When I regained consciousness, nothing on my body actually hurt, yet something heavy was pressing down on me so hard that I could barely breathe.
Forcing my eyes open, I realized even my vision was severely obstructed.
Through the narrow gaps, all I could vaguely make out was a scene of utter devastation.
What... happened?
I struggled to piece my memories together.
The last thing I remembered was Saori's message telling me to run immediately.
In other words...
The Old Cathedral had been attacked by Arius?
But how had they managed it?
Just as confusion overwhelmed me, a patch of black appeared before my eyes, followed by a tense voice asking:
"...Sensei! Are you alright?!"
"I'm okay..."
Although I couldn't see the person's face, I recognized the voice.
It was Hinata from the Sisterhood.
"Thank goodness."
Hinata let out a sigh of relief.
"It's fortunate you ended up trapped beneath a gap in the rubble... Please wait a moment, I'll get this off you right away..."
As she spoke, she walked over and effortlessly moved aside the marble slab pinning me down.
"I'm really grateful I'm this strong... Sensei, can you stand?"
"Yeah, no problem."
I got to my feet and dusted myself off while Hinata circled around me, inspecting me carefully.
"Wounds... it looks like you don't have any. To survive an explosion like that with barely any injuries at all... it's practically a miracle..."
Rather than a miracle, it was thanks to Arona protecting me.
Still, after blocking another explosion, the Shittim Chest's battery had probably dropped by a huge amount again.
I took out the tablet and pressed the power button, intending to check how much charge remained.
However, the screen stayed black.
At first I didn't fully process it, so I pressed the button several more times before finally realizing a fact I desperately didn't want to accept, a fact that made my entire body turn cold.
The Shittim Chest would no longer power on properly.
"...Arona?"
...
Within the prophetic dream filled with Hyakkiyako-style architecture.
After lowering her pipe, Kuzunoha exhaled a puff of white smoke and hesitantly asked:
"Thou... knowest this humble one? And judging from thy manner of speech..."
Seia nodded with quiet dignity.
"Yes. In the distant future, we actually get along rather well. We've exchanged many experiences together."
Kuzunoha raised a brow.
"Hm. It would seem thou possesseth foresight as well. No wonder thou wert able to arrive here, and even speak this humble one's name immediately."
"That's right. Ah, by the way, you should probably quit that sooner rather than later."
Seia offered the advice with goodwill.
"It's bad for the child."
"Ara, ara."
At those words, Kuzunoha smiled, gently stroking her smooth and supple cheek.
"Is that meant as praise? Though this humble one's age is hardly as youthful as she appears. While calling oneself a 'student' would not be inaccurate, if one truly counted the years, this humble one hath already..."
"You're misunderstanding me. I wasn't talking about you."
Seia paused briefly.
"And incidentally, the child's father doesn't like it either."
"...Huh?"
Kuzunoha's face filled with confusion.
She instinctively raised the pipe toward her lips for a calming puff, only to suddenly stop halfway, inexplicably uncomfortable.
After pondering for a moment, the white fox girl smiled faintly.
"Hm. In other words, thou meanest that in the future, this humble one has already... Hehe. Upon reflection, perhaps such a thing is not impossible. However... hm."
Her tone made it obvious she didn't believe in such a future at all.
Seia furrowed her brows slightly and spoke seriously.
"I have no reason to deceive you."
"No, what this humble one doubts is not thee, but rather the future thou hast just described."
Was there really any difference between those two things?
Seia, who possessed almost absolute confidence in her prophetic abilities, initially wanted to ask exactly that.
Yet several scenes suddenly flashed through her mind in succession.
The burning airship falling from the sky.
The Old Cathedral collapsing amidst flames.
And the harmonious future she had glimpsed.
Could they truly reach such an ending?
For the first time in her life, a tiny seed of doubt emerged within Seia's heart.
"Furthermore, if thou truly hadst once seen this humble one within thy dreams..."
Kuzunoha narrowed her long, slender eyes.
"Then why doth this humble one, who is likewise a prophet, possess no memory whatsoever of meeting thee within a dream?"
"...You really don't remember me at all?"
The blonde girl sounded genuinely surprised.
Her brows furrowed even deeper.
"Indeed. Ordinarily speaking, if the fate of a prophet is observed by another, one should naturally feel a sudden stirring within the heart. Though it cannot be ruled out that this humble one is the one being deceived, still..."
Kuzunoha then asked meaningfully:
"How canst thou be certain that the future thou hast glimpsed is truly the 'future'?"
After saying that, the white fox nodded to herself.
"Hm. Therefore, this business of marriage and children is utterly absurd. Pray speak of it no further."
"...Why does it feel like you said all that just to deny the possibility of having a child with Sensei?"
Seia couldn't help but comment.
She deeply regretted that this was only a dream and that there wasn't a recorder nearby.
"My, thou may interpret it thus if thou wishes. Though, this 'Sensei' is...?"
"He's very handsome."
Seia thought for a moment, then decided the description still wasn't complete enough.
"His personality is a little disappointing sometimes, but he's very handsome."
"Hm... this humble one is hardly so shallow as to concern herself with appearances..."
Despite saying that, Kuzunoha clearly looked interested.
She even extinguished her pipe.
However, seeing Seia sink into thought, Kuzunoha turned her gaze elsewhere, looking off into the distance as though reflecting upon something.
"In this humble one's view... hehe, the only thing capable of thoroughly deceiving a prophet would surely be..."
"Fate itself."
...
"Arona!"
"Can you hear me, Arona?!"
Within a strange space beneath a sky filled with endless glowing clouds, the blue-haired girl stood atop an infinite expanse of water with her hands clasped behind her back.
Her eyes remained closed.
To the urgent cries calling out to her, she appeared completely indifferent, merely humming a melody softly in apparent delight.
Then, from behind her, a cold voice suddenly spoke.
"Aren't you going to answer him even once?"
"Can you hear it? The sound of the wind chimes."
Without directly answering the question, the blue-haired girl smiled serenely with her eyes still closed.
"Ahh... how beautiful it sounds."
As a result, the cold voice gained a trace of mockery.
"How truly... arrogant, and cruel. It is precisely because of that that you've fallen into such a laughable state today."
"You're absolutely right."
After sincerely agreeing, the blue-haired girl curiously asked in return:
"Then why do you think he chose me instead of you?"
The moment those words fell, silence filled the space.
After patiently waiting for a while without receiving any reply, the blue-haired girl smiled faintly.
Then she brushed the strands of hair lifted by the breeze behind her ear and continued humming that beautiful melody alone.
Just as she always had.