"Ha..."

I couldn't stand the tiredness of pushing more and more, I sighed and lowered my back to a chair that was nearby.

After that, it was tough anyway. There is no such thing as an ambulance in this world as an ambulance, so it was impossible for me to hold one man and walk to the hospital, even though I wanted to take Richt, who had fallen down on his own, to the hospital, but without deducting being a pregnant woman.

I had no choice but to call people and once I was about to leave the scene, I ran into a nearby hospital while I was lucky enough to get the person to help me carry Richter.

After that, Melvin rushed to the hospital and, at the discretion of him and the doctor in charge of the examination, Richter was transferred to the Grand Hospital, right next to the magic institute in Wangdu.

When I looked out the window, I noticed that the sun was setting and the area was completely surrounded by the sun.

On a clean, pure white bed, Richter sleeps with his long lashes down. Looking at his restful sleeping face, he's not even dead, because he's sad and his chest tightens so tight.

Unexpectedly, I heard the conn and knock on the door. "Go ahead," replied Melvin, looking a little naughty.

"Hi, Ceres. Can I just interrupt for a second? I need to talk to you."

"Yeah, I don't mind that...?

"That's good. Well, if you'll excuse me."

When Melvin put her no in me, she brought the chair that was in the corner of the room and leaned by me, and lowered her hips over it.

"I know this is going to be a tough story for you... but I really want you to hear it"

"Huh...? is, yes…"

I had a somewhat unpleasant feeling when I saw Melvin cut out the story so hard to tell.

But it also doesn't change the outcome where you refuse not to want to hear it.

Being ready, I look straight into Melvin's eyes with a strange face.

"About twelve years ago now - just when you twins were five. A human experiment, commonly known as the Eden Project, was conducted at the magic institute in Wangdu."

"Human Experiment......? Eden Project......?

Suddenly they give me words I don't understand, and I tilt my neck.

"I'm sure it's an incredible story..." Melvin, who saw my reaction, prefaced, beginning to tell the details.

"So..."

Having finished telling the details of the experiment, Melvin stared at my face with a sinking face.

I'll summarize Melvin's story.

An experiment called the Eden Project, which took place about twelve years ago now, apparently brought together approximately a dozen subjects.

Subjects were chosen primarily from among prisoners who committed felonies such as murder, but only a set of twins among them, he said.

At that time, Melvin made it clear that the twins chosen as subjects were me and Richter.

"At the time you were five years old and had a very high degree of magic. That's so much so that technology at the time couldn't measure the exact magic value."

"I...?

"Oh. Sure, they say the higher the magic the better in this world. But... in your case, it didn't. The magic is too high. I was destined to die in the near future. The examination at the time said, 'Have it for another decade'. In short, the unusual magic of the person and his body are not in tune and diverge, and as a result, the flesh becomes intolerable and eventually dies."

……

"But there was only one way to save you like that. That's the Eden Project. I was a new American researcher at the time, and I was in charge of assisting you with your magic test... and after the test, the researchers were already worried about it." How am I going to tell my parents "and" Isn't it cruel to pronounce life on a five-year-old? "were also mildly contentious."

Melvin gave a distressed look but spoke clearly about the time.

"At that time, Richt, who had been sneaking up on the researchers, took a consultation with a doctor who was the project leader at the time. 'I want you to tell me how to save my sister. I don't care what happens to me."

"Huh...?

"At that time, Richt-kun said he had consulted the Doctor in a firm tone that he didn't think was very five years old. Sometimes Dr. Richter struck me like that, and he was a bit of a Mad Scientist himself, and you twins were added to the list of subjects for the Eden Project. Of course, 'Are you the devil to use such a young child as an experimental bench' seems to have received a lot of criticism from my men. Still, he forced an experiment to fulfill Richter's wish."

"As a result, my Magic Value went to 0... is that what you mean?

When asked that, Melvin nodded slowly.

"That's what's gonna happen"

"You were. But I, I don't have any memories of that time... even though I don't care how small I was, I seem to have as many fragmented memories..."

"Do you know the existence of 'The Magic of Erasing Memories'?

That being said...... reminds me of a story I used to pinch in my little ear.

Surely the master uses advanced magic to erase part of his opponent's memory when he cancels his contract with his servants...

"Yes. I've never actually seen you use it, but I've heard the story. Um... don't I remember the experiment because of that magic?

"Oh. But I hope you don't feel bad. It was the consideration of the researchers involved in the Eden Project that erased the memory of the experiment from you."

"Were you..."

I concentrate on Melvin's story to get a good idea of the facts, though I can't keep up with the truth I've been informed of by now.

"Originally, the Eden Project was an experiment aimed at magic power sharing between Holder and Lian. But the Doctor applied it and ran a special experiment on you twins. At the point of experimenting with each other, I didn't even know if I would succeed, so it was pretty close to betting, though. As it turned out, I was able to transfer the magic you possessed safely to Richter's body, and it was generally a success. It's just... Initially, I was going to keep your magic level within normal limits, but a little incident happened during the experiment. As I said earlier, your magic has disappeared because of it... because it was Richt's wish to save his sister's life."

That's all I hear, and I gradually realize something serious.

"Um... wait a minute! So Richt is……!?"

Melvin continued the conversation in an even heavier tone, guessing what I was not about to say.

"His life expectancy is just a few more months, maybe three months or not. Honestly, it's so strange that you could have lived to this age. Anyway, in addition to my original magic powers, I'm carrying them into my body up to the enormous amount of magic transferred from you."

"Oh no..."

Not too shock-proof, I drop my neck, and I get stunned.

Did Richt know he wasn't around much longer...?

"Hey Richt......! Why were you hiding such an important thing?!? Hey, what the...!?"

Get yourself out and keep throwing questions at Richter, who never wakes up, as he lays his hands on the bed.

As a surprise, tears poured out of his eyes wet Richter's face. Still, watching Richter continue to sleep without waking up, he was still going to disappear, anxious, helplessly sad, and - from my eyes - tears overflowed like he had finally cut a weir.

My vision is blurred and I can't even see my dear brother's face clearly. I want to see his face better, but the unstoppable tears that flow won't allow it.

"... uhhhhhhhhhhh!

Wet all over my face with tears, my hand resting inadvertently on my shoulder, crying violently.

Looking back powerless, Melvin was shaking his neck sideways to deny my inquiry into Richt.

"... that's a misunderstanding. Richter didn't hide it. forgotten (...) and (...) (...) (...)"

"Huh...?

"After that experiment, he asked the researchers to do the magic on themselves and erase their memories about the Eden Project.... to keep you from grieving."

"To keep me... from grieving...?

"Oh. If I knew what I was going to live for, what would I be negative about? Then, naturally, I won't be able to have a good sister-brother relationship with you. So, to avoid that, he wanted to erase his memories.... I'm sure I didn't want you to miss me"

……

Somehow, I felt I could see why Richt had become emotionally unstable.

I'm sure he instinctively felt that he had only a few years left to live.

If so, I can also convince you why Richt abnormally wanted a child with me.

"Indeed, Richter did a terrible thing against you. I committed many sins. At the end of the day, I don't think it's acceptable. But he always loved you alone and was all about protecting you. On that evidence, Richter saved your life until he sacrificed his life. And while my body has been eroded by immense magic, I have lived so desperately so far. Can you at least admit that hard work? Please, I don't want you to hate Richter. … this is also my personal favor as a friend of his"

That said, Melvin bowed her head deeply. To me confused, Melvin goes on to talk further.

The fact that it was hard to pretend not to know while knowing Richter's afterlife, the fact that he was working to make Richter's magic values appear within normal limits while deceiving his surrounding eyes to keep a secret, the fact that Richter confessed to him many of the sins he had committed, the fact that Richter had been doing research every day in search of a helpful way, and even knowing that we twins were friends from previous lives - washed away and revealed.

─ ─ Hate Richt...? There's no way I can hate you. Because I need him so much.

"Richt... I'm sorry... I didn't realize, I'm sorry... you were protecting me even in this world... It was painful... it was painful..."

While I curse my bluntness with my heart, I continue to cry as I cling to Richter.

After a ten-year-old magic test, Richt said it was about a year ago that his memory of his previous life was revived.

But...... as we can see from Melvin's story, he probably already had his memories from his previous life back when he was five.

And realizing that my identity was a 'Thousand Cranes', he protected me with just as much risk of life as he had in his previous life.

I don't know why he lied to me until I ask him, and although it makes me speculate... I'm sure he didn't want me to understand that he had romantic feelings for me even at an early age in this world, because he was afraid of being rejected.

─ That's right. I can't believe I'm "getting married when I grow up" even though I'm bringing back memories from my previous life... you don't normally say you don't really love me...

"Um... Doctor. You said earlier that Richter was studying ways to help, right? Can't you try that?

After a lot of crying, I asked Melvin that, betting on a slight possibility.

No, originally. If there's a way I can help Richt, I want you to try, and if there's anything I can do to help, I want to do everything I can.

"... there is only one way"

"Is it true!?"

When he asked me to tell him how to do that, Melvin returned, "It's a pretty dangerous way..." and began to give details.