"Haruna, please take care of things here. I'm sorry for going ahead like this."
These were Beatrice's last words.
Dimensional magic.
The ways to use this magic were diverse.
Seeing the future, turning back time, observing other worlds, or visiting them.
It was truly a miracle that made the impossible possible.
However, every miracle has its price.
That day, Haruna lost the most precious person to her.
The one who raised her, instilled values in her.
To Haruna, that person was Beatrice.
She wanted to stop her.
To ask her not to leave, to stay.
To stay together and find another way.
At these words, Beatrice shook her head.
"It's my responsibility for what happened. I believe you can manage on your own, Haruna."
Beatrice disappeared, leaving Haruna alone.
The lone Haruna resolved to carry on Beatrice's will.
To aid Rudy Astria, whom Beatrice had brought into the world...
"To stop Aryandor..."
Haruna muttered to herself.
"Aryandor..."
"He didn't reveal his exact intentions."
At Rudy's words, Astina nodded.
"The good news is that Aryandor can no longer see the future."
"He can't see the future?"
Rudy thought for a moment before speaking.
"Didn't I explain a bit about dimensional magic?"
"About space and time magic merging?"
"Yes, but it's more of an advanced combined magic."
"Advanced combined?"
Astina tilted her head in confusion.
Seeing her reaction, Rudy continued.
"In my case, I came from a different dimension, right?"
"Yes?"
"While Aryandor can see all timelines, he can't see the one I came from. Even if it's time magic, if it's related to space, he can't see it. The issue is that space magic is somewhat similar."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Hmm... that's complicated."
Astina held her chin, pondering.
Space and time.
The barrier between them.
For Astina, it was an unexplored domain.
"That's all I found out for now."
"I see, Aryandor and... Beatrice..."
"Haruna told me not to worry about it, but wouldn't it be better to find out?"
"Yes, I'll look into it on my end."
Astina smiled.
"More importantly, how was the future you saw?"
"...It's not a pleasant story to hear."
Even Rudy didn't know much about the future.
He only knew the cause and the result.
"Astina."
"Hmm?"
Rudy looked at Astina with a straight face.
He carefully opened his mouth.
"Please, don't be surprised and listen…"
"Don't be surprised?"
Astina tilted her head.
What's so surprising about talking about the future?
It's a completely different future.
It's just something to acknowledge and move on from. There's no reason to be overly concerned.
"Go on."
Astina said to Rudy with a relaxed demeanor.
"The future I saw was a world that was already halfway destroyed."
"Oh, is that so?"
"In that world, I was very powerful, but I couldn't protect anyone."
"Right, right."
Rudy took a quick glance around.
Even after telling her this much, the lack of reaction from Astina was puzzling.
Rudy continued.
"I took others' abilities and grew without caring about my surroundings. I only believed in becoming stronger."
"Quite the opposite of now."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"But despite that, future me still failed."
Astina smirked, seemingly unimpressed.
"If you've seen that future, you just need to do better from now on."
"That's not the issue."
Rudy said seriously.
"The reason I changed so suddenly is... after you, Astina, died during this winter break."
"...What?"
Upon hearing this, Astina's expression darkened momentarily but then brightened up.
"After my death? Why? Why did you change just because I died? What... were we to each other?"
"What...?"
Rudy looked utterly confused at Astina's question.
He assumed she would take the news of her impending death seriously, but she seemed even more cheerful than usual, leaving him confused.
Astina pondered for a moment.
"If I died... and the current Rudy changed completely..."
She was deep in thought.
The death of a close person is naturally shocking.
But, for someone to change completely due to that death is a bit strange.
Such a change doesn't happen unless it's the death of a truly close individual.
So then…
Astina half rose from her seat, leaned on the table, and stretched towards Rudy.
"By any chance... were we in a romantic relationship?"
"Pardon?"
"Did we date or... oh."
Astina stopped herself quickly and regained her composure.
She cleared her throat and sat back down.
"Ahem... no, forget it. I was just curious."
"I didn't see the future in great detail, so... I wouldn't know about that. I can't look into it again either..."
Rudy gave an awkward smile.
"Anyway... I need to prepare well if I'm going to die. So, Rudy, have some tea...”
BANG─
As Astina was about to say something, a loud noise echoed from the door.
"...Would you like some tea?”
Ignoring the noise, Astina smiled.
Rudy glanced between the door and Astina.
“Um... what was that noise?”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})“Don't worry about it. Now, let's have tea...”
BANG BANG BANG─
"...Let me prepare it.”
“Maybe you should check outside...”
Ignoring Rudy's suggestion, Astina calmly went to prepare the tea.
“Astina!!! I know he’s in there!!! Rudy!!”
Rie's voice came from outside.
Astina paused from preparing the tea and shot a glance towards the door.
“Sigh... How did she find out?”
“Senior...?”
Astina walked to the door and opened it.
Sure enough, outside stood Rie and Luna.
Behind Rie was Sylph.
“What's going on?”
“Is Rudy inside?”
Rie boldly asked.
Astina looked at Sylph.
"Isn't it against the rules to use a spirit to look inside dorm rooms? Did the rules change while I was away?”
“Regardless! Rudy's in there, isn't he?!”
Astina gazed cheekily at Rie.
“He’s not.”
“He is!”
Astina and Rie bickered like children.
“Ahaha...”
Luna, standing to the side, chuckled awkwardly and tried to peek inside.
Astina quickly moved in front of Luna.
“That's an invasion of privacy. Why are you trying to look inside?”
“Then give me Rudy!”
“What does it matter if Rudy is here? He's just where he wants to be.”
Rie glared straight at Astina, fuming.
“Uh... Rudy~. Are you in there?”
Luna called softly into the room.
“Um... I’m here...”
“He’s not.”
Just as Rudy tried to respond from inside, Astina loudly drowned out his voice.
“He is!!!”
“Astina...”
Contrary to her usual dignified demeanor, Astina was acting quite childish.
Realizing this, she sighed.
“Yes, Rudy is here. But he’s here because he 'wants to be' in this 'place', with the 'person' he 'wants to be with'. What business is it of yours? Do you even have the right to behave like this?”
Astina emphasized that Rudy was with her of his own volition.
Of course, Rudy had been somewhat coerced by Astina to come, but the truth wasn't important.
She just needed to deflate these overzealous kids.
“We do care! We have every right!”
Rie shouted back at Astina.
Astina frowned.
"What?"
Rie clenched her fist tightly.
Her face turned redder, and she hung her head.
Then she shouted loudly.
"He's, he's my husband! I can worry about what my husband is doing, can't I?"
"...What?"
"Huh?"
Both Luna and Astina looked at Rie with bewildered expressions.
Rudy, with a greatly surprised face, rushed towards the door.
"No, no. Hey! Uh…"
Astina and Luna stared coldly at Rudy.
"Rudy Astria. What is all this about?"
"Rudy? What's that supposed to mean?"
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Rudy took a step back.
"Hey! What are you talking about…"
"He even took my first kiss!!!"
"Rudy?????"
"Rudy Astria?"
Under the cold gazes of Luna and Astina, Rudy's face turned pale blue.
"Haah..."
When the commotion subsided,
Astina remained alone in her room, deep in thought.
She never imagined Rie would confess like that.
She hadn't expected the proud Rie to take the initiative.
Fortunately, it wasn't a set in stone yet.
From Rudy's explanation, it didn't feel like he had accepted her confession.
After all, Rie had blurted out about their engagement and then ran away.
Still, the situation was dangerous.
"Damn…"
She hadn't expected such an event after being away for just half a year.
It was brushed off casually now, but later on, it might become an established fact.
"I can't just stand by."
Astina clenched her fist.
With a sigh, Astina murmured and then chuckled.
"He feels quite different from before."
The old Rudy Astria felt like he was from a different world.
He was swept up in major events, always at the center of it all.
However, his usual demeanor was quite contrasting.
He seemed more like a spectator.
A spectator observing how situations around him unfolded.
And that Rudy, who was like a spectator, always jumped into action during crucial moments.
"A game, he said?"
She had a vague understanding of it after hearing Rudy's story earlier.
Experiences and stories from another medium, not reality.
They were mere characters in that narrative.
However, Rudy now felt a bit different.
The feeling of him being distant and strange had vanished.
He began to genuinely look at and acknowledge his surroundings.
Was it because he had seen his old world within a dream?
Or because Rie had sincerely confessed?
Maybe due to several other events that occurred before.
It was hard to pinpoint the exact reason.
All she knew was that the once passive Rudy was no more.
The walls that stood between them had already crumbled, and now whoever took the initiative would be the owner.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have made my move first."
Astina muttered to herself.
Still, Astina believed she had a chance.
Rudy from the future had clearly said he changed because of her.
This held some significance.
It meant she had enough influence on Rudy to change him.
It signified that Rudy valued her to that extent.
"Let's give it a shot."
Astina said with a confident smile.
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