Kirika was alone, looking at the blue sky. It’s not that she likes the sky, it’s just that there is nothing on the ground but snow.

「I’m hungry……」

In addition to the cold, hunger pestered Kirika’s body. However, she also understood that, she “cannot die” just from that.

Three days had already passed since she arrived in Antarctica, a world of minus 30 degrees Celsius that rejects life. In one of the most extreme environments on earth, the girl’s body was still beating strongly with the pulse of life.

Kirika feared that her power would hurt her neighbor or someone dear to her. And the final destination of her escape from the fate of an abominable mysterious being was here in Antarctica.

「Senpai……」

All she could recall is the memory of the last time she saw him.

When they met again, the mysterious being sensor did not respond. She did not know why Rintaro was pretending to be a mysterious being.

He is a quick thinker, and she is sure that he has a big plan. Kirika’s only treasure stayed on the palm of her black armor-like hand. The green nameplate with the name “Kuriyama Rintaro” written on it was broken in half.

Missing him, missing him, missing him. Finally reuniting with the person she loves more than anyone else.

But now that she has turned into a mysterious being, Kirika is not qualified to take that gentle, warm hand.

She has black wings, a long tail, horns on her head, and blood-red eyes. The incarnation of darkness that embodies disaster and brings eternal night to the world.　

The darkness mysterious being Drakirika – that was her current appearance.

「I miss you…… senpai……」

Large tears streamed down from her red eyes, turning into icicles as they ran down her cheeks.

In her blurred vision, she saw a shadow in the faraway sky. It was not a bird, but a silhouette in the shape of a person.

「Hero Headquarters……?　They even come to this kind of place!?」

The shadow was indeed a giant robot owned by the Hero Headquarters. It must have been sent to take care of the darkness mysterious being Drakirika.

Mankind will not tolerate heretics, or “individual” that poses a threat to society. The stronger the power, the more isolated the mysterious being is from the human world.

The world is not kind enough to welcome as neighbors those with the power to shatter mountains.

As the robot approached at breakneck speed, the black flame lit in Kirika’s heart flared up greatly. Why won’t you leave me alone? Why must I get my hands dirty again and again?

For Kirika who had hurt mysterious beings countless times as a hero, it even seemed like it’s done out of spite.

If that’s the case, then you should be prepared.

「Don’t, get closer to meeeeeeeeee!!!」

Black energy converged in her shell-covered hands and was released as an extremely thick laser. It easily penetrated the giant robot’s torso and tore its body apart like a toy.

Zudoooooooooon! ! !

In the Antarctic sky, red fireworks bloomed and scattered. The passengers …… would probably have been reduced to empty debris. Kirika did not pray, but just silently stared at the black smoke covering the sky.

「Ugh……Uuu……！」

Strangely, she could not stop the tears from flowing. She knew that there was no place for her to return to.

She hates mysterious beings. She hates herself for being a mysterious being. She hates this world in which a system of mysterious beings is built in.

The absurdity that envelops the world robs her of her loved ones and everything else. Although she has the power to destroy the mountain, she does not have the strength to resist her fate in the black chains.

Resignation, lamentation, emptiness, and frustration spilled out of Kirika’s eyes as sparkling crystals.

But.

There was a man who never gave up on “Mayuzumi Kirika,” whom even she herself had given up on.

「…………Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!」

Kirika’s eyes widened involuntarily at the sight. From the black smoke that covered the sky, people were falling while shouting.

「The parachute chord! I’ll die I’ll die I’ll die I’ll dieeee!!!」

The next moment, Kirika was unconsciously flying through the air. Her black wings blew up white snow, and her body, half covered by her exoskeleton, flew like a bullet across the Antarctic land.

The arm, whose only ability was to destroy, was picking up “the lives it could pick up” without a care in the world.

In her arms, the man muttered.

「Look, Mayuzumi, first strike is basic, but make sure you know who you’re dealing with before you shoot.」

Human or mysterious being, painful or sad, the black chains shatter and scatter into the sky.　Kirika’s heart, which no longer belongs to a human, turns red and beats fast. Every cell of her body, which had transformed into a mysterious being, trembles at the sound of his voice and burns at the sight of his eyes.

「Sen, pai……?　Why……?」

「Don’t “Why” me. I almost got turned into a barbeque.」

She had a lot to say. She had so many things she wanted to ask.

But no words came out of Kirika’s mouth. She even forgot about flapping her wings and simply fell into a daze with the miraculous “third meeting.

「Oi Mayuzumi, we are falling! We are falling, Mayuzumi-saaan!!!」

Kirika fell with a thud onto the deep dry snow with Rintaro in her arms. The snowflakes that flew up with the impact fell on the two of them like a blessing.

「Geez, it’s not really my place to say this but that was a cruel way to treat someone……」

Rintaro got up and brushed off the snow from his coat. He then reached out his hand to the stunned Kirika.

「Then, shall we go back to Japan?」

Rintaro grinned and smiled wickedly as he said so. But Kirika’s sharp-clawed hands were unable to take his outstretched hand.

「Senpai, why……? This is Antarctica, you know……!?」

Then, Rintaro impatiently took her hand forcefully and pulled her to him. In direct contrast to that night, she was embraced into Rintaro’s chest with the same momentum.

「I’m here to catch the kouhai who ran away while crying. I’m a bad senpai.」

At that moment, the carapace of Kirika’s armor-like arm.

Tough wings like a dragon. A long, thick, serpentine tail. Two horns protruding from her head.

They shattered like ice and melted into the Antarctic sky as a sparkle.

「Senpai……!　Senpaiiiiiiiiii!!」

His large hand gently brushes over the frozen silvery white hair.

 No matter how arrogant the kouhai or how much of a monster she has become. He would never reject her and would always accept her with both hands.

This was Kuriyama Rintaro, a man whom Kirika admired more than anyone else.

He may not be the right person, but he is her most beloved senpai. Kirika hugged him with her thin, white arms with all her might.

「Oh, all right, don’t cry now, Mayuzumi. And I’ll lend you this, so put it on. It’s getting cold watching you.」

「Sniff, Eh……Ah!」

Just because she was able to return from mysterious being to human form did not mean that her torn clothes would be restored to their original state. Kirika took the coat from Rintaro and hastily put it on.

「I-I-I-It’s cold!　Sorry, Mayuzumi, give it back!」

「No, you can’t!　This is what I was given!」

Kirika tightly clutched the hem of Rintaro’s coat, which still had his scent and warmth.

――It was then.

「……Aaaniikiii……！」

「Muguuuh!?」

Kirika suddenly looked up at the sky, and a child, of elementary school age no matter how you look at it, clung to her face. A large parachute covered the snow with a whoosh.

It was Samechi who was thrown high into the sky by the blast at the same time as Rintaro.

「Waa! aniki, it’s bad, ssu! It’s Victor Black, ssu!」

「Calm down Samecchi, That’s a safe Victor Black. She won’t bite so let her go」

Rintaro grabbed both sides of Samecchi, who was thrashing around under his shoulder, and slowly lowered her to the land of Antarctica.

「Haa……Haa……! Senpai, what’s with this girl!?」

「Uh, well, I don’t know how to say it……」

When Rintaro was at a loss for an answer, Samecchi tapped his chest with a thud as a follow-up.

「Samecchi is aniki’s number one little sister, ssu!」

「Little…… Little sister…… is it?」

Kirika’s doubts were directed at Rintaro rather than Samecchi. It would be natural for her to have doubts if she had not seen her beloved senpai for a while and he had turned an elementary school student into his little sister.

「…… That’s how it is, I suppose.」

「It’s not “I suppose”, ssuyo! Samecchi is a “good woman” who never fails to support aniki day and night, ssu!」

「……At night? You also support him at night?」

The minus 30 degree Celsius air in Antarctica further lowered the temperature. Realizing thing was looking bad, Rintaro hurriedly ran toward Samechi, but his feet were caught in the deep snow and he fell down on his face.

「Samecchi-san. Could you tell me more about the night?」

「Aniki and Samecchi sleep on the same bed every night, ssu! Just recently, We together with Swordminas “played” until we couldn’t stand on out feet, ssuyo! Even when Samecchi wanted to stop, aniki became upset and didn’t allow it, so in the end it was a course until morning!」

The chill down Rintaro’s spine is surely not just because he has taken off his coat.

「…………Senpai?」

Rintaro could not look up.

From the prone position, Rintaro quietly folded his arms and legs and got down on his knees.

---

<71: Flying Towards the Southern Island by Wings
73: A Sandwich in Crevasse>