Tohka fell silent for a moment, the evening breeze gently lifting her night-colored long hair.
She suddenly turned her head to look at Shido; her eyes were no longer filled with simple joy, but were tinged with a complex confusion that Shido had never seen before.
"Shido," her voice was light, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the setting sun.
"This world... has so many beautiful things, delicious food, and people like you... who smile at me and talk to me."
Shido watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
Tohka's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of pain gradually seeped into that confusion.
"But... my existence brings about a 'Spatial Quake'."
She raised her hand and looked at her palm, as if it were stained with indelible sin.
"Those beautiful things, those delicious shops, those smiling people... they will all be destroyed and disappear because of my presence."
Her voice carried a tremor as her gaze fell once more upon the peaceful lights below, her eyes filled with conflict and sorrow.
"I... really like this beautiful world. But, it seems... I am also one of the culprits destroying it?"
This was a heavy question, stemming from the fierce conflict between Tohka's instinct and her awareness.
She felt the beauty of the world, yet simultaneously realized the destructive contradiction that existed between herself and that beauty.
Shido's heart was touched. He looked at the clear pain and confusion in Tohka's eyes—it was no longer the pure hostility or incomprehension she displayed when she first appeared, but a dawning realization about her own existence and its connection to the world.
This in itself was a huge step forward.
He looked at her, his gaze serious and firm, and spoke slowly.
"Tohka, do you see those lights?" He pointed towards the scattered lights of the city below.
"Behind every light, there might be a family, people preparing dinner, people watching television, people waiting for their loved ones to return... That is the peaceful and precious life of countless individuals."
Tohka followed his finger, her gaze focused.
"And the kinako bread you just ate, the ice cream, and those interesting goods in the shopping district—they exist because many, many people are working hard, creating these things to make life better."
Shido paused, refocusing his gaze on Tohka's face, his voice steady and powerful:
"This world is indeed beautiful, and it is worth cherishing. But, Tohka, that beauty doesn't just belong to the stationary buildings and scenery; it also exists in the hearts of everyone living here, in their aspirations and efforts for a better life."
He took a deep breath and spoke the most crucial words: "And you, Tohka, you also feel happy when you eat delicious bread, you marvel when you see beautiful scenery, and you feel joy when someone is by your side."
"—These feelings are fundamentally the same as the beauty of the world you see! The very fact that you can perceive this beauty proves that you and this world are not fundamentally opposed!"
Tohka's eyes widened slightly, appearing shaken.
"It is a fact that your appearance causes a Spatial Quake."
Shido did not evade the issue, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty, "But that doesn't mean you are the 'culprit,' nor does it mean you are unqualified to feel and appreciate the beauty of this world!"
"What is important is that you are here right now. You don't want to destroy anything; you are simply looking at it, feeling it, and... being moved by its beauty."
He looked at Tohka and offered a gentle, encouraging smile: "This 'liking' and 'being moved' are real; they belong to you, Tohka, and no one has the right to deny them."
"And..."
He leaned in slightly, his voice growing firmer: "I believe there must be a way for you to stay in this world you love without destroying it. There must be!"
He stepped forward, placing his hands firmly on Tohka's shoulders, forcing her to look into his eyes.
His gaze held no wavering, no false comfort, only clear, undeniable resolve.
"Listen to me, Tohka!" Shido said, every word clear and strong, "This world is beautiful, that's true! But its beauty and your existence are not in conflict at all!"
"Eh...?"
"You asked me if this world needs you? My answer is—yes, it does!"
Shido's voice carried a power that pierced the heart, "At least for me, it does!"
He paused, then continued: "The smile you show when you taste delicious food is beautiful; the way you look when you are curious about the unknown is adorable; you standing here, watching the sunset with me... This moment, to me, is an incredibly important part of this beautiful world!"
"But... I destroyed it..."
"That wasn't you!" Shido interrupted her again, his tone growing firmer, "That was just an uncontrollable power! The real you is the one who gets happy over ice cream at a sweet shop, marvels at beautiful scenery, cherishes the kindness of others, and worries about my safety—Yatogami Tohka!"
He looked at the moisture gathering in Tohka's eyes, his voice softening but becoming deeper:
"Your existence itself is absolutely not a mistake. And you... you just want to understand this world, you want to live like a normal person, and you want to find a place where you belong!"
Tohka stared blankly at Shido, seeing the unreserved affirmation and sincerity in his eyes, listening as he systematically refuted all her self-negation.
She had never heard words like this before. No one had ever told her so firmly—Your existence is valuable, it is beautiful.
"Shido..." Her voice was choked, "Can I really... exist? In a world like this..."
"Of course you can!" Shido replied without the slightest hesitation.
"Not only exist, but exist better! I will help you, help you find a way not to trigger a Spatial Quake, help you walk freely under this sky, like any ordinary girl, to taste more delicious food and see more beautiful scenery!"
He released her shoulders and instead extended his hand to her, a warm, encouraging smile on his face.
"So, stop denying yourself, Tohka. I believe in you, and please believe in me. We can definitely do this."
The afterglow of the sunset outlined his figure like a gilded statue, and his outstretched hand seemed like a bridge connecting two different worlds.
Tohka looked at that hand, then lifted her gaze to Shido's incredibly sincere blue eyes.
The confusion, fear, and self-denial in her heart began to melt away, like snow dispersed by sunlight.
An unprecedented feeling—warm and secure—quietly sprouted from her heart and spread throughout her body.
The moisture in her eyes finally condensed into tears and slid down her cheeks, but this time, they were not tears of sadness or despair.
She nodded vigorously, and a bright radiance returned to her purple eyes, more brilliant than the evening glow on the horizon.
The girl looked at him, at the genuine sincerity and belief in his eyes, and at his affirmation and defense of her feeling of "liking this world."
The heavy confusion and guilt in her heart, which had nearly crushed her, felt as if they had been pierced by a warm and solid beam of light.
She couldn't immediately understand everything he said, but she grasped the core of his message.
—He affirmed her feelings, he believed she was not evil, and he believed coexistence was possible.
This unreserved affirmation and trust was more precious to her than any beautiful scenery or delicious food.
In her purple eyes, confusion was gradually replaced by a gentle brightness.
She nodded softly. Although the future remained unknown, at this moment, the sharp pain in her heart caused by her own existence seemed to have been greatly soothed.
"Shido..." she murmured, a smile reappearing on her face. That smile was warmer than the setting sun, carrying relief and reliance. "Mm! I believe you!"
The sunset's afterglow stretched their silhouettes, as if to permanently engrave this moment of mutual Understanding and affirmation into the twilight.
The air was filled with a tranquil and warm atmosphere—the quiet sound of trust and hope growing.
However, this heartwarming scene also fell into the cold eyes behind a distant sniper scope, eyes that grew colder upon seeing Shido's overly "close" interaction with the Spirit.
Under the calm surface of the lake, an undercurrent had already begun to stir. But at least for this moment, this brief peace and Understanding existed genuinely between the boy and the girl.
She slowly raised her hand, wanting to grasp the hand extended to her... just at this moment of shared intention and budding hope—
Shido seemed to sense something? He quickly shoved Tohka away.
"Bang—!"
A sharp gunshot, without warning, tore apart the warm atmosphere on the plateau!
Shido's outstretched hand froze mid-air. His body jolted violently, and an unimaginable pain and impact erupted in his chest!
He looked down in disbelief, seeing a patch of blinding crimson rapidly spreading across his school uniform.
His consciousness blurred instantly, and strength rapidly drained from his body. The last thing he saw was the look of extreme terror and breakdown on Tohka's face, instantly plummeting from the heaven of hope into the abyss of despair.
"Shido—!!!"
Tohka's heart-rending scream, accompanied by a world-shattering surge of violent spiritual power, erupted and shot straight into the sky!
The beautiful prelude was violently cut short, and the cruel final chapter suddenly descended in the most direct and bloody way.
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