When the sun sets, sit on the bridge across the Sagami River and look at the place where the water and the sky meet. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

I used to love the view, but now it's the opposite.

I hate any red!

"It's red, it's really an uncomfortable color......" It seems that Yuji, like me, has a resistance to red.

In the past few days when I've been busy with club activities, Yuuji has left behind the activities of the music club and has been in contact with the girl with a big knife and her hair burning like fire, and it seems that she has gained a lot.

But what is clear is that his mood is sinking day by day.

No matter who you are, when you know that your life is short, and you will not even be able to leave any traces in this world, it is impossible to feel better, and the scene of "burning out the torch" that often occurs around us is like a sword hanging over the head, reminding the "torch" of the inevitable fate at all times.

After a week in this situation, Yuji hasn't gone crazy yet, and this will alone is already very admirable.

We can't let him be depressed anymore, at least we have to change the subject!

"Hey, I said Yooji, you didn't come out to see the scenery, right?" I pretended to be a casual imitation of Haruhara's signature smile, "If only it were a beautiful woman, I don't have much interest in men." ”

"Bastard ......"

"Bastards are better than faggots."

"I'm not gay!"

"I know, you're Lolicon." This is not nonsense, the girl he has been "pursuing" these days is just a little Lori.

"I'm not Lolicon either!" Yuji couldn't help but roar, but he immediately understood what I meant, and shook his head with a wry smile, "Thank you, though, I'm fine." ”

There's nothing to do, there's a ghost! What is the difference between your face and that of a dead man?

"Tell me, what the hell is going on?" Jumping onto the railing of the bridge that is one person high, feeling the cool tide breeze blowing in my face, it seems that I can even feel a little better, "Are you interested in coming up and sitting?" It's exciting. ”

"No, I don't want to die now." Yuji sighed, leaned against the railing, and began to introduce the information he had obtained from that strange girl these days.

"Outside of our world, there is another world, known as the 'Red World'. There are many strange beings living in the Red World, and they are commonly known as "disciples". And since the 'present world' in which we live is connected to the 'red world', there have been many 'disciples' who have come to this world. Because for that desolate world, the present world is prosperous and beautiful, full of attraction. ”

"Looks like they're quite discerning."

"Yes, but the problem is that in order for the 'disciples' to manifest in this world, and even to activate their own 'freedom law', they must consume energy, and that energy is the 'power of existence.'"

"In other words, humans?"

"That's right."

"In that case, aren't they entering the country illegally and looting from us for their own money?"

“…… Your statement is also very apt. ”

Damn it! These shameless invaders!

"That's not right! The so-called 'power of being', if taken literally, should be something in our world, right? I suddenly found a problem, "Wouldn't it be more convenient for the 'disciples' to eat those inanimate things, such as a mountain, than to eat hundreds of people?" ”

"I also asked this question, and Xana said that it is very difficult to devour non-living forms."

"What about animals? What about plants? ”

"For them, there is no difference between humans and animals and plants."

Damn it! This damn group of otherworldly chauvinists!

"The existence of human beings is eaten up in large quantities, which will cause the distortion of the red world and the present world, and if the scale of the distortion continues to expand, it will cause a 'great catastrophe'. For this reason, some of the more far-sighted Red World's powerhouses than the so-called 'Red King' have chosen suitable targets among the human race, made a pact with them, and granted them the power to crusade against the 'disciples' who eat indiscriminately. Those contractors are called 'Fire Mist Warriors', and Xana is one of them. ”

"To put it bluntly, it's the administrator of the farm, and it's not necessarily a glorious thing - by the way, you just mentioned a person named 'Xana', who is she?"

"Xana, it's the girl who saved us that day."

"Oh, I see—" I don't even need the most basic honorifics, it seems that your relationship is developing very quickly......

"Hey, your expression is very problematic!"

Cut, I hate the most sensitive guys, and if you spit out, you'll be discovered......

Yuji obviously didn't want to discuss this embarrassing topic either, so he continued: "When human beings are eaten away from existence, memories, feelings, and social relations ...... These will leave a remnant, and in order to avoid unnecessary expansion of the distortion, the 'disciples' or 'fire mist warriors' will inject a small amount of existential power into these remnants to create something called the 'torch'......"

"The torch is a person, not a 'thing'!"

“…… Thank you. ”

"In this way, those guys who smuggled over from the Red World are all bastards, whether it is a 'disciple' or a 'king', in fact, it is just the difference between eating more and eating less, eating ugly and not ugly, in short, they are all cannibals!"

"Not really." A deep middle-aged man's voice came from the air, and then the girl called 'Xana' flew down on the bridge.

"We don't need to consume the power of existence, as long as we find the right contractor, with the power of the contract, we can have limited access to this world."

It was still the man's voice, and this time I heard it clearly, it was coming from the girl's chest.

"When we first met, I was Arastre, Xana's contractor, known as 'The Flame of the World'." When I looked closely, it was the pendant around her neck that spoke.

It was a fingertip-sized, inky sphere tied to a silver chain, surrounded by two gold rings, looking like both an ancient work of art and a futuristic instrument. What's even more incredible is that there are many tiny fires scattered within the sphere, which swim in the darkness like swimming fish, and the voice seems to be made by them.

"What you see is the 'artifact' that was created after I made a contract with Xana, and my essence is in the Red World, which is just a link to connect and provide strength."

"You mean ......"

"I don't eat people, and the 'kings of the red world' like me don't eat people."

Belch...... I blame them for that......

"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you!" If you make a mistake, it's my usual style, "My name is Kazuya Uesugi, and I'm a classmate of Yuji. ”

"Thank you very much for your rescue that day!"

"Don't be wordy, let's get down to business!" The girl known as "Xana" seemed to be very unimpressed by this kind of polite line, so she grabbed the conversation and began a series of questions: "It's just a human being, how do you use to operate in the 'ban'?" What strange force did you use to fight the 'phosphorus'? ”

I am a traverser, and as far as I know, I am relatively weak among the traversers, not to mention smashing a giant, even if they sink the Japanese archipelago!

"You're human too, right, if you can do it, why can't I?" Because her attitude was really annoying, my answer was also blunt, "Just because I'm not a 'Fire Mist Warrior'?" Then your horizons are a little too small. ”

For a moment, the atmosphere became tense.

Do you want to fight? Welcome!

Just as Shana and I were staring at each other, Yuuji broke the ice.

With his reminder, we noticed a man and a woman sitting on the grassy slope across the river watching the sunset.

Ikesoto and Hirai-edge.

Maybe because the existence of the "torch" is to not be noticeable, except for Yuuji, a freak, the people who become the "torch" don't seem to have any opinions, and Yuji didn't spend much effort to make Chi Suto and Hirai Yuan lovers.

No, maybe they can't understand the word "lover" anymore because the flame is getting weaker......

Even so, they still eat lunch together, review together, and go to and from school together like ordinary lovers.

"Today is their first date." Yuji lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Boys and girls sat quietly in the setting sun, silent.

From a distance, the flame in their chests was as faint as a candle about to burn out.

As the sun set, boys and girls stood up, holding hands, and walked side by side.

"Yuuji, let's go say hi." I try to make my tone sound calmer.

However, after taking a few steps, a fierce evening breeze blew, and the flame in Ikei and Hei's chest shook violently a few times, slowly turning into a wisp of light smoke, and then their bodies seemed to bloom with the last of their energy, rising into pale flames.

In the flames, the two men gradually blurred.

…… Saori Shiroto is also busy, and there's no reason for her to drop everything she has at hand to help a few torches. It's their creation in time, and it's just their bad luck if they don't have time.

Although I know that this is the case, and although I will try to revive them, it is still sad to see two acquaintances who are about to disappear miserably.

Yuuji's reaction became even more intense, he screamed, and ran desperately towards that side.

Before he could arrive, the two figures had already cracked and dissipated, turning into debris of flames all over the ground.

Damn it! That guy who manipulated the 'phosphorus' to eat the pond and the peace, even if it were to die together, I would definitely kill you!

Just as I was cursing in a rage, something strange happened.

A white light fell from the sky, and he turned into a handsome young man who looked cold, wearing a slightly old sweater, and when he looked closely, he was also an acquaintance - my classmate, Nagato Yuhiko.

Known as the "Iceberg Pretty Man", Yuhiko Nagato is known for his taciturn and love to read, and he appears in the library all day except in the classroom, and is an authentic nerd.

Despite this, he is unexpectedly popular among girls, handsome, calm, and has excellent grades, and is said to be the first in the school in terms of entrance scores, and has won many sports competitions in middle school. What fascinates the girls the most is his cold expression that always rejects people thousands of miles away, this year the sunshine boy is popular, but the iceberg cool man is also popular, it is said that the girls who are obsessed with him have organized several "Nagato-kun smile battles", of course, all of them ended in failure......

But how did he come down from heaven?

――If you think about it, it seems that no one knows where he lives......

The place where Nagato landed, right next to Ike and Hirai, looked at the fire that was about to dissipate, raised his hands, and said strange words in his mouth that I couldn't understand.

"Information, repair."

In the next instant, the space centered on him burst out, everything became blurred, and then turned into countless zeros and 1s, and these numbers spun rapidly, combining the appearance of Ike Soto and Hirai Yuan in the air.

Then, as if nothing had happened just now, Ikei and Hirai still walked hand in hand and walked side by side, but their expressions were clearly alive and no longer lifeless.

Hirai's face turned red when he suddenly saw us close at hand, and Ikeya showed a shy smile, but he didn't hesitate to shake Hirai's hand and greet us with a smile.

Looking at their chests, the originally faint flames had become as strong as bonfires at festivals!