Several people cheered at Uncle Itsuki’s suggestion, which was quickly followed by the magical sound of sizzling meat on the grill. Ooh, I could smell it already... Every second waiting for it was tantalizing.
“Come to think of it, Rekka...” Satsuki’s mother called out to me.
“What is it, Auntie Sanae?” I asked, turning around.
“Some children came running out of the forest crying earlier. Do you know if anything happened? Look, those kids over there.”
“Huh?”
I was startled for a moment there, but I turned to look in the direction she was pointing. And sure enough, there were five children sitting on the rocks by the river. It seemed they’d hit their limit somewhere between pure terror and the exhaustion of running, and they had simply collapsed once they thought they’d made it to safety. They all looked like they were crying, and a couple of them were still trembling in fear.
“Waah, waah!” The little sister was bawling the loudest. She had her face buried in her brother’s shirt as her knocking knees gave out underneath her.
“There, there. They won’t chase us anymore. It’s all right now...” Her brother was desperately trying to console her, but he didn’t seem too convinced himself.
“I... I wasn’t scared at all! I’ll protect you guys and fight them if they come after us!” The only one still standing on their trembling legs was the spiky-haired leader of the group, who was trying his best to cheer his friends up by putting on a brave face.
“H-Huh...”
Although we’d done it for Poppy’s sake, maybe we had gone a little too far... I couldn’t help feeling sorry for them. And so I approached Uncle Itsuki and Auntie Sanae hesitantly with a suggestion.
“Um, maybe we could invite them to join us for our barbeque?”
▽
That night.
After the barbeque, we all promised to see each other at school the next day—as well as stop by Rosalind’s mansion sometime to see Suzuran and the others—before going our separate ways.
For the record, that purple morrowmorrow Iris brought was indeed delicious. The meat was soft and fatty, very clearly the rare delicacy she had said it was. The children had all stopped crying when they got a taste of it, and their moods only improved from there. The spiky-haired and chubby boys ate a lot more than the others, enough that the food the Otomos brought probably wouldn’t have been enough on its own. So really, it turned out to be a good thing that Iris and the others had invited themselves along. All’s well that ends well, and even the kids were smiling when we waved and parted ways.
“You look pretty full, Rekka.”
“Yeah... This must be true happiness,” I answered R sluggishly from where I lay on my bed. “Too bad you can’t eat, R.”
“I’m fine, thanks,” R answered curtly before something suddenly seemed to come to mind. “However... we can call it even if you accompany me on a binge marathon of that foreign soap I’ve been wanting to watch for a while now.”
Oh, that was underhanded. For the record, the soap opera she was talking about was twelve DVDs long, each with three episodes on it. We were easily talking over 24 hours of content. To marathon that all at once was physically, sleep-deprivedly, and wallet-bustingly impossible.
“H-How about we compromise? Let’s say... three movies of your choosing?
“Really? Is that all your sympathy for me adds up to? Boo-hoo.”
“Ugh...”
She kinda had me there... I felt bad, at least until that comically fake crying stunt at the end.
“All right, five movies then.”
“So you’re willing to negotiate, huh?” Nonchalantly returning to her typical deadpan expression, R flipped in the air out of what I was guessing was boredom.
“I’ve been wondering for a while now, but why do you sometimes somersault in the air like that?”
“There’s no meaning to it.”
“If you say so.”
I’d figured as much. Anyway, I decided it was about time to get ready for bed, when...
“Hmph. How carefree of you,” said L, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Wha—L?!”
I looked over at the door in surprise. It was still closed, and there was no sign of her having coming in.
“Calm down, Rekka. Did you forget L had a particle relocator on her?”
“Oh, yeah, you’re right...”
Come to think of it, R had explained this before. L apparently had some device from the future that could disintegrate her and transport the particles of her body elsewhere before reforming her. And yes, I had completely forgotten about it.
“So, what do you want? And how long have you been there?”
“I’ve been here for a while.”
“Yeah, she’s been here for a while.”
“Wait, so you knew she was here, R?”
“Of course.”
L clicked her tongue upon hearing that. “How aggravating... I listened to a fair bit of your conversation, but all of it was pointless blabber. Are you really the man who’s going to bring about the war to end all worlds?”
“Um, the fate of the future aside, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t read so much into my everyday conversations...”
Somewhat exasperated, I scratched my cheek. As always, opinions of me in the future were extremely polarized.
“Oh, and you, R...”
“Yes, L?”
L suddenly turned to R, pointing an emphatic finger at her little sister floating in the air.
“That purple morrowmorrow was FREAKING DELICIOUS! Too bad you couldn’t have any, huh? HAHAHA!” she proclaimed, placing her hands against her hips and letting out a loud laugh.
Thinking back on it, L had gobbled down meat this afternoon as fast as any of the other kids. She kept taking what was in front of me, so I thought she was trying to give me a hard time, but I guess she just really thought it was good.
“...”
As for R, she was as expressionless as always... Or so it seemed, but when I took a closer look, her lip was quivering faintly. Complex emotions were probably swirling in that tiny body of hers. That’s what it looked like from the outside. Meanwhile, L smirked in self-satisfied celebration before turning to me.
“More importantly, Rekka Namidare, what was the meaning of that today?”
“Of what today?”
What was she talking about?
“Did I do something to you, L?”
“Not me. You saved that fairy.”
“Uh, yeah?” I still didn’t follow, so I reflexively cocked my head to the side. “Was there a problem with me saving Poppy?”
“You don’t even get it...?” The look in L’s eyes turned stern. “If you continue to save heroines willy-nilly like that, you’re going to cause the War of All! How could you save her when you know that’s the cost?!”
“Oh, do you have a function that allows you to tell who’s a heroine, too, L? Wait, no, hold on a second—Poppy was a heroine?!”
Didn’t the Namidare bloodline only kick in when a heroine was in absolute peril? Poppy may have been in trouble, but I had no idea it was that serious...
“Rekka, what L is really talking about is my story.”
“Huh?”
I cocked my head to the other side when I heard R say that. But, come to think of it, I’d been involved in her story—her mission was to help me settle on one of the heroines to prevent the War of All and save the future—from the very beginning.
“Omitting the finer details as to why, my story has a special feature. The girls who appear in it have a high chance of becoming heroines.”
“This is the first I’ve heard of this...”
“That’s because there’s never been a need to explain it to you. The heroines of my story appear in my story as potential brides for you, Rekka, but don’t have their own stories like Satsuki or Iris did, for example. At most, they’ll be troubled by something or have some special circumstan
ces surrounding them, nothing more.”
Then... had I come across Tokiwa and President Momone as part of R’s story?
“But it’s not like anyone’s being forced into my story just to find a bride for you. It merely means that you’ll have a higher chance of running into girls who fit the bill. That’s all.” R paused there for a moment as if to suggest there was more to it than that. “On a technicality, however, they’re still heroines. That’s why L is so mad about it.”
“I see now...”
It finally made sense. R and L were both here to try and prevent the War of All; they’d just taken two different angles on it. R wanted me to save heroines until I found one I could settle down with, thus eliminating the cause of the war. L, on the other hand, wanted to eliminate me to keep the war from ever coming about. That meant every heroine I saved was a step forward in R’s book, but one step closer to destruction in L’s.
So, yeah, from her perspective, I could understand why she was mad about me saving a heroine that didn’t really need saving. The reason why L had chosen to stick with us in the forest when Harissa noticed Poppy’s presence was probably because she wanted to observe how I would act in front of a real heroine. And I chose to save Poppy without hesitation, buying L’s displeasure as a result.
“How could you do such a thing?”
“Honestly...”
I knew why she was angry. She had more than enough reason to be. But that didn’t change my answer.
“If there’s someone in front of me who needs help, I refuse to stand idly by and simply let them suffer.”
“...!”
L’s expression stiffened for a moment, her eyes shooting wide open. But that had been my answer all along, and it would continue to be my answer in the future. Even knowing that saving people was potentially pushing the world closer to a little apocalypse, I couldn’t just do nothing. I couldn’t just watch tragedy unfold before me. If I could do something, I would. I knew it wasn’t logical or rational considering what the cost might be one day, but that was my answer. And I looked at L unflinchingly when I said it.
“Because you...” After several moments of silence, L’s expression relaxed by a fraction as she spat her next words: “Because you’re like this, Big Sis Satsuki is...”
“Huh...?”
What about Satsuki? I was confused as to what my childhood friend had to do with any of this, but before I could ask L anything, her body began to vanish from her feet up.
“Hmph! I have nothing more to say to you!”
L sniffled one last time before disappearing from my room altogether via her particle relocator.
“What happened with Satsuki..?”
“Who knows?” R shrugged her shoulders in feigned ignorance.
I had a sneaking suspicion she actually knew, but I knew better. She wouldn’t tell me even if I asked. Anyway, with L gone, I stretched out my arms as I felt the pent-up tension in my body melt away.
“Still, it doesn’t seem like L has any intention of giving up on the whole assassination thing... What should we do?
“Right...” R replied to my mumbles with a sigh. “Well, I do think what happened today was a step towards solving the problem.”
“Huh? Really?”
It felt like all I had done was further incite L’s rage...
“Yes. The answer you gave L just now was exactly what the doctor would have said. Did you see how surprised she was when those words came out of her mouth?”
Yeah, she did look pretty surprised, actually. I had no idea how my answer had resounded in L’s heart, but if it was a step in the right direction like R said, then good.
—Fin—
Afterword
We’re now into the double digits on this roller coaster of carnage that’s only picking up speed. Welcome to volume 11 of this weird little (apocalyptic) romcom! To everyone who’s picking up from volume 10, long time no see. To everyone who bought all 11 volumes at once, it’s nice to meet you.
Those of you who are keeping up with me already know, but I moved again! I’m now living alone and can put all my figures, posters, manga, and light novels wherever I want. I no longer have anything to fear, not even the judgmental glances of my parents. I’ll never have to worry about anyone opening my packages again. There’s nothing to fear—nothing!
Also, the I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse manga that was being serialized in Comic Dangan has now finished its run after two years. Although there were some shortcomings when adapting the story from text to picture form, I think it was a really wonderful work. Seeing the battle scenes come to life, seeing all the fan service shots that got added, and seeing R constantly floating around in the background (which is very difficult to depict in the books) all made me very happy as the original creator. To Mr. Koji Hasegawa, the man in charge of the manga, I can’t imagine how much of a hassle it must have been! Thank you so very much for all the wonderful work you put into it.
And now for the usual acknowledgments!
First, to Nao Watanuki. There were only two new heroines this time, so I thought there wouldn’t be as many characters to design... but then there were Satsuki’s parents, Itsuki and Sanae (when you put their names together, you get Satsuki), as well as the group of five children. It all kind of added up before I knew it, so I’m very grateful for all your work! Thank you very much.
Next is my editor, Mr. Nanbu. With the start of my new series overlapping with me moving houses, I’m sure I’ve caused even more panic for you than usual (/nervous sweating). A-At any rate, I’ll make sure my books get done no matter what, so please continue to look after me.
And now to the editing and sales departments at HJ Bunko, the bookstores who stock their shelves with this series, the readers who picked up this book, and everyone associated with Little Apocalypse, you all have my utmost gratitude! Please continue to work with me in the future.
My next release will be volume 3 of Ore to Kanojo ga Geboku de Dorei Shuji Keiyaki, while the next volume of Little Apocalypse is planned for the summer. I will work my hardest to make sure both series are enjoyable and reach everyone without delay.
Let’s meet again sometime!
This is the illustrator Nao Watanuki. Hello!
Your rough for volume 11 is Sister Yulia, who has a rather simple design. In contrast to her, Poppy turned out super frilly. On a completely unrelated side note, a leotard-style outfit was also suggested. I personally always think of female fairies as wearing leotards. Maybe I’m old...
Also, Satsuki’s parents make their debut this time, and show off their generosity as a family. I actually remembered rather belatedly that they’re amazing people too. Satsuki’s father is a master mage and everything. (I really like that title!) I hope I was able to portray him in a way that conveyed that.
[Bubble] To Mr. Namekojirushi and all the editors, thank you for this volume too! To Mr. Hasegawa who was in charge of the manga, congratulations on completing the last volume! And to all the readers who read all the way to this afterword, thank you very much!
See you in the next volume, no matter the snow or pollen!
Nao Watanuki
[Small text next to Lea] ←In the middle of shedding
Bonus Glossary
Characters
Yulia: A nun from Europe who’s come to take care of a small church in Rekka’s hometown. She also moonlights as an exorcist, which is something of a tall order in a town that’s got yokai, Demon Kings, vampires, and all sorts of other supernatural beings hanging around. This causes a bit of an issue for Rekka, since he happens to be friends with most of them. Yulia’s in for a rude awakening when she finds out her new best friend, Suzuran, used to be a homunculus. This presents quite a dilemma for her: does she do what the church tells her to and kill in the name of good, or does she listen to her heart and do what she thinks is right? Good thing Rachelle’s there to give her a talking-to on God’s behalf, and Yulia is able to mend her ways in the name of love.
The King of the Forest: A white lie (and quick thinking on Poppy’s part). A white-ish lie, anyway. Those kids are probably going to be scared of the supposed king of the forest for the rest of their lives.
Itsuki and Sanae: Satsuki’s parents. They’re close with the Namidare family, and after growing up with them as neighbors and family friends, Rekka calls them “Uncle Itsuki” and “Auntie Sanae.” They’re generous and kind (as evidenced by their willingness to take in L despite the strangeness of her circumstances), which makes it easy to forget that they’re also both very powerful mages. They’re where Satsuki got her magic, after all!
Demonslaying Ogre Killer: Momone’s grandfather. He has quite a reputation for his past feats and his incredible powers, some of which Momone has inherited.
Vice President of the Student Council: Momone’s right-hand man when it comes to student council affairs. She may have gotten the wrong idea about Rekka based on what she’s heard from Momone, but she also has a bad habit of catching him at the wrong times. One more incident, however, and she may really send the disciplinary committee after him.
R (Heroine): Although it’s never really dawned on Rekka before now, R is a heroine in her own right. She comes from a future on the brink of destruction that only Rekka has the power to save. She has the special ability of attracting non-story heroines into Rekka’s life, the hope being that he’ll eventually find one he likes and settle down. The ending to this story, however, has yet to be written.
Places, Things
Exorcists: Agents of the church who work to purge the planet of supernatural existences they believe to be a threat to mankind. It’s worth noting, however, that it’s an important distinction that they do their work in the name of the church rather than in the name of God—though some of them may have difficulty accepting that.
I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse: Volume 11 Page 13
