Chapter 115: White Mask

Abnormality...

'This seems like a scene out of Fate/Grand Order . . . ' Seiji coughed dryly . 'I should stop getting sidetracked!'

There was another moment of silence in the student council room .

Seiji finally spoke up again after digesting the information Natsuya had just told him .

"So, there's no way to solve this?"

Natsuya shook her head .

"Nobody know why these abnormalities . . . how these unique existences came to be . Everything I just said about the 'Sea of Karma' and the 'Reaper's Curse' are actually mere legends, although everybody believes in them .

"Yin Yang Masters can only comprehend their existence and what they can cause . We don't know where these things originate from, or how to deal with them . Perhaps if it was some type of curse— demons or spirits—then that would be within our realm, but this . . . has far surpassed that . This is more like . . . a type of natural phenomenon . "

A natural phenomenon .

It was like the passing of the seasons, or the changing of the weather?

That girl was carrying such a heavy burden!?

Seiji furrowed his brows .

"In the past . . . something like the 'Reaper's Curse' must have appeared before, right? Then... what happened in the end?"

Natsuya sighed .

"This type of existence is incredibly rare; there are few records about it, so I'm not sure myself . . . "

Her expression changed as she came to a sudden realization .

"But there is . . . one legend . "

"What is it?"

"It's a legend about your ancestor, Seimei Kamijou . " Natsuya looked directly into Seiji's eyes .

"The legend goes something like this: your ancestor encountered a terrifying demon, whose mere presence brought down calamitous misfortune upon others . He battled with it for seven consecutive days and nights, before succeeding in its suppression . He then spent seventy-four days to positively influence and reform the demon . Finally, he signed a contract with it and turned it into one of his Spirit-branded Retainers .

"This Spirit-branded Retainer was later known as Guren . It was one of your ancestor's 12 highest-ranked Spirit-branded Retainers . "

Seiji was unable to formulate a response to all this .

"According to the legend's description of that demon, it possessed something similar or equal to the 'Reaper's Curse . ' But at the time, people didn't have a proper understanding of it, and everyone believed it to be a type of curse rather than a natural phenomenon, so its uncertain whether or not it really was the 'Reaper's Curse . '" Natsuya blinked . "But even if it was, the only person powerful enough to subdue and coerce it to sign a contract was your ancestor . Nobody else could accomplish such a feat . "

"There has never been anyone else like Seimei Kamijou . Nobody in existence before or after him has ever reached the same height as a Yin Yang Master . "

Seiji sighed .

"So, you're telling me that the problem cannot be resolved, aren't you?"

"That's right . Even though it's regrettable, nobody will be able to help Shika Kagura . . . " Natsuya sighed . "Including you, Seiji Haruta . "

Natsuya's eyes seemed to be trying to tell Seiji something as she said this .

Seiji understood what she meant .

"I got it," he said in a calm tone of voice .

Just as he told Hoshi earlier, there would always be times when he wasn't strong enough .

He wasn't arrogant to the point where he thought he could save everyone .

A while later, Seiji left the student council office .

Natsuya sighed again after she watched him leave .

She could tell Seiji still hadn't quite given up just yet . However, some things were truly impossible to change, and if you forcefully went against the flow, you would only be . . .

She shook her head .

She already told him everything she should have . She could only hope that he wouldn't do anything foolish now .

Besides, it wasn't a suitable time to be worrying about others .

Natsuya furrowed her brows .

Her own matters . . . were quite troublesome as well .

Outside the school .

A red-haired girl was standing on the edge of a certain tall building's roof . Her arms were folded as she surveyed the surroundings .

A red-haired girl was standing on the edge of a certain tall building's roof . Her arms were folded as she surveyed the surroundings .

This person was Hitaka Shuho .

Her pupils were colored gold, and wispy waves of red light floated up into the sky from her body . It seemed as if a long red cloak were trailing behind her, adding to her mysterious and beautiful appearance .

"Hurry up and come out, Snow Girl . . . " She focused intensely on the area below her as she continuously swept her surroundings with her enhanced vision .

"This time . . . I'll definitely capture you!"

. . .

Seiji found it difficult to concentrate in his remaining afternoon classes .

Should he go back to the park again tonight?

He already learned that he wouldn't be able to help her . It seemed meaningless to go .

He suddenly noticed that it had started raining outside . He could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops against the window .

'It's already started raining now?'

Seiji idly wondered if the rain would continue into the night . That'd make it even more inconvenient to go .

'It isn't convenient, and it's meaningless as well . There's no point in going . . . No! There's meaning to it!'

He had made a promise, and promises should be kept .

Even if it was only his side that kept the promise .

At the very least, he wanted the girl who shouldered such a heavy burden to feel someone's compassion, however small .

He was merely going to fulfill a promise .

This was something that he could and should do . That meant that he must do it .

Seiji came to that decision .

. . .

At a location that wasn't school .

Shika Kagura slowly removed her clothing and put on a different set of clothes .

Her perfect, petite, snow-white body was reflected in the mirror . Her well-developed chest, firm butt, and straight, slender legs all displayed her alluring beauty .

Her perfect, petite, snow-white body was reflected in the mirror . Her well-developed chest, firm butt, and straight, slender legs all displayed her alluring beauty .

However, all of this was meaningless to her .

'One day, this so-called beauty will end up wilting . Then, I'll turn into the ugly form that I should have originally possessed . If I can live to that time, that is . '

She finished the slow act of putting on her clothes .

'I might as well go now and follow my contractor's orders . '

Shika Kagura took a final look at herself in the mirror, before she slowly wore a white mask over her face .

The mask was completely blank and expressionless .

Just like her inner heart .

She walked outside wearing her mask .

It was currently raining .

Seigo Harano had promised to wait there for her tonight .

Would he still go with how hard it was raining?

If she could go, should she take a look?

Her eyes flickered as she thought about the boy who had reached out his hand to her .

Shika Kagura was unable to come to a decision .

. . .

The rain continued falling through the night .

Seiji covered himself with an umbrella as he walked to the park and waited by the swings .

Would she come? He was filled with doubt as he quietly waited in the torrential downpour .

If she came, what should he say to her?

'I'm sorry, but your problem is on the scale of a natural disaster attached to you . I can't help you . Nobody can help you . . . '

Of course he couldn't say something like that!

In that case . . . was consoling her the only thing he could attempt?

Seiji smiled bitterly to himself .

In that case . . . was consoling her the only thing he could attempt?

Seiji smiled bitterly to himself .

'I'm still an ordinary person after all . Even with the system being a game-breaking cheat for me, the most I can do is protect myself . Saving others is truly difficult . '

He turned his head to look at the unmoving swing .

In the distant past, he, too, had fantasized about becoming a hero . But as he matured, he understood that true heroes who were able to save everything and everyone didn't exist .

It wasn't possible for them to exist .

Even so, people always hoped things would develop for the best . That was why everyone should strive to do what was within their abilities .

This was a very normal way of thinking . . . At the very least, this was how he thought .

Seiji contemplated the problem deeply .

Even if she brought misfortune down upon others and was destined to live in isolation, she could still enjoy life .

Isolation didn't equal misfortune . As long as you had things you enjoyed or liked to do, then you could still lead a happy life .

'Yep, let's just give Shika some advice like that!'

I'll tell her about all the various fun things to do in life . She can pick and choose from them . . . She can do something which she'll enjoy for her entire life!

Poems . . . if she didn't actually like them, she could try reading stories . If reading stories became boring, she could try manga or anime . Perhaps even movies and games... At any rate . . .

*Boom!!!*

A deafening sound rung out .

Something hurtled down from the sky and crashed into the empty ground in the park .

Seiji was extremely startled as his train of thought was interrupted .

What just happened!?

He squinted, trying to discern what had caused the impact through the dense cloud of dust .

He saw a person wearing strange clothing lay collapsed in a small crater .

A white mask was on that person's face .