The wind is blowing the tree

The wind is blowing the tree

The wind is blowing the tree...

But fret not,

As the tree shall regrow its leaves anew.

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"I..."

I look back,

"I..."

I halt my run,

"I... can't run..."

She says,

Ceasing her run.

"..."

The floor collapses onto her,

No,

She collapses onto the floor.

"Ayanokoji..."

"Why?"

"Ayanokoji..."

"We're nearly there, nine. Past these leafless trees, will be trees brimming with leaves, and perhaps the light of day.

So why do you fall despite such salvation?"

"I..."

"I?"

I crouch down,

"I..."

"I?"

"I... can't function my malfunctioning leg..."

...

"Why?"

"I... am too weak..."

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"CHECK OVER HERE!"

"HAVE YOU CHECKED THE 2:14 COORDINATES?!"

"BRING THEM NO MATTER THE COST!"

I hear,

What do I hear?

The shackles of freedom.

The barks of prison guards.

"Stand, Nine."

"..."

"The past consisted of me and you,

None other,

The future shall consist of me and you,

Forever and ever."

"It hurts... Ayanokoji..."

Her chest,

Clutched,

With her scrawny hands.

But-

"You're... not weak...

You merely lack the mentality of the strong-"

"I'm weak-..."

"So come-"

"So go-"

"Both of us-"

"Only you-..."

"-Together."

"-Alone..."

"I HEARD SOMETHING OVER HERE! AT 3 O CLOCK!"

"PROCURE THE SPECIMENS! ESPECIALLY THE SPECIMEN THAT HOLDS OUR FUTURE!"

"Nine...

Stop crying..."

My hand...

I hold it out-

To her.

The her that taught me how to live,

From the me that will teach her not to die.

"Nine..."

"Ayanokoji..."

"I saw the ceiling, and perceived it as sky."

"I saw the ground, and perceived it as Hell..."

"But then I met you-"

"But then I met you-"

"The sky broadens; the sky enlarges..."

"The ground broadens, the ground enlarges..."

"As if the sky was something truly magnificent..."

"As if the surface I stood on was not totally Hell."

"Nine..."

"Ayanokoji..."

"For teaching me such thing..."

"For teaching me such thing..."

"But-...

"So-..."

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"I want to see more of the sky..."

"I don't want to see more of Hell..."

"So don't end my happiness, Nine!"

"So end my suffering...

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka"

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The... noises...

Is getting closer...

Even so...

"Say... Ayanokoji..."

We must strive.

"If... it wasn't arbitrary... tell me why?

Why do I have to go through life when I could easily die?

Why do I have to go through this... when I could easily die...?

...

..

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..

...

..

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There is

"Purpose in the life we lead."

So...

"We must continue to live-"

To attain that purpose-

"And find true meaning to life..."

So...

"We can die..."

At the very least...

"Purpose... that's why we live?"

"Purpose in life, purpose in death. Purpose in hope."

"What... is my purpose?"

"To..."

"To...?"

"To go school..."

"Huh...?"

"Both of us,

we,

us,

Me and you,

Together..."

"Together...?

I see...

Say... Ayanokoji...

Have you... found that purpose?"

"..."

"A purpose to this life?"

"..."

Of course,

"I have."

"I see-..."

My purpose has been found...

"Then-..."

That is...

"I can-..."

Be with you.

"Die assured..."

Huh?

What did you say?

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"Nine..."

"HAH... HAH..."

"Why do you look like that?"

"HAH... HAH... HAH"

"

Tell me, Nine.

Can the future truly hold meaning,

If it lacks our presence?

"

"With the eyes, given to see.

Let me observe happiness,

The happiness of our future."

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I,

With hands,

Given to hold,

Hold her hand.

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"Huh...?

It's... warm..."

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"Come now, Nine..."

"Where...?"

"School."

"School...?

The school in books?

Wherein stores immeasurable emotions?"

"No, not the school in books.

The school in real life.

Wherein stores infinite emotions."

"But...

It's impossible after all...

For the two of us...

Who are fastened to the ideals of devils..."

"But...

It's possible...

For the two of us...

Who refuse to be swayed by the acts of devils...

So stand."

"Stand...?"

"New name, new life."

"New name... new life?"

"I will..."

"You will?"

"I will give it to you,

So live.

Go school...

And die satisfied."

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"Let's go, Nine."

"Where?"

"To..."

"To...?"

"To school."

"To school?"

"Yes, School."

"Ah... that's right...

I have something to do..."

"Come, Nine..."

"To school?"

"To school."

She smiles,

"Ok, Ayanokoji...

If you promise a new life...

Then-

Let's go...

To school..."

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In that room, where darkness was considered happiness.

We will now escape, to the world where light prevails...

"The light of sun."

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"..."

I suppose it is bigger than expected...

And my expectations were quite high, to say the least...

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This is school...

This is the result of the money I've saved up ever since our escape,

Revisiting education, learning emotion.

"I couldn't ask for more..."

"What was that, Kiyotaka?"

I look to my right.

"Hm..."

I fixate my eyes on a beautiful figure.

"Jeez," she turns away, "I bet you're laughing at my uniform..."

"Far from it."

"Then what?"

I guess I'll say it...

"You look beautiful, Nino."

"R-Really?"

"Well, slightly."

"Hey!"

"You were prettier when you were 10; the first time I met you."

"Eh?"

"If I were to be honest, of course."

She pouts,

"Jeez..."

Then smiles again,

"How so...?"

I stroke my chin...

"Who knows?"

Most likely due to the repetitive image of her tears,

It made her look cute.

Though,

I wouldn't have perceived it as so back then.

Because I was unbeknownst to such emotion.

But...

After spending some time with her,

I suppose i can finally realize,

That her beauty is

Indeed

immense...

"As expected of the person whom I love..."

99 votes for continuation I guess.

Though it probably would be on another fanfic because I'd like to end this book here

(By the way, the original ending is last chapter, which I consider the true ending. I just wrote this cause I was bored lol)

Thanks for reading!