PURPOSE OF POWER: 09/16/2030, 17:27 ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 3 ♫  Mashiro!!Salyu rushed up to Mashiro as soon as she saw her. Mashiro! Ahh, how could this happen...Salyu looked at Mashiro tearfully. Apparently her blood transfusion was over since the kit had been disconnected, but Mashiro was still unconscious. Salyu's calls were left unanswered. Who did this to Mashiro!? Well...!As Natsuhiko stumbled with his words, Watase, Ena, and Jun arrived. Watase let Jun down and spoke.  ...Natsuhiko. ...For some reason, Natsuhiko couldn't say a word. But before things went completely silent, Yuuri spoke up.  So eight of us have been gathered now... Yes, so Ms. Tachibana's the only--Salyu interrupted Ena. Wait. !? I honestly don't understand anything that's going on... Someone explain. Anyone. Why is Mashiro so heavily injured? Who exactly are you, Ena? Why did you close your heart to us? Ukita, you were the insider, weren't you? Jun, are you an upstanding rescue worker? Or another terrorist? And you-- 'Watase'.Salyu glared at him. You're a terrorist beyond a shadow of a doubt, but... ...! Were you the one who hurt Mashiro? If so, then I definitely cannot forgive you.Salyu's stifled voice echoed in the quiet room. W-whoa, calm down, Salyu. Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down? Answer me, Watase. What have you done today? ...I...Watase sunk into silence with a bitter look on his face. ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (Crap... I knew this would happen...!)He understood how Salyu felt. But they couldn't afford to waste time here. (It'll take way too much time to explain everything from the beginning! But can we get her to understand with just a rough explanation?)As Natsuhiko hesitated, Watase softly started to speak. ...Salyu, you're exactly right... !! Watase, don't!Watase ignored Natsuhiko's warning and continued. I wounded that girl. Regardless of the circumstances, the truth stands that I shot her. I'm sorry...!♪ BGM: Approaching Death ♫ --!For a second, Natsuhiko thought he saw intense killing intent emanating from Salyu's small body. Unforgivable!Everyone immediately started trying to hold Salyu back. Stop it, Ms. Sannomiya! There were circumstances beyond his control! Th-that's right, Louise! True, this man may be a terrorist, but on the other hand-- Shut up! To hell with your circumstances! I'll never forgive this man!Salyu shouted and started hitting Watase. !!Salyu's fist sank into Watase's face. Her leg into his stomach. Watase gave no resistance and allowed Salyu to keep hitting him. Ena frantically held Salyu back and Yuuri screamed bitterly. Please, stop! Captain Kasasagi only shot Mashiron because of BC! He was infected with malice because-- Shut up, shut up, shut up!Nobody could stop Salyu. Natsuhiko thought desperately. (Is there nothing we can do to get Salyu to understand!? Some way to get her to see the whole story of what happened today!?)But most of what happened was beyond describing.      Words alone could not truly convey all their feelings. --But the moment that thought crossed Natsuhiko's mind, he recalled a word Yuuri had just said a moment ago. (... BC!? That's it. With BC-- we can convey all the feelings that words alone cannot! To everyone here!)Natsuhiko took that flash of inspiration and concentrated on it. He recalled what he had heard in class. ''BC isn't limited to conveying voices and emotions. Theoretically, it can convey sight and other senses as well. It can even convey a large amount of information instantaneously.'' (That's it! The opposite of Senses Sympathy! I'll do the reverse of reading memories-- I'll convey my memories to everyone else!)Not even Natsuhiko himself knew if that was the correct thing to do. Perhaps that too was nothing more than him abusing his abilities however he saw fit. (But it's probably the only way I can put a stop to this fight!)That determination roused Natsuhiko's memory. His sharpened concentration caused his senses to fade. Every sight he saw and sound he heard up until now came forth from the back of his mind.  ♪ BGM: Extra-Sensory Perception ♫ !?Salyu gasped and turned around. And during that fleeting, ever-so-short moment-- {Salyu, everyone, behold!! These are the routes that brought all eight of us here!} !!Natsuhiko put all his strength into using BC.  His brain loaded its information onto BC particles and released them into the world. Without Natsuhiko confirming any Characteristic brain waveforms, the nondirectional BC-- The ''untargeted telepathy'', reached everyone's brains.      The memories depicted in Natsuhiko's brain.      Everyone's minds connected and experienced the same things, through the same perspectives and same senses.      Watase's past. Yuuri's feelings. Mashiro's history and everyone else's.      And everyone's personal experiences of today.      Watase's terrorist plot and its failure. The existence of Subject N and her malice.      The bomb's time limit. Kazami's current status--      All of that information rose up in the span of a split second, and then...      ...vanished.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (... Did I get through to everyone?)Natsuhiko eased off his concentration, and his senses returned. And before his eyes, he saw Salyu and the others standing stock still in shock. Th-that was... Ah... Captain Kasasagi's past...They muttered with hollow voices. No, not just his... Yuuri's memories, and Natsuhiko's memories, and more...!? (D... did I do it?) She spoke with a shamed look on her face. ...Not fair. ...Not fair...? I don't understand the minds of others, and yet... For the first time... I understood people's feelings... Even that man's... Watase's...!♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ Salyu glared at Watase. I... I understand you now, but just a little bit. How you grieved over Wataru's death, how you harbored rage towards LABO, and why you became a terrorist. And the truth of how after Natsuhiko erased your memories, you exerted all your effort into saving everyone. ... ...I still don't feel like forgiving you... But just for now, I'll hold off on hitting you.Natsuhiko clenched his fist firmly at those words. ...Thank you.Watase spoke with genuine regret. Natsuhiko whispered to Salyu. Thanks, Salyu. Mmm...Salyu nodded ambiguously. Natsuhiko shared the knowledge he had with everybody in the room. Though it was not as if he had conveyed every single thing he had observed. He tried to hide things that some would not want others to know about, and he only intended to convey the parts relevant to each individual's beliefs. And as a result, perhaps everyone's mutual understanding was a little lacking in some regards, but-- (I'm sure it'll be okay... I'm sure everyone here could come to terms with each other at least a little, regardless...)That was what he had hoped. Even if they couldn't understand each other, they could at least come to terms with each other. Everyone's tense expressions softened ever so slightly. ...Salyu, Captain Kasasagi did indeed shoot Mashiro, but... But you know, it was also Captain Kasasagi that rescued her when she fainted and treated her injuries. I know...Salyu switched her gaze to Mashiro. If it weren't for that, then I really wouldn't be able to forgive-- ...!Natsuhiko looked at Mashiro too, and then-- he noticed something: Her eyes were slowly opening. M... Mashiro? ...Natsuhiko. Mashiro! You're awake!?Mashiro nodded groggily and quietly stood up.  I saw that whole thing just now too. I saw what happened while I was unconscious... and everyone's pasts too.Mashiro then looked at Yuuri. And... everything that happened to you these past nine years, Yuuri...! M... Mashiron... ...!When Yuuri said her name-- Tears spilled from Mashiro's eyes. ♪ BGM: Words of Healing ♫ Yuuriiiii!!Mashiro hugged Yuuri. You're alive! You survived!! M-Mashiron! I'm sorry, I didn't know a thing...! I thought I was the only one who had to live with bitter feelings...! But Yuuri, you had to stay down here for nine years... unable to tell anyone anything... I-it's okay, Mashiron...!Tears spilled from Yuuri's eyes as well. Thanks for finding even someone like me worthy of your tears... I'm so glad I met you, Mashiron... I'm so glad that we're friends. I love you, Mashiron... Me too... me too...!The two girls hugged each other in tears. Natsuhiko and the others watched them silently. Nobody said a thing. Because without a word, the two girls' feelings were conveyed to everyone else...
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| ← # ? May 15, 2017 16:17 |
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