I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Tenkuji Yuu caught it steadily, his gaze subtle: "While what you're saying isn't entirely wrong, something still feels a bit strange... Come to think of it, why did you give it to me?"

"Let it take you out. I don't understand the principle behind it, but that's how it works."

"Is that so?" After thinking for a moment, Tenkuji Yu nodded slightly, her palm unconsciously kneading the golden-red light jade.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at his movements and couldn't help but sigh, "I really underestimated you before... So, does that mean that if you want to build a harem, you have to be a pervert first?"

Sky Temple casually put the light orb into his pocket: "I don't deny it. Only with strong desires and ambitions can a person climb to unprecedented heights. There has never been a great person throughout history who hasn't done so."

Kasumigaoka Utaha crossed her arms and tilted her head with amusement: "You consider yourself a great person?"

"Of course not, but I want to be."

As Yuu Tenkuji looked at the girl in front of him, his expression gradually became serious, but then he revealed a relaxed smile.

—Speaking of which, compared to the other girlfriends, what did Kasumigaoka Utaha teach me?

Unyielding in the face of fate? Unwavering trust? Or an unyielding will?

It seems like it has both, yet it also seems like it doesn't.

He suddenly thought of a word that perfectly encapsulated his current feelings—

"Shiyu, if I ever disappoint you, will you leave me?"

"Huh? That's a strange question." Despite her confusion, Kasumigaoka Utaha answered without hesitation, "You dare underestimate how persistent I am? Looks like I've been too restrained... I've chased you all this way, I'm practically giving you my virginity, how could I possibly let you go so easily?"

She reached out and intertwined her fingers with his, her words carried clearly in the wind, her gaze never leaving his eyes.

"It's their business if others are disappointed in you. Whether you're a scumbag or a great man, as long as you're still the Yuu Tenkuji I know, as long as you're still so pretentious, malicious, sarcastic, and always putting your principles in the wrong place, yet more damnably gentle and reliable than anyone else—I will not leave you."

"If you love me, I will love you tenfold or a hundredfold. If you betray me, I will do everything in my power to go to hell with you."

Holding his fingers tightly, Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled quietly, her eyes clear and gentle.

"How are you? Not scared anymore?"

"...Only at times like this do you act like an intellectual and mature senior."

"You're really bold! This is how I usually look when you're acting like a normal junior!"

She gave a helpless laugh and a scolding, her delicate profile glowing red in the distant sunset, clearly reflected in Tenkuji Yu's eyes.

And that word naturally came to mind.

——A sense of security.

No matter where you go, no matter how things change.

Whether one succeeds or fails, whether one climbs to the top or falls into the mire—

There will always be someone foolish enough to catch up with you, persistently entrusting their heart to you, so that you will no longer be lonely.

Perhaps, everyone is like this?

So, Kasumigaoka Utaha told him that this would never be a story he was alone in.

As long as Yuu Tenkuji remains Yuu Tenkuji, no matter how many times he falls, there will always be someone to help him get back up, until the very end.

Just like the never-ending sunset in the sky.

"……Ha ha."

For some inexplicable reason, Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Emotions surged up like a tide, and he suddenly felt his eyes well up with tears, his nose sting, and his vision was blurred for a moment by the mist.

...Damn it, is the happiness and satisfaction that arises so suddenly really such a tear-inducing feeling?

Complaining inwardly, Tenkuji Yu quickly blinked, and before Kasumigaoka Utaha could notice anything amiss, she looked up and took a deep breath with a smile.

In front of the girl he likes, he always wants to act like a hero, like the protagonist who never cries.

It's the same now; showing off is a man's nature, and I doubt it will change in the future.

—However, Yuu Tenkuji finally understood one thing.

It's not about wanting to be a hero by taking action; it's about taking action to become a hero.

Whether he cries or not, what truly defines his identity is not the endless accumulation of thoughts, but what he has actually done for the one he loves.

In the end, he grew a lot, but returned to where he started.

"Wanting someone to be happy, wanting to live for someone, wanting to reap all rewards, and always wanting someone to support you as you move forward... That's what love is all about—this never-ending feeling."

Tenkuji Yu raised their tightly intertwined fingers, looked at the black-haired girl in front of him, and smiled calmly.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

She paused for a moment, her eyes seeming to glisten with tears, then blossomed into a stunning smile, nodding emphatically.

"I am willing!"

As the words fell, it was as if the setting sun had risen from a pocket, and the brilliant and warm glow of the sunset shone brightly again, gradually covering Tenkuji Yu's body, as if to melt him into the distant sunset.

He paid no attention to the changes in his body, but stared intently into Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes, and said with a soft smile:

"Then, I'll go write down the ending."

Kasumigaoka Utaha released his hand, pinched his nose, and smiled slightly: "Even if we can't achieve a single heroine ending, a normal, perfect harem ending is acceptable to me... So, you understand?"

Let's put an end to that clichéd, stomach-ache-inducing plot here, Yoyo-kun.

"Clearly a sadomasochistic author?"

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but chuckle, only to be met with a charming sidelong glance from Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"So what if it is? That kind of thing is just for self-gratification; anyone who takes it seriously is naive."

She hummed twice, and just as she was about to say something more, she noticed that the rosy light suddenly dissipated, like fireworks blooming on the ground. He turned into light fragments right in front of her and vanished without a trace in an instant.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was stunned, staring blankly at the empty space around her.

—Incredibly, I didn't feel empty inside.

It felt like I had just finished a morning sunbath; my chest and limbs were warm and burning, which made me smile contentedly.

"Seriously, that idiot..."

He sighed helplessly.

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her gaze back to the brilliant sunset that blended into the sky, squinting as if it were blinding.

He then opened his arms and let the sudden increase in gravity pull him rapidly toward the sea.

A sense of fear, like her black hair flying wildly and her head falling from a great height, arises, yet she feels a joyful urge to shout and declare her love for him in the center of this deserted world.

However, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally murmured to herself, "This is what I'm saying in a low voice."

"If you're moved, just cry it out. It's not cool to hold back your tears."

It sounded like a complaint, yet he couldn't help but smile.

"So cute~"

—After we get back, I'll make him call me Sister Shiyu in bed, and beg me to satisfy him with teary eyes!

With unrealistic dreams in mind, the girl's contented expression was gradually enveloped by the glow of the sunset.

The sea surface reflected glittering specks of light.

The endless horizon stretches out, the setting sun never sets, quietly and warmly radiating its own light.

……

The fourth time, Yuu Tenkuji snapped out of her brief daze and found herself grounded, no longer in that seemingly endless freefall.

"Is this... the end...?"

He slowly exhaled and began to observe his surroundings, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

The colors and decor here are very monotonous; it's just a snow-white room with nothing inside, no doors, and no windows.

It was like an unfinished house, or a special room for someone to be imprisoned. The bright lights overhead dispelled all shadows, and the surrounding whiteness was oppressive and unsettling. It was as if the deepest and darkest things in one's heart, along with the shadows under one's feet, would be revealed in every detail.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't seem to be affected much. Even though he was standing on Namek, he could adapt to it as a matter of course.

Most importantly, the door in the very center of the room drew all his attention.

"This is..."

"The door to reality is locked and cannot be opened now."

The voice came from behind.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't turn around, but quietly waited for the silver-haired girl to walk from behind to in front of him, her short hair swaying beside her slender, fair neck.

"To forge a close and deep relationship with you, and to become the final key—that was the main purpose of the system in creating this android."

She turned around, her pure, bright black eyes fixed on him, her face still expressionless.

She asked, "Host, have I been of any help?"

She deliberately left him alone with his girlfriends and devised various ways to help him recover his lost memories—although it was mainly due to Yuu Tenkuji's own efforts, the silver-haired girl believed she had contributed a lot to it.

After this journey, his harem ending should be much smoother, and he'll be able to interact with everyone more easily, right?

Putting everything else aside, this can be considered Itoko's last wish.

“Of course there are, along with dissatisfaction.” Tenkuji Yu crossed his arms and looked into her eyes helplessly. “Why are you calling me host again? To me, you’re not the same as that system that I should beat to death a hundred times, Itoko.”

“…Yu-nii.” Itoko responded obediently, her previously listless expression seeming to relax a bit, and her eyes becoming brighter.

Yuu Tenkuji nodded reluctantly: "Although I feel like you're just brushing me off, never mind... If I remember correctly, this is the door that the system used to let me leave the settlement space, right?"

He walked to the door and stood side by side with the silver-haired girl, stroking her little head as he looked up at the heavy stone door he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Yes. Once you pass through this door, your consciousness will return to reality, and the system will automatically settle accounts at that time."

Itoko tried to look up at him, but his broad, calloused hand held her firmly down, forcing her to continue her explanation in this awkward position.

"According to Brother You's original idea, after the five light orbs are collected, the system can be ordered to self-destruct while retaining all current rewards. In addition, I can use the system's remaining energy to integrate all world lines, making everyone in this world a unique existence, and from now on, there will never be any parallel worlds of you."

"The advantage of doing this is that the same tragedy will not repeat itself, and in this world, your status will surpass that of all humans. Apart from dying of old age, no accidents will befall you. All conspiracies against you will automatically fail. It is even possible to develop mystical powers in a scientific world."

"Simply put, it means you've become the protagonists of this world, protected by great fortune..."

Yuu Tenkuji nodded, replying somewhat perfunctorily, "Yeah, I know. Anyway, it's all good stuff, right? Itoko, I trust you won't do anything to harm me, so let's go with the plan you think is best."