Nothing more was said that night.
The next day.
Tokyo's sun still failed to rise as usual.
A chilling mist enveloped the entire city, with only endless despair quietly spreading.
Yet within a tiny, cozy corner, Hitori felt incomparably warm and secure.
"Ngh..."
Hitori's eyelashes fluttered lightly as she groggily opened her eyes; the sight meeting her gaze was Kitahara's peaceful side profile, making her heart skip a beat.
"Last night..."
Hitori blinked, and as the sleepiness receded, the temperature across her small face spiked rapidly, vividly recalling every scene from the night before.
The most reassuring environment.
The boy she loved most.
No worries about mom and Futari at home, and no one else around... What followed was naturally smooth sailing, falling perfectly into place.
Indeed.
Back when they cleared Otherworld, having others nearby made Hitori far too bashful, preventing her from ever having the courage to take that final step; today, she had finally fulfilled her wish.
"Wake up, wake up..."
With steam practically rising from her head, Hitori hurriedly propped herself up with light steps, intending to sneak out of bed.
Yet just as she was preparing to climb over Kitahara, an arm wrapped around her waist out of nowhere.
"Where is Hitori heading off to?"
Opening his eyes, Kitahara looked toward the disheveled ahoge atop Hitori's head.
"T-That..." Hitori's gaze drifted, her face scalding hot. "T-To the bathroom..."
"Very good, full of energy and vigor," Kitahara smiled. "Looks like you're well-rested."
"Ah..."
"One more time."
"N-No way, please..."
"..."
The two stayed in Tokyo for another half day, not returning to the hotel in Kagoshima until the afternoon of the next day.
On their way back to the room, they happened to run into the other three girls of Kessoku Band.
"Hitori is wonderful."
Kita let out a soft exclamation, widening her eyes as she looked her up and down.
"W-What is it?"
The ahoge atop Hitori's head twitched with confusion.
Kita raised a hand to block her mouth, whispering close to her ear:
"I thought Hitori-chan wouldn't even be able to get out of bed, but you're completely fine."
Hitori's face flushed scorching red in a flash; hanging her head, she scurried away in a panic:
"I-I-I'm going back to my room!"
"Kami-sama~" Ryo, on the other hand, clasped her hands before her chest with an expression of pure reverence. "I want to eat mapo tofu."
Kitahara nodded: "Call everyone to gather at the restaurant; I'll prepare the meal."
"Then I'll go back and play for a while first."
The admiration on Ryo's face vanished instantly, reverting to her usual sluggish demeanor.
Kitahara turned toward Nijika:
"Nijika-senpai, come give me a hand."
"Got it~"
Resting her right hand against her hip, Nijika agreed in a crisp voice.
In the blink of an eye, dusk arrived.
The girls arrived at the restaurant one after another, everyone gathering together under one roof.
"Mmh, finally eating super delicious food again."
"Mapo tofu, the goat forever."
"The food Kitahara-kun makes—I seriously want to eat it for a lifetime!"
"..."
After many days, having finally sat down to a feast fit for an emperor once more, the girls gave unanimous top marks.
Laughter and chatter echoed through the rafters, sweeping away all the gloom in the hotel.
Holding a cup of juice, Kitahara rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping slowly across each of the girls:
"Being able to meet all of you is the luckiest thing in my entire life... Cheers."
"Cheers!"
The girls raised their glasses in response one after another.
As the final dinner came to an end, a sudden commotion came echoing from the distance.
"Ah, there are so many birds outside!"
Kita cried out softly.
The girls looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows, only to see countless seabirds circling and shrieking in the sky, darting wildly about like headless flies; many birds even slammed straight into one another, tumbling from the heavens with mournful cries.
Looking into the distance, the entire sky was filled with despairing, wailing falling birds.
Not only that.
Though the sea was completely devoid of waves, innumerable fish leaped out of the ocean, scrambling frantically to vault onto dry land, as if some terrifying terror was surging from the deep.
Although humans could not tell what was happening, they could physically feel a dense, tangible storm of dark clouds rolling in; the suffocating, stifling dread made people choke—not as a figure of speech, but as a genuine physiological struggle to breathe.
"What are those birds doing... Could an earthquake be coming?"
"Even if they sensed an earthquake, it wouldn't be this exaggerated, would it?"
"Wait... Isn't that direction Tokyo?!"
"But didn't Kitahara-san say it would be tomorrow?"
"..."
Turning their heads in succession, the girls looked over at Kitahara.
"It's today; I lied and added an extra day on purpose," Kitahara took a deep breath, gazing into the heavens. "The Lord of Calamity has completely descended upon the mortal realm."
As a hyperdimensional deity, once the Lord of Calamity descended upon the mortal world, ordinary living beings would desperately flee even if It did absolutely nothing.
"Let's go into the Onsen Dimension."
Deciding decisively on the spot, Kitahara escorted the girls into the Onsen Dimension.
With the pocket dimension acting as an isolation barrier, that suffocating, breathless dread instantly alleviated considerably.
Meanwhile.
As the descending Lord of Calamity swept Its 'gaze' across the world, every being possessing a soul, no matter where they were, 'saw' the presence of a god.
Not with the physical eyes, but perceived upon the soul layer.
A gigantic tree representing death and calamity spanned the cosmos, towering so colossally beyond imagination that humans appeared like mere ants before it; countless fragile souls could not even withstand the weight of that gaze, crumbling into fragments on the spot.
"So terrifying..."
"Is that the Lord of Calamity?"
"No wonder Kitahara-kun said It was a terrifying presence transcending dimensions..."
"Forget defeating It; an ordinary person couldn't even muster the will to resist, right?"
"..."
Kitahara remained silent, merely activating his Domain in silence to shelter everyone within it; yet even so, the residual pressure from the Lord of Calamity's gaze still made everyone shudder violently.
"Mama..."
Shivering all over with a pale face, Hana held tightly onto Nijika's thigh.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."
Nijika hurriedly pulled Hana into her arms, soothing her in a gentle voice.
While things were bearable within the Onsen Dimension, in Tokyo—where the Lord of Calamity had landed—all survivors were frozen stiff; whether walking the streets or hiding in underground shelters, every human's mind went blank, their souls adrift helplessly in endless dark.
"Next is waiting for the Tree of Eden..."
Kitahara held his breath in focus.
The Lord of Calamity's true form was an abyssal colossal tree, acting as the natural predator and mortal enemy of the Tree of Eden—much like the relationship between Hana and Otherworld locusts. When the two maintained a delicate balance, they could coexist peacefully, but once their power tilted, one side would spare no effort in obliterating the other completely.
In Otherworld, idealistic, soul-based energy was sparse, but the real world was different: it was equivalent to an untapped new continent.
Once the Lord of Calamity finished harvesting all humanity, the Tree of Eden would lose its final chance; therefore...
Whoosh—!
The pitch-black sky abruptly shattered as a brilliant green hue representing life and sanctity forced its way into existence.
Yet another towering, sacred tree worthy of reverent worship manifested in the soul-seas of countless people, making them tremble uncontrollably.
"The Tree of Eden... has arrived."
Kitahara remained calm, without the slightest hint of surprise.
Breaking through from Otherworld had cost the Lord of Calamity significant strength; thus, if the Tree of Eden wanted to launch a sneak attack, now was the optimal window.
"Ah, Kitahara-san was right—the Tree of Eden really did show up."
"Is the Tree of Eden on our side?"
"It is not. To deities, humans are mere insignificant bugs; the Tree of Eden cares nothing for human life either."
"..."
Life and death violently collided; while the ears could hear nothing, the soul perceived a deafening, thunderous roar, inflicting piercing head pain upon countless people worldwide, causing nosebleeds and tears of blood to stream down simultaneously.
A battle between hyperdimensional entities had already breached the limits of comprehension; ordinary mortals could not understand it, and even hiding away in isolation was impossible—they could only shudder in dread, waiting for final despair to fall.
Nobody knew how much time had passed.
The trembling cosmos finally returned to stillness by degrees.
Representing life and holiness, the Tree of Eden began contracting, clearly falling into a decline.
The calamity light of darkness and death surged outward, as if seeking to swallow all creation whole.
"It's time..."
Exhaling softly, Kitahara turned to look at the girls behind him:
"It's finally my turn to take the stage."
"..."
Having already learned what Kitahara was about to do, the girls stood with tear-filled eyes, desperate to speak; however, the soul tremors wrought by the clash of divine-tier beings choked their voices, leaving them unable to utter a single word.
"Once life restarts, I'll be waiting for you all to capture my heart."
Waving his hand, Kitahara walked forward without turning back, bringing up his ability panel to choose the ultimate ability he was set to activate.
[Ability: Are Kings, Dukes, Generals, and Ministers Born to Such Stature?]
[Type: Active]
[Description: You may designate a target to instantaneously evolve your life order to the exact same tier as the target. Note well: if the designated target's life order is excessively high, your life will be completely burned out once the evolution concludes.]
[Remark: Even if you are a god, don't you dare look down on me!]
"..."
[Activate ability?]
"Yes."
[Please designate a target.]
"Target... Lord of Calamity."
In his heart, Kitahara silently recited the entity's true name.
[Warning! This target is a hyperdimensional entity. To evolve to the same tier as this target, you will burn away everything, and your flame of life will be extinguished after three minutes.]
"Three minutes is plenty."
Kitahara's heart was exceptionally calm.
After returning from Otherworld, Kitahara had grown stronger across all aspects; that was the sole reason he could sustain three full minutes following hyperdimensional ascension—otherwise, he would have lasted ten seconds at most.
If it were an ordinary person, they wouldn't even last a single second, burning out instantly the moment they attained godhood.
"Begin."
With a single thought from Kitahara, everything within him ignited; his life order evolved at blistering speed, turning in the blink of an eye into a hyperdimensional entity rivaling the gods.
Countless ordinary mortals whose souls were on the verge of shattering suddenly awakened from their agony, the despair in their hearts gently swept away.
At this very moment, the souls of humanity once again 'saw' a third, immeasurably towering hyperdimensional silhouette.
It was a youth with his back turned to all creation, infinite starry rivers swirling around his form like the renowned starry canvas under Monet's brush, bringing peace to every broken soul.
Though only his back was visible, many people acquainted with Kitahara recognized him in an instant.
Karin-chan: "That's Anon's boyfriend!"
Shimizu Rin: "Kitahara..."
Maki Shiina: "I-It's actually Kitahara-kun?"
Ghost-senpai: "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Kitahara-sama is way too wonderful."
Umiri Yahata: "Y-You've got to be kidding, right?"
Classmates: "It's Kitahara-san, no mistake about it!"
"..."
At this moment, Kitahara could clearly perceive the pulse of the earth and the starry sky, hearing the cries of innumerable souls... In short, he was nearly omnipotent now.
With a slight shift of will, Kitahara took a single step forward, crossing unfathomable distances to teleport straight into the center of the battlefield.
With Kitahara's arrival, the Lord of Calamity promptly halted Its offensive, adopting a defensive posture, naturally perceiving Kitahara's current state of being 'fierce on the outside but hollow within.'
Kitahara did not strike either, turning his gaze instead toward the Tree of Eden.
"Will you enter symbiosis with me?"
Neither side needed to speak aloud; it was a thought exchange at a far higher tier of consciousness.
The Tree of Eden did not hesitate, choosing symbiosis decisively.
Without reaching the same hyperdimensional tier, one was merely an ant; whatever Kitahara said would have been ignored by the Tree of Eden. But now, both had reached the same rank, and with its aura lingering on Kitahara's body, it naturally would not refuse the invitation to coexist.
The starry skies surged.
Dissolving into infinite starlight, the Tree of Eden sank into Kitahara's body.
Symbiosis was originally Aoi's ability; it wasn't particularly strong, and forced symbiosis carried an exceedingly high failure rate. However, if both sides willingly chose symbiosis, the odds of success increased dramatically.
Kitahara opened his arms wide, allowing the river of stars to pour into his body.
"Shameless..."
Witnessing the actions of Kitahara and the Tree of Eden, the Lord of Calamity flew into a fury; innumerable boughs morphed into sky-blotting tentacles sweeping toward Kitahara, shattering the rivers of stars wherever they lashed out.
Alas, it was too late.
Symbiosis took place in a mere instant; the very moment the Tree of Eden agreed, the symbiosis was already complete.
Hummm—
As Kitahara opened his eyes, the star-studded rivers across the heavens abruptly spun into motion; as his calm gaze swept past, every tentacle striking toward him snapped in succession, annihilating speck by speck into the void.
"Still of some use..."
Extending his right hand toward the Lord of Calamity, boundless starlight gathered in Kitahara's palm, eventually condensing into a river of stars that enveloped the Lord of Calamity within.
Under the incredulous gazes of countless onlookers, the Lord of Calamity offered only faint resistance before being crushed bare-handed into a single glass marble by Kitahara.
There was no earth-shaking battle; with merely a casual squeeze, Kitahara dissolved the clash into nothingness.
Crack, crack...
Kitahara could clearly hear the sound of internal collapse echoing through his body.
Having burned away everything, his body was already nearing its absolute limit.
"Well then, next up is..."
Devoid of grief or joy, Kitahara gently waved his right hand, and the colossal Scale of God manifested in the void.
"Alter the movement trajectory of Otherworld."
Kitahara silently made his wish in his heart.
The Lord of Calamity was not the root cause; the collision between Otherworld and the real world was the source of everything.
To return the world to tranquility, the sole method was to alter the fate of these two worlds colliding.
Thud.
The small sphere compressed from the Lord of Calamity dropped onto one side of the scale, but the price was insufficient.
His expression placid, Kitahara took a step forward and stood upon the Scale of God himself.
Creeeeak.
The seemingly omnipotent Scale of God naturally had its limits as well; as Kitahara stepped onto it, the entire scale began to shudder, fine cracks spreading uncontrollably, yet it held firm in the end.
The opposite end of the Scale of God descended slowly, ultimately reaching equilibrium.
In the next fraction of a second.
The scale abruptly erupted with a warm, gentle golden light, reversing time and space...
Mid-April.
Shimokitazawa.
Late cherry blossoms fluttered down quietly at the street corner, and the air still held a trace of brisk spring chill.
"Seriously, Onee-chan—not only staying up late, but sneaking cup noodles at night and tossing clothes all over the place... She's definitely never going to get married like this, right?"
Stepping out of her room and taking in the messy living room, Nijika sighed helplessly.
Swiftly tidying up the living room, Nijika rested her hands on her hips, nodding in satisfaction; she offered a stick of incense to her mother first, then turned toward the bathroom:
"Wash face and brush teeth first, and get breakfast ready after cleaning up."
Entering the bathroom and looking at herself in the mirror, Nijika felt as though she had forgotten something.
"Strange... Where is my hair tie?"
The ribbon hair tie was Nijika's most precious keepsake, irreplaceable by anything else; discovering the hair tie was missing, Nijika hurriedly began searching for it.
Before long, inside the bathroom.
"Ah, found it..."
Nijika quickly located the hair tie.
"Strange, the hair tie was fine when I showered yesterday; why are there so many knots on it now?"
Looking at the ribbon in her hand, Nijika was full of bewilderment.
"Could Onee-chan have tied them out of boredom?"
"Probably not."
"Onee-chan is a grown adult, not a three-year-old child; she wouldn't pull a prank like this..."
"If not Onee-chan, who could it be?"
"..."
Nijika couldn't make sense of it, yet a voice in the dark recesses of her mind told her that these knots were extraordinarily important.
"Whatever, let's untie them first..."
Nijika let out a soft breath, preparing to undo the knots on the ribbon.
She still had to prepare the meal shortly, and before that, she naturally needed to tie her hair up.
"Strange, why won't it come undone?"
Nijika picked one of the knots, but no matter how she tried, it would not unfasten.
Until her fingers grazed against a specific knot, and an indescribable tremor abruptly surged through her heart:
"This is my knot!"
With delicate emotions churning within, Nijika swiftly untied the [Knot of All Things] belonging to her.
The next second.
Nijika felt a thunderous roar ring inside her head as countless scenes and memories surged forth like an overwhelming tidal wave.
"I... I remember now..."
Nobody knew how much time had elapsed before Nijika finally snapped back to reality, only to discover her reflection in the mirror was already swimming in tears.
"I remember everything..."
Looking at the remaining knots on the ribbon, Nijika quickly clenched her delicate fist:
"Call everyone to gather together first!"
Nijika splashed water over her face swiftly, pulled out her phone, and began contacting everyone.
Following the time rewind, many people's contact information was missing from her phone, and right now she had not even met Sakiko, Soyo, or the others yet; nevertheless, it didn't matter—after Kitahara had 'spoiled' the future, the girls had firmly committed each other's contact details to memory via the Memory Cookies.
"Hitori..."
"Kita..."
"Ryo..."
"And Sakiko and everyone else..."
Dusk.
The girls gathered together in the café.
As the knots were untied one by one, the girls reclaimed the memories preserved within them.
"I... I remember now..."
Hitori wiped her eyes unceasingly; amidst her tear-blurred vision, she caught sight of a familiar figure passing by outside the window.
Without waiting for permission from her brain, her body slipped out of the café ahead of thought, rushing swiftly in front of the youth.
"K-Kitahara-san...!"
Hitori gripped her small fists, calling out nervously.
"Hello... Do we know each other?"
Kitahara paused his steps in confusion.
"I..."
Taking a deep breath, Hitori clenched her fists tightly; though her small face was thoroughly flushed with bashfulness, her eyes were filled with unyielding determination:
"I... I'm going to capture your heart!"