Oomi
The chain of ships, like a great serpent, spun and coiled upward into the darkened sky, dancing as it went.
“Are they already entering the next world?”
I shouted to Rhone-san, my voice loud enough to rival the thunder.
“No. I told you, the move to the next world is tomorrow morning, once everyone is gathered. Until then, they’re being stored.”
Rhone-san’s voice was calm, yet it carried clearly.
“Stored…?”
Just then, another clap of thunder came from the sea—not from the sky, but clearly from beneath my feet. What happened to the lightning’s flash? Could there really be a sound that light couldn’t catch up with? Then, from beneath the sea’s surface—until moments ago bathed in sunset and rain, gleaming gold—rose a silver light bright enough to devour that gold.
My neck ached from staring up at the sky for so long. No—maybe I felt sick because I’d suddenly looked down. Or was it because the ship had begun to sway violently? Or because of the thunder rumbling up from deep within my gut? Or the blinding glare that made me dizzy? Probably all of it…
“Hey, you okay?”
Aochi-san steadied me by the shoulder. He looked pale himself.
Oze-san and Rhone-san both watched us with the same sad eyes. In that moment, I thought—they look alike. And then, suddenly, unease flooded me.
I could only stay standing by leaning on Aochi-san’s arm.
These two already knew who would be taken to the next world tomorrow. They’d spoken about it alone, inside the ship.
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No, no—I don’t want that. Help me.The thought that surfaced in my heart made me feel sick again. I couldn’t forgive myself for it. I wanted to destroy it.
But just for a moment—so strongly, even stronger than the thunder roaring now—I wished for it:
Tomorrow, only Aochi-san and I should go to the new world.
I couldn’t think about anyone else. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
As if to punish my hypocrisy, the lightning smoldering beneath my feet split the sea and showed its face.
Right between our ship and the island. I’d never seen lightning this close before, so I didn’t know if this was a normal size—but it was an enormous zigzagging pillar of light, so huge I could hardly believe my eyes. And not just one—more followed, one after another.
“This lightning won’t hit our ship, will it?”
Still holding me up, Aochi-san asked Rhone-san. I wanted him to think I was clinging to his arm out of fear.
“It won’t. The lightning knows it’s not our turn.”
Rhone-san had seen this sight many times before. His steady, sorrowful voice sounded like a song, with the thunder as its accompaniment.
The thunder rose from the sea toward the sky, accelerating like a firework launch, unending. When its light and sound reached their peak, the voice of the Harvester of Hearts rang out.
“Get inside, all of you.”
Why didn’t the Harvester’s voice get swallowed by the thunder? His lips barely seemed to move, yet the sound reached everyone on deck clearly.
Kaori-san was the first to take Silent-chan by the arm toward the entrance.
“I’m going to prepare to collect the hearts.”
With that, Rhone-san, too, vanished lightly into the ship.
Then Oze-san pulled Mamoru-kun—still clinging to Aochi-san—closer to himself, and called out to us.
“Hey, you two, get inside.”
“No.”
Holding Mamoru-kun’s hand, Oze-san looked at me as though I were a stranger.
“…Why?”
He asked in a dry voice.
“I’m going to stay here with Aochi-san and watch until the lightning disappears. You’re safe, Oze-san—do as you like.”
“That’s not… true. What’s wrong with you? The three of us are all still safe.”
“We—Aochi-san and I—don’t have much time left. I don’t know why, but I’m sure of it. Just leave us alone!”
I was saying something surprisingly harsh, but deep down, I wanted Oze-san to be hurt by it.
“Oomi, what’s going on?”
Aochi-san looked between me and Oze-san, troubled.
“It’s fine… I’ll be waiting inside. Be careful, okay?”
Murmuring that, Oze-san disappeared into the entrance through the rain. I kept watching his back go. Ah—had my body been under some kind of anesthetic until now? Because now my back felt so cold it hurt.
“Oomi…”
Even Aochi-san was at a loss for words.
“Because… Oze-san is—”
At that moment, light like the sun rising at full speed from the bottom of the sea poured out, and the white serpent of ships in the sky vanished.