The ground surrounding the figure was sunken in and had begun cracking.
This showed how huge the impact must have been when this person crashed down from the sky.
Seiji slowly approached the person.
‘This person... is probably a girl.’
Her clothing... resembled that of a knight from an anime, but it was gray rather than white in color. It didn’t expose her cleavage, and there were pieces which appeared to serve as armor strapped on the girl’s waist and shoulders.
Her armor was engraved with mysterious runes, which Seiji assumed was some sort of magical spell. When he looked closely at her armor, Seiji could make out the outline of a pentagram and a Yin Yang diagram.
Her skirt reached her knees, and there were slits on both the left and right side. Her shins were also covered in runic plating, and she was wearing white socks and shoes.
Her clothes were tattered; it seemed as if something sharp had sliced them. Seiji noticed dark red fluid seeping out of a few of the tears...
A cosplayer?? No, these clothes didn’t seem this simple at all! Besides, she really did fall down from the sky, and she even caused such a large hole to appear in the ground from her impact!!
This was... real.
Seiji took a closer look at her face. It was covered by a white mask, so he couldn’t identify her, but... her hairstyle and overall appearance...
"...Shika Kagura?"
Seiji felt a cold chill run down his spine.
He hurriedly approached her and kneeled on one knee, placing his umbrella in order to shield her from the majority of the raindrops. He adjusted her body into a more comfortable position, before slowly supporting her upper body as he carefully removed the mask.
Shika’s face was indeed the one underneath the mask.
Her originally beautiful face was now as white as paper. Streams of blood ran down her eyes and mouth. Her eyes were barely open, and her mouth kept opening and closing slightly. It was obvious to see how weak she was.
Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.
It really was her!? How did she become like this!? Was she a Spirit-branded Retainer!? But didn’t Natsuya Yoruhana already investigate her, and eliminate the possibility!?
A series of questions flashed through his mind.
"Urk..." The girl in his arms struggled to move.
Seiji instantly came back to his senses.
"Shika Kagura! What’s the matter? Hold on! I’ll call an ambulance immediately!"
He placed the mask down on the ground as he scrambled for his cell phone.
"Seigo Harano... no need..." a soft voice rang out.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Seiji’s hands couldn’t help but tremble when he saw her eyes’ appearance.
Blood red...
It was already impossible to see Shika’s eye pupils. Her eyes had turned completely blood red, and the moment she opened them, a fresh trickle of blood poured out of the corners of her eyes.
"To hell with that! You need to go to a hospital immediately!!" Seiji dialed the emergency number on his cell phone using only one hand.
"It’s useless... I’m... about to die..." Shika informed him in a calm voice.
"Don’t be stupid! As long as you receive treatment in time, you won’t die!!"
However, his phone was unable to connect.
"What’s going on!? Connect, you bastard!!" Seiji roared at his phone.
Until he noticed that his phone was showing that there was absolutely no cell phone signal whatsoever here.
No signal!?
This was the middle of a city, not some mountain wilderness or unsettled plains!
"What the hell!? What is this...?" Seiji suddenly thought of a possibility which stifled his tongue."Could it be... are you interfering with the cell phone signal?" He looked at Shika.
Her face was pitiful to look at, but her expression was calm.
Just like usual for her.
"It’s a... spell..."
"I don’t care what it is! Hurry up and cancel it! Otherwise..."
"It’s too late... My... soul..."
Shika suddenly revealed a painful expression as she closed her eyes, which were still dripping fresh blood.
"There’s enough time! Hurry up and cancel that... spell or whatever!" Seiji furrowed his brows.
Soul? What happened to her soul?
If Shika’s injuries weren’t something that a normal hospital could take care of, then even sending her to emergency care would be useless...
‘Idiot! I can only know if it’s useless after I try it!’
"Seigo Harano..." she called out his name in a soft voice while closing her eyes."You’re... a good person..."
"That’s my third time hearing that from you! You... you can call me that as many times as you want, as long as you get better. That’s why..."
"I don’t want to... harm good people..." Shika continued talking with many pauses."But... I always... harm..."
Seiji couldn’t find anything to say at this.
"Seeing... those... that care... about me... in pain... pains me... So that’s why... I don’t need... anyone... to care about me... It’s fine... if... I’m alone..."
Seiji chest throbbed with pain.
What was this...? He was naïve enough to believe being isolated could still bring her happiness...
What was all this about isolation not equaling misfortune, and thinking that having a hobby which you enjoyed was all that was needed!?
Such thoughts were ridiculous!
‘I... I’m such an idiot!!’
"Being by yourself... isn’t good at all!" he said forcefully."When you’re sad, nobody will console you; when you’re happy, you can’t share it with anyone; when you’re angry, nobody will coax you; when you’re scared, there’s nobody to rely on..."
"Humans... need family and friends... So... don’t say that it’s fine to be by yourself. Don’t... leave this world all by your lonesome..." Seiji paused mid-speech."Live! Live!! Find friends!!!"
He was basically roaring at this point.
Shika widened her eyes ever so slightly.
"Friends... Impossible..."
"There will be! Right now... right in front of you, there’s one right now!"
Seiji put down his cell phone as he grabbed her tiny hands.
They were icy cold and startlingly soft...
"I’ll be your friend! I am your friend!! That’s why you must live! We... still need to do so many things together!!"
"We can chat together, read books together, browse manga together, go shopping together, watch movies together, play games together... There are so many fun things we can do together!!"
His shouting seemed to echo in the cold rain.
The girl whose body was turning ice cold felt a sliver of warmth.
Shika slowly began to smile.
"Friends... are so nice..." she rasped."Can I... really... have one?"
"Of course! I’m right here, aren’t I!?" Seiji looked directly at her wan yet still beautiful and moving smile."So don’t be in a rush to die; tell me how to save you! I’ll absolutely do it!!"
"...Sorry... It’s impossible..."
Shika’s voice became almost imperceptible.
"My older brother’s... coming for me..."
Older brother?
"I’m... going to leave together with him..."
Seiji felt a chill over his entire body.
The girl in his arms was rapidly losing all warmth from her body.
"Don’t go! You can do it!! You can live!!!"
"...Thank you..."
Shika’s smile seemed to become even softer and more brilliant.
It was almost as if she were showing off her pure untainted soul in her final moments.
"Farewell... My only..."
"...Friend..."
Her body turned into nothing but pure iciness.
Seiji’s expression froze over.
The rain pounded down with increased intensity.
However, he could barely hear the sound of raindrops right now.
He closed his eyes and lifted his face up towards the sky.
"DAMN IT ALL!!!"
He couldn’t do anything but vent the indescribable emotions bursting from his chest.
He didn’t know what just happened, or what he should do.
He could load, but how was he supposed to save this girl in front of him?
‘Someone... tell me!!’
*Boom!!!*
Almost as if in answer to his shouting, another loud sound resounded from a place nearly adjacent to Seiji.
He turned around to look at the new arrival.
He saw a red-haired girl who was wearing clothing similar to Shika Kagura’s.
But her appearance... something seemed unsettling about it.
Seiji recognized her.
She was Hitaka Shuho, Natsuya Yoruhana’s Spirit-branded Retainer.