(My oldest memory is of being alone in an alley, trembling from the cold and loneliness.)

In the instant she unleashed her Flash, Rinho looked back on her past.

By the time she was old enough to understand, Rinho had been abandoned and didn't know her parents' faces.

She was lonely and miserable, yet she struggled, not wanting to die.

(The adults living in the alley were cruel to me.)

The homeless adults who claimed the alley as their territory were harsh to children like Rinho, fearing their own food supply would diminish.

Unlike the planets of the Banfield family, the star where Rinho and the others were born was terribly harsh on its people.

Everyone was desperate to survive, and they likely had no room for sympathy for abandoned children.

(I was also desperate to live—but I was so lonely.)

It was then that she met Fuuka.

Back then, neither of them had a name.

(That crybaby... I told her she'd die if she didn't move, but she just kept crying. She couldn't do anything without me, and now she's gone and gotten ahead of me. It's so annoying.)

It was Rinho who taught Fuuka how to survive in the alley.

Unable to abandon the crybaby and unreliable Fuuka, Rinho looked after her like an older sister.

She complained that it was a pain, but she was actually happy.

(When it became the two of us—I was so happy. The thought of no longer having to spend nights trembling alone made even the hunger bearable.)

They spent their days surviving by sharing what little food they had.

Thanks to that, she was hungry, but not lonely.

(After that, Master picked us up—and he told me I had senior disciples too. I was so happy to think I wasn't alone anymore. —Because it felt like I had a family.)

And so, she met Yasushi, was raised by him, and came to know the warmth of a family.

She was told there were other senior disciples, and she was surprised to think she might have an older brother.

Because she grew up in an alley, her rough speech and behavior never fully went away, but she was truly happy.

(I see. So I wanted a family.)

Rinho, who had always wished to become stronger, realized her true feelings in that fleeting moment.

As she realized the true feelings she had pushed to the depths of her heart, she understood why she had fallen to darkness.

(I was afraid of being lonely, so I desperately sought a family—I, who only ever wanted, could never be on the giving side like my senior disciples.)

Unlike her, who wielded darkness, Liam and the others wielded light.

For Rinho, who greedily sought strength—a family—the concept of giving had never even occurred to her.

You could call it her very nature.

Rinho was of a nature that was never satisfied, always seeking more.

In contrast, the blade of Liam's sword seemed to be gathering small, golden particles.

In Rinho's eyes, she could see Liam's true form.

(Senior Disciple—you're so beautiful after all. So different from ugly me.)

Golden particles overflowed around Liam, emitting a brilliant light.

Unlike herself, who had easily sought power and fallen to darkness, she was captivated by the sight of Liam walking the righteous path he had earned through hardship and suffering.

From the very beginning, Rinho had thought she would lose to Liam.

(An ugly person like me isn't needed by the family. But, if that's the case, then at the very least—if I can become nourishment for my Senior Disciple...)

For just a moment, her gaze turned to Edward, who was trembling in fear.

(Burn this into your eyes. You, who have been so blessed, should know how wonderful a family is.)

To Edward, who was like a nephew to her in the One-Flash School, Rinho intended to show off Liam's existence.

As Rinho unleashed her full-power Flash, Liam also unleashed a Flash.

Rinho's Flash had enough power to blow away the surroundings, but before it could cut its target, it was shattered by Liam's Flash.

Liam's Flash continued on, cutting Rinho down.

Her torso slashed open, Rinho collapsed on the spot, watching the blood spurt from her body.

Her expression at that moment was one of fulfillment.

(Senior Disciple—why do you look so sad? You should be scorning me right now. —You're really too soft—Big Brother.)

Liam's expression as he looked at Rinho was troubled, yet at the same time, worried.

◇

As Rinho collapsed, I walked over and cradled her in my arms.

“—Why did you challenge me when you knew you couldn't win?”

When I asked, Rinho answered while coughing up blood.

“It doesn't really matter, does it? It's more fun to challenge someone strong.”

“Liar.”

I don't know exactly what Rinho was thinking when she challenged me.

But I can guess.

“Was it for Ed? Your gaze shifted to him when you unleashed your Flash.”

Rinho laughed painfully.

It seemed she was finally willing to speak honestly.

“—I guess it was no good. I must have gotten distracted.”

“Why did you do this?”

“It wasn't for Edward. I just hate weaklings. But, well—I thought it might be for your sake, Senior Disciple.”

Did she challenge me just to make Ed aware of his role in the One-Flash School?

“What a foolish thing to do.”

“It's a fitting role for someone fallen like me, isn't it? —Hey, Senior Disciple. Was I useful to everyone?”

Clutching my clothes with her left hand, Rinho seemed to have already made her resolve.

Because I had held back when I unleashed my Flash, Rinho was in a state where treatment could still save her.

However, she herself wished for it to end here.

As a swordswoman of the One-Flash School, she must have decided her role was over.

“—Yeah.”

It would be easy to tell her not to die, but that would be an act that defiles the resolve of Rinho, a full-fledged swordswoman.

There's no point if we, who slay inhuman monsters, fall to the side of those monsters ourselves.

Right now, Rinho is an enemy to the One-Flash School.

She has committed the worst kind of betrayal.

Seeing me troubled, Rinho raised the corners of her mouth.

“You don't have to worry about it. Before coming here, I fought with Fuuka and seriously tried to kill her. If Yasuyuki hadn't stopped me, I probably would have killed her. So, I'm glad you stopped me, Senior Disciple.”

Trying to kill her sister was likely the influence of her fall to darkness.

If left like this, Rinho would become the same kind of being as Farabar.

By rights, I should be the one to deliver the finishing blow.

Rinho wished for that as well.

“Sorry, but it's painful, so could you finish me off? I'm relieved, since I know you'll kill me painlessly, Senior Disciple.”

“—You really are a troublesome little sister.”

When I called her my little sister, Rinho shed tears.

“Hehe, I'm so happy to be called that by you, Senior Disciple.”

As I tried to deliver the final blow with Ellen's sword, my arm stopped.

To hesitate out of sentiment at a time like this.

Just as I was thinking I should put Rinho out of her misery quickly—walking through the rubble, Master appeared, led by Yasuyuki-kun.

“M-Master.”

When I turned my face that way, I also saw Fuuka, covered in bandages.

Rinho became flustered.

“Ah, aaah!?”

Not wanting Master to see her in her current state, Rinho cried and tried to hide behind me.

At her pathetic appearance, I bit my lower lip—and prostrated myself before Master.

“Master! I will take care of Rinho. So—please, could you overlook this for now! I beg of you!”

Rinho was shocked by my proposal, which was like abandoning my duty to the One-Flash School.

“Ah, Senior Disciple? St-stop it. Don't do that. I—it's better if I die here. Otherwise, I'll cause trouble for the family.”

As Rinho started to cry, Fuuka walked over.

Then, she came to my side—and prostrated herself as well.

“Please, Master. I'm begging you too. I don't want to lose Rinho—my precious sister.”

As Fuuka cried and pleaded for Rinho's life, Master crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

Beside him, Yasuyuki-kun was desperately explaining the situation.

He must want to save Rinho.

“Father, um. It seems Big Sis Rinho has fallen to... darkness? I hear it's a forbidden act for a swordswoman of the One-Flash School, but those two are wishing for her life to be spared, saying they'll take care of her. Um—was it an inhuman monster? Big Sis Rinho is on that side, so as the One-Flash School, we have to strike her down, right?”

His explanation was faltering, but from Yasuyuki-kun's perspective, not having learned the One-Flash School, there was probably much he couldn't understand.

Master remained with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

◇

Yasushi was panicking as he listened to his son's explanation.

(There were explosions and fireworks and all sorts of things on the way here, but I never thought these guys were at the center of it. In the first place, what's with blowing away the surroundings with swordsmanship? From my perspective, all of you are inhuman!! You're all a bunch of monsters!!)

While grateful for Yasuyuki's explanation, Yasushi thought about how to get through this situation.

(What is this 'darkness' anyway? Did she hit a painful, cringey phase of puberty this late? I did some embarrassing stuff too, but I never caused as much trouble for everyone as you guys!)

Yasushi, who had suffered from so-called 'chuunibyou' (a Japanese term for the embarrassing delusions of grandeur common in early teens), looked back on his past self and started to feel embarrassed.

Looking at Rinho now was painfully like being shown his own self from back then.

Or rather, her torso was deeply slashed, which was just painful to see.

He had closed his eyes because he was scared to look at the wound.

(In the first place, why is it a given that I have to kill Rinho? An inhuman monster? Come to think of it, I did say something like that before. But 'becoming one of them' makes no sense.)

Confused, Yasushi decided to think about it simply for the time being.

(Calm down, Yasushi. I'm a man who's gotten through pinches with my silver tongue, right?)

That same silver tongue had landed him in his current, irreversible situation, so one couldn't say he had 'gotten through' anything.

He'd ended up having to walk a tightrope repeatedly, so it was probably a failure.

(Liam and Fuuka think they have no choice but to kill Rinho. But what would happen if I let the two of them kill her? Even if they put on a brave face, their relationship would worsen, right?)

Saying to kill Rinho here would probably be the correct thing to do for the One-Flash School.

However, wouldn't that cause problems in their relationships? Yasushi was considering this natural question.

(Not making them kill her is the peaceful option, but the problem is whether they'll accept it. If I say something flippant like, 'Isn't it fine?', they might doubt my words. The important thing here is how to get through this with a plausible-sounding atmosphere.)

He would need a reason that Liam and the others would accept.

Yasushi thought about how to talk Liam and the others around—and came to a conclusion.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

“Darkness... is it not fine?”

Liam and Fuuka were bewildered by Yasushi's reaction.

“Is-is it really alright?”

“I'd be happy if you'd forgive her, Master. But, Rinho is—”

Talk of darkness and inhuman beings was irrelevant to Yasushi.

What was important was how to achieve a soft landing.

Yasushi turned his face to the frightened Rinho.

“It is precisely because there is a strong light that a deep shadow is cast. The reverse is also true. The two are not in opposition, but in a relationship of coexistence.”

Fuuka tilted her head.

“Huh? If they coexist, then don't we not have to defeat the inhuman monsters either?”

Yasushi panicked at the honest question, but replied without letting it show.

“Coexistence is difficult. The darkness is desperate to destroy the light. But if we only destroy our enemies, are we not the same? If we can take each other's hands and walk together, there is nothing better.”

Liam interpreted Yasushi's words favorably.

“To not only fight, but also to seek a path of coexistence—what a wonderful idea!”

“Hmph!”

(Alright, they fell for it nicely!)

However, Rinho was not convinced.

“B-but, I tried to kill Fuuka. If this goes on, I won't be able to control myself, and someday I'll even raise my hand against my family.”

Yasushi was inwardly exasperated.

(In a few years, the day will come when she regrets her current words and actions anyway.)

Yasushi saw Rinho's reaction as nothing more than chuunibyou.

(Should I just play along here and tease her about it when she comes to her senses? Like, 'I was just going along with you back then~' or something?)

Yasushi was a petty man.

He decided to tease Rinho for the sake of a future story.

“Rinho, you have not fallen to darkness. You have become a swordswoman of the One-Flash School who wields darkness. In your future training, you must focus on forging your spiritual strength. Only when you have gained the art of controlling that power without being consumed by the darkness can you advance to the next stage.”

(I'm starting to feel embarrassed just saying this myself.)

Remembering his past self and wanting to writhe in embarrassment, Yasushi turned his back on Liam and the others and started walking away.

“More importantly, hurry up and get treated, then come home. I shall be returning ahead of you.”

(My wife is probably in a bad mood, and I don't want to face her alone.)

Having lost big at gambling, Yasushi simply didn't want to deal with Nina by himself.

However, Rinho, having been told to come back, burst into tears.

“Y-yeah. I'll definitely come home. I'll come back to Master's house!”

Fuuka was also sobbing.

“I'm so glad, Rinho!”

Fuuka hugged Rinho with all her might.

“H-hey, stop it. Don't hug me—my organs are gonna spill out!?”