One-way traffic

"Uh, timeline what...?"

"So that means you're probably someone who traveled directly from the past or future. But if that's the case, who did it? And why did you and this woman switch bodies?"

"Wait... Stop analyzing things that others can't understand!!"

No matter what Accelerator says, Taki Tachibana can't understand these things.

"If this really isn't a dream, then what am I supposed to do? Am I going to spend the rest of my life revolving around this girl?!"

"How would I know? Asking me won't help."

"Eh?! How could this be..."

What if she really can't turn back? This question became a source of immense fear for Taki Tachibana.

But the person in front of me... he doesn't seem to know how to get himself back either.

They didn't even know who the other person was or why they possessed these strange and unusual abilities.

Or…

"...You're not really an alien, are you? You're just putting on this show to use me and this girl for research and experiments, aren't you?"

"You can think of it that way."

Accelerator stared calmly at the girl in front of him; his blood-red eyes revealed absolutely no trace of peace.

"If that's really what you think, then it's actually easier for me."

"..."

I have this feeling that everything this person says is terrifying. If I really think he's a bad guy, what if he actually chop me into pieces right here?!

That's terrifying. It's better to shut up and not say anything.

"What should I do now...?"

“Continue with your studies and stop doing reckless things. I don’t think your body swap with this woman will last forever.”

"So, that means we can switch back to each other, right?"

Taki Tachibana hurriedly tried to continue asking questions, but was instantly frightened into silence by Accelerator's glare.

"You just stay in school and do your job properly during this period. I'll do my own investigation."

"Um, what kind of investigation are you referring to... and who exactly are you? And why are you suddenly here at a time like this?"

Judging from the reaction of the old woman named Miyamizu Ichiyo, she probably didn't recognize this person either.

If that's the case, then why is this person here? And why is he so concerned about these things?

however.

Without waiting for a response, the person named Accelerator simply turned around casually.

"Eh?"

Under Taki Tachibana's shocked gaze.

With one foot on the ground, he instantly flew off the ground.

boom--! !

This single action allowed his body to instantly transcend the barrier of sound, soaring towards the horizon at supersonic speeds.

"You're kidding... right..."

He stood quietly in place, blinked a few times, and then rubbed his eyes frantically.

There was nothing ahead.

It was as if everything that had just happened was merely a hallucination belonging only to the boy himself.

"Ha...haha, it must be an illusion, right! After all, how could any human fly out like that—that's already exceeding the speed of sound!"

Taki Tachibana laughs as she simultaneously denies the reality of her situation.

He glanced at the time; it was almost time for class.

"I'd better go back quickly... I think I must still be... dreaming..."

The boy finally managed to suppress his shock and leave the rooftop, which was extremely dangerous to him.

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

A day has passed.

And in that day, Accelerator's investigation was quite comprehensive.

He has also found out the meaning of "Musubi".

…connect.

According to Miyamizu Shrine, the gods seem to represent those who control everything.

Under the power of the gods, time, space, and everything else can be connected.

Like silk threads, they are intertwined, complex, and tangled; sometimes they may break, but then they will reconnect.

This is spacetime, this is connection…

Connect all the complex things together, disconnect them, and then connect them again, bringing them under control.

This is the 'Musubi'.

Even if I find out all of this... how will it help me?

It's already night.

Accelerator sits on the roof of a building, minimizing the attention others pay to him, so even if he does something conspicuous, no one will notice him.

Even so, all he did was kick the vending machine a few times and get a few cans of coffee for free.

A whole day had passed, and he hadn't eaten anything, nor had he even gone to the bathroom once.

They no longer need to breathe.

"Is this what it feels like to become a soul after death?"

A whole day had passed, and Accelerator hadn't eaten anything. Logically speaking, given his frail physique, he should have collapsed long ago.

But he felt nothing.

He sat alone on the deserted rooftop, bathed in the rising moonlight, watching the increasingly bustling town below, drinking a canned coffee he had gotten for free.

As he did all this, it was as if he had truly severed his connection with the world.

It neither feels tired nor needs to ingest anything to maintain its existence.

Even sleeping has become unnecessary.

"Humph."

After finishing another can of coffee, he crushed the empty can and manipulated the temperature by instantly expanding the air, causing it to dissipate completely.

I will never get tired, no matter what.

He scratched his hand, which felt almost nothing, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"It seems that the conditions that came with my death were not all bad."

At least, this saves us from a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Then...

Accelerator looked into the distance.

On the street not far away, people were slowly walking towards the nearby buildings.

"Wow... it's already so late today."

"Is Mitsuha alright? At this time of day, you should have already eaten dinner and gone to bed, right...?"

"It's okay, I did talk to Grandma on the phone!"

"Hmm... then there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

After attaching himself to Miyamizu Mitsuha's body and enjoying the local cuisine at a nearby restaurant with his friends in this time and space, Sayaka and the Imperial Envoys, Tachibana Taki prepared to part ways with them and go home.

"But... are you really okay?"

"Huh? No problem... what do you mean?"

"Of course I mean during the day! During the day, you don't even know where your locker or seat is. I even suspected that you almost collapsed because of the pressure!"

"I think it's more likely that the fox spirit possessed me, right?"

Seeing his two friends worrying about his behavior during the day, Tachibana Taki suddenly felt a little lost.

Have no idea.

Since I entered this body so suddenly, it's only natural that I don't know those things...

"I'm really fine, okay~ See you tomorrow morning!"

"Okay... then, goodbye for now~"

"Okay, you two be careful on your way home!"

After saying goodbye to her two friends, Taki Tachibana hurriedly ran back towards her home.

Click.

After opening the door, the two familiar faces were sitting in the living room.

"Yotsuba, Grandma, I'm back."

"It's so late, sister! You usually come back before dusk!"

"It's okay, Mitsuha went out to play with her classmates this time, right?"

While watching TV, Miyamizu Ichiyo continued speaking without turning her head.

"It's a rare opportunity, so we should really relax a bit. After all, the time for the ceremony to begin is just around the corner."

"Hey~ I'm actually kind of looking forward to things like memorial services!"

...a memorial service?

Taki Tachibana blinked; naturally, he knew nothing about such things as memorial services.

In any case, this day was a fatal and busy one for him.

So, after a quick wash, he headed straight for his bedroom, not planning to do anything else.

Ultimately, Taki Tachibana, who should have been living in Tokyo, had absolutely no idea what one could do in their spare time in such a small mountain village.

"Life was pretty good today."

With a sigh, Taki Tachibana opened the bedroom door and stepped into the room.

"Sigh, although it's probably a dream, this is the first time I've ever had such a vivid and magical dream."

It wouldn't be bad to have a dream like that again if there were a next time.

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

"He actually woke up and went to sleep...?"

From this vantage point, Accelerator could see Taki Tachibana in the room in the distance immediately collapse to the ground and fall asleep.

That didn't seem like a normal sleeping situation at all.

It's like being forced into sleep due to some unexpected event.

Something is wrong.

Just as the first person realized what was happening and was wondering whether to fly to the other person's room to check on Miyamizu Mitsuha's condition.

suddenly.

He just blinked once.

It's just such a simple action.

His body instantly appeared in another place.

"…ah?"