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  “No. By result alone ShuVi destroyed my hometown... that’s a definite past.”

  Through these words, ShuVi felt that she was about to collapse from a [pain]

  that shouldn’t exist, but----

  “Hm~...as expected, I am stupid. Because you see, at the same time, I think

  this.”

  As if hiding his embarrassment, or maybe really snorting. He scratched his

  head,

  “If ShuVi denied the past that she destroyed my hometown---- we wouldn’t had

  met right.”

  “---------............!!”

  She held her breath. Even though it’s a machine that doesn’t even have a

  respiratory organ.

  “Results are results. It can’t be helped even if you twist it. Humans, aren’t that

  kind of living being.”

  After slowly walking over, and after crouching down, Riku’s hand-

  “Even if they clench their teeth, regret, cry and shout---- Next time, definitely

  next time, and that way they keep going forward---- that’s why.”

  ----Gently enveloped ShuVi’s cheek and raised her face,

  “That’s why...ShuVi held interest in me, right?”

  Riku waited after saying that with a smile similar to a child.

  After seeing her own frightened expression reflected in Riku’s eyes, even ShuVi

  herself got surprised at it.

  As if soothing that, Riku continued with a quiet voice.

  “I, absolutely won’t deny anything of the past.”

  --------,

  “ShuVi’s past, the present that you are at my side, and the future that I want you

  to continue with me from now on too, I love everything about them.”

  -------------,

  “The conscience of the sin too. Do it like that or should it have been done like

  that. Too bad but humans---- no, I am just an idiot. In any case---- I don’t have

  time to be looking anywhere but the now. Hold expectations for tomorrow, and

  hope for the next time. Even on top of stepping through the past, right.”

  That’s why---- and Riku picked ShuVi’s left hand,

  “If I’m with ShuVi, even in such a world, it seems like I’l want to live in it.”

  He slowly passed the ring through the ring finger-----

  “If I’m with ShuVi, no matter the hardship, it seems like my heart won’t break.”

  The ring’s---- after showing a red gem like ShuVi’s eyes----

  “If I’m with ShuVi, it seems like I’l never become unable to laugh again.”

  And then as if troubled somewhere---- he said.

  “That’s why, you see. If you don’t hate me----“

  “I don’t...hate----!! There’s no such, a thing----!”

  After ShuVi swung her head as if trying to cut off Riku’s words---- then.

  After extending his hand, Riku---- wished.

  “Ignore all reasoning---- won’t you walk the same path as me. As my wife, that

  is.”

  ......

  ............Suddenly, ShuVi noticed.

  That at some time, the storm of errors that fil ed her thoughts stopped.

  “.........I, see...”

  ----Ex-Machina is, a race that corresponds. If it’s necessary it’l rebuild itself as it is necessary.

  Since when, “there was such a function” is unclear but----through the single tear

  in her cheek, she understood.

  The storm of errors. Those logical and contradictive things are, something given

  a name altogether and treated as such.

  Namely----[Feelings].

  “...Riku.”

  “Un.”

  “...Literally...just, as it, looks...I’m unworthy----but.”

  “Idiot, I think you’re even too good of a wife for me, you see.”

  While Riku smiled bitterly like that.

  ShuVi, who stil didn’t know how to work with her currently faced [feelings].

  Crouched, and with a wet voice----as if squeezing it out, answered.

  “...Always, always, forever---- please let me stay, by, your side...”

  ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

  “...In the end it became like as if I was peeking until the very end didn’t it...

  damn~ you stupid little brother...”

  ----Outside the hideout’s entrance, Coron murmured while sighing.

  After hearing the position of the hideout, she headed out even a single moment

  faster and ended up peeking al the way.

  ----Because it couldn’t be helped! I lost the timing to show myself!

  She thought while looking at Riku from the shadows, who was stroking ShuVi’s

  back since she stil haven’t stopped crying.

  About the day that Riku, who survived from a destroyed colony, got adopted by

  the adults of her vil age.

  -------------…………

  “Hello~, hey you! What’s wrong?”

  Since Riku didn’t talk with anyone, they thought that maybe if it’s Coron who was

  about the same age as him, then...

  Expectation covered the adults’ faces. It doesn’t matter how or why, it’s a

  survivor of a destroyed colony, they said.

  “Alright~ if you have something you want to say then Onee-chan wil hear it ♪

  Hurry up try saying it~☆ ”

  Towards Coron who said that and started tickling him, Riku opened his mouth,

  and said a single word.”

  “...Annoying.”

  “Fufun~, at such age, Onee-chan isn’t someone that wil be hurt by just

  something of that level! Come on come on, using bad-mouthing as an excuse

  won’t work anymore alright~? Did something happen I wonder~?”

  Riku talked trickling. The light that came from the south, burned down the

  colony, then he put aside his parents that became ash and went east----

  “----Didn’t you search for survivors? If the light came from south then why head

  towards the east?”

  Looking aside from the adults that got startled, Riku kept answering indifferently.

  ----Even if there were survivors it would be impossible to treat them. If they were

  wel enough to walk then they would do the same as him and take distance from

  there.

  ----The reason he headed east, was because over there was wilderness... it’s

  because, the Black Ash wouldn’t pile up there.

  ----If he went even more to the east there would have a river. If he went until

  there then he thought he would be able to survive----

  Towards that calmness that made you think he wasn’t a child, while the adults

  lost their words, Coron asked.

  “...What did you wanted to do after surviving?”

  “...Next time, I’l win... for that sake, I must survive…”

  ----“Next time”...he answered next time. And---- he said he would win.

  The adults gathered and made an amazed face, but Coron rubbed her cheek at

  his face and shouted.

  “Ahhhhhn~! Damnnn~ This child, I’l make him my little brotherrrr!!”

  Coron had noticed. His eyes when he said that the next time he would win----

  Those unfathomable eyes.

  That’s why Coron thought in an instant. That he couldn’t do it alone. Let’s stay

  by his side. At that time she decided that.

  So that Riku wouldn’t go in a rampage---- so that he wouldn’t hurry to his

  death----but, the truth was----

  -------.........

  “I knew... what was necessary to that child wasn’t an older sister to stop him. It

  was someone that would walk the same path.”

  He, Riku, will go to a distant place. To a place so distant, that I won’
t be able to follow----

  ….Well, but, putting that aside…

  ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

  “Until when you will be making ShuVi-chan cry!! This useless husbannnnd!!”

  Riku groaned after someone suddenly jumped from the shadows and thrust the

  fist into his stomach.

  ----What happened, he thought and raised his face, and Coron said while

  standing royally before him.

  “For the time being, as the older sister---- I’l have you let me say it,

  congratulations on your marriage ❤ .”

  ----Hmm, please wait for a little while, Riku thought and stood while pressing his

  stomach.

  “Coron---- erm, you see... why do you know, more like, why are you here?”

  “Eh? I reached the hideout. And then there was a nice mood---- I didn’t have any

  choice but to peek right?”

  Coron said without any bad wil , with a face as if asking if there was any other

  choice but that.

  ----This self-proclaimed older sister...until where---- Riku thought while

  scratching his head,

  “Ahh, then, since continuing to hide it from Coron would be that, then----“

  “Ah, if it’s that ShuVi-chan isn’t human thing then I already know, or it's another

  talk besides that?”

  .........

  ---------------Huh?

  “Wa, wait...huh, since when did you notice...”

  “Since the time you brought her to the colony. The sensation from hugging her

  made it clear that she wasn’t human, really~.”

  While Coron was acting like she would rather know why he thought that she

  didn’t notice.

  ----Suddenly, ShuVi understood, while remembering back.

  ----The sensation from that day where she was asked “just what in Riku

  attracted you”.

  What this person... Coron, really wanted to ask was this.

  ----[With what intentions you approached Riku?]----.

  That’s exactly why----there was that mysterious feeling of nervousness.

  “...If you knew then, why, you didn’t say anything?”

  If Coron noticed in the first meeting that she wasn’t human, then she didn’t

  understood the meaning of her acting surprised at Riku being a lolicon.

  He brought another race to the colony you know---- shouldn’t she be wary,

  vigilant----

  While Riku was amazed, but without hesitation----Coron said with a smiling face

  like a real older sister.

  “Because, it was the girl that Riku chose , right?”

  “--------“

  “At the start there were circumstances right? Riku, the time he first brought

  ShuVi-chan, he seemed to be stretching the act so much, that even now it looks

  like he would break it----That’s why I too, played along with it but...”

  ----I see. If even after reading our circumstances, she excessively pretended

  that she didn’t notice then----it can’t be anything but that.

  Moreover that was----she believed Riku, nothing else but that----

  “But, well, it was like we suddenly got intimate you see!? I could get suuu~ch a

  cute little sister you know!? Really~ something like being human or not became

  completely unrelated alright!! You see ShuVi-chan, humans after marry, they

  make family and kiss, and this ceremony goes on ever since the ancient

  past----“

  “They don’t! ShuVi too don’t take that seriously get away from her!!”

  “Ah, hey Riku! Since you got a family----give her a marriage ceremony ok!?”

  “----Coron, I’m grateful to your feelings but, I already, don’t exist anym----“

  Though he tried to say that----but after noticing Coron’s serious face, he cut his

  words.

  ----Be it Riku, or be it Coron, they don’t have something that can be called

  family.

  They’re...no longer there.

  Much less officially, since both Riku and ShuVi, are already considered to be

  dead----that is...

  “I’l be the ministrant, so stay as an “official married couple”, ok? How about we

  do a marriage ceremony with just the three of us?”

  But unexpectedly, ShuVi answered.

  “...I want to do it...”

  She let out, while looking up to Riku.

  “...I want to become...an official, married couple...”

  ----------............

  ----As if there was such a thing; it was just a simple ceremony.

  Exchange words of pledge, write the name of the three in a document, and it’s

  over.

  Originally they would gather the people from the colony but----Riku and ShuVi

  are considered to be dead.

  That’s why, Coron held it in that place.

  “Husband Riku, do you swear to have ShuVi as your wife, to walk together, to

  support her, love her, and survive with her?”

  After hearing Coron’s words----he smiled bitterly at how much those words of

  pledge were similar to the ones of the colony, befitting of this age.

  When a marriage ceremony is held within the colony, he had no other choice but

  to lower his eyes, or so he wanted to complain, but now----

  “Aah, I swear.”

  “Hey Riku! Here you should say Ashieit[Swear upon the Commands]----“

  “Sorry, just while ago that was forbidden. That’s why---- it’s now Aschente

  [Swear upon the Agreement].”

  After hearing those words Coron’s cheeks inflated and she let out while

  mumbling.

  “...Seems like while I wasn’t around, a lot of things were done, somehow~ I don’t

  like it...”

  “Hey~ ministrant. There’s too much private talk you know~?”

  After glaring at Riku who was booing as if he was an outsider, she coughed

  once.

  This time Coron faced ShuVi, and asked for her words of pledge.

  “Wife ShuVi. Do you swear to have Riku as your husband, to walk together, to

  support him, love him, and survi----“

  “...I, swear...”

  An instant answer as if to cut her out. Coron dropped her shoulders at the

  continuous ignoring of the form but---- ShuVi continued.

  “...ShuVi’s existence, meaning of, birth... I swear it all... to Riku, who gave me a heart...I definitely won’t let, Riku, die... he’l survive, until the end...I’l stay, with him... Aschent [Swear on the Agreement]...”

  -------.

  I see~ I see~ Coron who turned her gaze to Riku saw something priceless.

  Indeed----to think the day would come where she would see that little brother

  with a red face.

  “Then ShuVi continue. Do you swear to be---- husband Riku’s “wonderful

  bride”?”

  “...wonder...ful, bride...?”

  So she started getting carried away at the bad direction, while Riku sighed

  thinking that, ShuVi tilted her heads towards the words with unclear definition,

  but----

  “Don’t make Riku sad. From this child who once lost his smile...don’t steal his

  smile again...”

  Towards Coron who asked with a serious look, ShuVi contemplated.

  “...Can you do it?”

  -------.

  To be honest, I have no confidence. I don’t know what should be done, or if I can

  do it or not but---- ShuVi answered.

  “...I swear...I wil ...become... a “wonderful bride”.”

  ...Un. As if relieved she gave a big nod, and then----

  “Ah, also, be sure to properly fulfil the essential conditions o
f a wonderful bride during the night life too ok? Being skil ed in the bed is----“

  Coron accelerated in the bad direction, but,

  “Ahh, Coron. ShuVi, can’t do such things. Look, the races----“