Finally, Megumi tied a bow around the back of his hand and teased him in a low voice.
"You really love Her."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Unexpectedly, Ash was the one who looked completely baffled upon hearing that.
"The people I love are you all. She doesn't even have a physical form or a gender, so how could I love Her?"
I only meant that, to me, She was... irreplaceable.
"Hey, what are those looks for? You don't believe me?"
"Nope."
From Regina to Towa, they all shook their heads in unison. Whether it was the clever Yuri or the innocent Miyuki, their views on this matter were astonishingly consistent, leaving Ash ninety percent speechless.
"You're all way too love-brained! Don't treat everything like romance!"
Anyway, since an important partner was being stupid, then as his good friend, it was only natural for me to go over there and knock Her awake. That was the normal plot progression, right?
"By the way, Ashu, since you knew the full plan from the start, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Not from the start. From after I became Her."
It had merely been an offhand question without much thought, but when Ashu silently set down her teacup, she gave an answer that chilled everyone present to the bone.
"I am Her, and She is me. In practical terms, we are the same person, so naturally I completely agree with Her objective as well."
"Wha...?!"
The cute bow ribbon swaying on the back of Ash's hand snapped apart all at once.
"It's just that She gave me the part containing emotions and humanity."
Ashu looked seriously at the lover who shared her given name but not her surname.
"That's why I stand on your side. Not out of justice or morality,