No. 194 Illusion まぼろし

ウ01

She's at the park?

Hey, wait!

ウ02

Looks like we got here first.

ウ03

×Ei Kekigahara

Let's wait here.

…

What is it?

Um…

Hey, Sekigahara-kun…

Would you mind if I called you… Ei-kun?

If that’s what you want.

Yay!

Ngh…

What’s wrong?

ウ04

×Ei Kekigahara

Are you okay?

…

You know…

I grew up just like you.

Right here in Ashitaba City.

Well… 80 years into the future, that is.

You saw it, right? The wreckage.

ウ05

×Ei Kekigahara

It’ll happen here any day now.

Just as you say in your dreams…

This town will come under attack by the Deimos.

If those dreams were Ms. Morimura’s memories…

That’s why you both came here, right?

To fight the kaiju…

森村はもう違う

戦えるとすれば俺たちだけだ

Not Morimura. Not anymore.

At this point, it’s up to us.

Us…?

この世界に手を加えることが出来る適合者

お前もその一人だ

だが…

この世界はもう助からない…

The compatible ones. Those capable of altering this world.

You're one of them.

But…

This world is beyond saving.

Huh?

ウ06

×Ei Kekigahara

Would you like to come with me?

We can go back 16 years and try again.

…

The city may go down, but it won't take us with it.

16 mor years should be enough to prepare.

We’ll win next time.

ウ07

△Miwako Sawatari→Ei Kekigahara

残されたミワちゃん達はどうなるの？

ここにいるお父さんやお母さんは？

What about Miwa-chan? She's still here…

And so are my parents. What would happen to them?

ダイモスにやられて消滅するだろうな

…その両親は本物じゃない

森村千尋はセクター1の住人だ

君はここへ連れてこられた

They’ll be attacked by the Deimos, and that’ll be it.

But your parents aren't real.

Chihiro Morimura came here from Sector 1.

You're no different.

まさか…

Oh, come on.

…

…私の大切な家族よ

they're my family…

If you decide to stay here, you'll perish along with them.

…

I don’t have a choice, do I?

In that case, I’ll do it.

Just like in my dreams.

I’ll fight and protect everyone!

And how do you plan on doing that?

…

ウ08

×Ei Kekigahara

…十郎は何もかも忘れてるが

あいつならきっと一緒に戦ってくれる

Juro has no memory of what happened…

But I expect you'll have his help.

You mean Kurabe-kun?

What about you? Won't you be fighting too?

Ryoko-san and I… We don’t have much time left.

I can't afford to stay around.

Oh…

That’s the kind of guy I am.

I don’t deserve your love.

Do you get it now?

…

ウ09

×Ei Kekigahara

…

Ei-kun…

Um…

Well…

You know what?

I’ll go check if Ms. Morimura’s here yet.

ウ10

!

Fuyusaka-san?

She looks just like in my dreams…

ウ11

Explain.

Why did you bring her here?

To expose your secrets.

She has a right to know.

ウ12

×Chihiro Morimura

Ms. Morimura…

…

Go on. Tell her.

…

ウ13

△Strange Dreams→Chihiro Morimura

Is it true?

Are my dreams really your memories?

…

Why would you do such a thing?

If you're not going to talk, I’ll do it.

You wanted to write your memories and personality onto Fuyusaka, right?

So you could someday take over.

What?

She was trying to assume your identity.

Fine. I’ll explain.

But things have changed.

Oh?

Operation Aegis is all we have left.

ウ14

×Chihiro Morimura

So then…

What’s going to happen to me?

Well, I hadn't gotten to the final step.

You'll continue on as Iori Fuyusaka.

You do carry my memories within you.

But even that process was left incomplete. Juro made sure of it.

Thanks to him, my memories are nothing but dreams to you.

You mean… the Kurabe-kun I saw in my dreams?

426… Did you perform a memory transplant on him too?

No. I have nothing to do with his current state.

If it were up to me…

I would have changed him back into the old Izumi-kun.

Ah…

Your memories just hit me.

I understand how you feel…

…

Is that why you transplanted the memories of Tamao Kurabe?

It can't be.

Tell me your real objective.

ウ15

×Ei Kekigahara

She's not lying about her feelings. I can tell.

Yes, I transplanted memories into Tamao Kurabe and Shu Amiguchi.

I had to deliver on a promise I made.

But there has to be a reason they were compatible.

That’s what I need to know.

That’s why I called you here.

…

Tell me.

ウ16

×Chihiro Morimura

The truth is…

I am no longer human.

…

When the reset occurred…

The world that I was in was taken over.

At that time… the real me died.

Then what are you now?

An illusion produced by Universal Control.

That’s all that’s left of me.

ウ17

×Chihiro Morimura

You're… an illusion? I don’t understand…

How did that happen?

Isn't Sector 0 supposed to prevent that?

Going there allows you to escape to the next world.

リセットを超える方法なんて…

本当は無いのよ

The concept of living through a reset is something of a misunderstanding.

In short, it’s not possible.

Sector 0 is unique. Going there is not akin to a typical sector shift.

Instead, it scanned me in as data.

And with that data…

Universal Control did its work.

It created a perfect replica of me in the next world.

So that’s what a loop really is…

ウ18

×Chihiro Morimura

15人の人間だけが計画を完遂できる

There are 15 humans capable of carrying out the plan.

What plan?

種を存続させるための2188年の計画

The plan made in the year 2188 to continue the species.

But I'm no longer a part.

I'm nothing but a doll, held captive in the five sectors.

I'm incapable of fulfilling my mission.

So you turned to the version of you who was born into this world.

Iori Fuyusaka. In time, she and you would be one in the same.

That’s how you planned to reclaim your humanity.

Sekigahara-kun…

I gather you intended to make use of Sector 0 as well.

You would be correct.

And you planned to put a stop to Operation Aegis, didn’t you?

Yes… By killing you.

Huh?

Are you going to shoot me right and here now?

ウ19

×Ei Kekigahara

You can't do that!

If Operation Aegis were put into motion…

This world would be cut off from Universal Control.

What would become of you then?

Data stored in Sector 0 can function independently of UC.

In other words… You'll continue to live.

Human or not.

So that’s the way it is.

Ryoko-san and I…

We never had a way out in the first place.

ウ20

Ei-kun!

ウ21

…

ウ22

Ei-kun…

I’ll protect you.

Let's do this together.

…

If only I had the courage to take your hand.

That would have been for the best.

…

Story

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