Chapter 62: April Gospel

Sora said, letting the white hair that had just passed his shoulders sway with the petals falling in the wind.

"Oh! A magnificent view!"

Looking back at the road, which was even more rugged than the animal trails on the mountain, and then looking down at the foot of the mountain, it was indeed the magnificent scenery Sora had described.

The sun had already set, and the streetlights were not well-maintained—at best they were old-fashioned—but the best part was that the countryside at the foot of the mountain was lit with many lanterns, shining like stars in the human world.

If that were all, it would certainly be a beautiful and lovely landscape, but it was still not enough to be called a "superb view."

The number of cherry blossoms illuminated by the lanterns would make up for the "missing" parts.

Conversely, if you look around, you will find that the lanterns were there to highlight the beauty of the cherry blossoms at night.

Sora smiled contentedly at the magnificent scenery of the night cherry blossoms and lanterns, took a photo with a Mobile Phone, and said:

"After all, cherry blossoms are the heart of Japan."

"No, where is Japan?"

Listening to Sora's words, he also looked down at the cherry blossoms at the foot of the mountain, the lanterns shining on them, and the scene of the people gathered there to view the blossoms.

"... Hmm, this flower alone is quite irrational; it has undoubtedly captured the hearts of the Japanese people."

Even he, who should not have had the sensibility for flower viewing, admitted that this flower was an exception, and the giant clam in black... Hanzo gazed at the cherry blossoms at the foot of the mountain.

However, to be honest, I won't say never again, but if possible, I remembered why I didn't want to get involved with so many of my contemporaries, and my face became twisted.

"... Please forgive me for catching too many, calling them classic ghost stories."

He said, then looked up again.

A little further, perhaps an abandoned temple near the top of the mountain, we might reach it ourselves in less than an hour.

The old cherry blossoms planted there were even more beautiful than those at the foot of the mountain.

... Hanzo muttered to himself, looking at the cherry blossoms with a gloomy expression.

＊＊＊

Sora smiled and agreed with Hanzo's words.

"You could say that."

"Is that the problem?"

"Well, before I became a Professional Hunter, I was a famous Ghostbuster."

"Aren't you a Hunter! Hunter, Hunter, or rather, Extermination Buster, I guess!"

Hanzo put it all together, and Hanzo looked again at the woman who, like himself, had 0 years of experience as a Professional Hunter, yet was far above him, feeling slightly frustrated by his own immaturity.

After completing the Hunter Exam, considering the speed at which I realized the existence of the 'Hunter Exam' and 'Nen Ability', I was convinced that I was the best.

And the speed at which he acquired Nen Ability was also, I fear, first-class.

Hanzo's self-assessment was not wrong. In fact, Sora reunited with Hanzo and was told that he was currently undergoing "Ging" Training, and had reached a level that surprised him, "Impossible!"

In a world where one can open Shoko and master "Ken" in a month or two, it can be called a genius; Hanzo, who had only completed about 3 months of the Hunter Exam, had already mastered "Ren." This would be the result of hard work, not just talent.

Sora sincerely praised the area, but Hanzo honestly could not accept it.

That was because by acquiring Nen Ability, I was specifically reminded of what I had known from the beginning.

Hanzo was the best among his peers, but he had not yet mastered the Four Major Principles, and the reason he accompanied Sora on the job was simply because Sora contacted him.

After the exam, Sora said: "If there is anything, please tell me. If you are in Japan, I will show you around."

As for Sora, the culture was most similar to my hometown, but there were many subtle differences, so I knew I would rather do something strange than go to a country I knew nothing about, so I contacted him. I just picked up the phone and asked a few questions about Japan.

When Hanzo accompanied him, Hanzo said: "As part of my Training, I want to take a closer look at the work of Nen Users and Hunters, so if it doesn't become a burden or an obstacle, can I accompany you on your work?" I asked, so it was the result of a simple ok.

To be honest, Hanzo didn't want to lose out just by asking, so he was the most confused when he had nothing to do.

My "Nen" master had already taught me that "Dead Nen" is troublesome.

Because of this, Sora, as an Exorcist Hunter specializing in the extremely troublesome "Dead Nen," had quietly and firmly accumulated abilities since her amateur days, a special "Nen" different from the past. Ability, I have a technique called "Ryu" that can make invisible aura visible, and if possible, I wanted to acquire that power myself, but I met her again, which made me realize that my thoughts were more unrealistic than the rice cakes I drew.

I didn't do anything else. However, Sora just told Hanzo that the job she had recently received was to catch up with her recent situation and Eight Trigrams to pass the time.

To Sora, this was nothing more than a complaint about the work he had just finished cleaning up, but to Hanzo, what kind of joke was the consequence of dealing with hundreds of dogs? Needless to say, when I heard this story, I was overwhelmed.

Incidentally, after hearing that story, I understood why Sora allowed me to accompany him, as he had not yet mastered the Four Major Principles.

Although there were other companions, this woman who handled so many aftereffects alone and ruined them said: It is not harmless, but if it is a Ghost Extermination that only causes minor damage, having one or two visitors is not a problem.

When Hanzo began to wonder why he could accept such a request, to eliminate a ghost that seemed to have no problem leaving him alone, I looked at the cherry blossoms and the people and asked.

"Hey, Hanzo. Are there fireworks at this festival?"

"Eh? How could it not rise? It's a festival, there are many people watching the cherry blossoms, it can't be counted as a festival, but when it comes to festivals and fireworks, it's summer."

Hanzo answered Sora's sudden question clearly. For this answer, Sora also crossed his arms to show agreement:

After saying that, I thought the big events in Sora's country were the Spring Festival and fireworks, but judging from the reaction, Sora's impression of festivals and fireworks seemed to be summer.

Then you ask why? Think about it, Sora would answer before Hanzo asked.

"My best friend's favorite picture book has a festival in the spring.

In the spring storm of cherry blossoms, big flowers in the night sky. This must be the author's ideal image of a 'festival'."

Sora stopped at the cherry blossoms at the foot of the mountain, narrowed his night-sky-colored eyes, and said as if walking up the mountain road.

It wasn't particularly interesting, Hanzo just listened to the summary of Sora's "picture book my best friend likes" and said nothing.

For some reason, I felt it was not good to pour water on it, so I shut up and let him say whatever he wanted.

I only heard a little bit, that "Japan," a country similar to "Japan" but different, was her hometown that she could never return to, so I just listened quietly.

If you want to talk, I think I will let you talk.

However, the outline of Sora's picture book made me want to poke a few times and say: "Is it really okay to do this?"

First of all, the title of the picture book is "Tears of a Vampire," and the point is that the protagonist is not a vampire but a Lobo.

The story begins with the Lobo and the doctor who created it escaping from the research institute together, but there seems to be no particular reason to escape.

At first, Hanzo understood that a Lobo with a human heart worshipped humans, so he couldn't stand being used as Material for research and escaped, but it seems the Lobo didn't have any special worship for humans.

However, he arrived at the town of the annex where he had fled, thinking to himself that it wouldn't matter if an outsider like him slipped in, so he began to disguise himself and live as a human.

Up to this point, I felt the content wasn't really meant for children, but in the end, it was far removed from the "picture book" image Hanzo had.

To him, picture books were dream stories for children. He had assumed the ending would be "justice will eventually prevail, and kind people will eventually receive rewards and happiness," rather than reality, which was the most important thing, and naturally, but the story perfectly captured Hanzo's picture book image. It was ruined in an instant.

Lobo never worshipped humans, but by continuing to live in this town of the annex, he developed an attachment to it and gained a human heart.

However, even though his mind had become human, his body remained a Lobo.

I can deceive as many faces and bodies as I want, but I cannot obtain things like blood or tears.

During the Spring Festival, while this Lobo was in hiding and settled, he was accidentally pushed by someone while watching fireworks on a bridge and fell off.

Lobo is the natural enemy of water; even if you touch it, it will immediately break down, its functions will decline, and the parts disguised as human will melt.

By that time, this Lobo, who was completely dependent on humans, had been hiding his face and appearance all along instead of helping himself.

Town of the annex, I don't want to be kicked out of the town of the annex because I don't want to scare people.

If it were the picture book Hanzo imagined, "Such a Lobo, town of the annex, when the Lobo asked, 'Aren't you afraid?' without disguise, town of the annex, I lived in harmony with the people and lived happily ever after" would be the normal ending.

But in that story, no one helped the Lobo.

The person who discovered the Lobo on the bridge screamed, the neighbors yelled at the Lobo, and the Lobo sank to the bottom of the water; that is what I remember.

The Lobo shed a tear at the end.

She looked at the festival crowd on the bridge, and the meaning of the tears she shed could not be explained.

Was it sadness, frustration, or hatred that they were not allowed to enter? The story ended without being able to do so.

After Sora finished speaking, Hanzo's first sentence was: "Is that really a picture book?"

"It's a picture book, isn't it?"

Sora paused with her arms crossed and looked into the distance to answer. Perhaps she deeply identified with Hanzo's inner feelings.

At the very least, both of them thought deeply at the same time that this was not for small children.

"My friend didn't know why, but it left a deep impression on me because I read so many stories that I could recite it.

Sora, walking toward the abandoned shrine, recounted her thoughts again.

Although Hanzo didn't know what this meant, he still agreed.

Even Hanzo, who was well-versed in years, didn't quite understand what this picture book was trying to say.

It was a dark story that didn't help children much, and if it was aimed at adults, it might be because Sora only remembered the outline, but there were many points to enter, and it lacked consistency. I wouldn't even say it didn't exist, but I felt it was a very vulgar story.

This was the extent of Hanzo's story.

It was a story where you might mistake the title for "Tears of a Lobo" an hour later.

"-But..."

For Hanzo, it was a boring story, and by tomorrow he would forget most of it.

But I might not forget this.

"'This is not the reason why I particularly admire humans.

Too much, town of the annex, because it is varied and sparkling.

I thought no one would care about a lonely outsider like me.'"

Sora descended again, looked down at her feet, and said.

Words without context.

This might be part of the story we talked about earlier. It must be the Lobo's line.

After Sora finished reciting the lines of the Lobo who wanted to become human, she narrowed her night-sky-colored eyes and looked somewhere far away.

"Even now, I don't really understand the meaning of that story, but I feel I can only understand the Lobo's feelings at that moment from this sentence."

A foreigner who drifted to this world alone, saying this when seeing scenery similar to their hometown in a country similar to their hometown.

Hanzo only responded with a "... fuun."

I couldn't think of any other words, and I believed the other party wouldn't want them either, so I said nothing.

... Hanzo himself said nothing because he already understood.

Even I, who knew almost nothing about this woman, couldn't believe for a moment that the lines Sora recited were the lines of the Lobo in the picture book.

Hanzo sighed deeply, feeling Sora's voice and face, seemingly lonely and fleeting, yet carrying a sense of helplessness, which, although he didn't want to remember them, had already been engraved in his memory.

I don't know if that sigh was because of the bad memories that were burned away, or because I couldn't say "I am not a castaway."

Contrary to Hanzo's vague feelings in many respects, the culprit who made him carry these things raised an innocent voice, not even noticing that the other party was in mild depression.

"Hanzo, I understand now! By the way, did you feel it? It's not the legendary ghost realm under the cherry blossoms yet, but it already feels strange."

I breathed a slight sigh of relief, without the previous loneliness, fleetingness, or abandonment, but more importantly, Hanzo was usually angry. He glared at Sora, thinking, "You should be responsible for the air you created." But Sora didn't understand why Hanzo was glaring at him, and he continued to talk to himself while tilting his head.

"It might be a type where the effect on people entering the 'En' range comes into play. If it's 'makes you feel uncomfortable,' it's an emission system, but if it's a type that 'makes you feel uncomfortable,' it's a characteristic of 'absorbing Aura.'"

It doesn't look very Hard, so that's good, but be careful. Depending on the effect, guarding with 'Ken' which has a little bit of Aura, or 'Zetsu' which doesn't let Aura pass, the reaction will be completely opposite."

"I know!"

I was angry and retorted a bit like a jerk, but as expected, this was the top expectation frame for this season's Hunter Exam. Needless to say, it was hard to believe he hadn't mastered the Four Major Principles yet, so he naturally retained the breath in his body and gathered a little extra breath in his eyes, staying alert to the surrounding environment in a state of "healing."

Sora's "stealing Aura" ability would have the opposite effect, but he must have decided that "Zetsu," which leaves him defenseless without knowing the opponent's ability, was more dangerous.

From Sora's words and deeds and the actual damage received, I'm afraid the ghosts here are not as strong as "Dead Nen," but even so, the damage they caused was negligible because the people they dealt with until now were ordinary people, and Nen users, and Hanzo did not let his guard down because he knew the other party might get serious.

Sora took a Ballpoint Pen out of his pocket as usual, twirling it while changing the color of his eyes as he spoke.

The moment Sora stepped into the gate of the dilapidated shrine, his midnight blue eyes turned into bright sky blue, and a voice rang out.

"... Who is it?"

It was a very soft female voice.

There was no joy at the arrival of prey, perhaps because it was still outside its territory, so there was no sense of anger at being invaded in its voice.

Feeling only pure confusion, Hanzo was momentarily bewildered.

The voice continued, as if affirming Hanzo's feelings.

"... If you want to test your curiosity, go home now. Unless you stay here for a long time, you won't die, but your physical condition will certainly deteriorate."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing the Suggestion that his health would suffer, Hanzo unconsciously raised his voice: "Hm?"

Sure enough, Sora also widened his eyes, staring at a certain spot.

Hanzo realized that Sora was just looking at a specific place, and that was the only cherry blossom tree in full bloom among the withered trees, an old cherry blossom tree rumored to be Favrotskies. I tried to Collect more Aura in my eyes.

Then Hanzo could clearly see that ghost shadow he had never believed in, until he remembered.

And when that shadow took on the form of a distinct person, Hanzo couldn't help but shout: "Damn it!"

Hanzo was wearing a pale cherry-blossom-colored kimono and red hakama; she was a beautiful girl of 15 or 16, with white hair like Sora's, tied in a ponytail with a black ribbon. From the bottom of my heart, I thought, "I want to see you while I am alive!"

The girl naturally could not know Hanzo's intentions, and even more confused and frustrated, the two of them just stared at her; although they were looking at her, they had no reaction other than staring....

"Hm? Hm, hm... Is there something you need?"

Seeing him bewildered, asking what he was going to do—though it was subtle, it didn't seem like he was harming anyone—he suddenly stepped into the territory, as if blowing something away with that line, and walked quickly toward the girl.

"Eh!?"

"Hey, what are you doing!?"

So far, it didn't seem as painful as I had imagined, but there was no guarantee it wasn't acting. I thought it was impossible for Hanzo not to know; even if it were Hanzo, he might be the type to feign weakness and lack Malice, lower his guard, and then attack in earnest. I reached out to stop him, but Sora, of course, would not stop.

Fortunately, the girl's words and actions were not acting; even if Sora walked up to her, he didn't seem to hurt her. Look. It is said that he was simply dumbfounded, staring fixedly.

Toward such a girl, Sora tilted his head several times, half-smiling and saying he was troubled.

"... Hm, no way... Gray?"

"Teeth?"

For some reason, the two could not understand the meaning of Sora's sudden question and tilted their heads in unison.

"What did you see, what did you think of," the two gray-haired ones didn't understand at all, but regardless of them, Sora still grabbed the girl's face with both hands without hesitation, staring at it as if confirming and checking something. I kept staring at the girl's face until a hole opened.

"Hm? Hm? Hm... that..."

"... Hey, what on earth are you trying to do? This is the first time I've seen a woman who attracts Favrotskies like this."

It was his first time seeing a ghost, and Hanzo rushed in, surprised; the current opportunity might be rarer than a ghost, but Sora didn't care about such haste and continued to observe.

The observation lasted about a minute, but after observing carefully and being convinced himself, Sora let go of his hands. After Sora stated his conclusion, the girl and Hanzo finally understood the meaning and oddity of Sora's words.

"Yes, I am sorry."

This is correct. Their faces are very similar, but Gray's hair is not gray, but silver. And, if it were Gray, he would be in a graveyard instead of under a cherry tree.

"You... do you know some ghost?"

"Gray is just a gravedigger, but he is a human friend who lives very well!?"

In Sora's lines, it was easy to understand that "Gray" was not "gray" but a person's name. He widened his eyes in surprise because he looked just like my acquaintance, but Sora said, the judgment reason in the second half of "imitating others" was too heartbreaking; while Hanzo was pulling and asking, he hurriedly added a sentence.

Having received the addition, I breathed a slight sigh of relief, but thinking about it, being so relieved is not a good profession. Hanzo strangely believed that this was what friends meant.

"Does that person really look like me?"

The girl released by Sora also touched her own face and asked.

It seems this girl didn't think this woman in front of her was a Hunter who came to exterminate her; Hanzo couldn't help but weaken a little.

"Yeah. I'm a little older than you, but when I first met you, I was about your age."

If that's the case, then it's funny. If you look so much like Gray, then if you are in your twenties, you might also be a Barn-Barn person.

If the exterminated party doesn't know the location, is unarmed, and the exterminated party might be serious about the extermination, while laughing in a friendly way, while committing sexual Harassment against the same sex, the visitor Hanzo said, "What is this situation?"..., further weakening.

However, surprisingly, the person being sexually harassed did not show any reaction, such as feeling angry or shrinking back at the remarks.

She smiled faintly, as if troubled, but that bitter smile was a smile carrying much loneliness and helplessness.

The beautiful spring annex town that Hanzo would never forget; this was similar to Sora's smile, with lines that Lobo longed for carved onto it.

"... That should be impossible... Because I don't have the ability to bear children."

Amidst the sky full of cherry blossom petals, the girl smiled faintly.

Hanzo couldn't say anything about the confession of a clear defect as a living creature, but Sora was the same... but unlike the girl who melted and disappeared at any time in the distance, she existed here. A strong laugh, as if making a stern assertion.

"Probably."

For some reason, Sora seemed to have perceived the girl's defect without being told, and Hanzo couldn't say "What is going on!?" and naturally let it pass.

The girl widened her eyes at Sora's answer and smiled again.

After all, it was a faint, fleeting smile that suited Sakura well, but the loneliness and helplessness in that smile disappeared; after being truly amused, the girl asked innocently.

"You... are you here to kill me?"

She smiled, and with a welcoming smile, she raised a new question.

Before Sora could answer this question, Hanzo couldn't help but ask back.

"... What are you? What do you want?"

Come to think of it, this ghost had been doing strange things from the beginning.

Although the harm was only that he fell ill and slept for a few days, the Suggestion he gave meant he knew what he was doing.

So from the beginning, I had deep feelings for this temple and the cherry blossom tree, so I didn't want others to enter. Even if you think a Hunter has come, it is a welcoming attitude rather than a strong rejection.

Even if he was telling us to lower our guard, his defenseless words and actions made people feel that he was seriously hoping for his own death.

Hanzo was right.

"... I want you to kill me, Ninja. I want you to complete what I am doing."

The girl said with a faint, fleeting, lonely smile, but with a resigned, cheerful, resigned smile.

"From the beginning, I decided that I could not bear children, could not live alone, and could not die alone."

But for a very long time, I did not realize this. However, I thought my body was weaker than my other comrades.

When I realized the truth about myself, I was sad. I did not know why I was born. Unlike my friends, I could not entrust anything to my descendants. I could not do anything. Then... I made a foolish wish.

"If I cannot bear children, if there is no one to whom I can entrust my future, then I thought it would be fine if I became eternal."

Her last words were of her despair at being unable to bear children, and her answer was a grim voice, one that, no matter how he thought about it, even the person who came up with this idea herself had no "hope." I understand, she said in such a voice, then smiled lightly with a self-deprecating tone.

"... Thinking about it now, I know it was very foolish, but at the time, it seemed like my only real hope. At first, I didn't want children; I just didn't want to be left out.

... I loved my friends. I wanted to be Together with you forever. But I knew that was impossible, so I wanted to entrust my children and my friends' children, hoping they could be Together with me forever.

If that was impossible, I wished I could become eternal. Unlike me, I thought if I could continue to watch my companions' children grow up, I would be satisfied, even if I could not be them forever.

... But—"

The young girl stood with her back to the two, pressing her forehead against that old cherry tree, and continued.

As if repenting for her own foolishness, as if confessing her own sins.

"... It was just a Coincidence that I obtained my 'Nen Ability'. I don't know the specific circumstances, but it seems that cultivating the heart and cultivating enlightenment are similar; could it be that guy who reads scriptures without learning from the boy at the gate?

Unknowingly, I obtained that kind of power, making my mistaken 'hope' a reality.

... I really am an idiot. I didn't understand that you get nothing without paying for it.

... Again, for a very long time, I did not realize that my 'eternity' was draining and absorbing life from others, even if only a little bit. It wasn't until I took the lives of everyone I wanted to be Together with that I realized how foolish I was to have such a foolish hope."

Once, the girl wiped her eyes with her fist, then turned around.

The girl who turned around was no longer smiling.

Her appearance was still that of a frail and beautiful young girl, but the girl standing there had cast aside all expectations and anticipation, possessing the eyes of someone with resolve.

—Those were the eyes of someone prepared for death.

"I took the lives of my comrades and obtained eternity. None of my friends blamed me.

We had children and entrusted the future to them, so we could die at any time. You cannot do that, so you cannot help but wish for eternity.

So, if we could become a part of you forever, we would have no regrets.

... My companions said that, and they all withered away their lives. Even though I had no such value. Even though I was just too foolish... yet everyone left, entrusting their own lives to me, who has no future.

If I didn't have my companions, my eternity would have no meaning... and because the children, who are the 'future' my companions entrusted to me, are living in a place beyond my reach, there really is no meaning left for me to live..."

I felt a sense of discomfort.

Hanzo had been listening to the girl's story in silence, but something in her story caught him.

It was not that he had found a contradiction in her lies.

As far as Hanzo, who had been drilled in combat ability as a ninja, as well as insight and mind-reading, could see and analyze, the girl was not lying about anything.

She truly regretted having obtained this ability to "steal others' aura" through shallow thought.

Thinking of it that way, her initial warning and her welcoming of an opponent who came to kill her both made sense.

The reason she did not deactivate the ability was likely because it was not an ability learned properly, so it was constantly active in a form close to a runaway state. It was not that she would not deactivate it, but that she could not.

At least for now, there were no contradictions found in the girl's story, and there was no discomfort in the girl's gestures that is typically seen in someone who is lying.

However, the feeling of something being off about the girl's story itself would not disappear.

Hanzo also thought that perhaps the girl had no intention of deceiving Hanzo or Sora, and it was simply "something" she herself had not noticed, but even knowing that much, he could not grasp the crucial "something" that was bothering him.

Therefore, Hanzo listened to the girl's story even more cautiously.

In contrast to Hanzo, who continued to listen as if searching for any unnaturalness in the girl's gestures or contradictions in the content of her story, Sora had a somewhat languid atmosphere, to the point where it was questionable whether he was even listening properly.

Perhaps finding such contrasting two amusing, the girl smiled just a little bit again.

Even when she smiled, she still did not look like she was wishing for a long life, let alone "eternity," for even one more second.

"As soon as I learned that my power was so selfish, I cursed this power. I wished I didn't need this ability, but once I obtained it, it would never disappear.

Perhaps I was subconsciously afraid of losing my ability. After all, even if I took my friends' lives in exchange for them, if I threw them away, why would my friends have died? I thought that, too.

... Fortunately, I did not actively kill anyone, so as I said at the beginning, my ability cannot drain life and cause Immediate Death. You just need to stay away from me; if you are an ordinary person, regardless of my companions, you will not die.

... That is why I have always lived here alone, relying on the lives of my companions. This is the result of my carelessness, and I consider it my punishment."

Just as Hanzo thought, the ability did not cancel; it did not. The reason she could not lose the ability was also within Hanzo's expectations.

The girl's words and answers were all within Hanzo's expectations.

However, even though my thoughts were confirmed, I still felt uncomfortable.

Clearly, there was a problem with her story. Even though he had that feeling, Hanzo could not find the source of that discomfort.

Hanzo could not grasp the identity of the discomfort; the girl's story, her repentance, and her hope for "eternity" had turned into despair, yet she spoke of the hope she continued to feel.

"But it ends today.

I think I should have endured for longer, but it would be troublesome if I were there."

The eternal girl who wanted to be executed by herself smiled.

Far from eternal, just for a moment, fleeting, as if she would disappear at any time, the girl offered her slender, fair neck to Sora with a smile that made you want to cry, and prayed.

"Come. Please give me guidance."

Hanzo said something to Sora and stopped.

I didn't even know what I wanted to say.

Because there was a problem with the girl's story.

Because I could not grasp the identity of the sense of incongruity.

That is why, of course, I wished for you to wait a little longer, but I would never interfere with someone else's work.

Accompanying him to complete this task was entirely up to Hanzo, and he had received Sora's kind permission.

No matter how dangerous the opponent was, I knew I could not make any demands.

Even so, Hanzo still wanted to say something.

I didn't want Sora to kill me, and for it to end just like that.

A girl without ulterior motives is a beautiful girl.

This is not out of any reason; I simply hate it.

——Sora is the same.

"Okay."

Saying this, she did not grab the girl's slender neck, but her slender wrist, which was even more slender than that.

Sora grabbed the girl's hand and began to run.

"I will give you guidance. But before that, you should see it. The 'eternity' you desire."

Sora pulled the girl's hand and ran forward abruptly, issuing an order to the bewildered girl.

"Hey, Fire, expand the range of the 'En'! You are in contact with me, absorbing my aura, you can do it!"

"【eeeee！？】"

For some reason, Hanzo and the girl, while saying "I will provide guidance," did not think their actions were completely contradictory, but rather harmonized magnificently.

"What on earth are you trying to do!?" Hanzo shouted, and Sora turned around to speak.

"Even without this ability, I want to let her know that the 'eternity' she hopes for has already been realized!"

"Ah!?"

I know what I want to do, but I don't know what I should do, or where I can find such a thing; the mystery deepened.

Of course, the girl also did not understand what Sora was saying, and was dragged by Sora's arm to the mountain gate, nearly falling over.

Sora said this while pulling her along.

"You can only act within the range of the 'En', right?

I state solemnly, what I want to do is a "Guide" more cruel than killing you here and now.... But I still think you should see it."

The uncontrolled ability gradually absorbed Sora's aura, expanding the range of the "Quan".

The "Circle" that had not reached the temple gate spread out, and Sora pulled the girl's hand, passing through the gate and crossing the boundary.

"Come, look."

Crossing the boundary, he let go of the girl's hand and turned around to display it.

Overlooking the magnificent view from the abandoned temple at the mountain peak.

Sora spread his arms, showing off the cherry blossoms blooming under the lanterns and the people admiring the cherry blossoms.

"This is 'eternity'."

Sora widened his eyes, looked down and stared at the dozens of blooming cherry trees, and called out the girl's name.

"Isn't it? ——Somei Yoshino."

＊＊＊

Hanzo, rather than himself, was the first to respond to Sora's name.

"Oh! So that's it! This is the identity of the discomfort!"

"What happened!?"

Hearing Hanzo's cry, Sora rushed in a bit urgently, but Hanzo scratched his hairless head, regretting that he hadn't realized something so easy to understand.

It was easy to understand, but I hadn't noticed.

Without "focusing," one cannot see it; the fleeting atmosphere matched the image, and most importantly, without that premise, it was work Sora would not have requested, so the premise was too large. Xu Yu also did not feel he was wrong.

Hanzo's first impression was correct.

It is more accurate to say that this girl wearing a hakama is not a ghost, but a cherry blossom spirit.

Having obtained a Nen Ability, a cherry tree that can turn its own aura into a human form... the cherry tree told to appear is a Yoshino cherry tree over 50 years old.

The identity of the sense of incongruity I felt in the girl's story was, if she were a ghost, when did she die? That was the part.

Conversely, with her ability, she shouldn't have died so easily, but naturally thinking she was a ghost, and in fact, even now, there is a girl without a "gyu"... the first question didn't even cross my mind.

The reason the girl did not reveal her true identity was probably because Sora seemed to have noticed, so there was no need to tell her.

If the cherry tree girl was still alive, if she wasn't human to begin with, then all other slight discomforts and doubts would be resolved logically.

I thought she was very worried that although she was only 15 or 16 years old, she could not bear children.

The same goes for "friends."

According to her, I thought, "What kind of saint is this guy?" That's right.

In that case, as long as he could leave behind one descendant, he would be fine, and if the person who sacrificed his life to sympathize with her had a defect that he could not leave behind, let alone a human, not even an animal, then he certainly would not be so obsessed with his own life. I can assure you of that.

Or rather, the way of existence is too distant, I cannot imagine what a plant would think, so if the girl who is a plant says so herself... I can only accept it.

It is good to understand many things, but not realizing what one should have understood immediately is frustrating and embarrassing. Sora stopped interacting with Hanzo and spoke to the girl.

"……Do you see it? It's all you. Not your descendants, you. Not just here. You exist all over Japan, and even overseas.

You are not capable of bearing children, but have increased to this extent through grafting. Just to appreciate flowers that have no meaning to you."

Sora spoke while looking down at the cherry blossoms under the Yoshino cherry tree.

While there are many subtle differences between Japon and Japan, they still largely possess the same culture and have achieved the same level of civilization development.

A representative example of this is the cherry blossom called Somei Yoshino.

This cherry blossom is a horticultural variety born from the crossbreeding of the wild species Edo-higan cherry and the Japan... or in this case, Japon's native Oshima cherry, and it was a tree that, under normal circumstances, should only last for one generation and be unable to leave descendants.

To be precise, the self-incompatibility to prevent self-pollination—what humans call inbreeding—is so high that seeds almost certainly will not germinate between the same species of Somei Yoshino, but germination of pollinated seeds is possible with a different species of cherry.

……However, that is no longer "Somei Yoshino" but a different species.

It is a sensation humans probably wouldn't understand, but for her, a plant, the value system is that "preservation of the species" should be the top priority, so the hybrid cherry blossoms born between her and a different species of cherry were complete strangers.

And, it was the same for humans.

Other varieties wouldn't do.

Humans were captivated by the cherry blossom called "Somei Yoshino," and as a result of wishing to admire this cherry blossom for longer, wanting more people to see it, and wanting it to be visible everywhere, Somei Yoshino, through "grafting"—which is likely the oldest form of "cloning technology"—pushed aside other native species and became the "cherry blossom" that represents Japan and Japon.

"... That is pure human ego. Your own will, of course, is not taken into consideration."

"If one were to call it a distorted form of life... I couldn't deny it. In fact, if you were to replace this with a human, it would be an act that goes beyond the word 'wicked'."

"... But, even so... not being able to leave behind descendants is certainly a fatal flaw for a living being... but I think it is wrong to think, or to be made to think, 'What was I born for?' because of that one single flaw."

Sora continues to speak calmly to the girl beside him, but the girl does not answer.

She only continues to watch.

I cover my mouth and the lower half of my face with both hands, continuing to stare at the cherry blossom tree that serves as my other self, staring at the people gathered together to admire me.

"Since I was born, I feel I should live on. No, I don't think this will become a reason to lose the meaning of life."

"... So even if you don't want us humans, even if you hate my ego, I still want you to know this. Whether you hate me or loathe me, you don't have to forgive me, but I still want you to know this."

A gust of Wind blows, and cherry blossom petals scatter.

In a blizzard like spring snow, Sora tells the cherry blossom tree that the "Eternity" she requested is wrong.

"Your life has meaning."

The girl who had been silent all along... Somei Yoshino opens her mouth and spits out every word.

"... My, what a cruel guidance."

Just as she said, for those who wish for a false "Eternity" because "if I cannot bear children," I showed them the "Eternity" and death that can be seen by slightly expanding the scope of their activities. A cruel guidance telling someone that their life has meaning.

But—

"But... thank you."

She smiles at Somei Yoshino.

She does not have the faint, fleeting smile of her own flowers; instead, she cries while smiling. Smiling, she says—

"... I don't hate you.

I am the best friend. When there were people in this temple, I had no interest in people; every year when I made the flowers bloom, they grew tired of writing about me under my hands.

But when I lost my friends, there was no one in the temple, no one visiting this place, no one coming to see my flowers... I felt very empty.

I thought there was no meaning to the flowers blooming, even if they couldn't produce anything.

That is why I do not hold a grudge or hate humans. I am grateful to humans.

Seeing my meaning and value, giving me so much Companion, even if it was just myself, when I had to die alone, letting me guard the descendants of my companions. You gave me the exact shape of 'Eternity' I thought of. Humans, you will be grateful.

Thank you very much—"

Her face is covered in wrinkles, tears streaming down, her laughter continuous, expressing her gratitude while revealing her helpless, unbearable joy.

I could not find meaning in my life, in a flower that was not supposed to grow anything. She... Somei Yoshino disappeared.

The girl who could only be described as distant disappeared, as if she were a fragile cherry blossom, like a blizzard of cherry blossoms, like Somei Yoshino.

The "Circle" covering the entire temple disappeared.

The range is not as narrow as before. It is completely gone.

The "Eternity" that took away someone's life no longer exists.

Only an ancient cherry tree remains, blooming amidst the withered thicket.

Sensing that the girl Somei Yoshino and her "En" had disappeared, Hanzo finally stood up and asked Sora.

"... You aren't dead yet."

"Of course. I couldn't stop because of the guilt of killing my companions, but I realized there was no meaning in continuing like that, so I stopped activating it constantly when the flowers bloomed.

She... this cherry blossom is still alive."

Returning to the temple, Sora walks to the cherry blossom tree, gently strokes its trunk, and answers Hanzo's question.

Before Hanzo could say anything, Sora turns around and smiles with relief.

"Of course, I had no intention of killing her."

Hanzo feels relieved upon hearing this answer.

There was no reason. I think she also understood the feeling I hated just now.

Even for me, who shouldn't have a hobby of flower viewing, I look forward to it every year, and it is the same for Sora, who wants to avoid it.

Therefore, she took her out of the area of this temple and gave her guidance.

Instead of dying, I sealed my own ability and am still alive, leading me onto a more cruel path.

Although it was cruel, she still chose this path.

Even though it was nothing more than one person's ego, he cried happily because he had found his own meaning and perhaps wanted to realize that meaning.

Perhaps this time, she wanted to become a cherry blossom that people would envy.

I know this is just Hanzo's wish.

However, I hope that even if it is my ego.

The feeling that cherry blossoms are beautiful, the feeling of illogical happiness when looking at cherry blossoms, is not a lie. I hope—

The feeling of wishing for each other's happiness has no lies.

"... Did you accept this job because you realized it wasn't a Ghost, but the cherry blossom tree itself?"

Looking up at the cherry blossoms illuminated only by moonlight and starlight, unlike the cherry blossoms at the foot of the mountain, I ask carelessly what I had been thinking about from the beginning, but Sora simply denies it.

"No, that stage was impossible. I knew it as soon as I saw it, but unless I saw it, I couldn't understand it; until I saw it normally, I thought it was a Ghost."

On the other hand, Hanzo feels it is truly amazing that he could know if he was dead just by taking one look.

After all, Sora continues to talk to Hanzo, and Hanzo realizes that his expectation of also being able to obtain her ability to give up was nothing more than an imaginary rice cake, not an actual one.

"The reason I accepted this job is because I promised to show you the cherry blossoms... Somei Yoshino!"

To whom? I am not in the mood to ask. No need to ask, the candidates narrow down to 4 people.

Most likely those brats who call themselves "erogappa" and insult them, or those who hit Hanzo without hesitation after the exam, even if they didn't know what happened in the fourth exam. Hanzo thinks it is a man and a woman with blonde hair.

"Hanzo! Take a picture of me with these cherry blossoms!

If I send it now, it should arrive by the morning of the 4th, right on time!!"

It wasn't until Kurapika saw the email on his Mobile Phone in the morning that he realized today was his birthday.

Kurapika was seeking the power to fight the Phantom Troupe at the Yorkshin Auction in September, and having accepted "just in case" Training, he had completely lost the feeling of dating.

I had always looked away because I thought there was no one left to celebrate with me, and everything had already been taken from me.

That thing I had been avoiding looking at pierced me.

"Kurapika, happy 17th birthday! I'm sorry I can't celebrate in person!

Next time we meet, I'll give you a proper gift. Only the country knows where you are now, haha.

So I'm sending this as a gift.

Didn't you promise me a long time ago? Show me the cherry blossoms, the Somei Yoshino.

This is just a photo, but for now, I'll save it for this year. See you next year. At that time, I want to celebrate your birthday with you in person."

I was breathless from the overly straightforward congratulatory message; he remembered the casual promise from the past, and Kurapika also received the promise of the future he wanted, so I looked at the attached picture for a while. I couldn't help it.

A few minutes later, while chewing on the words of congratulations, Kurapika barely managed to tighten his tear ducts and opened the attached image data; this time, he let out a sincere exclamation of admiration.

The light red ocean illuminated by lanterns shone like stars on the ground.

Four years ago, Sora said he wanted to show Kurapika the cherry blossoms... seeing the photo of the Somei Yoshino cherry tree, he remembered those days and muttered, "... You remember well."

At the same time, I remembered what I had said.

In fact, Kurapika didn't have a good impression of this flower, or the Somei Yoshino.

It wasn't that I didn't like the flower itself. First of all, this was the first time I had seen this flower in full bloom.

The reason there was no good impression was that this Somei Yoshino cherry tree was an artificially cultivated variety, a place that had become the flower representing Japan in the world.

Kurapika felt sympathy for the Somei Yoshino, rather than having a bad impression.

Precisely because of its "beauty," using a part of one's own body as material to create a Clone, being loved—Kurapika avoided the existence of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms precisely because he associated them with eyes.

Although I felt it was bad for Sora, when I told him honestly, Sora smiled and agreed, but he still told Kurapika.

"... Yes. This is just human ego. I am doing terrible things; if flowers had a will, I think it would be no use if they hated me.

However, just like nature, the Somei Yoshino flower blooms meaninglessly, lives alone, and dies alone.

I don't want to say that a born life has no meaning or value. It's better not to have such meaning and value, but even so... loving that flower, the existence of the Somei Yoshino, was not a lie, so I have no Malice in hoping she lives on. So, if possible, I hope we are happy Together."

Kurapika could not refute these words.

The eyes of the Kurta Tribe, which only value the scarlet eyes, would of course be gouged out like objects. Even the Collector who felt disgust toward them was a disgusting existence, and I thought that rather than letting such a person talk about the meaning and value of these eyes, I would be happier if they had no meaning or value.

... But when Sora told me my eyes were "beautiful," I was happy.

If Sora had no interest in the scarlet eyes at all, he would feel a little lonely, and if Kurapika thought they were unbelievably terrifying, he wouldn't be able to live either.

Since the scarlet eyes were the reason for the unreasonable discrimination and persecution of the Kurta Tribe and its destruction, I thought it would be better if they disappeared.

However, even if he could turn his eyes into normal eyes, even if he could turn his eyes into normal eyes that didn't change color, it is not hard to imagine that Kurapika would not let go of his scarlet eyes.

This is largely because there is nothing left to connect him to his lost kin, but Kurapika himself does not think that what he was born with is "a meaningless thing that only makes him unhappy," and it is also because I don't want to.

I think it would be meaningless and valueless, rather than becoming a comfort for human ego and ugly desires, but I don't want to lose any meaning or value.

This is an important part of who you are, so if you lose it, you become someone else. From.

So, although I felt disgust for the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms and thought it was human ego, I still wanted to see the flowers I should have avoided.

At that time, I wanted to see the eternity of a generation, making people feel "I want to enjoy this flower every year."

I want to affirm the meaning of the flower's birth.

Four years ago, Sora made a small promise.

The row of cherry trees in the photo was taken from a bird's-eye view, perhaps from the top of a mountain.

So many cherry blossoms were the same existence, a Double, and I still felt something was twisted somewhere.

Even so... that flower was indeed so beautiful, it's just a pity that it ended within a generation, to the point that I wished it were still alive.

Even if it was just a small me, I didn't want to deny that life was meaningless because of the fatal flaw of not being able to have children.

I want to find meaning and value in the unquestionable beauty that grips my heart.

"... Of course, if possible, I hope we are both happy together."

While recalling Sora's words, I muttered the words I couldn't say at the time, also because I didn't know the magnificence of the cherry blossoms and couldn't make a wish.

If possible, I didn't want him to hold a grudge against the humans who decided on a twisted way of life.

If there were no such terrible and ugly desires as the person who trampled on his entire family, then even more so.

Kurapika envied Hanna, and should have sympathized with her a little, when the Mobile Phone signaled a call.

I received another email from Sora.

The subject line was "Oh, sorry. I forgot." I tried to recall what happened, but I didn't know, and a picture was attached to the email, so I thought maybe I just forgot to send the cherry blossoms I was planning to send, so I opened the email... and squatted on the spot.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you still sleeping?"

Realizing that the idiot apprentice who was abnormally devoted to Training and couldn't sleep hadn't come out for a long time, he entered the room in the mountain hut where Kurapika's master, Izunavi, had designated as Kurapika's bedroom... when he looked, the disciple was squatting for some reason, fainting in pain.

I was careful, but I thought maybe he had gone against his Suggestion and started high-speed Training alone and got sick, so I rushed over for a moment, but upon closer inspection, I found that he was squatting and hiding his Kurapika-red face, seemingly unaware of his master's worry, and rushed over.

"... Hey. Kurapika. What's wrong, seriously?"

Even when he squatted down to call him, Kurapika still squatted down, covering his flushed face, and continued to whisper incomprehensible words that sounded like complaints.

No matter how he thought about it, this was the reason for the apprentice's strange behavior, so Izunavi didn't hesitate to snatch the Mobile Phone from Kurapika's hand and looked at the contents inside, the content of the email.

"!?

The Mobile Phone was stolen, and he finally recognized his master, but Kurapika had completely forgotten that the other person was his master and cursed with a red face; Izunavi ignored him, tried his best not to contact Kurapika, held up the Mobile Phone, and then made an expression like he had chewed on a dozen bitter bugs.

It looked like that.

What Izunavi saw was an email containing a short text and a single image file.

Leaning against an old cherry blossom tree illuminated by moonlight, a woman turns and smiles.

Perhaps her hair had grown, or perhaps Hanzo's photography skills were just that excellent, or perhaps I was so happy I couldn't help but smile, only then discovering it was a woman.

Whoever saw it would easily call her a peerless beauty.

The text written in the email was attached to a photo of Sora.

Sora forgot to write a birthday email to Kurapika, but there was only one thing he truly wanted to say.

"I love you, Kurapika."

Seeing Izunavi's face, Kurapika still flushed red, glaring at his master as he asked: "... What is that face? What are you trying to say?"

I was asking, but I knew what I meant. Kurapika was certain that Leorio would say the words he had been told many times.

And Kurapika's Prediction was also very accurate, one could call it a premonition.

"You guys! Explosion right now!!"

"I refuse! Give it back to me!"

That day, the foolish struggle between teacher and student continued until around noon.