Thanks for review/comment/faves and follows.

Thanks to crimson for edits!


Somebody…

Please help….

I'm scared….

This place…it's dark and cold…

It makes me shiver down my spine…. I can't even move, for my feet weakened by my own fear. I'm really scared…. I can't go anywhere… I don't even know where to go….Heck… I don't know where I'm going….

The only thing that I know is that I fell here… and also, being hit with something hard enough to knock me down…

I could feel a terrible pain in my head; it's too terrible that I can't even bear it…

I feel something flowing down my faces, my neck and everything—I can smell blood around me….

The ground is so strange that it makes me doubt that I might've been sitting on something else instead of the floor…

Something cold and shaped almost like a human being… it smells terrible…. And I feel like fainting….

I heard something heavy moving above me—like ceilings.

Then I could see a faint light slowly showered me and blinding my eyes.

"Nikocchi…" a familiar voice called me sadly,

"Nozomi…?" I replied to her.

"You gave me out…." she said with full of disappointment…

I don't remember that I actually did….

"I wish you didn't…." she said so sadly before she closed the ceiling again.

"W-wait! Nozomi!" I tried to call her, yet the ceiling was quickly shut.

This is sad….

What did I do wrong this time?

I feel like crying so hard right now…

I want to go home… with my family and everyone else….

"Nikocchi…" once again, a familiar voice called me.

"What now?!" I yelled,

"Stop crying, it's not over…and you're not wounded, just covered in blood as you fell there…" she said.

"Huh?" I tried to look around—also to prove what she said… I really am not wounded...

"I'm right here…" she said again,

"I can't see you! Set up some lights will you?!" I yelled.

"Got it…" she replied before a light appeared from behind.

I looked back to find Nozomi in her Tanuki form wearing a hat with a flash light.

"Sorry, I have to be in this form right now… I must not meet that other me you just saw…"

"The other you?" I tilt my head,

"Yes, I transported you and myself to a different timeline…"

"W-Why?!"

"Because you handed my box to someone else…"

"Huh?! It was just a small favor…"

"Small or big, I still can't guarantee it… so before my contract is overwritten completely, I'm taking liberty to do this…"

"You could've just told me, I can get it back!" I said.

"You think it will be that simple?" she replied.

"No?"

"No… if you want to know about where we are right now, this is the alternate future that happened in an alternative reality… We're inside the death pit of the Kousaka Clan…"

"K-Kousaka-clan?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes…This is the Kousaka-clan after the war…their greed surpassed their friendship— and they have made your clan into an enemy… which on the other side, Hoshizora-clan is also facing the same fate as you right now… but it's already too late to do anything about it…"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Everyone died here… and the you in this timeline is also dead, but you shouldn't look for it or the image will scare you to death…"

"I..I know…"

"Plus… I'm not going to let you see who exactly you're sitting on right now…"

"Who…am I sitting on?"

"Yes… Don't look down… ok?"

I have an urge to look down just to get my curiosity satisfied…but…if she says so…

"We need to escape from this… and there's no secret exit in this pit—just a dead end and that's about it…"

"Huh? How can I escape?!"

"Use your brain, think of something that could make you escape…"

"Well, first, we need to remove that ceiling…" I said.

"If you do that, the scent of the dead will spread and everyone will know something has gone wrong…"

"Then, uh… we can… somehow climb and shove it a bit then exit? It might be a little too heavy for me though…"

"Just make a simple wish to do the trick…"

"Nn..I wish to be stronger?"

"You got it…" she replied.

That was fast.

"Now try to grope the wall and look for a loose stone… then pull it out a bit to see if you can make some kind of small climbing stone out of it…"

"You're pretty good at this, huh?" I said as I started to do what she suggested.

"This is nothing; you'll have to do it on your own once we get out from this…"

"Huh? Alright… why though?"

"Like I said… I shouldn't meet with the other me… the other reason is that I remember something about Ericchi in this timeline…and I fully doubt you want to meet her…"

"Alright…" I stopped for a moment to start attempting to climb. Funny thing is that the loose stone seems to be a lot more setting than something natural. Did someone actually design it like this? Maybe the builder did?

"I'll meet you up there— meanwhile, I'll try to warn you if there's anyone that we need to be alarmed of…so, good luck climbing, ok?" Nozomi said before I see her dashing all the way up.

"O-Oi! W-What about the light?!"

It takes a while for me to reach close to the surface,

As I lift the heavy lid—it's not really heavy after getting the power from Nozomi, I could see the Tanuki Nozomi—the one that is supposed to be my companion sitting on my exit. She wags her tail cheerfully.

"Phssstt…Nozomi…" I whispered.

"Shush, Nikocchi. Be quiet…"

"Huh!? I need to get out…" I said.

"Someone is still here… so shut that lid and wait for my signal…"

I did what she asked…

Then I could hear a faint noise from outside.

"Ericchi! Why did you agreed to it?! You could've said no!"

"I don't want anything to happen to you… I want to protect you…"

"I don't need such kind of protection! Honoka is our only hope right now—she is the only one that's left… after you-…."

"I don't need Honoka… I don't need anyone to be my hope but you…" Eli cuts in.

"Ericchi…."

This sounds like a dramatic event…huh?

"Nozomi… listen…. I want everyone to be alive…and happy… no matter how much it costs… I'll do it as long as I have you… understand?"

"But… you clearly killed Maki, Rin, Umi and Kotori too, now you left Honoka in trouble…"

"I will let her survive to do her sacrifice…along with her family debt… We all know that this kind of betrayal is always the one that causes one clan to crumble into ruins, this timeline is hopeless, so all I wanted to do here now is to milk out all the power I could get… including the one from you…"

"E-Ericchi!? W-What do you mean?!"

"Nozomi… let's make some love…"

"I'm not in the mood right now! Not with someone who is willing to murder everyone just to milk out their power!"

"Just…relax… I'm not going to kill you… you know how much I love you Honey….and… as long as those boxes are destroyed, no one will stop us from doing whatever we want. We will make love until we drop and continue the next day until eternity…"

"You're disgusting, Ericchi! Snap out of it!"

"Nozomi!"

I could hear footsteps coming closer and closer… though the first set of footsteps doesn't seem to come here… though the second set…..

"C-Crap!" Tanuki Nozomi quickly opened the lid and sneaks in.

"N-Nikochi! H-Hide me!"

"W-What?!"

"This is what I remember about Ericchi— her sanity has dropped below zero and I can't get it back up…"

"O-Okay?"

"J-Just! Hide me! Anywhere!"

I quickly jump back down—and I could hear something squish…like flesh….

This is going to be very disgusting…Now I don't feel like I want to open my eyes when I feel like I'll be able to see things below me in detail...

I quickly lay down on the ground, letting Nozomi hide under my body.

Urgh… everything smells like shit…honestly…

This is so disgusting….

"Nozomi….!" Eli's voice is getting closer.

This is so… intense…

Please don't check inside the pit…

"Nozomi!" she called out again..

For a moment, I couldn't hear anything…

Until suddenly she opened the lid of the pit so quickly,

"Nozomi…. I can smell you from here…" she said.

She is just bluffing…

She can't smell her scent among these…stinky smell…

…I could hear her chuckling madly,

"My love…my honey…come to me… I'll put you in the euphoria swing…"

I have a really bad feeling about this…she does sound insane…

And then I can feel her groping my legs…

"Hmm…your body warmth will never lie to me….i can sense blood running in you…" she said.

"No…this won't do it… Run Nikocchi!" Nozomi suddenly pops out of her hiding.

"Nozomi!" Eli shouted before she attempted to catch Nozomi.

I quickly got up and climbed all the way up.

I was about to look at Nozomi—and forgot that I shouldn't look down…

The place where I thought I've sat on before… I see Maki with her neck slit and her body ravaged open…

That's the most terrible sight I have ever seen..

I…. I can't believe I saw it…

"Run—Nikocchi!" Nozomi tried to remind me.

"Ah—!" and she was grabbed by Eli so roughly by her neck before I could see the lights that dispelled her disguise. She turned back to her humanoid form.

"Run!" she shouted again and that was the time I actually did it before I could hear the sound of clothes being ripped down so roughly.


This is so scary,

With blood covered all over my body—and this stinky odor….i doubt I can be as stealthy as I usually am. Then without Nozomi…

Gosh…

I wonder what will come of her… being forced by someone she knows very well inside that pit…

This future is insane…

And that image of Maki lying dead like that…

It makes me so sad and hurt….

Where the hell is Honoka that they said to be the last hope?

I keep moving through the building, avoiding myself from getting any closer to anyone since I smelled so bad. The dogs are barking at me— of course it's bad if anyone realized that, but I'm glad they just thought that the dogs are being random…

Stupid people…

As always…

By the way….

This place seemed to be strangely old but familiar…

I feel like this place is the right era for me, but… I remember I wasn't in this era before this insanity…

I keep searching through the buildings—noticed that a few men are fighting with their weapons. They who died are left behind and they who live are struggling endlessly. I could see a woman with decent looking costume dead with a few knives pierced on her back, then a girl who seemed to be younger than me, left dead and hanging on the stairs.

Are they the actual owner of this fortress?

If they are, then they probably are the Kousaka-clan…

As I keep moving, I found one man with decent fashion— but I guess there's no point of being stylish after being beheaded. Scanning the man some more I spot a destroyed red box in his hand…

The box seems familiar to me…

Could that be…..?

The leader?!

This chaos… was purely from betrayal of a member?!

Crazy!

Once again I kept going…until I come across someone crying in the dark corner of the hall. No one is here to fight as they're all lifeless already… either way; this someone is the one we're looking for…

"Oi…Honoka…" I called her.

She turns her eyes to me,

"N-Niko-chan?! Didn't you die?!" she asked between her sobs.

"Maybe I'm a ghost now—but that's not the point, why are you sulking here, huh?!" I asked.

"This is the end… it was all because of me…." she said.

"What did you do?" I asked.

She turns her eyes away,

"I just want everyone to be happy… but I didn't expect it to turn like this…"

"…how could that cause something like this, huh? Tell me…" I asked.

"I…I was just telling that everyone can make a wish to defeat the enemy… something to motivate them…. but… they started to kill each other and called out everyone as a betrayer…. Then they made everyone an enemy and….this happened…. Everyone wanted those red boxes so that they can make wishes. Everyone also wished to be able to make wishes comes true— the wild wish makers were born and now they also started to travel everywhere…"

"Huh!? That only can cause this chaos?! This is bullshit…"

"I know… I shouldn't exist in this world… I am the cause of this…" she said sadly.

"What are you saying, you idiot! Instead of being all sullen about it, start thinking of something to fix it!"

"Is it ok for me to wish that your father never found out about the wish makers?"

"W-What?!"

So that's from her wish, huh?

"I wish your father died instead of successfully discovering it. I wish Rin-chan's family was never rich enough to purchase wishes…"

"W-Why are you blaming this on us now, huh?! Are you a retard?!" I yelled.

"Because they are the ones at fault, in fact, out of all of us… your father was the one who found the wish makers and gave it to my father and Rin-chan's father… then we were the ones to abuses its power… and I am the one who introduced this to the world… now that everyone knows… everyone wants them…. everyone wishes from them… Eli-chan has dropped her sanity level below zero and Nozomi-chan just refuses to cooperate with anyone to keep herself sane…"

"W-What's with this sanity level, huh?!" I asked.

"I wouldn't know! I only know that the only way to stop her is to pay her!"

"Screw about paying her, she has gone insane and there's nothing we can do! There must be another way to do this, huh?!"

"I'm sorry…Niko-chan… but… We all paid Eli-chan with souls… supposed to be…. though nothing is left but me as the only one soul that my father treasures… There's no other way…"

"We can reverse the time with Nozomi! So you don't have to wish all the wishes that you had before! Heck! I believe Nozomi will reverse the time without even being requested! So just stay here and fix this mess when the past returns, ok?!"

"When…the past returns….?"

"Yes! I'm telling you, I came from an alternate reality, not the real Niko here! Your wish is the one that caused my reality to happen.. hell, you're the one who introduced me to wish makers in that reality and I don't understand why you even did that… but either way! Try to not wish that this time… let Nozomi reverse the timeline without the existence of that wish, ok?!"

She remained quiet for a moment, and then she shook her head.

"No… if I never wish for that, your reality will never exist…"

T...True…. but….

"I can't fix this… you're the one who can…Niko-chan…. please fix it in the alternate reality so that everyone can have a happy end…"

As she said that, I see a big shadows come up behind me,

I quickly turned around and a grim-reaper— a scary big grim-reaper approached us,

"Kousaka Honoka! Your debt has gone due! It's time for you to face your end!"

"I know!" Honoka shouted,

This is… crazy…

"Say your last wish!" the grim reaper said.

I really think that my existence in an alternate reality was just her excuse of her hopeless brain… she just thinks that she can't fix it… but I know that she can— and…even Nozomi said she is the only hope as well…

I know she can do it!

She just doesn't want to do it because she's probably scared that she will screw up!

"I wish—…"

"Wait!" I cut in.

Honoka paused,

"Try wishing for the time to reverse instead! But have me remember about this reality! Then maybe I can do something to fix this! You do believe in me, right?!"

Honoka remained quiet as her eyes looked into me sincerely, and then she nodded in agreement…

"I wish to reverse the time, but let Niko have the memory about this so she can fix everything!"

Though nothing seemed to happen,

"Your wish can't be done, you greedy human being! This reality will never be alternated!" he attempted to swing his scythe at Honoka— though we both quickly crouched to dodge it,

This is a bad time to stay,

Before anything else happens, I quickly pulled Honoka to run with me,

"W-whoa-whoa! Niko-chan!?"

"That kind of creature is not a wish maker, they are only willing to fulfill desperate wishes! Let's look for Nozomi in this reality!" I said.

"Nozomi…in this reality?"

"Yep— because let me tell you, the one that I brought with is currently busy with someone else, so let's look for the one that is here!"

"W-Whoa… O..Ok?! Then let's go to the rice-field! We may as well find Hanayo-chan there to help us!"

"Hanayo is still here?!"

"Y-yeah…she is Rin-chan's wish maker after all, even though Rin-chan might dead, I'm sure Hanayo-chan will still stay around to try and fix this nightmare for her!"

"Then, let's go!"


We keep running through the fortress,

It was really difficult to pass through as some people just didn't care about anyone or anything anymore. They keep killing others wildly while I also could see some reapers going around, taking care of those people. There's one for ourselves but he really is the only one we should be worried of…

The fact that he moves pretty fast already scares us— and the other fact is that he floats, which makes us runs like hell.

Seriously…

I really hate this reality…

But at least I'm glad I could stop something from happening…

That's one task down, isn't it?

As we keep running to the exit—heading to the rice field immediately, we noticed that the grim reaper stopped chasing us and turned his back away from us. Though we still keep running just in case…

Until we finally reached where Hanayo stood— and she seemed to be crying…

"Ah…Niko-chan..Honoka-chan…" she wiped her own tears,

"You're here… so that means we will reverse the time soon?" she said.

"Huh?! You're saying it like you know what we're planning to do!"

"Hehe… this reality has been repeated over and over… this reality is where I, Nozomi and Eli-chan are the only survivors. We will have memories of this time line for long…" she replied.

"Then why would you cry if you already repeated them, huh?"

"It's still sad to know… because we are already doing our best to stay united, yet we're still crushed so badly…" she said sadly.

Honoka remain quiet as she clenches her fist,

I know she is really burdened by this, but…

"Just stay positive! I'm here! I'll fix this!" I said loudly.

"Hehe—thank you, Niko-chan… no matter how much time I heard that from you… it's still nice…"

"Huh!?"

"Let me guess, you're the alternate reality Niko-chan, right?"

"W-well…yeah?"

"Figured… You always been the part of this timeline…."

W-What?!

"Then… there should be two Nozomi-chans right now, the alternate reality and the present… the alternate reality Nozomi-chan should be in the death pit to hold the present Eli-chan, right?"

W-what the hell!?

"That's how it always been… there will be nothing different… and Honoka-chan, you will make your wish from me out of your desperation again, then that will be just before an army of reapers come after you…"

"W-whoa?! Army of reapers?!" Honoka exclaimed.

"Yup… and that will buy us some time before Nozomi-chan is able to reverse the time…"

W-wow…. Now I wonder what those reapers exactly are..

"Oh—then, Niko-chan, you will ask what those reapers exactly are… well to put it simply…they are the original hunters…"

"W-What the heck?"

"Yup, the original hunters are meant to hunt those who couldn't pay their debts… not the wish makers…"

"I…I see…."

"and then… Nozomi-chan! Welcome!" Hanayo said cheerfully as she turned to a direction,

Nozomi approached, she seemed to look glum…

"Thank you…" she replied sadly.

"So we're here again… to do this again… right?"

"Most likely…." Hanayo replied sadly.

"I'll have to apologize and thank the alternate reality me for holding her… but Ericchi is too much for me right now… she will never give me a break… her stamina is limitless in this timeline…"

She should be glad that Eli doesn't have any 'spear' between her legs…

Or maybe she does have it in this timeline?

I was about to ask about what we should do, but… I should ask this instead,

"Hey, did you know that Eli in my alternate universe will have what men have between their legs?" I asked.

"E-eh? No way… that's…. wait….." Nozomi lifted her eyebrow,

"That's new to me…" Hanayo said with her flustered face.

"Yes.. that's new to me too…" Nozomi said.

"My alternate reality might be different than the alternate reality you are thinking of, I came from the age where cars and telephones are already invented…" I said.

"Oh… that's…. that's different…" Nozomi said.

"Then maybe we have hope this time!" I said.

"…B-By the way, sorry to break this but… I feel a chill down my spine… are the reapers coming for me?" Honoka asked,

"They probably are soon…" Hanayo said.

"I'll channel for the reverse time now…" Nozomi said as she started to meditate.

Damn it… the reapers are actually coming in an army?

This is bad, huh? But we will reverse the time again… at least…

Oh, but, what if we just try to reverse but into a different universe?

Maybe that's not the case though… The mistake that caused me to travel here is because I gave out my red box to someone else… I still don't understand why Nozomi always do so... but, maybe… I really shouldn't give that red box to anyone.

If only I could just reverse that there….

W-wait!

"N-Nozomi! You just need to reverse to the time before I give that box to anyone!" I said.

"B-but…that red box has never been yours, it was always owned by your father—and you just suggest the box to be placed in shared treasury, either way, we did try to reverse there and that box will still be stolen and destroyed no matter how it is… unless, you mean that the box in your reality is owned by you…?" Nozomi said as she started to channel the reverse time.

"Yes! I mean that!"

"Then, you will have to wish that to the alternate reality me… I don't know when or how it actually happened…."

"W-whoa! The reapers are coming!" Honoka shouted.

I could see an army of grim reapers coming toward us.

"T-Then! Just reverse it before the alternate you gets caught by the present Eli! Just remember to let yourself be caught instead of her, ok!?"

"Honoka-chan! Let's run now! We need to buy some time!" Hanayo shouted.

"Understood!"

Honoka and Hanayo started to run, and then the army seemed to be changing their direction immediately to catch up with them.

"Nikochi! Be ready, ok?!"

"Bring it on!"


Once again,

It was dark and damp.

I sat on the same pit once again…

I know who I sat on right now, but…

I don't care… I'm not going to let this reality happen in my reality. I know it's heartbreaking to see it… but I know it's not going to do anything to me if I keep sulking about it… I have to keep going so I can try and change this…

The dead bodies in the pit are surely scary, though it will be much scarier if I let that actually happen. I try to endure all the stench in this place, also Nozomi that I held onto right now…

"Nikocchi… I wonder why you reversed the time here? We could've gone further back.." Nozomi said,

"Nozomi, I need you to cooperate with me, I really want you to reverse back to the time before I gave away that box to someone else…"

"Is that so?"

"Yes…"

"Then, I'll have to get going to somewhere else… I can't focus with all these smell and I don't have enough power to overcome it…"

"Escape again then, huh?"

"Yup, exactly…"

And then we could hear someone coming by,

"Ericchi… listen, I really want you to stop acting like this, ok? You can do whatever you want to me, but don't go any further!"

"Are you hiding anything from me?"

"No…of course not! I'm not hiding anything from you, darling…"

"Don't you darling me! You're hiding something!"

"Ah!" I could hear something being slammed roughly against the wooden wall.

This is really unpredictable… Eli is really unstable here…

"I wonder if she remembers anything about this in our reality…" I whispered to Nozomi.

"No… she doesn't… after all, we lost her long before this event occurred…" Nozomi replied.

"Huh? Ok…"

"Don't tell her, ok? She'll be stressed if she knows that she did that kind of thing to me…"

"Why would I tell anything about this anyway…."

"Shush, Nikocchi… they're getting closer…"

"O..ok…"

"Ericchi! Where are you taking me?!"

I could only hear a maniac laughter followed by a loud thump nearby.

"I'm going to reveal everything from you!"

"Not here! Let's go somewhere else if you really want to do this!"

"Why? The dead will not beg for this lid to be opened…"

"It's uncomfortable here! Just— let's go to the bedroom..or somewhere…!"

Then I hear clothes being ripped off loudly.

"You think you can choose, huh?! This is your punishment for hiding something from me!"

"No!"

"Damn it…why do they have to end up there?!" I complained,

"Nikocchi! Lower your voice! Ericchi can hear it!" Nozomi whispered to me.

"Huh!? I highly doubt that, with that pervert busy—…"

And the lid suddenly opened,

"Wow… fuck…" I said as my eyes met with the fierce cold sapphire ones,

"You're alive…huh?" Eli sinisterly smiled at me,

"Shit…." I said.

"….don't worry… I will just take your precious soul then everything will be fixed completely by the time you close your eyes forever…." She is about to jump into the pit,

"You are not going to touch her!" The present Nozomi quickly grabbed Eli, doing her best pull her away.

"This is our chance!" the Nozomi that came with me said as she looked at me with full of expectation.

"Right!" I said before I quickly climbed the pit and escaped along with Nozomi,

For a moment there I looked back to see how the present Nozomi was doing, she was holding Eli with tears in her eyes while Eli seems to be struggling to chase after me.

"Nikocchi!" the other Nozomi called me.

"I know… Sorry…"


We headed to a forest,

A lush forest with a huge cave nearby..

We took our time to take some breath…

Hopefully Eli will not try to catch up here….

"This is why I shouldn't meet with the other me…" Nozomi said,

"Huh?" I looked at her,

"There should be only one of us that would be in trouble… now that we both are in trouble… I highly doubt we can do this smoothly…" she said.

"I hope you're wrong… this is really one heck of a problem, you know? How did we end up like this anyway?!"

"All started from simple wishes then followed by selfish desires, and lastly, ended with betrayal…as simple as that…"

"Right… we're criminal organizations after all, huh? We take everything at our own will…. Tch…. This is why I hate it from the depths of my heart…."

"On the positive side, they make the world a bit more colorful… seriously though, it's not about that, you know… it's about keeping loyalty… even an organization who works in justice could end up like this if they're greedy enough…"

"Heh, alright…" I sighed,

"Let's get in the cave, maybe I can focus there…"

We traveled through the cave,

Nozomi said she wanted to go to the depths because it's too revealing if we're doing it on the surface. The cave is cold, but at least it looked nice as there are so many crystals stuck in the rocky walls.

When we reached the depths of the cave— which looked like a big hall of crystals, we could see two figure resting below..

"Could that be….?" Nozomi seemed to be alarmed,

"What?" I tried to ask,

Nozomi just run down to the lower floor without even saying a single word.

"W-wait for me!" I quickly run after her.

When we got closer, I could see Kotori wounded badly, she has a pair of black wings behind her back, feathers scattered around as Umi held onto her. Nozomi and I hid behind a big rock to listen to their conversation…

"Kotori… I'm sorry… I couldn't protect anyone…" she sobbed,

"It's fine…Umi-chan… stop being so worried about it… just trust me, this is just a small part of the world…"

"If only… if only I could kill her before she gets you…."

"Hehe. You're a worrywart…. You're also the one who caused her to turn like that, you know…"

"How could that be my fault? It was her own fault to let everyone make a wish to her… so of course that's her fault too for completely losing her sanity…. She should've known that greedy wishes aren't meant to be fulfilled… now all the corruption flows in her, no one can stop her…"

"You should've known well that Eli-chan is stingy when it comes to wish… don't you think it's strange when she ends up generous all of a sudden?"

"I…I know…."

"She wanted all of us to stay pure… she is sacrificing herself…as always…. She is like everyone's mother… or father if that fits the role better…." Kotori said with a giggle,

"…I wish Nozomi knew about this…"

"She knows everything….." Kotori said.

"I don't…." Nozomi whispers to herself.

"…and I wish Honoka knew that it's not about the payment, it's about what everyone wishes…"

"I'm sure Honoka-chan knows the best for all of us, Umi-chan… she is our Honoka-chan after all…"

"You're trusting her too much…"

"You're doubting her too much…." Kotori smiled weakly,

Umi sighed heavily.

"I still refuse to let this happen… I really want to reverse the timeline and stop all this madness…."

"Excuse me!" Nozomi suddenly being polite as she walked out from hiding,

"N-Nozomi?" Umi frowned,

"I'm sorry that I couldn't stop her… I don't even know that she left you two alive like this…"

"Sorry but we're barely alive! We managed to escape before she crushed our heads with those claws like how she killed Rin and Niko!"

E-Eh?! I was killed by Eli too in this timeline?!

Wow…

"I know… Maki was also killed the same way…and I also know that I can only watch as it happens… but I destroyed the box after that one last wish made by Hiro and Hira!"

Hiro…and Hira? Have I heard that name before?

"They are the brain of this betrayal, I know… but everyone now lost their minds as none of them can make any wishes!"

"Why didn't you do that before Eli went insane like that, huh?!" Umi shouted.

"Those boxes were actually something important to us, that's why I would like to keep it if we could…and…we just wanted to do what Honoka wants…. but I just didn't know that it would turn out like this… I know this is all too late, but, I just want to apologize for not knowing this side of story…."

"You are just making excuses! This is all your and Eli's fault! If only you two were never proud of being wish makers, those people will never know! Honoka will never have the idea of granting everyone's wishes!"

"Blaming it on us will not do anything… and to put that aside, Umi… I just heard you say that you want to reverse the time…. I can do it—of course, but… I want you to cooperate with us to change the future!"

"The only way to change the future is to make you be gone from every single history!" Umi said loudly while she stood from her place–letting Kotori lay down on the ground as she called Umi softly to hold her back. No one can hear that though… I only guessed from her lip movement.

"You're being ridiculous! You and your anger will not fix anything either, you know!"

"Listen to me!" Nozomi tried to reason.

"I'm not going to listen to you!" Umi shouted loudly with full of anger,

I'm scared to step out… but… I feel like I have to do it!

"Hey!" I said loudly,

Umi and Nozomi look at me,

"If you don't want to listen to her, then you better listen to me!" I said.

"Who…the hell… are you?!" Umi walks closer to me,

"Don't hurt her!" Nozomi said as she pulled Umi away from me,

Without a word Umi punches Nozomi roughly,

"That's also what I said as your stupid lover harmed Kotori! Yet she took the liberty to do it!"

"Nikocchi has nothing to do with this!"

"Kotori also has nothing to do with Eli wanting to have more power for whatever thing she is after!"

"Oh! Come on! Ericchi just loses her mind, ok? She will take anything she wants! You can't blame her!"

"That's also what every single criminal said to let their friend escape from punishment! But I'm not going to buy that!" Umi's voice starts to get heavier…

I don't like this…

What's happening to her?

"O-Oi! Eli is not even here right now and it's not even about Eli! It's about me, ok?!" I said.

"Silence! Everyone knows Niko has died and a decoy like you will never fool me!" Umi shouted so loudly before she suddenly turned into a huge blue dragon.

This is bad…

But maybe…

"Umi! Listen! Before you lose your mind too and I know you don't want to hear from us, please hear out what Kotori wants to say to you!" I shouted.

Umi seem to put that into consideration as she turns her face to Kotori. Kotori seemed to want to say something… though…her voice is too small and she just…coughed out some blood…

Uh…I guess I just made it worse…

Kotori closes her eyes as her body disappears, fading into a black fog.

Umi roared so loudly that it almost breaks our ear drums…

We're seriously in trouble, huh?

"N-Nikocchi! Let's run again!"

"W-what?! You can't fight her?!" I asked.

"No way! I can't fight a dragon! Especially when that dragon is Umi-chan!"

And with another roar before a spike of ice breath almost fall down upon us, Nozomi and I decided to run like hell.


I don't know how much time I've spent by running away today,

But seriously…we're so in trouble….

Why do I have to keep running like this? I mean… I know I'm good at this but doesn't mean that I can do this all day!

If only I actually get something from all the running I've done today! Other than my safety of course!

"I can take that!" Nozomi suddenly said,

"Huh!?"

"You can pay me with every running you do from now on.. is that good?"

"W-What?! But…why?!"

"No time to explain, but I'll just apply that in the contract, ok?!"

"W-what do you think I am?! Huh?! A running athlete?!" I yelled.

"I'm going to somehow take her away, ok!? Just keep running!" she said.

No time to argue I suppose.

We really have to save our asses from her.

It's really hard because other than her tremendous range, she also moves quickly like her weight is nothing to care about.

Crazy…

When we almost reached the cave entrance….

"Here we go… Nikocchi! Just run as fast as you can to pass through the entrance, ok?!"

"Got it!"

And I keep moving my feet faster and faster…

Nozomi prepared to cast her spell and a light portal suddenly appeared somewhere outside.

"Over here, Nikocchi!" Nozomi quickly pulled me away towards the left, allowing both of us to hide behind the stone wall of the entrance. The Blue Dragon— or let's say, Umi got sucked into the light portal before it closes.

"Phew…"

"Heh—I feel like that's not my first time dealing with a dragon…" I said.

"I can't believe she just automatically assumed you as my decoy… she should've known I wouldn't do such things… Who needs a decoy anyway?" Nozomi said.

"What is this decoy you're talking about, huh?"

"It's just a copy of someone, of course. But for us, it's easier to make a decoy of our master because we are holding onto their soul… we usually use that decoy if our master is restricted to some household rule or something since...not every one of our masters are free from them, you know."

"I see… but...then, can you control the decoy?"

"Yup, we can… and it's easy to tell between a decoy or not—a decoy usually has a trait that is owned by the creator... so…for example, if I make your decoy, your decoy will smell like me…or something like that…"

"Sometimes I wonder, what smell you possess until someone knows you from your scent…" I smirked,

She chuckled,

"Sadly, only Ericchi can tell the difference, she has always smelled it every night so…yup…"

"Uh…alright…so she is the only one who can actually tell if it's your decoy or not…" I raised my eyebrow.

"Yup, we're as perfect as that… but that also means that I'm doomed if I have to fight against her…"

"I can totally see that…"

"Now..now… where were we before?" Nozomi said as she stretched,

"We need to reverse the time…" I said.

"Ohhh…right… let's go do that…."


We returned to the lower floor,

I know this is a little awkward to remember that we just saw Kotori-chan dying there… but….

Heh— we will fix that….

As long as we know something out of it….

I waited for Nozomi to do something, but I can't even see her do anything but meditating right now.

"Oi… do you need to meditate? I doubt we have that much time…huh?"

"Shut up, Nikocchi… I'm trying to focus!"

"You're taking too long, you know… I'm starting to be hungry!" I said.

"Then, go hunt for food.. There should be a dragon's den somewhere further…."

"What?! Do you think I will be able to eat them?! Sheesh!"

"I can't waste anymore magic, Nikocchi! I just wasted half of it to open that portal!"

"Now that you mention it! Where is that portal leading to?!"

"I don't know, but it should be somewhere to the past…"

Seriously?

But…eh… that dragon is somewhat familiar…

I believe….

Wait….

If that dragon is the same dragon… then… Umi killed herself?!

A suicide?!

No….

No wait… maybe that's not the same Umi after all…Umi from the alternate reality and Umi from the present… but maybe that's not the actual case?

I mean..if that's the actual case.. Then shouldn't the alternate reality Umi know about it? Why would she kill herself?!

Urgh…my head hurts from thinking about this…

Hmm… then, about that Kotori… with a pair of black wings….

She certainly is a crow…but… what is her role in the reality I belong to?

Why did she ask for the red box and all?

"Nikocchi!" Nozomi called.

"Huh?! What?"

"Can you run again for a bit?"

"W-what?! Why?"

"Just do it…." she said.

Eh—alright….

So I tried to run a few miles then return again…

"That won't do it…." she sighed.

"What are you even trying to do, huh?!" I asked.

"Uuuuh…. I need more magic powerrrrrr!" she whined.

"Hah?! Don't tell me you don't have enough to reverse the time?!"

She shook her head.

"This is all Maki-chan's fault! I'm getting so weak in this reality!" she pouts,

"What bullshit, she is not even here…" I said.

"Aaa—Nikocchi, you don't understand!" she puffed her cheeks at me,

"Then what can we do, huh? We need to reverse the time; I refuse to continue this reality!"

"Maybe we can return and meet with this reality's Ericchi, and then have some intimacy for a moment…"

"D-Do you think she will let you go after, huh?!"

"Uh…you're right… she will go on and on forever…." She replied sadly.

"Sheesh… think of something, will you?"

"Uhhhnn….. uhhh….." she started to think…

I sighed and turned my head in utter hopelessness until I see a light portal appear above her head, which grabbed even Nozomi's attention…

Someone is coming out of the portal... No... two person!

Hmm...

M…Maki? Eli?

"Ouch….Eli… you should work on the landing…." Maki said as she fell out of the portal.

Eli landed down so smoothly after she came out of the portal.

"Oops, sorry, I forgot you can't float…" she said.

"Urgh..Whatever now…" Maki turned her sight to me,

"Niko!" she smiled excitedly,

"M…Maki…." I was at a loss for words.

I don't know how happy I am right now, but just to look at her smiling makes me so happy… I…I really want to hug her…

"Niko!" She stood up, running at me,

"Maki!" I quickly ran and jumped at her.

She hugged me so tightly… it's so warm and…I can't even describe this feeling…

After all the nightmare experience…after I saw this reality's Maki in that pit… it really gave me so much horror…. But I know that I have to finish this so that we could fix it!

"Niko, are you alright?" she asked me sweetly,

"I…." something heavy suddenly came up to my throat, it's like… it's so hard to tell her that I'm fine…

"Waaaaaaaa!"

I started to cry instead.

"N-Niko!? W-What's wrong?!"

"Maki is an idiot! Why did it take you so long to come here?!" I yelled as I shove her.

"H-Huh?! I..I tried my best, ok?! I had to make a flawless performance to deliver as payment!" Maki yelled back at me.

"This is one hell of a reality, you know?! Waaaaaa!" I cried again,

"L-Look….I'm sorry ok? Like I said…I tried my best…" she replied.

"I'll forgive you…" I sobbed,

"But we will have to reverse the time back to our reality…" I continued.

"O..Ok? Then…what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Well…we should ask that to—…" I paused as I could no longer see Nozomi in her position…Eli isn't where she was either….

"Huh? Where are those two?" I lifted my eyebrow…

"Eli!" Maki called.

"I-I'm here Maki!" Eli replied… I don't know where she actually is…

"W-what are you doing behind that rock, huh?!" Maki replied as she turns her sight to a direction that I didn't even expect.

How could she be that good at detecting voices?

But…eh…that's Maki after all… she is so skilled at many things.

"U..uhm…. I'm…having a little discussion here…"

Discussion?

"What about Nozomi?" Maki asked.

"She is here too, don't worry!" Eli said..

Don't tell me…

"Oi! Nozomi! Don't tell me you're sucking right now! That's gross, you know!" I yelled.

Nozomi doesn't respond.

Though when I said that, I noticed Maki shiver slightly.

Sigh… what now. huh?

"What's with you now, huh?" I crossed my arm as I look into her,

She turned at me with her face as red as her hair,

"N-Niko-chan….I…" she grabs my shoulder.

"What? Don't tell me you're aroused by just knowing what they're currently doing!" I yelled.

"W-W-what?! O-Of course not!" She retorted.

"Good! You're still too young for this shit, so shut your eyes and go sleep or something!"

"Hah?! You can't tell me what to do!" she said.

"I can tell you what to do! I'm your senior!"

"Who cares?! I always do what I want! Besides! You haven't even grown your body— you can't just say you're older than me…"

"Would you just take a look at this green ribbon!" I showed her my ribbon,

"I'm your upperclassmen!" I yelled,

"I can always buy the green ribbon from school then say that I'm an upperclassmen!"

"S-Sorry to interrupt! But…I…I'm done…" Eli said.

"Too much information!" Maki and I yelled in unison.

"Ooh! Yess! The discussion just finished!" Nozomi appeared from behind the rock,

I can totally see something near her lips…

Gross…

"Now I'm very sure that I can reverse the—….." she paused.

"Eh….?" Nozomi started to look around.

"What's wrong?" Eli asked.

"Something is different here… I feel like there's a huge power aura heading this way…"

"H-Huh?! Don't tell me…. the reapers are after us too?!" I asked.

"No… it's like… someone used a wish power to change the time too…"

"W-what?!"

"Could that be, Hanayo?!" Eli asked,

"H-Hanayo-chan?!" Nozomi said loudly in her surprise,

Within seconds, I see the cave starting to crumble, though…something looks really different and strange… the stone slowly turned holographic and—…


See you next chapter lol.