"Escape."

"Is anyone in there!?"

Yes, it was an escape.

"If someone's there, please say something!"

That was the reason I kept doing that job. Because they were the family I couldn't protect, I thought I should at least continue doing that work.

Because I survived alone. If I had just forced myself to take a vacation—even if I couldn't have saved my family, at least we could have gone together.

Because I remained alone. Because I survived alone.

So I had to. I had to save others. Only then could my existence here be justified.

"How virtuous you are."

This time, the voice I heard wasn't some auditory hallucination. It was a real voice. From the being looking down at me.

"Even in a situation where you should give up everything, even when you're hurting your friend, you still think you must do this."

Because I have to.

Only by doing this much, by saving whoever might be inside, would there be a reason for me to have rushed in here, hurting my friend in the process.

Anyway, I have no reason to die.

Blood can take any form. Even if that form is an oxygen tank used by firefighters or protective gear that shields the body from fire.

There's a yokai in here.

Even if it's a yokai that only eats evil people, that doesn't make it a righteous yokai. If firefighters had just entered, they would certainly have been in danger.

I don't want to answer.

This voice, I didn't like it from the first time I heard it.

"You don't like it, I see."

The voice laughed.

Sometimes I wonder if it's reading my thoughts, but that's not the case. Considering how it's curious about my identity, it doesn't even know I'm from another world.

Is it because it has seen so many people? Can an Outer God that humans cannot understand actually understand humans?

"Then how about this?"

The voice asked.

"There's a human who has collapsed from exhaustion. I wonder if you'd like to be guided to them."

"......"

"If you don't answer, I cannot know what you're thinking."

"...Tell me."

"You tell your precious friend nothing, yet you're willing to sacrifice your life for a human you've never even seen."

"......"

"Thinking it doesn't matter if you die like this?"

I heard laughter.

Not deliberately mocking, not trying to provoke me, but laughter that genuinely seemed amused. The kind of laugh someone might make after reading something funny on the internet.

"That's why you're watching me."

I answered.

"Because it's entertaining."

"I see."

The voice said.

"You understand my thoughts well."

"You're curious about the outcome?"

"I am curious."

"Then just tell me."

"If I don't tell you, you'll threaten me with your life. Saying you'll die in here."

"......"

When dealing with this voice, there's one thing you can understand.

When playing games, there are people who use cheat keys or trainers to beat them instantly, or those who follow guides step by step, while others don't look at any of that at all.

There are people who watch all the reviews and evaluations before seeing a movie and watch analytically, and there are those who don't want even minimal spoilers and won't even watch trailers.

Nilras is the latter.

She's curious about what actions I'll take. She tries to guide me in her own way. But she doesn't do everything for me. Because she wants to see me follow that path.

Some describe gods as children watching ants lined up in a row.

Nilras is like that. Maybe there was one ant she particularly liked among them. And that was me.

Slowly, my blood that had been dripping continuously began to move. And it gradually creates a path in front of me.

A thin, short path guiding me.

Ahead there's fire and obstacles. The blood trail continues downward without paying any attention to them.

Whether I go around or break through, I suppose I have to figure it out myself.

That's what she wants to see.

"...Fine."

Then I'll just do that.

I grabbed the burning door. And forcibly tore it aside. It was hot and heavy, but I endured. Anyway, thanks to someone who cares about this body, no wounds would remain.

"Is anyone there!?"

I'm not sure if it can be heard properly through this mask made of blood. The sound of burning is louder than I expected. The crackling sound of things burning up, the crashing sound of something collapsing, even the sound of air moving rapidly from the intense heat—it's so noisy that voices would be drowned out even without a mask.

But I have to shout.

Because I feel like I should at least do that.

Just like in my previous life.

Because I'm hoping someone will answer.

*

After Kotone went in, the flames rose higher. Anyone could see that no one inside could survive. If Yuka hadn't known about Kotone's abilities, she would have thought Kotone would die too.

If it had been Kagami, she would have screamed and tried to follow Kotone inside, even knowing about those abilities. Yuka wasn't sure whether it was fortunate or not that Kotone's mother wasn't here.

Because there was someone else at the scene calling Kotone's name.

"Harumi...!"

"Why is everyone like this?"

Harumi said with a tear-stained face.

"Kotone went inside! We need to get her out!"

"Even if we go in—"

"What about Kotone?"

Mako, who had been holding Harumi back, closed her mouth at those words. Her eyes wavered. Those wavering eyes soon turned toward Yuka.

But Yuka couldn't figure out what to say in response to those eyes.

Right. What about Kotone?

Fire is hot, and smoke is acrid. No, it's not just acrid. An ordinary person would struggle to endure it for even a minute. Even lying flat on the ground, they would lose consciousness within minutes.

She didn't know this from professional knowledge. It was just common sense. From safety lessons repeated endlessly at school since childhood.

Kotone had gone in there.

And watching her, Yuka had thought:

She'll be fine.

Why?

Kotone's expression hadn't been fine at all. Come to think of it, she never was. Kotone was never really okay. Even from the beginning when she smiled and spoke to Yuka. Because her face had been pale from losing too much blood.

Kotone always, if possible, kept plastic around her wrists. Sometimes she wore raincoats or rolled up her uniform sleeves as much as possible. The reason was simple. She didn't want her mother to see it.

Kotone knew her situation wasn't okay at all.

She just pretended it was.

That was something Yuka should have understood best. Because Yuka had lived such a life too. No, a life with fewer worries than Kotone's. Yet she had always thought things weren't okay.

When had Yuka's life started to become okay—

"Harumi."

Someone's hand rested on Harumi's shoulder as she slumped to the ground. It was Souta's hand.

They played together, but maybe because of the gender difference? Or was it because Nanami was always following Souta around? Though they'd known each other for quite a while, Yuka felt they strangely lived in different worlds.

Ah, that's right.

Souta was actually someone who had little to do with all this. He had only recently discovered by chance that he had such abilities.

"It's okay."

"......"

Harumi looked up at Souta with a face that seemed drained of all strength.

"We'll bring her out."

The attention that had been focused on them started buzzing again. In the distance, police were approaching, pushing through the crowd. Had they heard Souta's words?

"You will?"

Harumi asked weakly.

"Yes. This might be me overstepping, but..."

Souta looked at the burning mansion again, then lowered his gaze to Harumi.

"When this is over, I'll tell you too. No matter what anyone says."

"......"

It's something that should be kept secret. If people found out, there would certainly be great confusion. Even now, people around them were considerably bewildered.

"Right, Yuka?"

But Souta asked, looking at Yuka.

Yuka blinked once. Then looked around.

Mako and Yuu already had expressions of determination. Souta, who had spoken directly, had a relaxed expression from the start.

Koko was crying like Harumi. Terrified. Was Koko afraid of such fires too?

Right. Come to think of it, none of this really mattered.

Because Kotone always came when Yuka called her. Even when Yuka asked for help with things that had nothing to do with her, Kotone willingly helped, bleeding for her.

—Yuka's life had become okay since meeting Kotone.

"Yes. That's right."

Yuka answered quietly. If they delayed too long, they might all be caught here.

"Harumi. Don't worry."

Yuka said.

"Koko, stop crying too. We have a way."

Looking at Koko, Mako, and Yuu, Yuka gripped her knife tightly.

"Let's go."

With just those words, Yuka turned and ran.

"Wait, you kids!"

A police officer who had been controlling the area shouted and rushed toward them. Mentally apologizing, Yuka pushed the officer down. It was fortunate that everyone was still agitated because of Kotone rushing in earlier.

She heard footsteps following behind.

Yuka threw aside the cloth wrapping her knife.

And drew the blade from its sheath.

Beyond the split space, it was still hot. Hot enough to burn up if one entered carelessly.

She thought Kotone might get angry at her for bringing Mako, Yuu, Souta, and Koko inside.

"She jumped in alone herself," Yuka muttered as if making an excuse.

No, it wasn't an excuse.

It was Kotone who had taught her that she didn't need to do things alone. And how to be okay.

Being not okay alone, and trying to solve everything by yourself.

That wasn't something Kotone, who had taught her otherwise, should be doing.