Chapter 377 (Self Edited) – Revealing a Glimpse of the Current Situation

Chapter 377 (Self Edited) – Revealing a Glimpse of the Current Situation

(Thank you for reading at )
With nothing much to talk about, Aina, leading the way, walked away from the scene, and they headed towards the nearby park. However, Soma tilted his head as he looked at the park, not because there was something there. Rather, it was because it was a really small park with nothing in it.
Aina’s steps were confident, indicating she knew there was a park here. He wondered how Aina, who had only just transferred to the school today, knew there was a park here. Perhaps sensing Soma’s question, Aina voiced the answer before anything else could be said.
“I’ve done various research around this area. So, it’s natural for me to know there’s a park here.” (Aina)
“Hmm… various research, huh?” (Soma)
As for why she had been researching such things, Aina didn’t answer that question. However, it didn’t seem like she couldn’t answer if she felt the question, nor did it seem like she couldn’t answer if she didn’t feel the question. Since they would eventually talk about it, it seemed unnecessary to discuss it here and now.
“Well then, I’d like to talk about it… Yes, could you ask questions? I intend to answer most of them, but there are some things I naturally can’t answer. It seems easier to answer when you ask questions, avoiding those topics.” (Aina)
“Hmm, is that so… Well then, what was that thing after all? Was it a Devil or something?” (Soma)
Despite having many things to ask, it seemed like asking about ‘that’ should come first. Even in this situation with many mysteries, ‘that’ was undoubtedly the most unusual. It was unlikely it had no relevance to understanding the current situation.
“Depending on what you mean by ‘Devil’… it’s probably not what you’re thinking. Those are things that shouldn’t exist. At least, that’s what we call them. Or… sometimes we say they’re remnants of Devils.” (Aina)
“Remnants of Devils, is it…?” (Soma)
“Yes. However, I don’t really understand why they’re called that. Even if they’re called remnants, I’ve never heard of actual Devils being referred to like that. Well, it’s possible that I just don’t know.” (Aina)
“Hmm… is that so?” (Soma)
Devils. There was no way this word came up without reason. In other words, there was a high possibility that Devils were involved. Soma didn’t understand the point of deliberately hinting at its existence.
‘Well. Maybe I’ll find out more if I listen to what she has to say.’
“I understand the name, but… I still don’t quite grasp what they are. Do you know much about them?” (Soma)
“No, I do have some knowledge about that. The ‘ones who resist’ are just as their name suggests, entities that resist and do not comply. As for what they don’t comply with… well, in a sense, you could say it’s the world itself. The possibility of being left out of the world, the possibility of never being born. Those are what take form as ‘that’.” (Aina)
“The possibility of never being born… like stillbirths or something similar?” (Soma)
“Well, that’s one way to put it, but it’s not limited to just that. In terms of possibilities, it’s said that there could be as many ‘ones who resist’ as there are possibilities. Well, in reality, it seems impossible. ‘Ones who resist’ only manifest through the slightest cracks and fissures in possibilities. And such entities hardly exist in this world.” (Aina)
“There isn’t enough room for all possibilities to manifest, is what you’re saying. But from what I gather, while there may be limits to how many manifests at once, there seems to be no practical limit. Considering the number of possibilities, it would be nearly infinite, wouldn’t it?” (Soma)
“It seems that’s not the case. Most possibilities fade away over time. And while the ‘ones who resist’ were never born, they are also entities that had the potential to be born at the same time.” (Aina)
“Hmm, I see…” (Soma)
‘Whatever it may be, one cannot ignore the influence of the environment on birth. And the environment changes over time. It’s logical that possibilities that were once feasible become unfeasible as time passes.’
“But why was I attacked by such a thing? I don’t recall ever offending them…” (Soma)
“That’s not true. You have plenty of reasons for them to hold a grudge against you.” (Aina)
“Hmm? That’s… oh, I see. Simply because I was born and exist, is it?” (Soma)
“Exactly. Because they were never born, they always hold resentment and envy. So, they attack people and destroy things indiscriminately. To break, disappear, vanish, creates space for their own existence. Whether it actually works like that, I don’t know… well, it’s probably not related.” (Aina)
“So, it’s basically just venting frustration?” (Soma)
“That’s right.” (Aina)
‘It’s quite a nuisance, but perhaps precisely because of that. Since you’re alive and exist, it’s as if they’re saying, ‘Since you’re there, feel a bit of the resentment and bitterness from those who weren’t’. It was truly an unreasonable venting of frustration.’
“Hmm. I’ve never heard of such entities existing… It’s probably something that’s kept secret from the general public?” (Soma)
“Well, yeah. There are some signs when the ‘ones who resist’ appear, but you can’t always sense them, and there’s no benefit to knowing they exist in the first place. You’ve experienced it yourself, haven’t you?” (Aina)
“Indeed, even if you know, there’s usually not much you can do about it.” (Soma)
‘If concealing their existence serves no purpose but to stoke unnecessary fear, then it’s logical to keep their existence a secret. However, that’s precisely why it is somewhat difficult to explain.’
“Why are you telling me all this? I mean, I’m not one to accept things without questioning, but there shouldn’t be a need to tell me all these details, right?” (Soma)
“There is a need. You need to understand. Since you already know, there’s no point in hiding it anymore… Well, it’s mostly self-satisfaction, I guess.” (Aina)
“Hmm… are you convinced?” (Soma)
(Thank you for reading at )
“Yes. And it’s related to why I came to this town… I came to stop the root cause of their birth.” (Aina)
“The root cause is…?” (Soma)
Soma tilted his head at this point because, from what he had heard so far, it seemed that the ‘ones who resist’ were naturally occurring entities or something along those lines. Although not governed by the laws of the world, they were made up of something similar. So, there shouldn’t be such a thing as a root cause.
“Hmm… fundamentally, while they are mostly naturally occurring, there are also some things that serve as catalysts for their manifestation, right?” (Soma)
“…That’s correct, but aren’t you unusually perceptive? I’ve been thinking about it for a while… Do you perhaps already know? You seem remarkably calm.” (Aina)
“Unfortunately, this is the first time I’ve heard of it. More importantly, who or what exactly is this ‘root cause’?” (Soma)
“…You’re really too good at figuring things out.” (Aina)
“It’s not particularly difficult to figure out such things, is it?” (Soma)
If that weren’t the case, there would be no need to convince Soma. By the way, he could almost guess who it was. And as soon as it was spoken by Aina, the name was just as expected.
—Felicia Leonhart.
That seems to be the name of the girl who is the root cause.
“…You’re not surprised?” (Aina)
“Well, I had a hunch. But while I’m not surprised, I do have questions. I don’t recall Felicia displaying any signs like that.” (Soma)
It’s half a lie and half true regarding this matter. Since he didn’t have any memories of spending time with Felicia in this world from the beginning, that part was a lie. However, even after asking about memories that seemed to be from this world, there was no reaction. So, that part was true. However, there was no way Aina would know about that, and it didn’t matter whether it was true or not. Ultimately, Aina nodded in agreement to his words.
“Hmm… she may not be aware of it herself, then?” (Soma)
“That’s right. And yet, we can’t just leave it be. Like I said, it’s theoretically impossible for there to be as many ‘ones who resist’ as there are possibilities.” (Aina)
“So, Felicia makes it possible?” (Soma)
“I can’t say for sure, but it’s a fact that there are more ‘ones who resist’ appearing in this town compared to others. And they seem to be getting stronger year by year. That is every time she has her birthday.” (Aina)
“I see… so that’s why you warned me to be careful tonight.” (Soma)
“Exactly. Especially recently, it seems to be worsening rapidly. Some predictions even suggest that humanity might be wiped out in a few years.” (Aina)
Aina’s eyes were as serious as they could be as she spoke. Whether it’s true or not, at least Aina seemed genuinely serious.
“I see… So Aina came to stop Felicia. What’s the plan to stop her?” (Soma)
“I’m currently searching for that. I still don’t fully understand why she can do such things in the first place. But… I think the chances of finding her are low. There’s no other way than to eliminate the source of the problem, that is.” (Aina)
I had suspected as much. That was why she suggested cutting ties, and without that, there would be no need to convince Soma. However, even as she said that, Aina looked directly at Soma and she never averted her gaze.
And then—
“I don’t want to resort to killing either. So, I’ll explore other options until the last minute. But when it comes down to it—” (Aina)
She didn’t finish her sentence. Just as she was about to voice her determination, another voice cut in.
“…I won’t let you.” (S?????)
With those words, a new figure appeared in the park. That person was not a stranger to Soma. No, on the contrary, it seemed to be the case for Aina too—
“…Sheila.” (Aina)
The whisper was directed towards the girl who bore that name.
(Please consider supporting at https://www.patreon.com/)
Previous Chapter | Table of Content | Next Chapter