I really don't want to be reborn.

After that, the Cosplay competition proceeded smoothly under these circumstances. Bridget from the UK, as expected of the previous champion, immediately brought the atmosphere in the venue to its peak.

The next contestants were all quite cute girls, and there were even a few elementary school students, which made a certain perverted loli-obsessed woman in the audience shout excitedly.

Kousaka Kyosuke, watching his younger sister from a corner not far away, sighed softly as he observed her agitated state, as if she were venting some kind of emotion.

Do you really have to take time out of your busy schedule to look at this?

She's very busy. According to Ayase, Kirino has been extremely busy lately because writing novels takes up a lot of her evenings, so she's rushing to finish her homework during breaks between classes.

Doing homework isn't hard, but writing is.

If the pain of childbirth is like a pregnant woman pulling a watermelon out of her nostril, then the pain of writing is like squeezing the entire universe out of her anus—even the "Kirino-style novels" that neither he nor the black cat like require inspiration and energy to complete.

He completely understands that kind of pain.

Needless to say, Kyosuke often saw Kirino walking downstairs with dark circles under her eyes, looking dazed, during breakfast.

Does it hurt your heart?

It's impossible not to feel sorry for him.

But this is Kirino Kousaka, the Kirino Kousaka who follows her own desires and ideals, who learned her brother's stubbornness, tenacity, and indomitable spirit, and who perseveres through difficult times.

She was so cute that it made his heart ache.

Even when the plan was finalized in the editorial department that day, the usually reserved Kyosuke Kousaka showed obvious regret on his face.

But this level of exhaustion was exactly what he planned, so despite feeling sorry for himself and regretting his actions, he pretended not to know for the time being.

A person's mental defenses usually collapse at the same time as their physical body breaks down. He silently waits for the day when she can no longer bear the blow.

Of the participants in the Cosplay competition, more than twenty have already finished their performances.

However, no contestant has yet surpassed Bridget's score, so the atmosphere in the venue has cooled down a bit.

"Now it's contestant number twenty-three, Nana..."

Although Kanako wasn't going to participate, she was still the one who registered. When people heard the name, they thought she was a cute cosplayer, but when they looked closely, they were stunned.

Some people's appearance always makes people subconsciously hold their breath; their mere presence can dispel any noisy atmosphere.

The newly appeared Al-chan walked very softly, but in the dead of night, it became a crisp and melodious sound, accompanied by the rustling of her large black cloak behind her.

Stunning.

Even though they had met many times, Kyosuke Kosaka still couldn't help but recall their first meeting that night in Shibuya.

However, the current Shino is not quite the same as before.

Previously, it took a long time to discover the exquisite and beautiful inner world beneath her plain and ordinary appearance.

Now, with a new outfit, a long, flowing golden wig, and makeup deliberately applied by Ayase Aragaki, her beauty, a blend of Eastern and Western aesthetics, perfectly aligns with the aesthetics of most Japanese people.

The dark-colored outfit showcases exquisite craftsmanship. From the overall pattern of the skirt to the detailed decorations on the gloves, it reflects the maker's dedication. This cosplay outfit alone is worth as much as the winning prize.

"Kousaka, where did you get these clothes? Did you already have the idea of ​​having Sinon perform on stage all along?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but question, "This outfit isn't one of those cheaply made ones. Even the official ones aren't this good—don't tell me you sewed this yourself?"

He held his girlfriend's hand and smiled, "Although I could make it myself, this outfit did come from some sissy. He's also a huge Meruru fan."

"your friend?"

"...Well, not really. To him, I was just a hostile guest who came to threaten him."

Her fair and slender neck was completely exposed, and the blue bead worn on her chest was even more textured than the image in the animation. What silenced everyone, besides her clothing, was the girl's appearance and temperament.

Similar to Rei Ayanami's emotionlessness, but with an even colder, more aloof quality, as if she could kill even her best friend. This kind of temperament is very similar to Alphonse Black's dark side.

There is also a kind of pressure from the food chain. Sinon's eyes have little emotion, symbolizing the coldest natural bestiality. Even normal people can't withstand it, let alone otaku with relatively weaker willpower.

"That's exactly how it feels..."

Rather than saying this is the effect of cosplay, it's more accurate to say that the corrupted Al-chan, who has been demonized and shows no mercy in killing her comrades, has stepped out of the screen.

Kasumigaoka Utaha squeezed his hand: "Isn't Shino cute? To be honest, if she had been by my side since she was little, I would definitely be a complete perverted siscon now."

"I'm not worried about what kind of fetish you have..."

He laughed.

Shino stood in the center of the stage, knowing that everyone was watching her, and felt very uncomfortable.

She didn't like this feeling, and disliking it made her angry. She angrily looked at the culprit and found that the jerk standing with her sister was still smiling at her.

This made her even angrier.

Glancing at him.

Kyosuke Kosaka didn't mind being glared at by his sister-in-law and still smiled: "What I'm worried about is that she'll become a sister-complex and try every means to hinder us, which would be terrible."

Kasumigaoka remained noncommittal: "Before worrying about my sister, you should worry about your sister. I'm afraid she'll go into shock from blood loss."

"Ok?"

He quickly turned his head and saw his precious little sister covering her nose... Her nose was bleeding, and she was pressing her nose with a tissue while muttering something.

—You're way too excited!

Does that pervert's smile look like a girl's?

Give me something closer!

Although they had expected it, they were still relieved that Kirino didn't recognize who it was.

"Ooh ooh ooh—"

Suddenly, an unparalleled cheer erupted from the audience, because the central figure on stage was now assembling a gun that gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Everyone praised the props for their quality, completely unaware that they were actually real guns that could shoot them.

What's even more impressive is that this girl can wield a sword while assembling and disassembling firearms at the same time while moving at high speed.

This scene is a complete recreation of the animation—no, it's even more complete than the animation itself.

His appearance is impeccable, his temperament is impeccable, and he is extremely handsome in both big and small movements. Even without saying a word, he has already gained a large number of fans.

The outcome is already decided.

And so, the winner of the second Stardust Witch Meruru official cosplay contest was determined. At the awards ceremony, Sinon took the champion's prize, the "Meruru special edition figure," and shook hands with Bridget, the runner-up.

Almost everyone left the venue satisfied. Ayase Aragaki happily took the figurine, while Kyosuke went shopping with his girlfriend and sister-in-law.

Everyone is happy, everyone is happy.

As for the news that Ms. Kanako Kurusu was caught smoking while wearing Meruru's clothes and was taken to the Manseibashi Police Station, and that she was scolded by her parents and lectured by her sister after returning home—he knew nothing about that.

------

See, it's past midnight already?

Ah ha, I thought of so many razor blades in the last two days...

Chapter Fifteen: Love She wriggled into your arms, warm as a kitten.

Honestly, when will Haruhi Suzumiya's boring days finally end?

Although these kinds of topics are completely irrelevant to me, there's no need to delve into them, and they don't even evoke any feelings of boredom.

I watched her and Mikuru Asahina play around in the summer pool, and watched Kyon and Koizumi talk. There were other people in the pool, adults and children, but the number of them wasn't worth looking at.

Of course, for everything on Earth, including the water splashing out of the pool right now, I can calculate its angle, density, composition, the point where it will land on the ground, and when it will evaporate.

But there's one thing I can't calculate.

That is, how many more times will this cycle repeat itself?

The fourteen days from August 17th to August 31st have been repeated again and again, now totaling 8 times. Converted to a time scale that is easy for ordinary people to remember, that is 8 and a half years.

From what I know, there are no primates on Earth that have lived this long from the Stone Age to the present. Humans all hope to have a long lifespan, right?

Unfortunately, they didn't know what was being repeated, so they couldn't laugh happily. I also don't really understand the kind of emotions that require facial muscle movement.

Ah-Xu and Koizumi often seemed absent-minded and frowned today.

They noticed a sense of déjà vu—no, maybe they had already sensed it, but simply hadn't wanted to think about it in that direction.

Because their mindset is still not beyond that of humans, they simply cannot imagine that there is an information reset and cycle in the universe.

I was lost in thought under the shade of a tree by the pool.

It seems like Kyon has discovered something about me...

After swimming comes summer vacation planning at the ice cream shop—I'm already very familiar with this routine.

"That's all for today, dismissed!"

Spring has concluded today's activities.

I also headed towards the apartment to wait.

"Nagato!"

The boy behind me called out, "Ah, no, I'm fine."

"..."

"How have you been lately? Are you feeling alright?"

Facial expression analysis – They noticed my tired eyes by chance earlier, and all I could say in response was "oh".

"Really? That's great. Sorry for calling you out so suddenly."

I nodded and turned to continue walking.

Over the next ten days or so, there will be the Obon festival, catching cicadas in the forest, summer jobs, and in the following days there may also be baseball, fireworks, fishing, a test of courage, movies, beach activities, etc.

In springtime terms, it will be a very fulfilling time.

At night, we went to the rooftop of the apartment building to look at the stars.

The stars are so beautiful—such a thought is indeed a bit inexplicable for someone like me. Reason tells me that this is wrong, but something seems to be sprouting deep inside me.

Data bugs always appear with each cycle of reset, even in the universe where the rules are far more rigorous than those of a computer. And what I am getting close to now is what the Information Integration Thought Entity considers the biggest bug—Haruhi Suzumiya.

I must have been infected by some kind of bug in her, because I developed a sense of curiosity about the stars in the universe.