[Now, do you understand?] Then the image instantly changed back to the person who looked like a reflection of "him." He looked at Senba Gari's utterly lifeless eyes. [If you hadn't undone the seal and released them, they never would have escaped the ruins. All those companions of yours wouldn't have died, and even those innocent people wouldn't have been killed by them.]
"Was it all... because of... me...?"
Senba Gari dropped weakly to his knees, his empty eyes staring at the familiar people around him who had long since ceased to exist. Deep within Senba Gari's heart, where it had always been buried, a half-black crystal unexpectedly began to crack, and a thin wisp of black aura immediately slipped out from inside it.
Senba Gari's originally black, fathomless eyes began to show signs of turning bloodred.
[Th-this aura... I'm actually afraid of this aura. No! This aura definitely isn't that brat's!] The person who had been hiding in the shadows and peeping suddenly sensed an aura from Senba Gari that made him feel fear.
Nightmare—Honoka Kosaka, Umi Sonoda, Minami Kotori—Sing! Shattered Nightmare!
In that illusory, pitch-black space, Honoka Kosaka opened her eyes. What entered her sight was that same drifting darkness, and she was the only one in the entire space.
Then Honoka Kosaka stood up and shouted toward somewhere around her.
"Hey!"
Hey—hey—hey...
"Is anyone there?!"
Is anyone there—is anyone there—is anyone there...
"Kotori! Umi! Eli! Nozomi! Nico! Maki! Hanayo! Rin! Mr. Senba! Everyone!"
Everyone—everyone—everyone...
"Everyone... where are you...?"
No matter how she shouted, the only thing that answered her was the emotionless echo. Somewhat despairing, Honoka Kosaka sat on the ground hugging her knees and buried her head deeply.
In that instant, helplessness, anxiety, panic, unease, loneliness, fear, and countless other emotions filled her heart.
"Honoka!"
"Is