherfucking child who adds to the accomplices."

Just like Kurapika at the time, Sora, who considered himself unconditionally sweeter than he was as a child, was surprised by his own performance of being without hesitation or mercy.

Regarding the fact that Sora "killed" a child, not to mention Gon, none of the other members cared. Just as Sora said, she was absolutely a victim, but the "fairies" themselves, who had begun to slip away out of selfish and cruel resentment, had already lost the space for sympathy.

Instead, even if she said that, even if she didn't care, she still wouldn't make excuses for the sins she bore, nor would she try to let go of anything. So Sora didn't care, and Killua asked, "Then what did you kill after that?"

"Deciding what I killed... well, that's right."

After running for a while, they arrived at a slightly maintained mountain path, with a stone statue of a child beside it. A stone statue of a child, to put it bluntly, looked like it was made by someone better than an amateur.

Preparing a stone statue or a Doll to replace a kidnapped child is a common Spell in any country... but the result backfired.

Perhaps those child spirits didn't hate their parents like abused children at first, but thought they were bad children who had been abandoned, and to prevent damage, it was actually a stone statue thrown away as a child's grave. Deceived, negative emotions flowed out, and at the same time there were many ghosts, but each one was too weak, and what I imagined was a 'fairy'."

All the "fairies" on that mountain were children.

Except for geniuses like Gon and Killua, ordinary children, even with the blessing of Dead Nen, only had weak Nen Ability.

Even if they cooperated with their own comrades, having too many people is a Disaster, and if they don't have the ability to have a clear common image, it's better not to merge. Otherwise, it won't go very smoothly.

Most importantly, it is difficult to create a concrete image because it is a child. Children are imaginative, but the real image of details comes from observation and life experience.

There are quite a few children with Nen Ability, but very few children with mature abilities.

So, originally those children's ghosts should have just been a ghost story about seeing ghosts on the mountain at night; I gave them a clear image and installed a stone statue that I claimed was their work.

Usually, children hear a lot of threatening words as a form of discipline to prevent children from entering the mountain area without permission.

For this reason, "fairy kidnapping children" is appropriate as a theme closely related to abandoned and murdered children.

This image also facilitated their prey; they hated this person more than the parents who abandoned them.

"So, when I cut the original stone statue using that image as a trigger, the 'fairy's' ability became invalid."

It is precisely because of that anti-fairy stone statue that it paradoxically proves 'there are fairies in this mountain kidnapping children, they don't know what they are thinking, so they cannot maintain their abilities. I'm back. It is a floating soul that will forget and disappear."

If it were just to destroy the stone statue, it would be meaningless because that image had long since become powerful, but if her eyes did not exist in form, then they would not exist as matter. Established as a concept, it can be killed, the eye of death.

The story ended because of her, but the aftertaste was never good.

"... The spirits of children are desperate after all."

"That's right, I could only kill you."

Leorio muttered with a bitter face, and Sora answered straightforwardly.

He told him with a smile that he couldn't do anything other than destroy the stone statue, and he didn't kill the fairies standing in his way.

Once again, she had no sympathy or pity for the fairies, but she didn't even want their souls to die.

Even Zepile, who didn't know Sora very well, knew that he wanted her to forget the hatred of being abandoned by her parents and live a peaceful life.

Leorio said, "... I'm sorry."

"... However, there are also fairies; as long as you kill the stone statue and invalidate its ability, you can be enlightened, so I don't regret it."

Not to make up for the children who were abandoned and killed, but the victims who were killed by those children. Ability, I lost the meaning of staying there."

Sora did not respond to Leorio's apology.

Instead, with a heavy breath of relief, it eased a little.

The children who most wanted to be saved were given a false sense of despair by resentment, and even now they are not wandering in the mountains; this is the only and greatest salvation of this story.

"... Even so, the story of the 'fairy' is still shocking."

"Well, I'm sure this was originally a cautionary story: 'Don't go into the mountains because it's dangerous there.'"

"Yeah, besides, there are also some good stories about fairies; there are many stories about fairies living in houses, helping with chores and babysitting."

Although Gon was relieved at the end of Sora's story, for him, who was full of romance and looking for fantasy stories that "might be true," the identity of this "fairy" was a real shock, and his shoulders dropped.

Zepile and Senritsu followed Gon, the late Leorio let his gaze wander somewhat awkwardly, and Killua was pondering with his hand on his chin for some reason.

Recalling, Leorio noticed that he hadn't said anything since just now.

"... Hey... why did Kurapika take you to the stone statue?"

After Killua finished asking, everyone except Sora paused for a moment, then shouted, "Ah!"

Sora's ruthless bad foot habit distracted him, and he realized he had completely missed an interesting part he shouldn't have ignored.

"Although you don't have to worry too much, when Kurapika was having trouble getting lost, how did he go to the mountain path without getting lost?

It would be better if the child you found could guide him... or rather, he was weak and didn't match Kurapika's wavelength, so Kurapika couldn't see him or hear his voice, right? Even if the fairies didn't know you were abnormal, if they wanted to cause you trouble, they wouldn't teach you the mountain path..."

The more he thought about it, the more strange and unexplainable parts popped up, and Killua looked at Kurapika and Sora alternately, picking up the strange parts one by one.

Kurapika was still fast asleep and naturally had no reaction, but Sora grinned at Killua's question and said.

"Killua. The reason why Kurapika and I explored the mountains and found a child who wasn't deceived was because Kurapika said, 'I heard a child's voice'."

Killua was annoyed by the Cheshire Cat smile and was about to say, "What's that about?"

At first, Kurapika said, "I can hear a child's voice," and the voice said, "A child is crying. A lost child is crying. Please help me." He said he was looking for it.

At first, I thought it was a story about a real fairy, so it wasn't strange.

However, knowing the true identity of the fairy, it can be concluded that the voice Kurapika heard was impossible. "Helping a lost child" is absolutely untrue, and even if it was a lie to separate Sora and Kurapika, their purpose was the same as his own, "I was abandoned by my parents."

In that case, all we had to do was stop Sora from recognizing Kurapika's existence as before. There was no need or meaning to tell such a lie.

Most importantly, if the fairies were really spirits, Sora would definitely have discovered them before Kurapika.

In the vast majority of cases, Sora's eyes match the wavelengths of these creatures and are easily Discovery, so it is almost impossible for Sora not to react before Kurapika notices them.

But Sora did not notice.

I did not hear a sound.

"Also, you said that ninety percent of the missing children in the fairy tales on the mountain over there never returned, right?

This is rare, but some children do return. After they have been missing for a few years, it seems one child returned looking exactly as they did when they went missing."

Sora unearthed another forgotten story.

She said that if the true identity of the fairy was abandoning or murdering children because their mouths had shrunk, and the victim's resentment was the result of that grudge, then the "return of the child" was absolutely impossible.

From the "answer" derived from the information Sora pointed out and added, Killua and the adults' faces twitched, as if saying "Really?" while waiting for the conclusion.

"…My eyes are special and good at Discovery of the strange things in the world, but if it is a natural existence there, without the concept of 'death,' I cannot help it.

Besides, only small children can see it, you cannot hear it, and you only appear in front of small children—that is the classic story."

While explaining the reason why he could neither see nor hear it, Sora patted Kurapika on the head while he was still fast asleep, then smiled and answered straightforwardly.

"Kurapika, you must like it very much."

＊＊＊

"…Sora.

"Kurapika. Are you willing to apologize?"

Taking advantage of the two of us going down the mountain, relying on the moonlight and starlight, Kurapika apologized again.

"You don't need to apologize; he was the right person for the right job. I even wanted to end all those awkward fairy tales, and those fairies who have long since become the perpetrators and continue to look like victims. So you don't have to worry.

I couldn't solve anything without you, so I still want to thank you."

Sora broke Kurapika's negative emotions, smiled, and trotted down the mountain to look for a more open campsite.

"Thank you, Kurapika."

With that smile and those words, Kurapika turned his slightly red face away and said, "I didn't do anything."

He held Sora's hand tightly.

"…Besides, I should thank you.

Thank you, Sora. For satisfying my selfishness. 'Thanks to you, I was able to find the fairy.'"

While looking elsewhere, Kurapika stopped blaming himself and, like Sora, affirmed everything Sora had done for him and expressed his gratitude, but Sora tilted his face, as if he himself were dissatisfied with my gift.

Kurapika turned his stubborn face toward Sora, looked up at her, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kurapika's expression was probably as sad as Sora's.

Sora smiled at Kurapika, but there was even more remorse in the eyes of the night sky, saying:

"Oh, sorry. Don't worry.

Just a little bit… was it really for you? I think.

With such sad eyes, it was more than enough to understand what Sora was regretting.

"Sora… do you regret telling me about the 'fairy'?"

"…Yeah. If I hadn't talked about love or whatever, aside from the bad aftertaste, Kurapika wouldn't have fallen into such a dangerous situation today, and… from now on, I won't have to worry about it."

Kurapika wanted to say that there was no such thing at all.

Kurapika was the one who let Sora tell me about the fairy that was "just a bad aftertaste"… not a true story, but the result of humans shirking responsibility.

This was why Kurapika should feel sad.

…My own clan, the Kurta Tribe, is also a 'fairy,' and the Kurta settlement is a 'fairy town,' isn't it? I wanted to say it wasn't Sora's fault for coming up with this idea.

The true identity of beings called "Demons" and "monsters" is that they are people with physical characteristics, religions, and unique cultures that are uncommon in the land, and when they are different from themselves, they are vicious "humans." It is not uncommon for stories to exist where they were persecuted as living beings and driven out of human settlements to remote mountains and forests to 'exterminate demons' and 'exterminate fairies.'

The Kurta Tribe must be the same, with the story passed down somewhere as the side that was exterminated as "Red Eyes monsters."

If that were all, it would be great.

I felt sad and frustrated; since the day I was pelted with Stone and told to "get out," the feeling of "why?" has not disappeared, but I was reminded that it was still better.

Except for Kurapika and others, the general perception of the Kurta Tribe is that "there is only discrimination and prejudice outside."

As if there were no discrimination or prejudice in the Kurta village or the Kurta Tribe itself.

On the contrary, Kurapika thought the Kurta Tribe itself was a large group of discrimination and prejudice.

But if they were persecuted just because their eye color changed, then the Kurta Tribe was certainly a victim.

But… is that really all there is to it? Is being called a "Red Eyes monster" really that scary?

…I heard that very few people who were kidnapped by fairies and returned, and at first I didn't think the fairies were whispering.

I wonder if there really is a fairyland.

I had thought that a hidden village like Kurta village, which was persecuted and forced to live Together, would be a "fairy tale town."

If this is true… then perhaps the Kurta Tribe also committed unforgivable crimes.

A narrow, narrow settlement, where everyone around you has some kind of connection.

In a closed society, if no one comes in from the outside, no matter how many children you have and how much you increase the population, your blood will become thicker and thicker.

Even in kinship that allows marriage across generations, the bloodline should be as strong as that of actual parents and siblings. This increases the risk of genetic diseases and the like.

Humans in a closed society, realizing that the thicker the blood, the thicker the Poison flowing in the blood, would seek the blood of others from the outside world to dilute the Poison, only to be persecuted and expelled as a result. Would a person willingly propose? Someone from another village or town?

If I made an offer, would it be accepted?

If the reason for children being kidnapped and babies being replaced is because they are easier to kidnap than adults and things can be blown out of proportion for their own convenience…

Those who are rarely found either ran away out of despair, or they had completed their role, or they were thrown away because they were considered useless… in any case, it is natural for their spirits to be abnormal.

I am sure he was a victim at first. Like those children.

But if you do that, you no longer have the right to call yourself a victim.

No matter how severely they are oppressed, this is by no means a good reason for crime. And if the target is the oppressed, and furthermore, if it is aimed at people who have nothing to do with it, it is no longer revenge or even resentment, just an excuse.

"... The Kurta might have kidnapped people and children, forcing them to become comrades."

"Kurapika. Do not say such things without evidence."

Even if I said, "That is not true," Sora's face would not clear. Kurapika lowered his head, for his understanding of her was already enough to understand her. When I said this, Sora rebuked me.

Just as Sora said, there was no confirmation. You will never get confirmation again.

So Kurapika should turn his gaze away from such a possibility.

At least Kurapika himself did not commit such a crime.

"Then, my feelings, do not decide them yourself."

Kurapika gave Sora's leg a light kick, pouting and glaring at him.

Even if I denied that such a thing existed, even if I said "You are fine," Sora would not be convinced.

So instead, I said, "You are terrible."

"Don't misunderstand my meaning," I said.

"Do not make decisions yourself, thinking about it and then regretting it."

Just as Sora said, there is no evidence that the Kurta did such things and survived. However, if I do not turn a blind eye to the possibility of this happening, it is like being stunned, because I have an idea.

The Kurta were certainly persecuted. But I am absolutely glad to know that it was not just the Red Eyes that caused it.

It is possible that both we and the Kurta are guilty, perhaps not because they were persecuted and driven away, but because the Kurta hated those whose eyes did not automatically change color, and withdrew from them. That could be the start.

The Kurta were by no means a refined and pure clan, full of discrimination and prejudice; without a doubt, they thought the outside world was evil and they were benevolent, without any basis.

The Kurta's fault was that he did not think about why he was discriminated against, why he was afraid; apart from his eyes, he could do nothing."

As he spoke, Kurapika's gaze lowered slightly.

That old woman who wanted to save the rogue from Kurapika's hands, who cursed Kurapika as a "Red-Eyed monster," awakened in his mind.

The nostalgia for that old woman was no longer an unconvincing question of "why."

Honestly, I just said, "I'm sorry."

What the old woman feared was not those scarlet eyes, but Kurapika himself; she had already hurt the opponent so deeply that she could no longer call herself a victim.

My rash actions turned my prejudice against the Kurta into reality.

Kurapika was finally able to accept what happened that day; it was natural that he would be feared, cursed, and rejected.

Indeed, this is a bitter memory, but even if you don't believe it, it is the same.

It is enough for me to be convinced; the blurriness in my heart has disappeared.

The Kurta's lack of integrity and innocence shocked me, but at the same time, the pressure to be proud of the Kurta Tribe I carried was lightened.

I know this is wrong, I am a family that keeps making mistakes, so this is nothing more than a way of provocation; it is natural to say I am wrong, but even so, it is much better than paying the price in pressure and being crushed.

Kurapika opened his eyes again, looked up at Sora, and continued.

I found a fairy that might be Kurta, and clearly told Sora, so I could not judge my answer from there.

"So... Sora. I certainly feel very bad, but I do not regret it.

Thanks to you, I was able to understand the crimes of the Kurta. I have hope.

If the reason for the persecution was not the "Red Eyes," if the Kurta committed crimes long ago, if this is a sin I can make up for by living with integrity later... because I want to eradicate the discrimination and prejudice against the Kurta Tribe, it must be possible... so, Sora.

Don't worry about my politeness. Receive it correctly."

Sora, who had been listening silently to Kurapika's words, narrowed his slightly widened eyes and smiled lightly.

"Then you should accept it honestly."

Kurapika's final request became a boomerang; Kurapika blushed again and only replied, "... I will try my best."

Kurapika groaned; although he thought he had defeated Sora a little bit, in the end, the one who could defeat him was him.

"Hmm? Are you still there? You like it very much."

Kurapika's sudden madness no longer surprised Sora so much, and his gaze wandered around Kurapika.

That "thing" that even her eyes could not see, that "thing" that looked like bugs, birds, and people, was not a thing at all; Kurapika was truly angry. I looked at the answer.

"... How should I put it, it's as real as a baby who doesn't understand reason. To be honest, knowing there is no malice makes it even more annoying."

"Well, purity does not mean kindness.

Just as Kurapika and Sora said, the "fairy" that for some reason only Kurapika could see might be a real "fairy"; although very pure, it was the innocence of an ignorant baby, not particularly good.

He told me Kurapika had a childlike heart that had not been thoroughly brainwashed, and even guided me to the stone statue to disable the fake fairy, but that was not for Kurapika, nor for the children.

Because they were pure and hated the stagnation of malice, for their own convenience, they let Kurapika and the others clean it up; these fairies said so without any concealment.

In another sense, although Kurapika was real, he was a presence that shattered romance; if he missed it, he would naturally not be happy.

However, as Sora said, thanks to this physical object, the problem was solved, so when Kurapika said "Thank you," that sparkling thing happily flew around Kurapika again.

They flew around while talking.

"Happy"

"Fun"

"Like"

"Let's play"

"Come here"

"Let's be Together"

"Forever"

"Always"

Innocent and naive, without any connection or background, the fairies invited Kurapika while talking to each other.

To their country.

This was not a deceptive fairy tale born out of malice or shirking responsibility, but a real "Fairyland Tir na nOg" or something.

……It started out true.

This is not Malice, not shifting responsibility, and not even kidnapping.

It is precisely because children are innocent that they are lured in by these cruel-to-the-extreme fairies; following them, they do not know what they will lose.

I am sincerely worried for your children. I do not know if this is a story hoping my child will not be kidnapped, but for now, it is a relief, or perhaps it will have an even worse aftertaste.

However, the answer to their invitation was decided from the very beginning.

"I refuse."

Kurapika refused flatly, walking away while holding Sora's hand tightly.

Leaving the mountains, leaving the forest, leaving the otherworld, returning to the human world.

"……Is this okay? I feel like Kurapika's life over there was easier than it is here."

Although Sora should not have been able to hear, Sora understood Kurapika's refusal without asking.

I do not know if this is a Copy of past memories, or a false memory Kurapika created for himself.

Either way. Kurapika's answer was already decided, so it does not matter which one it is.

"Fine. In any case, I will soon become invisible and inaudible. I wish they would hurry up and kick me out, because I won't be the pure child they like.

Besides…………"

Kurapika, the world is like a chessboard, white is good, black is evil; I don't think it is divided into two.

I know everyone is gray, so my childhood is over, and I believe the fairies will disappear soon.

Therefore, even if you went to their country, the only future you could imagine is that you would be kicked out immediately, or fail to adapt and have a mental breakdown.

This is one of the big reasons.

But this is almost an afterthought.

Kurapika does not like fairyland, and he does not want to go there; there is only one real reason.

Kurapika did not notice that his eyes were aligned at the same height rather than suddenly looking up, so he endured the embarrassment and answered.

"A world without you has no meaning."

Enduring this shame is worth it.

Facing Kurapika's answer, Sora, set against his white hair, let out a short bird-like chirp with a blushing face, and then laughed.

Laughing, he said:

"Me too!"

I didn't even notice I was dreaming; the pale childhood dream is over.

But the dream has not ended yet.

Because it is a dream, it will never end.

Because this is a dream, you can go anywhere.

You can even conquer the world.

The world where you are not will be replaced by the world where you are.

---Let's talk about the dream from a long time ago.

The past and memories are two different things.

The past is just events that happened a long time ago.

Memories are old dreams.

Memories are undoubtedly real, but they are not always true.

This is a world that exists only within you.

If the story is the same, then the world of the fleeting dream is memory.