One-way traffic

'...That's great.'

I gazed upon this calm and gentle atmosphere.

Hatsune Miku, sitting to the side, didn't say much. The girl simply sat quietly in her seat, happily watching everything.

Everyone seemed to be having a really good time. I wish I could have more days like today…

——————————————————————————————————————

The warm and cozy daily life did indeed unfold here for quite some time.

But that will never be a permanent state.

"Hmm... I washed the dishes and cleaned the living room, so there shouldn't be anything I forgot, right?"

"I didn't send you here to do these housework chores, did I?"

The three were in Accordion's room.

After setting up a table, Accelerator, Hatsune Miku, and the napkin that could conjure various foods were laid out on the table. After preparing some drinks, the three of them gathered together.

Everyday life is truly therapeutic.

But no one should forget the most fundamental thing.

"...Mr. Takibayashi, it really is you, isn't it?"

"You don't recognize me after all this time?"

No, that's not what I meant.

Hatsune Miku shook her head and looked at him.

"I was just wondering, why did you... suddenly come into our world?"

To say it was just a coincidence would be far too unconvincing.

Knowing the details of Hatsune Miku and Accelerator, yet remaining silent throughout all that time, and only reappearing now, is already highly suspicious.

"Haven't I already said that I didn't come here without a purpose?"

Takibayashi noticed the slightly wary looks in their eyes, but he wasn't surprised.

"But as for whether this purpose has anything to do with you, then it certainly does."

"For example... before you returned to this world, did you experience anything rather strange?"

Something rather strange...?

Accelerator and Hatsune Miku immediately began to recall, and it hadn't been long—

"...Just before we were about to return to this world, Hatsune and I were indeed attacked by some unseen force."

That happened at the very last moment of that divine world in Mesopotamia.

Accelerator and Hatsune Miku were about to leave when, during their world jump while holding hands, an unpredictable force, so powerful that even Accelerator's reflexes were breached, struck them head-on.

"Although, it didn't cause us any injury at all."

"Hmm... but this can definitely be considered an anomaly."

It turned out to be the case.

After listening to the two explanations, Takibayashi, who hadn't said anything, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Not long ago, you must have frequently encountered all sorts of people whose identities you couldn't identify."

"Huh…?"

"And then there's Accelerator, the black hole-like space you encountered during the day, and the things that exist inside... those things weren't originally from this world either."

Since we're going to explain, let's start from the beginning.

Accelerator knew that Takibayashi, whom they hadn't seen in a long time and who could no longer be underestimated, did indeed know a series of important pieces of information that they were unaware of.

"First, let me talk about some basic things."

That was something Takibayashi was only qualified to know after experiencing countless battleground-like worlds.

"What do you think is the purpose of this so-called soul system?"

A rather profound topic.

"Perhaps it's to make us stronger... and connect us to other worlds?"

This is Hatsune Miku's answer.

Takibayashi nodded, seemingly agreeing with the response to some extent.

however.

"That's not the main reason that thing exists."

"If it's just for the benefit of the masses, why not just give you power directly? And why do we have to travel between different worlds?"

It leaps from a modern worldview devoid of any power system to a world of magic and swords.

Or perhaps, from a distant, apocalyptic future, one can instantly leap into a mythical age surrounded by gods.

This allows characters from different worlds to fight each other using different power systems.

Such a far-fetched idea is like comparing apples and oranges—utterly nonsensical.

But it really did happen.

"The true meaning of the existence of the soul system is not simply to allow us to gain power and become stronger."

"Its essential purpose is simply to serve as a bridge connecting different worlds, an intermediary point that allows them to integrate with each other."

"Hmm... if that's hard to understand."

*Thud.* Takibayashi tapped the table in front of him with his hand.

"Hasn't the merging of these two worlds already occurred?"

Hatsune Miku felt a shiver run down her spine.

It belongs to her original idol world, and to Accelerator's world of technology and magic.

Two completely different worlds were indeed stitched together without any warning...

They had all wondered if it was really just a coincidence. If it was just a coincidence, why did it happen to them?

The mystery is solved.

"If that's the case, then what is the purpose of this thing that causes so many worlds to be merged together?"

"In order to effectively combat something."

Takibayashi's expression changed slightly, and he spoke seriously again.

“Yoshita, Miku…you must have encountered all sorts of strange guys by now.”

“Those guys don’t belong to any one world, yet they wander around in different worlds. You can’t understand what they mean, or even know the reasons behind their actions. At the same time, they all possess enormous power that ordinary people cannot imagine.”

"They are an organization that anyone using the soul system needs to be hostile to."

"But the deepest leader of this organization is not a real person."

Next.

What Takibayashi said surprised even Accelerator.

"The mastermind behind all these people is a concept, a symbol."

It's an eye.

"We generally call it the 'Evil Eye,' something that actually exists in various legends and myths, and is the counterpart to the legendary 'Eye of Horus.'"

Perhaps Hatsune Miku doesn't really feel anything about these words yet.

But Accelerator did understand something.

The space I had entered before, and the eye I encountered in the deepest part of that space, that was red and blue, yet also mixed with an unnatural black.

Why do soul systems attach themselves to them? Why do various fusions occur between worlds? And what are the origins of all the different people they've encountered so far?

Everything seems to be coming to a conclusion.

That seemed to foreshadow the inevitable end of everything.

Chapter 655 The Cave That Covers the World

"...I can't believe it."

The girl stood in nothingness.

Her long purple hair billowed in the void as she looked ahead in astonishment at the vast Milky Way world that seemed to exist in nothingness.

"Has that guy gone mad? He actually went in there all by himself... and he's still there..."

"As someone from the local world, it's already quite remarkable to be able to do something like this, isn't it?"

Behind him, a girl with long red hair also arrived.

Behind her are a pair of enormous, biological-looking wings, and the sharp teeth faintly visible at the corners of her mouth are enough to prove that she is a vampire-like being.

"There's a rather powerful guy with that human too. Well, in my opinion, their actions are just a desperate struggle."

"But to still be able to maintain one's individuality even now? Isn't that a bit too outrageous?"

"However, in any case, our ultimate goal has indeed witnessed its existence."

A silver-haired youth then appeared in the same spot.

The three stood amidst the endless Milky Way, gazing ahead, towards the distant beyond—

Earth is an ordinary planet located in the solar system.

As if she had made some decision, the purple-haired girl slowly walked towards that direction.

"...In that case, let's get started."

The girl reached out her hand, and a strange, powerful sensation traveled across the Milky Way.

Towards that distant solar system, towards the planet Earth.

--------------------------------

It's another brand new day in Academy City.

As for Accelerator, there was something he really disliked that he needed to do today.

That was a live concert held in conjunction with Kakine Teitoku.

"...It's really not something I want to go to."

Accelerator donned his idol outfit again, dressing up to look dazzling in front of everyone.

But the expression on the strongest idol's face was not one of joy.

Similarly, the idol next to him had the same expression.

"I heard those bastards from the TV station are coming to visit? What a load of rubbish! Just standing next to this kid is stupid enough, but they actually want to record the whole thing?"

Standing beside him, Kakine Teitoku adjusted his bow tie, his face full of impatience and displeasure.

"You're really naive. Do you think your live shows aren't recorded? There's a limit to naivety, you little punk."

"Ha! Albinism, you little brat, you don't want your head anymore, do you?"

"What, you think you can take my head off?"

The two stood facing each other, and one could even vaguely see something like sparks bursting forth before their eyes.

"Please, please calm down...! The live performance is about to start, please don't cause any trouble!!"

"That's exactly right! If you mess things up here, the TV station will record it all, and then your reputations will be completely ruined!"

Although it sounds like coercion, it's the truth.

Whether it's Accelerator or Kakine Teitoku, they are both people with a sense of shame and don't want their ugly side to be exposed to the public... let alone a recording and live broadcast that takes place all over the world.

"What should I do next? Just continue as before, fooling around with this jerk until it's all over?"

"In short, please don't do anything reckless. Just do what you did during yesterday's rehearsal!"

During yesterday's rehearsal...?