Fifth Loop, Chapter 25 : もう一人の私 (The Other Me)

Is this it? The thought pierced through the chaos in his mind, raw and bitter. Is this how it all ends? After everything I've fought for?

His chest tightened as panic clawed at him. Memories flashed before his eyes—his companions, their sacrifices, the warmth of laughter shared around a campfire, and the unshakable bond he thought he shared with Izumi. All of it felt so distant now, slipping further from his grasp with each passing second.

And then, amidst the suffocating void, there was a flicker.

A spark of light appeared, faint and fragile, like the dying ember of a long-forgotten flame. It was so small, so insignificant, yet it refused to be snuffed out. A warmth spread through him, faint at first, but growing stronger with each heartbeat.

Then, he heard it—a sound so distant and soft it might have been a dream. Laughter.

It was gentle and light, carrying with it a sense of nostalgia so powerful that it made his heart ache. Daichi's breath hitched as a sensation rippled through him, not of pain, but of something he had thought he had lost forever.

A hand reached out to him from the light—a small, delicate hand, its touch warm and inviting. It tugged at him gently, urging him forward.

"Daichi, come on!"

The voice was faint, almost like a whisper carried on the wind, but it pierced through the darkness with startling clarity. It was familiar, achingly so, and it filled his chest with a bittersweet ache that threatened to overwhelm him.

His lips parted, his voice barely a breath. "That voice…"

The figure before him became clearer—a girl with an aura of radiant warmth. Her laughter rang out again, brighter this time, as she tugged on his hand with childlike enthusiasm. But her face… her face was a blur, her features slipping away as if they were hidden behind a veil of mist.

Daichi's heart clenched as he reached for her, his movements desperate and frantic. "Wait! Who… who are you? Please, don't leave me!"

The girl paused, her head tilting slightly as if considering his plea. For a brief moment, he thought she might stay, that she might answer him. But then, like smoke caught in the wind, her form began to dissolve.

"No!" he cried out, his voice breaking with anguish as she vanished before his eyes. His hand closed around empty air, the warmth of her presence fading as quickly as it had come. The laughter that had once filled the void was gone, leaving only silence in its wake.

The light disappeared, and with it, the world around him collapsed into nothingness once more.

When Daichi's eyes fluttered open, he found himself lying on a surface that felt impossibly smooth and cold. He pushed himself up weakly, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Beneath him stretched an endless expanse of shallow, glassy water, its surface reflecting his dim and fractured form like a broken mirror.

Above him was nothing but black—a vast, infinite void devoid of stars, light, or hope. The silence was deafening, pressing down on him with the weight of his own failures.

Daichi's body trembled as he sank to his knees, his reflection rippling in the water below. His voice was barely a whisper, raw and broken. "Is this the end?" he murmured, his words trembling with despair. "Did I… fail everything?"

The words echoed faintly in the emptiness, their sound swallowed by the void before he could even fully process them.

He clenched his fists, the cold water biting at his skin as hopelessness spread through his veins like ice. Memories of Alter Izumi's words haunted him, their weight dragging him further into despair. "This is for us. For you."

Daichi's lips trembled as his head dropped, his chin resting against his chest. "Izumi…" he whispered, his voice breaking. "Why? Why did it come to this? Was there something I missed? Something I could have done to save you?"

The void around him remained silent, offering no answers, no solace.

For what felt like an eternity, Daichi remained there, motionless, consumed by the weight of his own despair. His mind screamed at him to get up, to keep fighting, but his body refused to move.

And then, a single ripple spread across the water.

Daichi's head shot up, his eyes scanning the void. The ripple was faint, but it was there, cutting through the stillness like a heartbeat.

Something was out there—something calling to him.

His breathing steadied as a flicker of resolve sparked within him. The warmth of the girl's hand, her laughter, her presence—they hadn't been real, but they had reminded him of something important. Something he couldn't allow himself to forget.

He clenched his fists, his trembling fingers digging into the water below as he pushed himself to his feet. His legs wobbled, his body screaming in protest, but he refused to fall.

"No," he whispered, his voice gaining strength. "This isn't the end."

The void around him remained silent, but Daichi's gaze burned with newfound determination. "I'm not done yet," he said, his voice firm despite the cracks in it. "Not until I bring you back, Izumi. Not until I save you—no matter what it takes."

And in the distance, the faintest flicker of light appeared once more.

"Don't give up, Daichi. It's not over yet."

The voice shattered the oppressive quiet, cutting through the void like a beacon of light. Daichi's head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise. The tone was familiar, yet… different. It carried a weight of experience, of understanding that seemed to resonate deeply within him.

"Who's there?" Daichi called out, his voice trembling but desperate. "Who said that?"

Out of the shadows emerged a figure cloaked in flickering light. As the figure stepped closer, Daichi's heart froze, his breath caught in his throat. The man before him had his face, his posture—but the eyes, shadowed and weary, carried the burden of countless struggles.

"You…" Daichi's voice wavered as he took a step back. "You're me, aren't you? The one who sent me back to the present. Why are you here?"

The other Daichi—the older, battle-worn version of himself—nodded solemnly. His expression was a strange mix of resolve and sorrow. "Yes," he said quietly. "I am you. And yet, I'm not."

Daichi frowned, his mind racing. "What does that mean? How can you be me and not me?"

The other Daichi sighed, his gaze drifting to the endless void above them. "It's… complicated. When the universe was born, many different realms were created. In my world… everything fell apart."

Daichi's chest tightened as he listened, his hands curling into fists. "What do you mean? What happened in your world?"

The older Daichi's eyes darkened, his tone turning grim. "War. Chaos. The sky burned red, and the earth was reduced to ash. People I loved… people I swore to protect… they were taken from me. One by one." He paused, his voice trembling slightly. "Including her. Izumi."

Daichi staggered back, the mention of her name twisting like a knife in his chest. "Izumi?" he repeated, his voice breaking. "What does she have to do with this?"

The other Daichi's face twisted with pain, but he forced himself to speak. "The Izumi you're fighting now… she's not from your world, Daichi. She's from mine."

The words struck Daichi like a thunderclap. His legs threatened to give way beneath him as his mind reeled. "No… that can't be," he whispered, shaking his head. "Izumi… she's…" His voice faltered, unable to reconcile the kind, strong Izumi he knew with the relentless force of destruction he'd been fighting.

"She's broken," the other Daichi said softly, his voice heavy with grief. "In my universe, Izumi endured things no one should ever have to face. She fought to protect our world, just as you're doing now, but… in the end, the darkness consumed her. It twisted her, shattered her heart and mind until there was nothing left but pain." He paused, his voice breaking. "She lost everything, Daichi. And now, she believes the only way to find peace is to destroy everything. To erase it all."

The other Daichi closed his eyes, his expression a mixture of anguish and guilt. "Her determination was so strong that she was willing to shorten her own lifespan to travel across the multiverse. It shouldn't have happened at all. The forces that govern the multiverse weren't meant to be tampered with, but she defied them. Because of that, she left behind ripples—unstable phenomena that destabilize every universe she enters."

He opened his eyes, staring directly at Daichi with a somber intensity. "That's why the vanishing keeps happening in your universe. The fabric of your reality is unraveling because of her actions. Every time she tries to find what she believes is 'peace,' she tears apart another world."

Daichi clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "But why?" he asked, his voice trembling with anger and sorrow. "Why would she think that's the answer? Why would she do this?"

The other Daichi stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Daichi's shoulder. The touch was warm, grounding, and it brought a fleeting sense of comfort. "Because she's lost in the darkness. She can't see a way out. And in her despair, she's dragging you into it with her."

Daichi lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. "How do I stop her?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "She's too strong. Stronger than anything I've ever faced."

The older Daichi's eyes softened, a faint glimmer of hope returning to their depths. "That's why I'm here," he said. "I didn't just send you back to the present to fix your timeline. I've been working in the shadows, gathering the last remnants of energy from my dying universe. I saved every scrap of power I could, not for myself, but for you. To give you a fighting chance."

As he spoke, a soft glow surrounded Daichi's body. Warmth spread through his veins, chasing away the cold and the fear. The flower-like pattern in his eyes reignited, brighter and more vibrant than ever. Memories surged through him—laughter, hope, promises he'd made to protect those he loved. The weight of despair lifted, replaced by a renewed sense of purpose.

Daichi stared at his counterpart, his voice unsteady. "You've done so much already. But… what about you? Your universe—"

"My universe is gone," the other Daichi said firmly. "There's nothing left for me there. All that remains is me. And I've made my choice. I won't stand by and watch another world fall—not if I can help it."

Daichi blinked, his eyes widening. "You're… staying?"

"I'm not just staying," the older Daichi replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I'm fighting with you. Izumi was my world once, too. If there's even a chance she can be saved, I'll give everything I have to make it happen."

A lump formed in Daichi's throat, but he nodded, his resolve hardening. "Then let's do this. Together."

The void around them began to shift, the oppressive darkness giving way to a radiant light. Their combined energy surged, filling the space with warmth and power. Daichi looked at his counterpart, gratitude shining in his eyes.

"Thank you," he said softly. "For not giving up on me. On us."

The older Daichi smiled, his expression filled with determination. "Let's show her that there's still hope—no matter how far she's fallen."