Fifth Loop, Chapter 26 : 断片的な記憶 (Fragmented memories)

Daichi's mind still swirled with unanswered questions, like an endless storm. Yet one memory clung to him, haunting him like a fragile melody played on broken strings. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "Before I blacked out… I saw something. A girl… holding my hand. She looked at me like I was her whole world. Who was she? Why did it feel so real?"

The other Daichi's expression softened, his usually stoic demeanor breaking. His eyes reflected a bittersweet emotion that pierced Daichi's chest. "That wasn't an illusion," he said, his voice low but steady. "It was a memory. A fragment of your past, buried deep within your heart. Do you… want to remember it fully?"

Daichi's breath hitched. Fear and longing waged war in his chest, and he hesitated. Did he want to see it? What if it hurt even more than the emptiness he already felt? Yet the yearning to know the truth, to understand that girl and the warmth he felt in that fleeting moment, burned brighter than his doubts. His jaw tightened, and he met the other Daichi's gaze with resolve. "Yes. I need to know. I have to."

The other Daichi stepped closer, placing a steady hand on Daichi's forehead. His touch was surprisingly warm, grounding him in the surreal darkness of the void. "Brace yourself," he warned softly. "This memory is both a treasure and a wound. It may give you strength, but it will also remind you of what you've lost."

A surge of energy coursed through Daichi, and the oppressive emptiness around him dissolved like mist in the morning sun. The cold void gave way to a scene so vivid it almost stole his breath.

Daichi stood beneath the vibrant canopy of a cherry blossom tree, its pale petals fluttering in the gentle breeze. The sweet scent of blooming flowers filled the air, and the world around him seemed bathed in a warm, golden glow. He blinked, disoriented. His fingers brushed against soft grass, and when he looked down, he realized he was sitting on a picnic mat, a basket of untouched treats beside him.

"What… where am I?" he murmured, his voice trembling as the scene wrapped around him like a tender embrace. "Is this… my memory?"

"Daichiii!"

A cheerful voice rang out, clear and bright like a bell. His head snapped up, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw her. A girl was running toward him, her hair swaying with each step. A simple ribbon tied her hair back, and her blue blouse shimmered softly in the light. She wasn't just beautiful—she was radiant. Her glasses framed sparkling eyes that shone with warmth, mischief, and something deeper. Something… familiar.

Daichi's lips moved, but his voice was barely a whisper. "Izumi…?" His chest tightened as emotions he couldn't name surged within him. "Is it really you?"

The girl stopped in her tracks, tilting her head in confusion. "Of course, it's me, silly," she said, hands on her hips as a playful grin spread across her face. "Who else would it be?"

His body moved before his mind could process it. He stumbled toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace, his arms trembling as he held her close. "I thought I lost you," he choked out, his voice raw. Tears spilled freely down his face as the warmth of her presence enveloped him. "I thought… you were gone forever."

Izumi froze for a moment, startled by his sudden embrace. But then, slowly, her arms wrapped around him, her touch gentle and comforting. "Daichi… what's gotten into you?" she asked softly, concern lacing her voice. "You're acting so strange. Did something happen?"

He shook his head against her shoulder, unwilling to let go. "No… nothing happened," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I'm just… so glad you're here."

She smiled faintly, though her worry lingered. She pulled back slightly, brushing a stray petal from his hair. "Well, of course I'm here, dummy. We're celebrating our anniversary together, remember? There's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. I promised we'd watch it together."

Her words hit him like a wave, and memories began flooding back. This moment—this perfect moment—was real. It had happened once, long ago, before everything fell apart. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced a smile. "Yeah… I remember now."

They sat together under the cherry blossom tree, the world around them alive with quiet beauty. As the first meteors streaked across the sky, Izumi's eyes lit up with wonder. She pointed excitedly. "Look, Daichi! Isn't it beautiful?"

A nostalgic smile formed on her lips as she turned to him. "Hey, Daichi… do you still remember the promise we made that day?" Her voice was soft, almost wistful, as if she were carefully pulling the memory from the depths of her heart. "You told me you would protect me—no matter what happened." She let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head slightly. "I still can't believe it's been almost fifteen years since the day I first met you."

Her amber eyes glimmered with warmth as she studied his face. He had changed so much over the years—his once-cold gaze had softened, and the distant, brooding aura he carried back then had long since faded. But deep down, she knew he was still the same Daichi she had come to cherish.

"You were so different back then," she continued, leaning back slightly as if reminiscing about their childhood. "Always keeping to yourself, barely speaking to anyone… To be honest, you kind of scared me at first." She giggled, nudging his arm playfully. "You had this really menacing vibe, you know?"

She paused for a moment before her voice softened. "But after spending time with you… I realized something. You weren't scary at all. You were just… lonely." Her fingers curled slightly over the fabric of her skirt as she smiled gently. "Beneath that quiet, intimidating side, you were the kindest person I had ever met. You just didn't know how to show it."

The night air wrapped around them like a quiet embrace, and Izumi let her words linger for a moment before glancing at him again. "And you know what? Even now, after all these years… I still believe in that promise you made." Her voice carried a quiet sincerity, filled with the trust she had in him.

She then gave him a warm, affectionate smile—the kind that made even the coldest nights feel like spring.

He turned to her, watching the light from the stars reflect in her glasses. She was so full of life, so unshakably her. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, how much he wished he could stay in this moment forever. But before he could find the words, his body betrayed him. Exhaustion claimed him, and he leaned against her shoulder, his eyes fluttering shut.

Izumi blinked, startled at first, but then her lips curved into a gentle smile. She brushed a strand of hair from his face and rested her head against his. "You've been acting so strange today, Daichi," she murmured. "But it's okay. I'm here. I will always be by your side, Daichi. Always."

When Daichi opened his eyes, the serene beauty of the cherry blossoms had vanished. In its place was chaos. The acrid stench of smoke filled his lungs, and the metallic taste of blood coated the air. His heart dropped as he looked down.

Izumi lay in his lap, lifeless. Her clothes was stained crimson, her glasses cracked and askew. The warmth she had radiated was gone.

"No… no, no, no…" Daichi's voice wavered, barely more than a whisper as his trembling hands cradled Izumi's fragile body. His entire world was collapsing around him, piece by piece, and he was powerless to stop it.

A cold dread coiled in his chest, suffocating him as he shook her gently. "Izumi… wake up. Please… Please don't do this to me…" His voice cracked, raw with desperation, his breath coming in short, uneven gasps. Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto her pale cheeks.

Her warmth was slipping away—slowly, painfully—fading like the last light of a dying sunset. "Don't leave me alone, Izumi," he choked out, his grip tightening as if holding onto her just a little longer could somehow change fate. His shoulders shook violently, his heart pounding so hard it hurt.

"You promised… you promised you'd stay…" His words barely made it past his quivering lips as he lowered his forehead against hers.

A voice sliced through the suffocating silence like a dagger. "It's over, Daichi."

The words were cold, final—devoid of sympathy. Shadows loomed over him, a circle of ten figures standing under the dim, flickering glow of a streetlamp. Their presence was suffocating, their gazes piercing through the thick air like vultures eyeing their prey.

One of them took a step forward, his tone laced with condescension. "You should have known the consequences of your actions, Daichi. Refusing to join us was a mistake."

Another voice, deeper, more authoritative, followed. "Now, decide. Will you die by the hands of The Judgment, or will you swear loyalty to us?" The man in the center tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable beneath the shadows. "Choose wisely, Daichi."

But Daichi didn't respond.

He sat motionless on the cold, bloodstained ground, his arms wrapped tightly around Izumi's lifeless body. The weight of her still form in his embrace was unbearable, an agonizing reminder of what he had just lost. His grip on her was firm, protective, as if shielding her even now—when it was already too late.

His breath was ragged, uneven, his fingers trembling against the fabric of her clothes. His mind was a storm—grief, rage, helplessness all colliding in a violent whirlwind. But in that chaos, one thing burned clearer than anything else.

Their voices.

Their faces.

Their names.

His lips parted, his voice barely above a whisper—but the sheer fury behind it was enough to send a chill through the air.

"Astra… Leo…"

His head lowered, his bangs casting shadows over his eyes. His entire body tensed, his muscles coiling like a beast ready to strike. Then—

A pulse.

A surge of raw, crimson energy erupted from his body, crackling through the air like wildfire. The ground beneath him trembled as the oppressive aura expanded, distorting the very space around him. Those people instinctively took a step back, eyes widening in shock.

The air grew heavy, suffocating. Daichi's once tear-streaked face was now masked in fury, his hands clenching into fists. The grief in his heart had not faded—it had simply transformed into something far more dangerous.

Daichi gasped as an unseen force wrenched him back into the endless void. A suffocating darkness swallowed him whole, its weight pressing down on his chest like an unbearable burden. His knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the unseen ground beneath him, his hands trembling as they pressed against the cold nothingness.

His breath came in ragged gasps, his mind reeling from the flood of memories crashing into him all at once—painful, vivid, inescapable.

"I… I remember it now…" His voice quivered, barely more than a whisper, as his wide eyes stared into the abyss before him.

Faces flickered through his mind like ghostly echoes—smiling, crying, calling his name. Those people. His past. Izumi. The images felt so real, so tangible, yet they had been locked away for so long, buried beneath an ocean of forgotten time.

A lump formed in his throat, his fingers curling into fists against the emptiness. His heart ached, raw and exposed.

"Izumi…" His voice cracked, sorrow threading through every syllable. "I can remember all of them now."

A bitter, hollow laugh escaped his lips—one filled with grief rather than mirth. "But it's too late, isn't it?" His words dissolved into the void, swallowed by the silence that loomed over him like a cruel reminder.

The past had returned to him.

But the person he longed for the most was no longer here to hear him remember.

"Your father, Professor Arata Takahara, foresaw the possibility of this happening. He created two androids based on you and Izumi, embedding your personalities within them. When the world fell, he transferred your consciousness into the androids, hoping to give you a second chance."

The other Daichi knelt beside him, his voice firm but gentle. "You made a mistake, Daichi. But this second chance isn't just a gift—it's a responsibility. What you do now will decide if their sacrifices meant something."

The void stretched infinitely around them, a silent and merciless witness to Daichi's anguish. His knees trembled as he stood, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Why… why did she have to die?" Daichi's voice wavered, the rawness of his grief seeping into every syllable. His gaze dropped, as though the weight of his sorrow was too much to bear. "She didn't deserve this… none of it…"

Across from him, Alter Daichi stood silently, his usually detached expression softened by something almost human—a reflection of shared pain. He stepped closer, resting a hand on Daichi's trembling shoulder. The gesture wasn't one of pity but of understanding.

"You can't change the past anymore," Alter Daichi said, his voice filled with quiet determination. "But you can honor her sacrifice. You still have a chance, Daichi. A chance to make things right. For her. For yourself. For the world."

"A second chance?" he murmured, his voice cracking under the strain. His head hung low, and his fists clenched against the unseen ground beneath him. "How… How am I supposed to fix all of this?"

He shut his eyes tightly, as though trying to block out the torrent of emotions threatening to consume him. "How do you undo destroying an entire world?" His voice trembled, rising with his frustration. "And Izumi… Alter Izumi—she can bend time. She's unstoppable. What could I possibly do against her? What am I supposed to do, huh?!"

The last words came out as a desperate cry, reverberating through the emptiness around him. Daichi's shoulders shook with the effort of holding back the tears that burned at the edges of his vision.

Alter Daichi watched him in silence, his golden eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. Slowly, he knelt in front of Daichi, lowering himself to his level. "Daichi," he said softly, his voice cutting through the oppressive silence like a lifeline. "Listen to me."

Daichi didn't respond, his head still bowed.

"You're not powerless," Alter Daichi continued, his tone growing firmer. "You've survived everything that's been thrown at you—everything. Not because it was easy, not because you were lucky, but because you're stronger than you think. And now…" He paused, his gaze softening. "Now, I'm going to give you what you need to finish this."

Daichi's head snapped up, his tear-streaked face a mixture of confusion and desperation. "What are you talking about? What could you possibly give me?"

Alter Daichi met his gaze without hesitation. "My power," he said simply.

Daichi froze. His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he couldn't find the words. "Your… power?" he repeated, his voice barely a whisper. "But… what happens to you?"

A faint, bittersweet smile tugged at the corner of Alter Daichi's lips. "I won't be gone," he replied, his tone gentle but resolute. "Not really. I'm not giving up my existence—I'm giving it to you. Daichi, we're the same person. This is where our paths finally come together."

The words hit Daichi like a thunderclap. His heart raced as realization dawned on him. "Together…? You mean… we'll become one?"

Alter Daichi nodded, his expression calm yet solemn. "Yes. This was always meant to happen. I've been walking this path for so long, carrying the weight of my failures, the mistakes I made. But you…" His voice softened, filled with an almost brotherly affection. "You've already learned what I couldn't. You've felt the cost of hesitation, of fear. You've seen what it means to lose everything."

Daichi's hands clenched at his sides as Alter Daichi's words struck a painful chord.

"That's why I trust you," Alter Daichi said, his gaze unwavering. "To do what I couldn't. To save her. To save everyone."

"Izumi…" Daichi whispered, his voice breaking at the mention of her name. Her face appeared in his mind unbidden—her radiant smile, the way her laughter seemed to fill the world with light. He could almost feel her hand in his, hear her voice calling his name. His chest tightened, a bittersweet ache spreading through him.

"But…" Daichi hesitated, his voice trembling. "What if I fail? What if I can't stop her? What if I make everything worse?"

"You won't," Alter Daichi said firmly, his voice steady as a rock. He placed a hand on Daichi's shoulder, his touch grounding him. "You've already faced the worst loss imaginable. You've carried that pain, that guilt. And yet, you're still here. That's why I know you won't fail. You've already made it further than I ever did. Trust in yourself, Daichi. And trust in me."

Daichi stared into Alter Daichi's eyes, and for the first time, he saw something he hadn't noticed before—not regret, not sorrow, but hope. A fierce, burning hope that refused to be extinguished.

Slowly, Daichi nodded. "Alright," he said, his voice steadying. "I'll do it. I'll save our world. I'll save Izumi. I won't let her sacrifice be in vain."

Alter Daichi's expression softened, and a faint smile curved his lips. "Good," he said quietly. "Then let's finish this. Together."

He took a step closer, his form beginning to shimmer with a faint, pulsating light. He placed both hands firmly on Daichi's shoulders, the warmth of his touch radiating through him. "This might feel a little strange," Alter Daichi said with a wry smile. "But trust me—it's worth it."

Before Daichi could respond, Alter Daichi's body began to dissolve into light, the energy flowing into Daichi like a river of molten fire. It wasn't painful, but it was overwhelming. Memories, emotions, and power surged through him in waves. He felt Alter Daichi's regrets, his struggles, his unrelenting determination.

But more than that, he felt his love for Izumi—the unyielding, all-consuming love that had driven him forward despite everything.

Blue and violet veins of energy began to pulse beneath Daichi's skin, spiraling and converging at his core. His chest glowed with a radiant light, brighter and warmer than anything he had ever felt. On his palm, a Leo's zodiac sign emerged, glowing with red aura.

As the last fragments of Alter Daichi's form dissolved, his voice echoed in Daichi's mind, calm yet resolute.

"You're not alone, Daichi. I'm with you now, always. You carry the strength of two worlds, the hopes of everyone we've lost. Fight for them. Fight for her."

Daichi opened his eyes, and the void around him began to shimmer, cracks of golden light spreading through the darkness. He placed a hand over his chest, feeling the steady, powerful pulse of energy within him. It wasn't just power—it was resolve.

"I won't fail," Daichi whispered, his voice steady and filled with determination. "Not this time."

The void shattered, the golden light flooding everything around him. As the world began to take shape once more, Daichi felt a sense of completeness he had never known. For the first time in his life, he wasn't just fighting for himself. He was fighting for everyone he had ever loved—and for a future worth saving.