Published at 17th of August 2019 8:03 am

Volume 7.5 The Blue Knight and The Silver Princess side story, Chapter 1: Outside of Reason

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Space and time flows in a similar fashion as to a river.

The river starts at a small source, and as the volume of water increased, flowing from heights to lows, it splits for one reason or another. At the same time, two split rivers might reunite once more. By repeating the cycle, the river spreads through the earth and moistens it.

Space and time are similar to that. At one point there was only one universe, but as time passed, it split into multiple universes. By flipping a coin, the universe could split simply by the outcome. If that coin was used to pick what team starts off in a football game, it could then possess the ability to largely influence said game. That split would then create a parallel universe. At the same time, it's possible for those split universes to rejoin. If that tossed coin had landed into a wishing well, the outcome wouldn't matter. The result would be buried by countless other coins and lose its meaning as it vanished into the quantum theory of probability. It is common for a universe to converge after a minute chance such as that, just like with a river. Even if a large rock blocked the flow, the river would just split up and reunite shortly thereafter. As the universe splits and reunites, history is knitted together. And we live in one of the strings of that knitted history.

Koutarou had been thrown out of that string.

The reason for that was the super space-time repulsion shell that Clan had been about to use. Knowing that it would cause a lot of damage, Koutarou split the shell in half and prevented it from being fired. But at that time, the energy stored in the warhead was unleashed. It detonated, and though it only was only a fraction of the effective area that Clan had designed, it was enough to swallow up her, her spaceship, the Cradle, and Koutarou, and threw them out of the universe.

Even worse, since the repulsion shell released its energy without any form of control, Koutarou and Clan were thrown out into the most problematic place of all.

They were at the beginning of the universe. If you were to compare it to a river, it would be considered the source.

The outside of the universe wasn't a place where something like a living creature could survive. No, not even material could exist. The laws of physics didn't even exist there, and to be precise, it couldn’t exactly be identified as a place. On top of that, Koutarou and Clan had been thrown to the beginning of the universe, where an unlimited amount universes and unlimited possibilities were being compressed. But at the same time, time was frozen. Although everything was possible, nothing could be done. Although it was the beginning, nothing was starting. It was the only exception in the giant, unlimited knitting of the universe.

The moment they arrived there, Koutarou and Clan were supposed to have been compressed into something smaller than even an elementary particle and then merged with the unlimited possibilities.

However, that didn't happen.

What saved them was the consciousness that existed there. Since that consciousness was the absolute ruler of that place, it sensed Koutarou and Clan's arrival ahead of time and protected them to keep them from vanishing the instant they appeared.

“What is...”

But what the consciousness first felt was a large sense of hesitation. Nothing but that consciousness existed in this place. That had always been the case, and always should have been the case. Here, space was compressed and time was frozen, so this was the first time this consciousness had ever felt the presence of someone else. So while it was greatly surprised, it was also greatly curious of Koutarou and Clan.

“Who is this boy...?”

The consciousness was particularly interested in Koutarou. What had arrived in this place were three objects; Koutarou, Clan and the Cradle. Amongst them, Koutarou held an extraordinary amount of possibility. If it was just a matter of energy, the Cradle easily had the largest amount, but the consciousness had been attracted by the unbelievably large amount of possibility that Koutarou held.

“Nothing but me can exist here... so why is this boy here...”

The consciousness bathed Koutarou with attention and examined his body and mind. An existence other than itself, an existence from somewhere else; there was nothing more interesting than that to the consciousness.

However, as its powers touched Koutarou to examine him, the consciousness hesitated again. The new hesitation was regarding the small abnormality that had occurred in itself.

“...Boy...? Why am I calling this object 'boy'?”

The consciousness realized the abnormality of calling Koutarou 'boy'. That wasn't a term that the consciousness itself had.

“No, more importantly, I? … That's right, I call myself I!”

And one more abnormality was the consciousness's self-awareness. Up until now it had never had a clear recognition of itself. Up until now it had been the only existence here, so there had been no need for differentiating between it. However alongside Koutarou and Clan's appearance, a need to differentiate itself between them occurred. Because of that, the consciousness gained a clear sense of self awareness.

“Recognition of myself is flowing from this boy!”

Contact with Koutarou brought along another change. As it came into contact with Koutarou's mind, recognition flowed from Koutarou's mind into it. The consciousness gained clear definitions of unclear things it had observed up until now.

“This boy has met me before in his past!!”

A white light appeared next to Koutarou. And the light then gradually grew larger, and once it had reached a sufficient size it began gathering to turn into some sort of shape. The gathering light's shape became clearer and clearer and finally became an entity.

“At that time, this is the appearance I had. That's why I have been given this form now...”

It was the appearance of a girl with calm and gentle eyes.

The light that had appeared next to Koutarou gathered and changed appearance into that of a girl. The consciousness’s contact with Koutarou had given it clear shape. And it didn't just stop with the appearance; the meeting with Koutarou had given the consciousness, no, the girl, self-awareness, awareness of time, space and even of language.

“The object's tag is Satomi Koutarou... I see, so you're called Koutarou...”

And she knew Koutarou. She could understand because of the change that had taken place in her body and mind.

“There are several descriptions in the ID... in terms of parameters, you seem to be a normal human, but you have an immensurable amount of possibilities...”

She was reading the very information that formed Koutarou. On top of the obvious weight and height, she could read his genetic data and what kind of life he's lived. Any and all information regarding Koutarou was flowing into her.

“However, the memory area is being protected... the me that Koutarou met in his past must have made it so his memory couldn't be read...”

However, a portion of that information had been encrypted and was not able to be read. In his memory was a large amount of information that the girl wanted to know, but she had no way of accessing it. However, she was able learn what she wanted to know the most of all-

“But, that's right... Eventually stars and life will fill even this empty place... I won't always be lonely...”

-and that was that she wouldn't always be alone.

Before Koutarou and Clan had appeared, she hadn't had a clear recognition of loneliness. However she could feel a vague pain as she was alone. Realizing that she would be always be alone from now on just as she had been before, that pain tormented her. In this place where time was frozen, it was hard to express just how long of a period that was. However, if one were to describe it in terms that humans could understand, it would be something akin to several hundred times a normal human’s lifespan.

That's why she was rejoiced at the information she had gained through Koutarou. At some point, the universe would be born. In it, stars would shine and life would prosper. It gave her hope that she wouldn't always be alone.

“...H-huh...?”

At that moment, Koutarou who had been unconscious all this time opened his eyes. Having woken up, he was unable to understand the situation he was in and blankly stared at his surroundings. Seeing that, the girl gently smiled at him.

“Koutarou.”

Drawn in by the voice, Koutarou turned towards the girl.

“You're...”

Hearing her voice and seeing her face, Koutarou was gripped by a mysterious feeling.

I know this girl...

That was a sense of intimacy with the girl in front of him. As if they had always lived together. It was very similar to the feelings Koutarou had regarding the invading girls.

But something's different... I don't know this girl...

However that was just as a feeling. Koutarou didn't have any memories of the girl. And that gave Koutarou strong doubts.

“Nice to meet you, Koutarou. But you've met me before.”

But when the girl spoke those words, a memory appeared in Koutarou's mind.

The dim underground, a stone pavement, several pillars surrounding a statue in the center. The girl had appeared as if overlapping with the statue.

What's this memory...?

They were fragment of his memory. The words the girl had whispered had summoned those memories from the depths of his mind.

“Guh...”

However, when trying to put those fragments together, a dull pain ran through Koutarou's head.

Who is this girl...? What am I forgetting...? And what's with this headache...?

He could remember seeing her, but he couldn't recall it. Whenever he tried to remember, his headache would get worse. If he had stopped trying to remember, the headache would definitely stop, but he felt it was something important, so he couldn't just do that.

“Don't try to force yourself to remember, Koutarou...”

The girl gave Koutarou a sympathetic look.

“Your memories are being locked away.”

The girl smiled gently and softly put her hand on Koutarou's forehead. Her hand was small, and she was slightly colder than him. The chilly feeling peeled Koutarou's mind of its search for memories.

“...Locked?”

“Yes. It's a complex lock that not even I could remove.”

Solving an encryption is overwhelmingly more difficult than creating it. And if the person that put that encryption in place was yourself from a different time, undoing the encryption was next to hopeless.

“Now sleep, Koutarou. You have someplace to go to...”

“Someplace to go to?”

An important notice had been put alongside Koutarou's information. It was a message she had written to herself from the future. It was information regarding where Koutarou had to go to.

“I'm sure someone is waiting for you there.”

As the girl said that, Koutarou's consciousness gradually grew faint. Another one of her powers was putting Koutarou to sleep. However, Koutarou didn't feel afraid; that was because the girl was gently smiling in front of him.

“...Why, are you crying...?”

As his consciousness faded, Koutarou noticed that the girl was crying. Although she was smiling, tears wet her cheeks.

“That is because I'm so happy to have met you. I had always been alone up until now.”

What had saved her from her eternal solitude was her meeting with Koutarou. There was no way to easily display that joy. Smiles or words alone wouldn't be enough.

“And because our parting is so sad. Because I'll be alone for a little while longer.”

There was someplace Koutarou had to go. There was something the girl had to remain and do. So because of that, until the universe was born, and stars and life formed, she would be alone for a while longer. That saddened her, to the point where tears were not enough.

“...If you're sad, you have to change things yourself, that's what my old man always said...”

“Fufufu, that's what I've just realized.”

As Koutarou's view faded to white, the girl wiped her tears away.”

Good...

Since the girl revealed a smile after wiping away her tears, Koutarou felt a slight relief. And as he relaxed, he was drawn in by the drowsiness. Koutarou chose not to struggle, but instead asked the girl one last question.

“Will... we meet again...?”

The gentle and warm, yet lonely girl, Koutarou couldn't help but want to meet her again.

“Yes, without fail.”

A happy voice responded.

“But when that time comes, will you want me to exist...?”

However her next words sounded uneasy.

Is she feeling lonely again?

Worried, Koutarou desperately endured his urge to sleep and told her.

“If I didn't... I wouldn't ask... if I would meet you... again...”

“...Thank you, Koutarou... let's meet again...”

That was Koutarou's limit.

Ah... I forgot to ask for her name...

Koutarou fell asleep with that as his last thought. Having made sure that Koutarou was asleep, the girl used her powers to envelop Koutarou, Clan and the Cradle in a bright light.

“Goodbye... let's meet once more, someday....”

The girl then sent Koutarou, Clan and the Cradle away from this place and to somewhere else. After staring where Koutarou had been for a while, the girl then put her hands together in front of her chest and closed her eyes.

“I hope the first star shines blue... just as Koutarou's armor...”

She then began knitting time and space.

All while dreaming of her meeting with Koutarou again, several billion years in the future.

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