Volume 1, Ending X-01 - A Certain Parting and an Ending

Volume 1, Ending X-01: A Certain Parting and an Ending

“If the Meinokawa Sisters still manage to find you…”

“Wouldn’t that qualify as a miracle, Onii-chan?”

A Certain Parting and an Ending

(Ending X-01 Open 04/16 14:50)

After escaping with their lives, Meinokawa Renge and Higan were given a large sum of money to keep quiet about what happened.

It could have come from Government, Illegal, Freedom, Quad Motors, or the Toy Dream Company. That unknown origin may have been a test to see if they would simply stay quiet and not search out where it came from.

“It seems the Meinokawa Sisters obediently accepted the money.”

“That’s good to hear. You must know where it came from since you gave it to them, Aika. In that case, I can assume it’s safe. I don’t want any strange trouble cropping up after all that.”

Swimsuit Girl Aika was speaking on the phone. She held the cordless phone to her ear while sitting on the white liger that was lying in her luxury apartment’s living room.

Her eyes wandered aimlessly through the air as she sank deeper into her pet’s fur.

“It wasn’t a bunch of cash inside an attache case. It was just a memo with the ID and password for an online bank, so it didn’t seem to quite seem real to them.”

“It doesn’t matter. They can tie up all their loose ends if they pay off their debt and get back their shrine. Their parents’ gambling addiction didn’t seem that deep-rooted, so they can redo things if they get back to the normal world.”

“So did you sever the summoner/vessel contract before Meinokawa Higan woke up?”

“That’s right.”

“Again?”

“I’ll keep doing it as many times as I have to.”

Their conversation hinted that they had repeated this exchange many times before.

“I’ve earned too many Awards. I’m Freedom 902…no, I guess I’m 903 now. I’ve invited in too many unpleasant things along the way, so it seems cruel to keep Meinokawa Higan in the Alice (with) Rabbit framework any longer. This industry isn’t kind enough for me to keep someone around after they’ve achieved their goal and lost their reason to fight.”

“That is true, but…”

Aika sighed.

The problem was Shiroyama Kyousuke’s powerful connection with the White Queen. To live with and walk alongside him was to face that level of danger 24/7/365.

That was not something one could survive on simple skill alone. Not even having luck on their side was enough to ensure their survival in that environment.

“The Meinokawa Sisters were angry.”

“Yeah, probably. …Hm? You mean Renge was too?”

“I’m not sure why I would want to help my rivals, but you should think more about what you gain by helping people.”

The white liger’s ears twitched.

It had heard a sea bird crying through the phone. That may have stimulated the hunger of the carnivorous couch.

“Where are you right now, Onii-chan?”

“Stop that. Do you really think I’d tell you?”

“Don’t tell me you’re leaving Toy Dream 35 in your cruiser. Then who will wash my swimsuits!?”

“Again, you’re going to have to look after yourself once I retire, so start learning. …I am moving the cruiser, but I’m staying in the city for a while. I won’t tell you for how long, though. I’ll just show up when we need to meet. Is that okay?”

“Either way, I’m a shut in, so I’m not about to leave. As long as you’ll look after me, I don’t care what you do.”

Aika spun the cordless phone around just once.

“I think the Meinokawa Sisters are going to go looking for you. Even if that means running all over the city.”

“Perhaps. But I’m used to that.”

“By the way, Onii-chan. Do you believe in miracles?”

“I think they do happen, but they’re not ours to mess with. That’s why we wanted a way to freely control the Materials who do cause them.”

“No, not that. I mean miracles made by human hands.”

“?”

“You did everything perfectly, Onii-chan. You even cleaned up afterwards perfectly, so no one had any chance to intervene as all the loose ends were tied up.”

Aika sounded somehow excited as if she were rolling a candy around in her mouth.

“But if the Meinokawa Sisters still manage to find you…wouldn’t that qualify as a manmade miracle, Onii-chan?”

And somewhere in the city, Shiroyama Kyousuke turned around with his smartphone in hand.

He looked up ahead into the flood of lights beyond the bustling crowd.

And there he saw…

Facts:

*The Meinokawa Sisters escaped their life of debt thanks to a large sum of hush money.

*The contract between summoner and vessel can be canceled by the summoner if they can see the vessel with the naked eye.

*The contract was canceled and Meinokawa Higan ceased to be part of Alice (with) Rabbit.

*Shiroyama Kyousuke has parted ways with people again and again to ensure they would not drag around Alice (with) Rabbit’s baggage.