The pinnacle of the Doctor’s creations, Divided Death Must Die, surpasses all in both scalability and base specs.

One could say it had reached a definitive answer in the field of autonomous weaponry.

Yet, that very Divided Death Must Die was being mercilessly scattered.

No matter how many gathered together, they couldn’t even slow her down.

Seeing Divided Death Must Die rendered completely ineffective, Kanon shook her head.

(Impossible…! None of this makes sense!)

More than anything, the girl before her, the one making this possible, was an anomaly.

“…Do you even understand what you’re doing? That’s not just some mere copy of a weapon. It’s—it’s…!”

“A replication of abilities. The power to analyze and recreate the soul itself, the deepest core of mysticism.”

Kanon’s instincts screamed that it was impossible.

Her mind outright denied its existence.

It was something that should not be contained within the framework of reason.

It was a singular truth, beyond human perception, lying at the very origin of the world itself.

“—It should be called the Mystic Eye of Logic.”

Miyume murmured as she gazed at the white flames.

Right now, if she wished for it, reality itself would surely comply.

“…No way…”

Doctor Kūna Kanon was someone who, at times, could even defeat S-rank opponents.

With proper preparation, she could fight anyone on equal footing.

Yes—if she had preparation.

“Tch, I wasn’t told about this!”

If, for instance, an unforeseen S-rank appeared before her, or something equivalent emerged—

—Could Kūna Kanon still win?

The answer was right in front of her.

“Divided Death Must Die!”

“Useless.”

Divided Death Must Die, fired from all directions, was incinerated.

Already, Kanon and Miyume were no longer equals.

“Act 2.”

As if reciting a verse, Miyume declared it.

In an instant, numerous heavy cannons materialized in the air.

Every single barrel was aimed at Kanon.

“A convergence bombardment!? Divided Death Must Die, protect me!”

As Divided Death Must Die erected a wall, Miyume’s flames intensified.

“Don’t assume this is just any convergence bombardment.”

The raging flames charged into the heavy cannons.

Magic-infused fire processed the bombardment sequence at a rate many times more efficient than normal.

Under ordinary circumstances, this would be impossible.

It was only possible because it was Miyume—a technique that outright defied the rules.

“Fire!”

With a deafening roar, over ten convergence bombardments were unleashed simultaneously.

Their sheer power could likely rival even Sorciera.

The alabaster bombardments gouged through the surroundings, melting everything in their path, yet still pressed forward.

Seeing it, Kanon didn’t even have time to think—she simply realized she had lost.

However—

“Divided Death Must Die, Divided Death Must Die, Divided Death Must Die!”

The moment one unit reached the limit of its absorption ability and was destroyed, another was summoned immediately.

Thus, an infinitely expanding barrier was formed.

“I won’t lose, I won’t lose, I won’t lose, I won’t lose, I won’t lose, I won’t lose! Because I’m the Doctor, I’m a genius! There’s no way I’d lose to you!”

Even as the summoned units failed to keep up and the barrier collapsed, Kanon still screamed, desperately rejecting reality.

Faced with the approaching bombardment, she cried out like a child throwing a tantrum.

“I just… I just wanted to be happy! I just wanted to live together with Yume-chan! I don’t want this! I don’t want it to end here!”

“—Yeah, I don’t want it to end here either.”

“…!?”

That voice didn’t come from beyond the crumbling barrier.

It came from behind her.

Kanon whipped around as if repelled.

There, stepping out of a familiar teleportation magic circle, stood Miyume.

“Act 3!”

A pure white dagger materialized in her hand.

Kanon had no idea what it did.

But she immediately realized—she must not let it touch her.

“You willingly abandoned your advantageous position?”

Divided Death Must Die manifested.

Considering the dire circumstances, she managed to summon an impressive number of butterfly-like projectiles and fired them at Miyume.

Yet, Miyume didn’t stop.

Raising the dagger, she stepped forward and shouted—

“Act 4!”

The transformation began at Miyume’s back.

A pair of radiant wings burst forth, sweeping away Divided Death Must Die in her path.

The pure white wings ignited with magic, propelling Miyume even further forward.

(A dense mass of magic!? Whose ability is this…?)

Several layers of absurd phenomena stacked upon each other.

It was more than enough to halt Kanon’s thoughts entirely.

Forgetting to resist, forgetting even to think, Kanon simply stood there in shock.

That moment decided her fate.

“…I finally reached you.”

The dagger pierced Kanon’s arm.

At the same time, a paralysis overtook her—far beyond what any mere drug could induce, bordering on the domain of magic itself.

“…Ah.”

The dagger was pulled out.

Watching it happen as if it were someone else’s problem, Kanon crumpled to her knees.

The butterflies swirling around her vanished one by one.

“Onee-chan!”

Miyume caught Kanon as she fell, peering worriedly into her face.

Even though she had won, she looked on the verge of tears.

“…I don’t care anymore.”

“…Huh?”

“Go ahead, kill me. Or take me to the Board. Do whatever you want—you won.”

Kanon weakly muttered.

Miyume shook her head.

“No… That’s not it, Onee-chan.”

“I told you—I’m not your sister—”

“That’s why! …That’s why, let’s start from here. From this moment on, let’s become real sisters.”

“…What?”

Kanon couldn’t understand what she meant.

If Miyume’s words were to be taken literally, then her reason for fighting—

“You’re saying… you came here just to make me your sister?”

“Exactly. So you wouldn’t have to wander alone anymore, so you could accept kindness from others without hesitation—I want to be by your side. …Saying it out loud is kind of embarrassing, though.”

Miyume smiled as if trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Even after everything, I couldn’t bring myself to hate anyone. So, in the end, I aimed for a happy ending where no one had to die.”

The tragedy born from the Deep Dream Project wouldn’t lead to a happy ending.

Kanon was a criminal, beyond redemption.

She knew that better than anyone.

“…There’s no way a convenient ending like that exists for me.”

This story was a tragedy.

That had already been decided.

But that alone wasn’t enough to make Miyume abandon her pursuit of a happy ending.

“Then I’ll create it. I’ll forge the future I wish for—a happy ending, with my own hands.”

Miyume made a peace sign.

That was her answer to everything.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m the younger sister of the great genius Kūna Kanon—super ultra-invincible perfect genius, Kūna Miyume!”

“…What even is that?”

“It means your little sister is amazing.”

Miyume spoke with a pure smile, leaving no room for malice.

That idealistic stance, no matter how far it reached, felt oddly nostalgic.

(Huh, this feeling… where have I—)

Deep within her memories, among the fragments she had cast aside as unnecessary, she felt as if she had seen a similar scene before.

It felt as though she had once aimed for a happy ending where no one would get hurt, together with someone.

But now, she couldn’t even recall their face.

No—what even was a happy ending for Kūna Kanon in the first place?

“…What was it again? I can’t remember the most important part.”

Her memories had already faded.

She would likely never remember again.

But she did recall that, once upon a time, it had been something truly wonderful without a doubt.

That much, at least, remained in her heart, bringing relief. Yet, at the same time, forgetting everything else filled her with sorrow.

Before she realized it, Kanon was crying.

Miyume gently wiped Kanon’s tears away and smiled.

“Onee-chan, let’s start again from here.”

“…Haah, Miyume-chan, you’re so stubborn.”

“Of course. After all, I’m your little sister.”

Miyume said this and extended her hand.

“What’s this?”

“A handshake. A reconciliation handshake. You’re the one who taught me that, Onee-chan.”

“…Ahaha, maybe I did.”

Kanon burst into laughter.

Miyume, caught up in the moment, laughed even more.

“Yeah. Then let’s start again from here—”

Kanon reached out.

She tried to grasp Miyume’s hand.

“……Ah.”

Everything ended abruptly.

“…Onee-chan?”

The hand she had nearly grasped fell limply.

Kanon’s body lost strength and began to collapse.

Panicking, Miyume caught her in an embrace.

“Onee-chan, what’s wrong?! Onee-chan!”

Kanon didn’t answer.

Her eyes, devoid of light, no longer saw this world.

(Her heart is still beating. Her pulse is normal… But this is—)

Her soul was collapsing.

As someone who could see the world, Miyume understood better than anyone that this was death.

(Reconstruction… is impossible. This isn’t something that can be fixed by interfering with the soul…!)

Even if a being capable of interfering with everything existed here.

Even if there was a Demonsgear that could reject death.

Even if there was a power that could burn away the very concept of death.

None of it could reverse the collapse of a soul.

Still, Miyume desperately continued to burn away Kanon’s death with her flames.

But it was like trying to scoop up the entire ocean with a tiny cup—an impossible feat.

“Why…?! We finally made it this far…!”

“—Because she lost the brilliance of her pursuit.”

Before she knew it, someone was standing in front of the monitor.

She felt as if she had seen them before, yet at the same time, it was their first meeting.

The girl, with a universally ordinary appearance, turned to Miyume and gave a small bow.

“Nice to meet you, successful Deep Dream Project subject. I am Doctor Zero-Two. I’ve been assigned to succeed Kūna Kanon.”

“Doctor…! No, more importantly, my Onee-chan—!”

“She’s already dead. She went against the name of pursuit and chose fulfillment.”

With those words, Zero-Two began extracting data from the console.

Her drowsy expression unchanged, she gazed at the monitor and continued speaking.

“Kūna Kanon stopped her pursuit. That means reaching an end. That’s how we’re designed.”

“What are you saying? That’s ridiculous…!”

“It’s the truth. A doctor must never cease their pursuit. A professor must never give up on saving the world. That’s simply how we function. …Now then.”

Zero-Two turned her gaze back to Miyume.

Then, she pointed at Kanon and stated,

“She will be collected. Her brain is still usable.”

Those words, spoken as if Kanon were nothing more than an object, ignited Miyume’s fury.

“…!? Don’t mess with me! Act 2!”

A heavy cannon manifested, aimed directly at Zero-Two.

Seeing this, the doctor let out a sigh, as if exasperated, and looked up at the ceiling.

“Well then, time for your first job—Nameless.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

A girl in a black cloak appeared before the cannon and Zero-Two.

Taking out a large scythe, she pointed the barrel at Miyume.

“Fire!”

“Boom.”

The converging energy beams from both sides clashed.

The impact scattered objects around the room, and cracks ran along the ceiling.

As if thrown into the center of a raging ocean, the magical vortex between them exploded and canceled itself out.

“Hmm, as expected of Miyume-chan. You’re really strong. But that Mystic Eye of yours burns through energy fast, doesn’t it?”

“…Lolon, Ruruika, take care of Onee-chan.”

The crocodile and dolphin took Kanon’s barely living body and retreated.

The beam struggle ended in a draw.

But the combatants themselves were not equal.

One stood with ease, while the other panted heavily.

“Act 1!”

As the white flames surged forward, Nameless reached into a magic circle unfurling beside her and pulled out a single sword.

“Act 1.”

Black and white flames clashed, consuming each other and vanishing.

The force that burned concepts itself had triggered mutual annihilation.

Watching the scene, Nameless spoke.

“Give it up. You’re just wearing yourself out. Just hand over Kanon. Then the villain dies, her brain gets put to good use, and you, Miyume-chan, become a hero. A win-win-win, don’t you think?”

“Screw that! I finally, finally reached her…!”

“She’s dead, and that’s fine. It’s okay.”

Nameless spoke in an easygoing voice, as if chatting with a friend.

But even as she did, Miyume’s mind remained sharp.

(I won’t give up. Most likely, the one holding the same power as me isn’t her—it’s that sword.)

Miyume’s Mystic Eye of Logic captured the mechanical straight sword.

The moment she attempted to analyze its composition—

A spark burst through her brain.

“Oh!?”

“Ah, were you trying to analyze this sword? Stop that. You can’t see it right now, Miyume-chan. The Mystic Eye of Logic is stronger than yours. In your current state, you can’t even create Demonsgear, can you?”

Nameless held a sword in one hand and readied a longsword in the other.

The instant the sound of something being severed echoed through the room, Nameless was already standing beside Miyume.

“Sorry, but there’s no way I can afford to lose to you right now.”

“Act 4!”

The longsword and radiant wings clashed.

At the moment their strength was evenly matched, Miyume activated her Mystic Eye again.

“Divided Death Must Die!”

The Mystic Eye of Logic’s simplified summoning created countless divisions of death behind Nameless.

“All of your abilities rely on magic power, don’t they? Then this should work! This is why you came at this moment—because you can’t defeat Onee-chan alone!”

Even though she was consumed by rage, her mind remained sharp.

Hearing Miyume’s words, Nameless let out an exasperated sigh and cut through the world once more.

“Well, it’s not exactly like that. If I kill Kūna Kanon, you won’t awaken, Miyume-chan.”

Nameless, who had been closing in, suddenly increased the distance again.

In her hands, a massive scythe was poised.

“Alright then, let’s fire one more shot—convergent bombardment, shall we?”

Nameless placed a finger on the trigger of the scythe.

“Act 2…!”

Before the heavy cannon she conjured could fire, it vanished.

Miyume’s strength drained, and she involuntarily dropped to one knee.

(The Mystic Eye… has reached its limit!?)

Seeing Miyume’s complexion grow pale, Nameless spoke in a lighthearted tone.

“Oh dear, using the Mystic Eye of Logic for two consecutive fights is tough, huh? I get it, I get it. I was just fighting Sorciera, and then suddenly, this dangerous person barged in—”

Her words were frivolous.

But the muzzle of her weapon steadily gathered magic power.

Nameless had no intention of letting Miyume escape.

Unless she handed over her sister, this battle would never end.

(…There has to be something. Another way!)

Miyume thought, thought again, and in doing so, realized her own defeat.

But even as she lifted her head, glaring, her expression showed no hint of surrender.

“I’m still… I can still fight!”

“Bang.”

The bombardment was unleashed.

Miyume stared straight at it, and then—

“—Yes, it’s only just beginning.”

A magic circle suddenly appeared in front of her.

From within it, a girl emerged.

“How dare you have fun without me?”

Was this a miracle brought forth by Miyume’s will?

Or was it a calamity summoned by Nameless?

With a single hand, the girl erected a magic barrier, effortlessly blocking Nameless’ bombardment.

Seeing her, Nameless’ expression twisted for the first time.

“Sorciera… So it’s you, here and now.”

“A delightful ball like this—ending it here would be such a waste.”

Nameless and Sorciera—
Their third battle was about to begin.