The force I was pushed back with was immense. It was like diving headfirst into a tornado, my skin being forcibly stretched across my flesh. But still I advanced forth, using every ounce of strength in my wings to force myself through the ever-increasing power of the field emanating from Shiko’s body. Every inch I drew closer made it harder and harder to move, but I wouldn’t let that stop me.

“Aaaaaaargh! Stay away!” The intensity of the field increased even further as Shiko yelled at me, rejecting my advance with all her might.

“I won’t!” I pushed more and more, the pain threatening to make me black out, but I was unwilling to give up. I had to make it. I had to reach her.

I pushed forth more and more with my wings. Every second I inched closer, but every second I felt myself being pushed back more and more. It was just… a little… further…

“Why won’t you just give up!”

“I-I can’t!”

“Why not?!”

“Because…!” I outstretched my arms and made one final push, finally reaching her, “I can’t let you suffer alone!”

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug, despite the overwhelming force pushing against my entire body. It was agonising, and I felt seconds away from losing consciousness, but I held tight. I wouldn’t let go.

“The hell… do you think… you’re doing?!” she wrestled to get out of my grip, but to no avail. I held on with all my might.

“I’m… showing you… there’s… another… way…”

“Another way… for what?!”

“To deal with your anger!”

I closed my eyes as my face was wrought with pain from the force, but I still didn’t let go. The flow of magic pushing me away didn’t stop, but the intensity began to dwindle, as either Shiko’s energy or motivation gradually ran out.

“You don’t… know… a damn… thing…” she panted as she spoke, as if she had completely run out of breath using her power. “Deal with… my anger… the hell are you… talking about? Are you… an idiot?”

“I know how you feel… really, I do…” I was just as out of breath as she was, having exhausted everything I had left to break through her 「Outcast」ability. “I know… what it’s like… to feel like the world… is against you. Like everyone you know… is out to kick you to the curb… at the first opportunity. I know the cruelty of this world just as well as you do, so I know how awful it feels to be the outcast.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“No the hell you d-”

“But I also know that I can’t let it rule my life. I can’t turn all that hate and anger inwards, because it would control me. It’s so hard… so damn hard… but I can’t let it take over me. I can’t let it shape my world. Because even if all of that bad is still there, there’s still the good that shines through in the end.”

“What a load of bul-”

“And I want to give that to you. Because I know you might not have been fortunate enough to have it the same way as I have. Because sometimes you can’t just be strong on your own. So in that case, I’ll be strong for you.”

A silence fell between us, as Shiko seemingly failed to find an answer for what I had to say. The force of her ability finally fizzled out entirely, leaving the two of us stood there, my arms still wrapped around her. I could feel her heart beating at great speed, the adrenaline of the fight having still not worn off.

“Be strong for me… what sort of shite is that?”

“It means that… any time you feel your hatred or anger for the world taking over you, I’ll be there… I’ll remind you of the good left in the world…”

“What good… left… in the world? You think some… nice words and… pithy concepts like “friendship…” do away with… all the misery… society puts us through? You think… it makes it… okay?!”

“Of course it doesn’t. It’ll never be okay. Society at large treats those of us who are different like dirt under their shoes, that much is never fair. But that doesn’t change the fact that life is full of good things and wonderful people too. I was fortunate enough to have friends who are there for me even at my lowest point, and that fact saves me every day. And that’s what I want to be for you. Even when you want to see the world in ruin, I want to be the one to save you. Just like…”

Just like Saki had for me. Every single day since we met.

“You wanna… save me…? You’re… a damned… fool…”

I felt her body weight fall into me, and her arms loosely grip me, but she wasn’t returning my hug. She had collapsed under the exhaustion of pushing her power too far. Her breathing was still ragged, and she seemed unable to support her own body. I gently lowered her to the ground, barely having the strength left to hold her up myself.

“You’re exhausted. Just rest for now.”

“Dammit… being pampered by my own damn enemy… I’m pathetic…”

“I’m not your enemy, Aya. We’re just… on different sides.”

“Tch. Spare me the sophistry, Sunao. I tried to kill you not five minutes ago…”

“You’re not trying to kill me now. And I don’t want to hurt you. As far as I’m concerned, that means we’re not enemies.”

“That a fact, is it? Then I guess I’m in no fit state to argue…”

“You don’t need to worry about arguing right now. You just need to rest.”

“Rest, huh? Yeah, that sounds nice right about now.” She closed her eyes and laud her head back on the ground, her ragged breathing slowly calming down. “Hey, Sunao?”

“Yes?”

“...make it back alive, would ya?”

As she spoke, I heard a loud rumbling from the other side of the arena. The door to the end of the trial had opened. Shiko had deemed the trial passed.

“...yeah, I will. I promise.”

“You better. You made some big claims in that speech of yours. You better make good on them.”

“I plan to. I’ll give you back your appreciation for life. I swear that to you.” I clasped her hand in mine, and she did the same.

“Go on… you’ve got a place to be, right?”

“Yeah… but I’ll be back.”

“I know you will.”

I let go of her hand and made my way to the door.

The time had finally come to end this war.