The Infinite World of Weapon Girls

He displayed the courage to push the girl to the ground even in broad daylight on the street.

[218 Riding a dragon...wait, what kind of dragon is this?]

It's only natural that it feels familiar.

Because this was the scene when the two first met:

Erma, rushing to work, accidentally bumped into the girl, not only ruining her cold drink but also going further and asking her to cover for her.

This is something no normal person would ever agree to, yet Tina actually agreed at that time.

And he very kindly helped her resolve the backlog of work documents he had accumulated, handling everything in a very orderly manner.

The story that followed is well-known.

However, because he felt he was not worthy to be by Tina's side, he developed the illusion that he didn't like Tina that much, and did something extremely foolish—secretly left her.

Until one day a year ago, when she suddenly sensed Tina's death, Elma Setsuna felt the excruciating pain of a sharp blade piercing her heart!

In the days that followed, she was filled with a sense of loss and anxiety, and every night she was plagued by nightmares. It would be an exaggeration to say that she was living a life worse than death.

Although she's slow-witted and not very bright in any area, now that things have come to this, Elma can finally be certain of something.

—If there were truly someone who could make choices for someone like me who suffers from decision paralysis, it would definitely be her!!

The Sea Dragon Girl wouldn't tell Tina that the love note she left for herself was something Elma had treasured and kept to this day.

She endured so much pain and suffering this year, but just a glance at the note or the image of her appearing in her mind's eye would bring a smile to her face; it had long become her only source of mental support.

And now

In front of

In this moment, the girl who had been unable to believe was dead was now alive and being embraced by her. All the fear and anxiety that Eruma had endured for a year instantly turned into tears of joy and tears streaming down her face.

It doesn't matter how badly you cry.

The occasion doesn't matter.

These are tears of happiness.

It doesn't matter how much pain I went through this year.

It doesn't matter how much the price was.

Because the moment I saw her, everything was worthwhile.

……

original

Saving Elma is difficult in some ways, but it's also incredibly simple... because letting that girl see her is the greatest salvation.

"Alright, enough crying, let's get up first... There are so many people watching, and you're blocking the way."

Pulled back to reality, Elma was startled and quickly apologized as she got up from the girl, helping her to her feet. "...The ground is so dirty, it's all my fault...I...I actually dirtied Tina the moment we met..."

Filled with self-blame and regret, he unleashed a magical radiance invisible to ordinary people from his palm, silently purifying the dust that had settled on the girl's back and snow-white hair with a purification spell.

"There's no need for that..."

The girl pressed her hand down, moved a few inches closer, looked her up and down with gentle eyes, and then said calmly with a hint of heartache, "...Look how thin you've become."

How could she not have lost weight? Compared to the Sea Dragon Girl who was a bit clumsy but full of energy and loved to eat, the hardships and sacrifices she has endured this year have made her look haggard and thinner, both inside and out.

"It's okay..."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and a trembling, muffled sob escaped from Elma's lips as she continued to weep softly.

Suddenly remembering something, Elma reached out and touched the girl's inner garment inside her collar—

Tina was a little frightened. She had heard that dragons were inherently lewd. Could it be that the owl had reformed Elma but caused her to fall into depravity? Despite thinking this, the girl remained motionless, letting Tina do as she pleased.

He had clearly overthought things. How could Elma, that silly dragon, suddenly become so lewd and proactive? She pulled out a sparkling, diamond-like pendant from under the girl's underwear, which refracted a dazzling array of colors in the sunlight.

"found it!"

As she shouted, her face suddenly turned both angry and aggrieved. The next moment, a subtle glimmer of magic traveled rapidly in opposite directions along the two ends of the connecting chain—

With a soft 'ding', the girl felt a cold sensation on the back of her neck as the chain snapped. Then, she saw Erma angrily grab it, as if to throw it to the ground.

"Wait a moment--"

The girl acted swiftly and decisively, pressing down on Elma's wrist and looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"Don't stop me! I'm going to smash it to pieces today... If it weren't for the fact that this thing is so useless, and it just plays dead when it should be able to exert its power, I wouldn't have been able to find Tina after trying so hard for a year!"

"...Even so,"

Tina suddenly made a move, snatching the pendant back from Erma's hand before she could react. While carefully restoring the chain, she pouted and said, "...Even so, it's the first gift Erma gave me, and it's very meaningful...so I absolutely cannot allow it to be damaged."

As if struck by an electric shock, Eruma trembled and fell silent, seemingly even ceasing her crying, staring blankly at Tina.

The girl restored the pendant and hung it back on her long, elegant, swan-like neck. She carefully placed it back inside her clothes, patted her chest, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Tina put her hands behind her back, interlaced her fingers, and looked up at the almost petrified girl in front of her. She said with a half-smile, "...I've heard a lot from Hailing. This year, Elma has really worked very hard for me...I'm grateful."

"Moreover, Elma, the reason you left quietly, the reason that you're still so bothered by, is actually quite different from what you think... Because you were the first person to fall in love with me, and you were the first person to give me a gift, so how could Elma not be worthy?"

"As for thrilling stories, how could there not be? ... That time, you sensed something, crossed dimensions, and descended into the Black Bullet World. Together with the owl, you successfully snatched my life back from the hands of the God's avatar. I heard that the Sea Dragon was extremely elegant and handsome back then... If you deny it outright, then what is this?"

"That matter..."

At that time, Tina was on the verge of death, and Erma always thought that she was unaware of this, and given Erma's personality, she would not bring it up on her own initiative.

"—I know all that, Tina told me a long time ago."

Tina responded earnestly, then leaned forward and gently embraced her with both arms.

"So, I have always been grateful to and loved Elma."

……like……?

This was the first time Erma had heard her confession. Erma, who had always been the one giving, had never dared to hope to receive a confession from the latter, because Tina was different from others... She was a girl who rarely even smiled, so confessing was a more difficult and serious matter for her.

Her voice was like a clear spring, without any impurities. The words spoken in her calm voice echoed gently, yet they stirred up a raging storm in her ears.

"...Stop talking! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up...!!!"

As the embrace continued, Eruma shook her head frantically and uttered strange words, but her body remained obediently, or rather, affectionately, nestled in her arms.

"Huh...? W-what's wrong?"

The girl was not only confused, but also caught off guard. She thought that Erma was resisting her confession, and her face showed a hint of panic.

But even through the soft veil on her chest, she could still feel the other person's heart pounding.

"Why did it turn out like this..."

How could Erma resist? Tears streamed down her face again like broken beads, and she murmured, as if crying and laughing at the same time, "As for liking someone, I should be the one telling you first..."

Yes, why did it turn out like this?

Because when Tina first came into this world and at the moment of her final farewell, only after Tina's figure suddenly disappeared did Erma confess her feelings to her, but by then, Tina could no longer hear her.

A confession that's been shelved doesn't count, but after seeing Tina again, he still lacked the courage to confess.

...Until today, she actually beat me to it.

I'm so terrible!!

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work?

Going to work is out of the question. Now that Tina is back, why would she need to go to work? In fact, the Sea Dragon Girl doesn't even want to go back to her old home in the other world.

Tina's deduction was correct; Elma's new residence in the human world was indeed near her old apartment building.

On the way back, when Tina casually asked, "Would you like to come with me to the world I used to live in?", Elma nodded hurriedly, as if afraid that Tina would change her mind.

"Would Elmar be willing to abandon this world?"

"I've made a mistake once, and I'll never make it again... Tina, please let me stay by your side forever! No matter where you are, I will protect you with my life!"

"Hmm... The place I'm going to should be the safest place in the entire universe, so I probably won't need any protection."

"Ah!—Then, then, what should I do?"

"You don't need to protect me, just take good care of yourself."

Eruma nodded: Oh... Take good care of yourself (you).

"By the way, Tina, what exactly happened a year ago? Because of this, I haven't been able to sleep at night for the past year because of it... so you're not allowed to lie!"

"Oh, I was thinking of finding a better time to talk to you about this, but since you've brought it up..."

The girl touched her pink lips with her slender finger, looking thoughtful. After a moment, she asked, "Elma, would you mind having a second Tina?"

"What kind of question is this? Does Tina have a twin sister or younger sister?"

"No, she is Tina, and she is also the soul that truly exists within me... She is the person I love most."

"My favorite...?!" Eruma's eyes widened in surprise, finding this understated yet profoundly meaningful confession unbelievable.

"Um"

"...Although I'm very curious, I'm sure I'll have a chance to meet the other Tina, right?"

"Um"

With the technology of the Closers plane, it is entirely possible to construct a neural network that accelerates the world.

"Alright, then I won't ask any more questions." Erma smiled with relief.

Being able to stay by her side is already the greatest satisfaction. I wouldn't mind even if I were to take away all her power, let alone this.

Wait a minute! I was just asking...why did Tina "die"? How did the conversation turn to a second Tina? Could it be...?

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