Episode 7

The Kyōjū’s body disintegrated, dissipating into a black mist. The moment I confirmed this, all the strength left my body, and I collapsed to my knees.

“…N-No way, we defeated it in one hit…?” 

Luminous muttered in disbelief, and Seraph had the same wide-eyed expression.

“The crest on your hand earlier… Was I not the only one who made a contract with you, Takigawa-san…?” 

“…Now that you mention it, that might be the case.”

Both of them stared at me in shock. I wanted to say something to them. But just as I tried to speak, overwhelming exhaustion hit me. And I collapsed on the spot.

…Right, I remember. After making a contract, the body experiences severe fatigue.

“Takigawa!”  “Takigawa-san!”  

Both Seraph and Luminous rushed over to me, clearly panicked. At that moment, footsteps echoed from the hallway. I glanced in that direction through my fading consciousness and saw a familiar face.

A beautiful girl with silver hair—Kirisaki Mizuki, one of the main heroines from the game’s storyline, was running toward us with a stern expression.

W-What is she doing here…? Wait, of course. Seraph and Kirisaki are from the same faction…!

This is the worst! Now I’ve gotten involved with another key character from the game…!

“…Are you two okay?”

…But then again, Kirisaki was a powerful character in the original story, so… if she’s here, things should be fine now.

The tension finally released, and combined with my fatigue, the world before me started to blur. Kirisaki’s figure gradually faded from view.

“…Are you okay?”

The last thing I heard before my consciousness slipped into darkness was Kirisaki’s gentle voice as she tilted her head slightly.

—

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. A high-end, luxurious ceiling spread out above me, dimly lit by soft lighting.

I lay there in a daze for a while before memories started coming back to me—meeting Seraph and Luminous, the battle with the Kyōjū, and finally, the silver-haired girl—Mizuki Kirisaki, who had saved me.

Slowly, I sat up.

“Where am I…?” 

I muttered, looking around the room. It was a luxurious bed with soft sheets, in a place I vaguely recognized.

…It looked similar to a room from the game. If I’m right, this must be the base of a well-known high-ranking angel.

Seraph had been dozing off in a nearby chair. As I was lost in thought, she opened her eyes.

“Takigawa-san…! Are you alright?” 

Seraph immediately leaned in, peering into my face.

Her face is way too close…!

She was so near that I could practically see my reflection in her eyes, and I almost let out a sound of surprise. Still, her concern brought me back to my senses.

“Ah, yeah. I think I’m fine. You two seem okay too.”

“Yes, thanks to you, Takigawa-san.” 

Seraph said with relief in her voice.

Luminous had been sitting in another chair nearby. She looked over at me, equally relieved.

“That’s right. Oh, Takigawa, don’t push yourself too hard just yet. You’re not fully recovered.”

…Really? I feel lighter than usual, though.

Also, hearing them casually call me by my name makes me a bit self-conscious. My name is the same as in my previous life, and it makes me genuinely happy. Sure, the voice actors had called me that a few times during recording. But it’s totally different hearing Seraph and Luminous say it in such a friendly way.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A few days.”

…Seriously?

I checked the date on my phone. And sure enough, several days had passed. Tomorrow is the entrance ceremony.

Spring break had flown by in the blink of an eye. Feeling a bit disheartened, I remembered something I needed to ask.

“By the way, the person who saved us… is she still here?”

This was important. I’m supposed to act as though I don’t know her, so I avoided saying her name outright.

Seraph placed a hand on her chin, thinking for a moment.

“Are you talking about Kirisaki-san?”

“…Probably. She had silver hair, I think.”

“Yes, that was Kirisaki-san. She’s already gone back home.”

“I see… I wanted to thank her, but I guess I missed my chance.”

“I already thanked her on your behalf, so I don’t think she’s too concerned.”

I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

Phew! I’m safe! Kirisaki is a major character in the game, and I really don’t want to get more involved than necessary.

I’m just a background character. I don’t want to stand out any more than this.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I asked Seraph and the others a question.

“So, where exactly are we?”

“This is the Michael Union.” 

Of course… it really *is* here!

The Michael Union—led by the archangel Michael, it’s the strongest faction within the angel camp. 

Original Author’s Comment:

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