Rustle... rustle...
"What are you reading so intently?"
A gentle breeze blew across a small hill. On a grassy spot, a girl sat on a mat, reading a book.
The man sitting beside her smiled kindly as he looked at her and spoke. The girl lifted her gaze from the book and looked at him.
"It's a new book I received. But... there's nothing written in it."
"Hmm? Let me see... Ah, this one. Kiara was really angry about it, wasn't she? Yet she couldn't bring herself to throw it away. So she lent it to you in the end?"
"Yes. She insisted no spoilers and forced it on me, but I feel bad... I never expected it to be like this. Even the Count of Monte Cristo was looking forward to it."
The girl closed the book and sighed. Her disappointment was palpable even at a glance. The man patted her back comfortingly.
"It's a shame it's blank, but the story is already complete. Imagining what comes after is what makes it a fairy tale."
The girl pouted, sticking out her lips as she looked up at him.
"Even so, leaving it completely blank is too much!"
"... The Little Mermaid is indeed a heartbreaking story. But Walt Disney, who turned countless fairy tales into cartoons to show dreams to children, had a philosophy. Never make sequels. That way, you can present more diverse stories and share dreams."
"That might be true, but..."
"Some comics say that sequels are usually trash. I think so too. There are many like that. Relying on the success of the first, they get arrogant and greedy, producing unnecessary follow-ups to finished stories. Movies, comics, anime—so many subcultures make that mistake."
The man looked up at the sky where white clouds drifted beautifully in the wind and continued. The girl's hair swayed in the breeze as she lifted her head to watch the sky and the man.
"But there are successful sequels, and works that break the curse of failing follow-ups. Those are masterpieces born from determination, not relying on predecessors, but through countless struggles and hardships. The Little Mermaid was a masterpiece that left its mark on children worldwide and adults alike. Even Andersen would have found it hard to surpass it with a sequel. Even with all the time in the world. So don't blame him too much."
The man grinned as he looked at the girl. His smile melted away the discomfort in her heart.
"Still... as a reader, the disappointment is proportional to the expectation."
"Heh, there's a saying in the world: Expectation is the root of all betrayal! Just don't expect anything~ They call it the curse of expectation. No matter how great a writer or director, not everything can be perfect. Over time, they might produce flops or cross a point of no return. The harder it is to build, the easier it is to destroy. Like that place with a mouse mascot!"
"Is it okay to say that...? Hehe, but you're right."
The girl smirked and set the book aside. Placing her hands on the mat, she gazed at the sky. The wind blew, rustling the trees and scattering petals. Flower petals flew past the girl and the man.
"... Aren't you bitter?"
"About what?"
"Having everything you've done so far denied?"
"Hmm... Well, I don't really mind. I sort of expected it. No, how should I put it... In a way, it's natural. The hero saves the world, receives everyone's praise, and lives happily ever after—that's just a fairy tale, isn't it?"
"....."
The man looked at the girl with a bittersweet smile. His smile held a mix of bitterness and resignation.
"At this point, being denied doesn't evoke much feeling. This is reality. Because it's reality, we have to accept it. When a crisis comes, acknowledge it, and instead of just accepting it, overcome it. That's reality... and that's the adult world. No one helps if you just stand still. I'm not a child."
"But... even if it's a world that betrayed you?"
With a questioning expression, the girl looked up at him and spoke. He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling as he replied.
"That's my story."
"....."
"No one compensates you for giving up here. It's not a story that ends just because you want to quit. It's not about saving the world or anything. I just want to give the mastermind a good punch. That's all there is to it."
The man looked not at the sky but ahead, beyond the horizon at the foot of the hill. The wind blew, ruffling his hair, and he stared endlessly at the distant horizon.
The man...
He...
You were always smiling.
"The one doing the saving must never show anxiety. Otherwise, the one being saved gets anxious too. So, you always have to smile. Firefighters say that, don't they? I may be a figurehead, but I'm still the leader."
That's why I hated it. Your smile...
The natural, protective smile from before was gone. You smiled in every situation.
Even in the face of immense despair, even when countless spirits and deities thought it impossible, you never lost your smile.
Even with thousands of heroes at your back, he never let go of that smile.
Everyone knew he was anxious. As if wearing a mask of falsehood, not wanting to show his struggles to anyone.
Some wanted to tear off that mask, but no one could.
We remember.
We remember that person, looking at the reclaimed sky, the moon in the star-filled night sky without a single cloud, shedding tears with a bright smile.
Humans, heroes, gods, monsters, beasts, and even those not present saw that smile.
We remember the pure man who hid nothing, showing everything honestly and openly, revealing his emotions.
What we wish for isn't eternity, saving the world, or upholding our beliefs.
Just...
We wanted to protect your smile. We only wished for you to be able to smile sincerely.
We hoped the bond mark on your hand wouldn't become a curse shackling you. We wanted you, who respected and loved us, to be the happiest.
The story we wanted wasn't one of enduring hardships, suffering without reward, and constantly moving forward.
It was just a story where the protagonist is happy.
Even the goddess who enjoyed seeing the protagonist struggle turned serious, and those who wanted to watch you suffer began to wish for your happiness.
But... no one could make it happen.
"Have you ever regretted being born?
"... Hey, isn't that the wrong question? Instead of 'have you ever regretted it,' you should ask 'when did you regret it.'"
"... When did you regret it."
"Uh... when Kadoc scolded me? So, back in Russia."
The world was cruel. So cruel that you had already resigned yourself to it.
The first to lose hope wasn't anyone else—it was you.
The world didn't matter, humanity's fate didn't matter. It was fine if you became the enemy of the world.
As long as you could smile... as long as you could be happy, that was enough.
That's all we wish for. Just for you to be happy. That's sufficient.
"What do you think? Person of Chaldea. Could you do it? Would you dare walk the same path as him? We couldn't... What about you? Animusphere."
"...."
Crackle... crackle...
Opening her eyes in front of a burning fireplace, sitting before it, poking the logs with a stick.
"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare? I once dreamed of pulling out my own teeth with my hands."
"... It wasn't like that."
"Really? Then how about some cocoa?"
"Are you treating me like a child?"
"Not at all. Adults like cocoa too, right? That's prejudice~ Here, have a cup."
"... Okay."
What was that...
If I hadn't chosen you as a Master candidate, could you have lived a different life?
Why... did I have such a dream?