Kyo massaged his temples tiredly. "So you're seriously telling me that this 'Neo Tengu Tower' has apparently been under construction for months now, and I've just somehow never noticed."
"I… guess so," Nia agreed hesitantly. "Either that, or you've somehow lost your memories of it."
Kyo groaned. I hate how it could actually be possible that I lost some memories from the influence of Nihility, but still… something doesn't feel right. "And you're sure that [Raziel] also says that, too?"
"...yes, I'm sure," she replied flatly.
Kyo's face continued to twist in confusion. "But… just look at the damn thing! It almost looks organic!"
"...isn't that just the style of architecture?" Nia sighed, crossing her arms across her chest tiredly.
"I'm saying that it sticks out like a fish out of water!" Kyo nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Hey, what are the chances that instead of me forgetting it existed, you're actually the one who's been tricked into thinking it existed?"
"Oh, Kyo!" Nia put her hand over her heart in a dramatic flourish. "Don't you trust me anymore? Don't you have any faith in our relationship?!"
"..." Kyo frowned and looked away. "On every other occasion I would trust you, but this time, there's just this gut feeling that something's off, ok?"
"Hm…" Nia suddenly grinned, tugging at Kyo's sleeve to grab his attention. "Well then, how about a bet? Let's go and ask three people each whether they remember Neo Tengu Tower or not. If a majority of them say that they don't remember it, then… uh, why don't I cosplay something sexy for you?"
"...right. And if you win?" Kyo raised an eyebrow, tacitly allowing Nia's manhandling.
"Well, if I win…" she began, her eyes already sparkling. "There's a promotion being held tomorrow for the Chronicle manga to celebrate Tokiya's birthday in a few days. The problem is, there's two venue sites halfway across the city from one another, and each one is selling exclusive merch…"
"...so if you win, you want me to wait in line for half a day," Kyo finished with a small shake of his head. Of course it has something to do with Chronicle.
"Actually, last time I went, the wait lasted over twelve hours…" Nia admitted sheepishly. "But that was five years ago, so I'm sure they've improved their service by now!"
Kyo gave her a dubious look. "Right. Well, either way, you're on."
"Hehehe. A pleasure doing business with you," Nia smiled, reaching out and grabbing Kyo's hand for a handshake.
"Mm." Kyo nodded distractedly. I think I already know exactly who I'm asking.
————————I am the dividing line that skips time————————
"Hello again, Reine."
The woman in question continued to sift through piles of sheets as though she hadn't heard the voice behind her. "Next time you visit, could you please send a message in advance?"
"That's… fair, I guess. Unfortunately, I don't actually own a phone here." Kyo shrugged lightly. "I should really stop procrastinating on getting one."
"Please do," Reine responded simply, finally turning around from her desk to face Kyo. "Well? What did you find me for?"
"What do you know about Neo Tengu Tower?" Kyo asked bluntly.
Reine remained silent for a moment as she stared into Kyo's eyes appraisingly. Kyo matched her gaze. For an entire minute, the two locked eyes in a strange competition of sorts before Reine finally opened her mouth.
"Sorry, I spaced out. What were you asking?"
Kyo almost fell over. "Neo Tengu Tower! Do you know anything about it!"
"Hm…" Reine tilted her head. "Kotori reported that Shin seemed to display some sort of memory loss this morning. One of the things he forgot was Neo Tengu Tower, so I looked into it a little. It turns out that the Fraxinus has no data on the tower at all, from design schematics to construction records."
Bingo already? Kyo blinked in shock. That was really fast. "So… what you're saying is that Neo Tengu Tower doesn't exist in your records?"
"No." Reine shook her head. "It's highly probable that Kannazuki uploaded the wrong files into the computer. After all, in the files for building schematics, I also found multiple folders containing pictures of Kotori instead of the expected designs."
"...ok, that's genuinely terrible," Kyo shuddered, his face morphing into a deep frown. "Seriously, report him."
"Don't worry, they were just normal pictures," Reine assured. "Although, I didn't manage to check through all of them…"
"...just tell me where I can find Shidou please."
—————I am the dividing line that shifts time and perspective—————
"Eh? Neo Tengu Tower? Of course I've heard of it! Who hasn't?" The bakery owner replied nonchalantly. "In fact, word on the street says that the original Tengu Tower is going to be completely demolished so that Neo Tengu will stand out more!"
"Oh, really?" Nia tilted her head, munching on an apple tart. Wow, these are quite good. I should get Kyo to learn how to make these. "That's quite interesting to hear."
"It really is, isn't it?" The owner agreed as she carefully grabbed a fresh tray of cookies out of the oven. "Honestly, I think having two towers would be nice, but I guess that's just me."
"Mm," Nia hummed. Hehe. First interview, success. Two more to go. I almost feel bad for Kyo… maybe I'll treat him to a cosplay show even despite his loss.
—————I am the dividing line that shifts time and perspective—————
Meow~
"Oh, that cat…" Shidou stopped in place on his walk back home as a familiar black cat twined itself between his feet. "Every time I pass by, you always come up to me, don't ya? So, how've you been?"
The cat meowed again and pressed its head against his calf. Shidou smiled, kneeling down to scratch its neck. "You're so friendly. Are you really a stray?"
Suddenly, the cat tensed up, its fur standing on end as it turned tail and fled. Ah. I didn't get to say goodbye.
"My my, how disappointing…" Shidou turned around to see Kurumi clad in a school uniform standing behind him, a sad look on her face.
"K-Kurumi?!" Shidou jumped. Why's she here?!
"Oh? Is my presence offputting, Shidou?" Kurumi pursed her lips and batted her eyelashes coquettishly. "Even though you already said you would trust me when we met on the roof…"
"N-no, it's just that you keep on showing up when I least expect it…" He gulped. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes, actually. How nice of you to ask." A male voice suddenly came from behind him. Shidou whirled around to see Kyo now standing a foot away, katana in hand.
"K-KYO?!" Shidou put his hands up placatingly, a sinking feeling slowly appearing in his stomach. "H-hold on, you don't need to fight! Kurumi is just-"
"I am aware of what Kurumi is doing, and I'm not here to fight," Kyo interrupted. "The sword is just a precaution."
"Well then, what are you here for?" Kurumi smiled coyly.
"Not you," Kyo retorted wearily. "Your presence here was nothing but a happy accident. Actually, I was tracking Harem Boy over here."
"M-me?" Shidou pointed at himself in confusion. What could he need me for? And wait, what the hell is up with that nickname?
"Yes, you," Kyo sighed. "A little bird told me that you've been strangely forgetful lately. Specifically, you forgot about the very large and very aesthetically out of place Neo Tengu Tower."
"Er… yes?" Shidou wiped a bit of sweat off his brow.
Kyo leaned in, looking him dead in the eyes. "I don't remember Neo Tengu either."
"Eh?" Shidou's mind went blank as a strange feeling welled up within him. A sickening feeling in his stomach that he could only describe as a sense of "wrongness." What exactly is Kyo saying?
"My, my… this has gotten quite interesting, hasn't it?" Kurumi smiled cryptically, tapping her chin with a delicate finger. "First a barrier, now collective amnesia-"
"Wait, a barrier?" Kyo held up his hand, seemingly befuddled. "Since when was there a barrier involved in this?"
"Oh, you weren't aware?" Kurumi covered her mouth as she laughed gently. "Ever since last night, there's been a huge barrier around Tengu City. It was quite annoying to cross, too; if 'I' didn't already have clones stationed within, there's no way I would've been able to enter."
"...this day just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Kyo complained, massaging the sides of his head. "Oi, Shidou. Did you think of anything else you forgot about?"
"Ah? Oh, well…" he scratched his cheek with embarrassment. The scene of a confused pink-haired girl raised itself to the forefront of his mind."I… might have also forgotten about my childhood friend, Rinne. But only for a second!"
"...huh?" Kyo turned to him with utter bafflement in his eyes. "Who the fudge is Rinne?"