I Reincarnated as Just a Mob in an Eroge World, but the Heroines Are Swarming Me - Episode 53
Episode 53
(Seraph’s Perspective)
“Seraph… Takigawa, he’ll be okay, right?”
The car was currently heading toward Shizuho City.
This was because we had heard that the Void Kyoei Incursion in Shizuho City had been resolved by Kirisaki and one Soul Binder.
…….One soulbinder. I was convinced it was Takigawa-san.
“He’ll be fine. Takigawa-san… he’s strong.”
The words were meant to reassure Luminous-san, but they were also for myself.
Martha-san and Yoshiko-san were in the car with us, but… the atmosphere was quiet.
As I watched Luminous-san, visibly worried, I found myself envying her ability to honestly express her feelings.
Of course, I was worried about Takigawa-san too.
…However, as the angel “Seraph,” I was always expected to remain calm and competent.
Perhaps because I kept playing the role that everyone expected of me. Even now, I acted composed, deceiving myself into appearing calm.
For now—more than anything—I wanted to confirm his safety.
Outside, the ruins of Shizuho City, devastated by the Kyoei attacks. It stretched as far as the eye could see. Rubble was piled up, roads were cut off, and only one side was passable for cars.
Perhaps it was the police. Guided by traffic controllers, the cars were moving in alternating turns, but… it seemed it would take some time.
“…It looks like it’ll be tough to continue by car. Since we’re close to Shizuho City, should we walk the rest of the way?”
Martha-san’s suggestion was likely because she, too, was worried about Takigawa-san.
Luminous-san and I exchanged a silent glance before nodding simultaneously.
Sharing our unspoken anxieties, we quietly stepped out of the car. The cold air outside seemed to make the heavy atmosphere even heavier.
The scene before us was devastating. Rubble was scattered everywhere, and collapsed buildings covered the city.
Marks left by Kyoeis and Kyōjūs stretched endlessly.
“…It’s terrible.”
“Yes… it is.”
“…….Takigawa. Let’s go quickly.”
At Luminous-san’s whispered words, I nodded in agreement.
As we moved forward, we caught glimpses of people engaged in rescue efforts.
Ambulances moved back and forth, and injured soulbinders were being carried away.
The pained faces of those with serious injuries. The sobs of people trembling, mourning someone they had lost.
The battle against the Kyoeis had claimed so many lives. The entire city of Shizuho seemed cloaked in a shroud of death.
Perhaps that’s why Luminous-san grabbed onto the hem of my clothing. Her face was filled with worry,
“……Takigawa will be okay, right?”
“……He’ll be fine. Let’s believe in him, Takigawa-san.”
I was saying it to convince myself.
Takigawa-san will be okay. I have to believe in him—that was all I could tell myself.
We pressed onward. Then, in the distance, we saw an ambulance parked. Next to it stood Kirisaki-san.
Seeing a familiar face brought a momentary sense of relief.
If it was Kirisaki-san, she would know where Takigawa-san was.
“Kirisaki-san…!”
I took a step forward to call out to her.
That was when I saw it.
An emergency worker was carrying someone on a stretcher toward the ambulance.
The person on the stretcher… was Takigawa-san.
And his injuries… they were severe.
“—What…!?”
The sight before me froze my entire body. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak.
Takigawa-san was being carried away.
The paramedics around him had pale faces. They frantically administered treatment while shouting something.
“Takigawa!”
Luminous-san immediately cried out, rushing over to him.
I couldn’t move a single step.
All I could do was watch in stunned silence as Takigawa-san was taken away.
Inside me, the desperate desire to deny the reality before me and say “This can’t be happening” boiled over.
Kirisaki-san glanced at my frozen form.
She held back Luminous-san, who was trying to rush to Takigawa-san. She then spoke, her voice distant as if her mind was elsewhere.
“…It’s okay. Takigawa… he’s still breathing.”
Even so, Kirisaki-san’s voice trembled.
“Quickly—”
“This wound is—”
I heard the paramedics’ urgent voices as Luminous-san collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
“This is my fault…”
Her words hit me like a sharp stab to the heart.
“Because I told Takigawa… to help… this happened…!”
“No… it’s because I asked him to do something reckless…”
Kirisaki-san grimaced, her expression full of guilt, as she responded to Luminous-san’s anguished words.
Somewhere in their hearts, everyone had believed that Takigawa-san would be okay.
Even I had thought so.
Takigawa-san’s figure grew smaller in the distance, as if he might never wake again. Even though that thought weighed heavily on me, I couldn’t move.
Despair surged from the depths of my heart, overwhelming me with emotions I couldn’t control.
If only I had truly stopped Takigawa-san…
If I had been more forceful in stopping him back then—if I hadn’t let him go to that place—this situation might have been avoided.
Regret after regret flooded my mind.
If only I had been honest about my feelings and voiced my selfishness…
If I hadn’t acted as the perfect “Seraph” everyone expected of me… If I had simply expressed how I really felt, no matter how selfish it seemed…
But instead, I played the part of the “good Seraph,” pushing Takigawa-san forward.
I was always expected to be the model student, calm and untroubled, someone who didn’t inconvenience anyone.
And so, I had no choice but to send Takigawa-san off.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t worried.
On the contrary… I desperately wanted to stop him—
Yet I had lied to myself, and now the weight of my regret threatened to crush me.
“…Sniff… It’s my fault Takigawa’s going to die…!”
“Luminous-san…”
Luminous-san sobbed uncontrollably, oblivious to everything around her.
Even at a time like this, I couldn’t shed a single tear.
……How I envied her sincerity.
After learning which hospital Takigawa-san was being taken to, we immediately made our way there.
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