This story is now over.
There is little left to tell.
But there is just one very final story.
Then I think that will be it.
Subject: Come with me
From: Elk
Message:
I got an email from Aura.
A new life is about to be nurtured.
I’d like to go there with you, Kite.
It may be selfish of me to ask for such a thing.
Ω Omega Server Hidden Moonlight Sanctuary
Please come with me.
It has been a few months since the final battle in The World.
I was in my third year of junior high school, my sister was in her second year, and Yasuhiko was now safely back in school.
In the third year of junior high school I was, in short, preparing to write my exams, a test-taker, if you will.
Inevitably, the number of logins to The World had decreased.
Until now, that would have been unusual.
In any case, I was surprised to see that the email sender was Elk.
Of the participants in the final battle, only he had not participated in the launch.
So I didn’t know him at all in real life.
He was now asking for help in the game.
I logged in immediately.
I tried to call BlackRose, as was my usual habit, but I thought about it for a moment and stopped myself.
Since Elk sent an email only to me, having a third party around could be a burden to someone like him, I thought.
“Thank you for coming…,” he said. He was already waiting for me in town.
Elk spoke, fluttering his eyes as though being blinded by something bright.
“I got an email from Aura. A new life is about to form.”
Elk repeated the same content of the email he had sent to me.
“I don’t know what this new life will be…” he said, turning his eyes down. “But I figured I should go, So here I am…”
“Great. Let’s go,” I said immediately.
A new life. News from Aura. It was something like a premonition, but Elk and I refrained from saying it directly.
We went down the dungeon, talking about anything else.
For example, why did we start playing The World? When did we start playing it? What did we usually do in The World?
It didn’t feel like the story was very lively at all, but somehow that feeling melted away.
I felt like Elk was similar to me.
It was strange. As I played The World, I came to think that many people were the same as me.
BlackRose, Balmung, Helba…
If I kept playing the game like this, I’d likely realize that the people I met in The World actually are the same as me.
When I reached the deepest part of the dungeon, there was nothing there. There were no boss monsters or treasure chests. It looked as though there was nothing at all.
Elk noticed this first.
“Look… It’s…”
Elk pointed to the ceiling. Something like a giant nut was hanging there. Or should it be described as something like a cocoon?
There was one that was about the size of a PC and was covered with green light.
Was it because of that that Aura had called Elk?
But what should I do with that?
Why did Aura try to accompany me in the first place?
Thinking about it so far, I came up with the bracelet as one reason.
I turned my back to Elk and pointed my right hand at the nut overhead.
“Power… to save, destroy, or both at the whim of the user.”
I remembered Aura’s words.
I sent out a data drain. A bunch of data sequences blew away the light surrounding the nuts.
Elk was taken aback.
A person was floating above in a crouching posture.
I was familiar with her appearance.
“Mia!” Elk yelled.
Yes, it was Mia, the cat PC who had fought against us as Macha, one of the eight phases. She now fluttered down to the ground, slightly staggered.
Elk approached and helped Mia up.
“You…” Mia muttered. She spoke as though she had been sleeping all this time and was just waking up now.
“Who… are you?”
“Huh? I’m Elk…” Elk said in a sad voice. “Don’t you remember, Mia?”
Mia seemed confused.
“I don’t know… I don’t remember anything…”
Her eyes came alive, and she noticed me and approached with a look of surprise.
“Huh, you…” Mia said. “You have a rare bracelet.”
Mia was staring at my right hand.
Elk and I looked at each other.
“You can see it?” I said.
“Of course. Can’t you see your lovely bracelet?”
As I struggled to answer, the cat PC looked up and looked into my eyes.
“Even if you can’t see it, if you know it’s there, it’s the same as if you can.”
“I guess…”
Mia had lost her memory. She had forgotten about the bracelet exchange with me and Elk.
“Elk, it’s okay,” I said to Elk who had cast his eyes downward.
“Huh?”
“After all, you’re here, aren’t you?”
Elk was caught off guard by my words, but quickly nodded.
“Me? I see… yeah!”
Elk put his hand on Mia’s shoulder.
“I’ll always be with you, Mia. I’ll help you remember. I’m Elk!”
“Elk…”
Mia, who was having trouble comprehending the situation, shook her head.
“You’re Mia!”
“Mia…”
“You two are Elk and Mia!” I thought as I looked at them.
It was turning out well. It would be alright.
There were no more problems.
It wasn’t a big deal when I put my mind to it.
This is the end of my story.
Power off, then power on, restart and reboot.
To those who have read this far.
To all the users who will play The World.
May everyone have the blessing of Aura.
And have a good journey!
THE END
.hack//Translate 