Fractal Plane: Beyond Public Eyes

Chapter 17 - Farewell, Oblivion

1

Throwing all caution into the wind, Kazuki ran towards Yui Kimura.

The idol continued screaming while clawing her face. Each convulsion only furthered Kazuki's panic, and the few seconds it took to get beside her seemed like hours.

"Arata, watch out!"

Kazuki did not know which of his female classmates called out to him, but the very next thing he felt was a strong force that threatened to squeeze him. It was a tremendous pressure that stunned him in place while pushing him away from the fallen idol.

Fighting the force, he stretched his right arm out. It felt like a reverse tug-of-war as the force continued slowly pushing him away from Kimura.

Kazuki clenched his teeth and tried to hold on as the green force field surrounding Kimura came into view.

"Kimura! Hang in there!"

Her eyes opened.

Kazuki's world stopped the moment he looked into a pair of hollow eyes. All the strength left his body. Dumbfounded, he found himself launched backwards to a chorus of female gasps.

He blinked before finding himself being supported up by his two friends. He spent time gazing at the concerned expressions on their faces before turning forward.

"This is what you're talking about, Arata? The Nullity's trying to possess her again?"

"That's terrible."

Kazuki gave a nod in response to the two girls' respective words. "I'm positive. It probably figured out that Kimura had the perfect counter to it, so it's trying to take her out from within."

He heard the sound of the sword being drawn, and he turned to Uehara.

"So you mean that the Render of Bounds is only hanging on by a thread now."

"What are you doing, Uehara?!" asked Kazuki

"I'll finish it off."

"Uehara..." Even Amagi chimed in with doubt in her voice.

"What other choice do we have, Amagi?! She helped us, and this is the least that we can do to repay her. We will be setting her free from the Render of Bounds."

In a vacuum, it was a decision that Kazuki can agree with. By all means, the Render of Bounds could be at its weakest now. He can also understand the fact that the more time they waste, the smaller their window to win can get.

Also, by putting itself inside the body of a human girl, it could be finally leaving itself to physical destruction. If the human host dies, so will it... Or will it?

Still, looking at Uehara's Armament gave him an unpleasant feeling on the stomach, and he slightly winced.

Recklessly going in and cutting Kimura down just did not sit well with him.

Getting rid of the Nullity was a priority, but that was not a sure thing even now. He also cannot help but feel remorse at the sight of the screaming and writhing girl in front. After all, things had changed. She was no longer just Yuki-tan to him.

She was a victim of circumstance, and despite everything that she did to annoy him, she was an honest girl who only had dreams. She wanted friends: people she can trust and be honest with. She never wanted that power. She never wanted to get involved with the whole Mu and Nullity business.

More importantly, she trusted him.

What to do? What to do?

His heart and his mind were in a heated battle that seemed to tear him apart from the inside. He knew that whatever decision he made now would affect him for the rest of his life.