Volume 13 - CH 4(3/4)
“S-Shido..........People stopped coming.”
“............W-What should we do?”
The salesgirls Tohka and Natsumi raised up their voices in a worried tone. Shidou was desperately trying to think of something.
“Something........Is there nothing we can do........!? If this continues..........!”
However, he could not think up any other effective method.
Meanwhile, the line in <Honjou-dou> continued to attract more people to buy their books without any interruption. Soon, one more of their remaining 4 boxes had become empty.
“Kuh.........What should we do.....!?”
In this case, Nia will finish selling the books faster. In other word-----Shidou and the others will lose the chance to seal Nia.
However, no matter how urgent it is, it wasn’t a good idea to keep his thoughts floating inside his mind. He can only look at the participants passing by while placing his hands on the table.
However, a moment later.
Someone gently takes Shidou’s hand, which was sinking in despair.
“Eh..........?”
Then, Shidou looked at the owner of that hand, ------Miku, she was smiling.
“Ufufu, giving up like this isn’t very like darling, you know~? The match still hasn’t finish yet. Rather, it’s just beginning.”
“Miku..........?”
Upon hearing Miku’s words, a big question popped up in Shidou’s mind. -------From the way she’s was speaking and her facial expressions, she was not trying to cheer Shidou’s up out of nothing.
Miku nodded a little and looked at Nia.
“Well then Nia-san, this is the match.”
After saying that, Miku pointed her fingered to Nia.
Upon looking at that action, Nia made a puzzled face.
“..........? Though I don’t know what you’re going to do, but won’t it be hard to catch up with this large difference from now on?”
“Ufufu, I wonder about that~. ------Hey Nia-san. You seemed to be captured by DEM for a long time, but do you know about SNS~?”
“Aah, it’s Social Networking Service, right? Of course, I know. I’m not the owner of an omniscient angel for nothing.”
“...........But you didn’t know about me, right~? Aren’t you not interested at all to investigate about me~? Is that so~?”
“............No, I’m sorry.”
Miku sounded like she was going to complain to Nia, but she swung her head to clear up her thoughts.
“Anyway! The SNS right now is a service used by more than half of the whole nation. -------Moreover, looking at the age-group of the people in this hall, don’t you think there are more people included in that percentage~?”
“..........! Miku, don’t tell me--------“
Kotori raised her voice as if realizing something. Quickly, she took out a smart phone from her pocket and begins operating on the screen for some reason.
A few seconds afterwards, Kotori chocked.
“H-Hey, Kotori. What happened?”
“This-“
Kotori showed the screen of the smart phone towards Shidou to answer him. Tohka, Yoshino and Origami, who were near him, also looked at the screen together.
What’s shown is the page of SNS, but......There’s Miku’s icon was on it and there’s a comment written down along it.
“Izayoi Miku: I’m helping out my friend’s circle in Comico, please come~! It’s on the East A-20.5 at Circle <Ratatoskr>, I will hand over the books with my hands and --------Photographs are Ok too~!”
“Wha........!? M-Miku?”
Shidou raised his eyes in surprised, Miku went *Nii* smiling, then *Ton!* she poked Shidou’s chest using her index finger.
“Looking at darling and everyone working so hard, I can’t just stand still without doing my best too. Because I’m also the same as Natsumi-san, I also want to be helpful for everyone.”
“Miku..........”
At the moment Miku lowered down her glance and then *Bang!* she turned her face towards Nia.
“That’s true that we’re no match with you if we use a straight method. That’s why we will create another shortcut to defeat you once and for all!”
Pointing her finger in provocative manner, she continued.
“Then, let me show you Nia-san. The power of woman you didn’t know about. And be sure to carve this inside your mind. My name------Izayoi Miku!”
And then Miku extended her hands as if she was performing an opera.
Who would have guessed that along with that action----------At the moment, from the entrance hall, there were a large number of footsteps that started to resound; it was just like the time when the opening had started.
“------------It’s Showtime!”
Miku lifted up her hand and snapped her fingers.
And then, a massive group people came into the hall and simultaneously rushed to the front of circle <Ratatoskr>.
“Wah! Isn’t that the real Miku-tan!?”
“Seriously, the original one!? Why in such a place..........!”
“Ah, I heard that you’ll handover the books with your own hands, is that true..........?”
A boy asked her nervously. Miku chocked for a moment upon seeing the figure of a man, but then she started smiling right away.
“Yes, that’s true~. Everyone, thank you very much for your support!”
“Uwoooooooooooooooooh!”
Upon hearing Miku’s words, all participants raised up their voices altogether in a shouting manner until their roar could be heard by everyone inside the hall. Then, they all started lining up in front of circle <Ratatoskr>.
“.............! Kaguya, Yuzuru! Please arrange the line! Kawagoe and the others help to supply the books and lead the participants who are going to pay!”
Kotori, who was taken aback for a second, returned to her commander mode and began ordering everyone again.
“Shidou, Tohka, Yoshino, Origami and me will continue being the cashier! Natsumi continue selling and hug Miku in order to prevent her physical condition from getting worn out!”
“Isn’t my role somewhat strange!?”
Although there’s one complaint being raised up, all Spirits went back to their respective work.
Upon looking at it, Nia knitted her eyebrow a little.
“Fuun........So she can really do that. That girl really is a celebrity after all.”
“...........Aah. Isn’t she’s amazing? She’s our prideful idol.”
“Don’t tell me, you’re not going to say that this is unfair?”
Shidou and Kotori looked at Nia while saying that, Nia shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
“Of course. But, can you catch up from now on?”
Nia sharpened her glance and lifted the tip of her lips. Shidou nodded to reassure her.
“........Obviously! We’ll overtake you for sure! It’s also for the sake of everyone who has already supported me! And for Nia too! It’s also for you sake..........”
And then Nia laughed while selling her books and replied back to him.
“Well thanks for that! But even if you say that, I won’t give you any discount~!”
“No problem! Because we’ll win for sure!”
“Ahahaha! That’s right, obviously! If you really can win, then------“
Then--------
Nia who was laughing earlier suddenly stopped her sentence.
For a moment, a big question floated inside Shidou’s mind------Then he realized the reason right away.
In Nia’s circle booth. Over there, a woman who was wearing thick glasses had come.
“T-Takajou-sensei........”
Nia gave out a dumbfounded voice.
Right. She’s the manga artist who Shidou and Kotori had a conversation with yesterday, Hiroki Takajou.
“Ahaha, it’s been a while Honjou-sensei. I heard that you’ll be participating in the circle exhibition after a long time, so I came.”
“Ah, that’s........Uhm, thank you......”
Just now, Nia’s facial expression suddenly took a different appearance from earlier.
“I’m sorry for suddenly coming. Please forgive me if I bothered you. But ......Can I ask you something?”
Takajou looked to Nia through the lens of her glasses. Nia awkwardly averted her gaze away.
“........Did I do something rude to you without my realization? If that’s the case, then please forgive me.”
After saying that, Takajou bended her body and bowed to Nia. After that, Nia seemed to be confused and averted her gaze away.
“S-Such thing......There’s no such thing!”
Nia gave out a high-pitch voice with a trembling tone.
It was quite different from Nia’s usual nonchalant tone.
“Is that so?”
Takajou widened her eyes. However, Nia replied her with a difficult face.
The silence continued for a while. Takajou judged that it wasn’t good to stop in front of Nia’s booth any longer. She let out a sigh and bought one copy of the book and bowed to Nia once again.
“Even if you hate me...........I.. I will still enjoy Honjou-sensei’s books.”
“Ah.........”
Nia seemed to about to say something to her, but in the very end she couldn’t continue her words for some reasons. Nia could only bow back to her.
“..........”
Upon looking at that scene, Shidou remembered that something feels off about the conversation he had with Takajou yesterday, but now he was sure about the reason.
“Nia.”
“...........! Aah, boy. It seems like I showed you something embarrassing. But the match is---“
“You........About that person, you like her, don’t you?”
“Huh!?”Upon hearing Shidou’s words, Nia widened her eyes in surprised.
“W-What are you saying, boy? I don’t have that kind of hobby-“
“No, that’s not what I mean. That person......How should I put it, as a friend?”
Right. Shidou remembered that it was the same sensation he felt yesterday.
Since Nia has the power of <Rasiel>, she became afraid of humans. That’s why Nia claimed that she depends on 2D that will never betray her. The end result caused her to become a manga artist.
However, there’s one thing that made her despair different from the other Spirit’s despair.
As Nia tried to stay inside human society, she kept the basic ability of communication with her.
Probably, that’s the reason why something that feels off.
Kotori guessed that Nia probably used <Rasiel>’s ability to investigate about Takajou and after founding out about her true character, Nia started keeping her distance from her.
However, Shidou felt differently though. If it was Nia, even if she knew the true character of her friends, she would still continue a dry relationship on the surface and just follow the flow---------And.
While thinking about that, one possibility floated inside Shidou’s mind.
“Nia, you........Perhaps, you’re scared?”
“Huh? W-What the—“
“If you become close to her like that, then one day you’ll become defeated by your own curiosity and use <Rasiel>---------But you didn’t want to get disappointed by the friend you finally created, so you decided to take some distant, right?”
Nia kept her silence for a moment upon hearing Shidou’s words, she turn away and continued selling the books.
“Haa, I don’t understand at all what boy is saying! Ah, it’s 500 Yen.”
“Then what’s with that earlier! If it’s you, generally you would still be able to interact with a person that you disliked!?-------Thank you very much!”
Both Nia and Shidou dealt with the participants while exchange glances........Somehow the scene has become an odd quarrel.
“You’re so noisy! Just focus on selling! ------The end of the line is over there!”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that! The reason why I wanted to win is because I wanted to save you! It’ll be meaningless if I leave this problem just like that! ------Yes, please take the book from over there!”
In response to Shidou’s words, Nia groaned out of irritation “Guuuuuuuuuuuh........!”.
And then because she cannot stop dealing with participants, Nia shouted as if cannot take it anymore.
“You’re right, what’s so bad about being scared! I’m also wanted to have friends! But it can’t be helped! Do you think someone with a super-efficient observation camera that can observe anyone all anytime time can have a friend!? ---That is 1000 Yen!”
Nia said that with a sullen face on her.
Upon hearing that, Shidou can feel the loneliness inside Nia’s heart.
Nia feared that she will lose to her own curiosity and end up investigating about her friends.......She also felt guilty over the fact that she could investigate everything about her friends as she pleased.
Having transcendental power similar to God had been the cause for her suffering. She isolated herself, since there was nobody similar to her. That is something that cannot be understood by people who don’t have a Spirit’s power.
However------Shidou shouted his voice in concerned tone.
“That’s... how can you know if you don’t try!”
"Ha! That's easier said than done! Let me ask you back Boy. If you know someone who can track you anytime no matter if you're in a toilet or taking a bath, and also be able to investigate into your past easily, do you think you can befriend them from the bottom of your heart!?"
Nia shouted back bitterly.
However, Shidou went blank for a while, and then he burst out into laughter.
“Haha............Hahahahahahahahahahaha!”
“W-What are you laughing about!?”
Nia asked while in a bewildered manner. Shidou let out a little sigh and brushed his hair up.
“---------Sorry, but I’ve already gotten use to that kind of person! Aah.........Now I get it already. You and I are really similar! Privacy!? What’s so good about it!? Or rather, you who keep worrying about those kind of stuff looks like an angel in my eyes!"
“H-Huh!?”
Nia knitted her eyebrow since she doesn’t understand at all what Shidou meant by that.
Upon looking at that expression, he continued speaking.
“If you want to take a look, then just do it! If you wanted to investigate about me, then do as you like! But still! I won’t hate you!”
“..................!”
Shidou continued shouting, as Nia struggled to make out a reply.
A few moments later, Nia grinded her teeth out of frustration and replied back to him.
“Huuuuuuuuuuh!? What are you even saying!? Don’t you think it would be me who would come to hate you if I investigate about you?”
The time progressed on as they kept quarreling with each other. The line of participants in front of circle <Ratatoskr> and <Honjou-dou> did not get any shorter. They still had to keep selling their books.
Though <Honjou-dou> had the advantage with the remaining stock, which was only 500 copies left. <Ratatoskr> had the advantage of the speed of their cashier, since they have more people with them.
Some people were selling the books; some people were arranging the line, and another one was getting hugged by an idol that was tired because of handing over the books. She shouted in protest as her eyes became teary.
In the middle of the enthusiasm, everyone had already accomplished their missions.
Then
“---------Thank you very much!”
Shidou and Nia, who both had finally sold their last book, shouted those words simultaneously. Their voices resounded inside the hall.
“............!”
“............!?”
Haa, Haa* Shidou was breathing heavily as he turned to look at Nia. And Nia also turned around towards Shidou at the same time.
Both parties looked extremely tired, as sweat was falling down from their foreheads despite it being the middle of winter. Nia’s glasses started to fog a little.
Then, after the two of them finished arranging their breaths, their voices resonated at the same time from <Ratatoskr> and <Honjou-dou>.
“<Ratatoskr>, sold out!”
“Honjou-dou>, sold out!”
Right.
The books that two circle placed next to each other had sold out at the same time.
Upon hearing this declaration, all participants who were still lined up raised their voices in disappointment and left the place at the same time. However there’s no use voicing their complaints and protests at all. There’s no meaning for them to keep lining up in this place anymore. In that case, those people decided to search for other books.
Gazing at their figures, Shidou and Nia let out a large sigh while sitting back; there was the sharp sound of chair’s pipe clashing.
“............Well, seems like it’s a tie.”
Kotori sharpened her expressions a little and turned to Nia.
“..............”
Several seconds afterwards, Nia, who was lean her body on the back of the chair, looked up to the ceiling. She removed her glasses and wiped out the sweat using the sleeve of her cloth.
Then, she turned to Shidou and unfolded her arms. She searched for the doujin she exchanged earlier with Shidou. After finding it under her desk, she picked it up.
“.........Alright, as reward for being able to go this far... ----------I’ll read this.”
“............!”
Upon hearing Nia’s words, Shidou and the others from <Ratatoskr> exchanged their glances towards each other and gave out a shout of joy.
Approximately one hour after the doujin had sold out.
Shidou and the others were finished tidying up their circle’s booth. All of the Spirits had also already changed their clothes, and went to the corner of the public park behind Tengu Square.
Since they are going to talk about something related to Spirits, they thought it was best to do it in a place where there’s none of <Honjou-dou>’s staff were around, so they decided to leave the event earlier than usual.
By the way, Nia had her employee buy her some of the doujin that she wanted by using an outrageous amount of money. That’s right, for a manga lover like Nia to not go and buy another people’s doujin personally may seem strange, but seemingly she had already set up everything.
Nia explained, truthfully speaking, she wanted to buy the doujin just by herself, but she cannot entrust her booth to someone else, so she reluctantly picked up that decision.
“-----------Well, then can I start reading it?”
After saying that, Nia sat on the bench of the park while holding Shidou and the others’ doujin on her hand.
Though the match ended up in a tie and they were able to make Nia read the book, the main problem starts from here. If Shidou, the protagonist of this book, cannot please Nia enough, then he won’t be able to seal Nia’s Reiryoku.
“..............”
Spontaneously, Shidou and the other Spirits were also siting at the bench and were staring at Nia. Nia raised her eyes as she looked up to them.
“..........It’s hard for me to read while being stared at by everyone like this.”
“A-Aah...........Sorry.”
Shidou scratched his cheeks and turned away his gaze from her on purpose. The Spirits also turn away from Nia as if following Shidou’s example.
Nia let out a sigh and sharply glanced at them.
“By the way, I’ll say it again; I only agreed to read this book, right? But after that is different! Don’t you have any expectation, alright?”
“..........Aah, I understand.”
Shidou answered with a nervous expression, and then Nia opened her shoulders a little bit and waved her hand as if asking Shidou and the others to turn away.
“Well then, please go over there for a while. Because when you’re reading a manga, you don’t want to feel interrupted, and it must make you feel relief."
“O-Ooh..........”
Though he doesn’t understand the last part, the point is that Nia wanted to be left alone. Shidou took all the Spirits along with him to move to a place that was a little bit far from Nia.
“Haa......My.”
Since she was already left alone in the bench, Nia let out a sigh.
“.........Boy, he sure says anything as he pleases.”
Then, recalling what happened in the hall previously, she distorted her face out of irritation.
However-----She knew exactly the reason why she felt irritated.
In fact........She had already hit the bull’s-eye.
“..........Since you already talked big, I won’t forgive you if the book isn’t good.”
Nia blinked several times as if to clear out her thoughts. After correcting the position of her glasses, she glanced towards the book on her hand.
In the front cover, there’s a character being printed that looks similar to Shidou. It was the same image Nia saw when she was handed the book a few hours ago. Although the line is drawn a little rough, but the artwork obviously exceeded the limit of an amateur’s skill. Does that mean they hired a Pro manga artist?
“Fuun. Well..........However, the most important part is the content.”
Nia mumbled that and opened the front cover, and then she started reading the manga.
The drawing is........Well, is considerably good enough for a doujin. Though the art from the page to page is different, somehow it doesn’t reach the level where she could get stressed about it while continuing reading the manga.
The story begins from a boy, Itsuka Shidou who once encountered a Spirit girl.
A story about a boy who meet a girl who was always denied by humans due to having a mighty power.
After that, he meets so many other Spirits, and those Spirits opened their hearts to him due to his honest will.
“............I see.”
A few minutes later..
Nia groaned and scratched her cheek as she finished reading the book.
The conclusion can be said---------Shidou and the others’ book have far exceeded Nia’s assumptions.
At least, nobody would believe that this book was created by amateurs in only 2 days.
However........On the other hand, that’s just it.
It’s true that this book’s quality is pretty good. However, whether Nia will be able to love this protagonist Itsuka Shidou or not is a different story.
Moreover, the page isn’t enough. Since they did not have much time, they couldn’t show the charm of the protagonist very well.
And more importantly, this protagonist Itsuka Shidou doesn’t seem realistic at all.
In order to make Nia falls for him, of course it was only natural, but Shidou was being portrayed too much like a hero. Even if Nia falls for this character, she will feels disappointed by the gap that the real Shidou has.
“It’s unfortunate......Boy. Although you seemed to have tried your best, but you can’t make me fall for you with only this.”
Nia let out a sigh while saying these words, and then she closed the book.
However, there’s only one thing still bothering her mind. Nia then looking around, once she confirmed that nobody around, she raised her left hand to the empty space to manifest <Rasiel>.
And then, she’s thinking something inside her mind as she touched the front cover of the book.
In order to figure out the scene when Shidou and the others drew this book.
Right. Although the content cannot get Nia’s approval, as a manga artist she’s interested in knowing the method they used to create a book with this quality in only a short amount of time.
<Rasiel>’s page started glowing. After Nia confirmed it, she touched the page gently.
At that moment------The information about this book’s working process had flowed inside her mind.
"..I see. After they decided about the story, they split task with that Natsumi girl as a main artist.. but I guess this method won't be useful for me. There's no way I could get that much digital assistance. As expected from <Ratatoskr>, they sure are reckless."
Then-----------Accordingly,
Nia, who was satisfied by the information flowing inside her mind from <Rasiel>, knitted her eyebrow in surprise.
(I wanted to tell her soon........So that stubborn Nia will understand about it too.
That friendship is, a beautiful......thing.)
That’s, Nia heard Natsumi’s voice.
“..............Fuu.”
Nia twisted her face with displeasure upon hearing that.
“Yes, yes........Thanks for that. But sorry, about your valuable opinion, I---------“
However, before Nia could finish.
“Eh........?”
The reason was simple. There had been a new text written on the page of <Rasiel> which Nia touched.
At the same time, there’s new scene flowing inside Nia’s mind.
That was the time when Natsumi still had her Reiryoku. Natsumi, who still harbored distrust towards humans, began to open her heart due to being touched by Shidou and everyone else’s kindness.
“This, is..........”
Nia let out a dumbfounded voice.
Then, Nia could figure out vaguely about what just happened.
<Rasiel> is an omniscient angel. However, in the very end it can only give information that Nia wanted to know.
Perhaps--------Somewhere inside her heart, Nia was thinking about it.
Just what kind of experience Natsumi came through until she could say such a na?ve thing which Nia can’t stand to listen to.
However, it wasn’t only that. There’s new text that appeared again on the page of <Rasiel>, and then new information traveled to her mind again.
Origami, Miku, Kaguya, Yuzuru, Kotori, Yoshino, and then--------Tohka.
Those girls who had completely closed their hearts, they began to change after their hearts were moved by Shidou’s warmth light.
Aah, that’s---------The scene is no different from what Nia just read from the book even for a little bit.
“Ah............Ah...........”
Right. Inside that book, everything wasn’t being dramatized at all.
The boy named Itsuka Shidou really did his best to help those girls, without even considering his own condition.
There were not only one or two problems he faced during his encounter with those Spirts. The darkness that existed inside those girls’ hearts, the shadowy past, or even------the cruel, true character.
But no matter how much problems came, Shidou never gave up. Even if he seems to be almost crushed, he would stand up again.
Now, she understood.
Not a single one of his words he said to Nia back then was a lie.
There’s no doubt that for those girls, he is truly a hero.
Drop.. Drop.
Water fell onto <Rasiel>’s page and was being illuminated by the book’s light
“...............”
After realize that she was crying, Nia took her hand away from <Rasiel>.
Leaving Nia alone, Shidou was waiting in the bench of the west-side in the public park. He was shaking his legs because he could not calm down at all.
“Shidou, that’s bad manners.”
“A,Aah, sorry.”
After Kotori pointed that out, Shidou stopped shaking his legs. However, looking closely, Kotori isn’t the usual Kotori. She kept stirring the stick of the chupa-chups in her mouth.
Though, that’s understandable.
Anyhow, Nia’s judgment will not only decide whether her Reiryoku can be seal or not, but it will also decide whether they will be able to put Nia under <Ratatoskr>’s protection and safeguard her from DEM.
“! Shido!”
Then, Tohka suddenly raised her voice.
As if being snapped back into reality away by that voice, Nia can be seen walking slowly from the direction Shidou and the others gathered previously.
“............! Nia------“
“Kuku.......So you come?”
“Nervous. How was the result?”
Shidou and the Spirits gulped down their saliva.
However, Shidou raised his eyebrow once Nia arrived in front of them.
Her eyes looked really red; it can be seen through her glasses lens.
“Nia........? What happened?”
“............, No, nothing~......“
Nia answered with a light tone, and then took some time to breathe.
After she said that, Shidou couldn’t ask anymore.
Moreover, there was still one more important thing bugging his mind right now.
“Then........How was it Nia? Our book?”
“............”
As Shidou asked, Nia kept her silence for a while, she glanced towards the book on her hand.
And then “Haa”, she shrugged her shoulders.
“Although you did it pretty well, but as expected I can’t fall for you with only this one book. Isn’t your way of thinking way a bit too optimistic? I’m sorry, but I’m not that cheap of a woman.”
“U.............Gu............”
“N-No way............”
Shidou bit his teeth and gripped his fist. He felt like his body was losing its power. The Spirits also showed the same facial expressions.
However,
“................But, well.”
Nia averted her gaze as she continues speaking.
“It’s not like there’s nothing good at all.-->>