Why did this happen?

That thought alone echoed endlessly in my mind, which had gone blank at the sight before me.

"Cough, cough. Ugh..."

What filled my vision was the sight of a precious person lying in my arms, groaning, covered in blood.

"Arona-senpai, don't move. Your bleeding will get worse."

I said this and tried desperately to stop the bleeding with my trembling hands, but as if mocking my feeble attempt, blood continuously gushed from the girl's body, staining her blue sailor uniform red.

"Cough...! Plana-chan, it's... okay now, cough, cough... let go."

"Rejection, I can never do that. I must proceed with the restoration work."

.........

It was quite a while ago.

"Hello? Who are you?"

I was just an ordinary user enjoying the game [Blue Archive] when I woke up as A.R.O.N.A., the OS of the newly activated <Shittim Chest>.

"...Sensei?"

After accepting my situation after a period of confusion, I compulsively worked only for the sake of the original story.

"...If that is Sensei's wish, I will become Sensei's eyes, ears, and legs." Holding back my sadness, I watched my first Sensei, whom I had grown fond of, depart to the Saekchae, "W-wait, there are two of me?"

"Arona, give me your hand."

I finally met Arona and Saved the Sensei of the main story, and finally joined the Shittim Chest after receiving the name Plana.

After successfully joining the world of the main story, the compulsion in my mind lessened a lot, but even after that, I focused only on following the flow of the story I knew.

I thought that from now on, I just had to fulfill my role as Plana as it was set.

Because I believed that if I did that, it would lead to a happy ending like in the game.

.........

But, why did this happen?

"Cough, cough. I'm sorry, Plana-chan... I feel like I've always been a burden to you."

Why, unlike the original, was this world heading towards destruction, and why was this precious person, the last one I have left on the verge of following everyone else?

"Negation, I have never thought that..." ...It's my fault, Arona.

Because I just stood by and watched.

If only I had acted a little sooner,

If only I had learned my abilities a little sooner and prepared.

"..."

To me, who could no longer speak due to overwhelming regret, Arona slowly reached out and caressed my cheek, saying, "Don't cry, Plana-chan."

Ah.

I was crying.

Seeing the water droplets rolling down the girl's white hand and soaking her sleeve, I finally realized that tears were endlessly flowing from my eyes.

Even in my previous life, I wasn't particularly emotional, but I thought my emotions had decreased even more after possessing this body.

"Cough, I wanted to be a good sister to Plana-chan... cough, cough."

"Senpai, even in this situation... you're saying things like that..."

Arona, who kept coughing, still managed to joke with me as usual.

I tried to respond to her somehow, but my voice, which was now choking up uncontrollably, wouldn't come out properly.

"Hehe... Plana-chan always hated saying 'big sister'. But, just this once... will you call me 'big sister'?"

But hearing the girl's subsequent request, I squeezed out my voice with all my strength and called out to her.

"Arona... big sister."

The title I had always rejected in the original, and even more so in my previous life due to my gender.

"Hehe... Plana-chan... called me 'big sister'..."

Arona, who had been grimacing in pain just moments ago, smiled genuinely happy upon hearing the title I had called her for the first time.

"I'll call you that as much as you want from now on. So, please, let's proceed with the restoration work..."

"I'm sorry... Plana-chan, you know, right...? Sensei isn't in this world anymore, and we don't have any resources left..."

I tried to take some action, clutching my aching heart, but Arona shook her head slightly and continued speaking.

"Plana-chan, you knew about my true identity and abilities, right...? Even though I myself didn't know."

"...That's."

In the first place, it's because I knew the original story.

And yet, I wasn't doing anything.

Just as I was sinking into endless regret again, "I think I can try... just one more time. Like when I brought Sensei back."

Arona suddenly said something unbelievable in a fading voice.

"...Huh?"

What... do you mean?

"When you go back... please take care of Sensei, and me. Because I was always... happy that Plana-chan was with me..."

"Co-confusion. Please wait a moment. Explain..."

At the suddenness of the story, I widened my eyes and asked urgently.

Thud.

But,

"..."

"Senpai? Big sister?"

With the hand that had been caressing my face dropping weakly to the ground, the girl closed her eyes and said nothing more.

"Arona--!!"

...

......

.........

............

"...lana-chan, Plana-chan!"

What... happened?

"Ah..."

At the sensation of someone's small hand repeatedly shaking my shoulder, I slowly opened my eyes.

Drip.

A single tear rolled down my cheek, perhaps because my eyes were filled with water.

Then, what came into my view was not the sight of a world completely vanishing, but the familiar scene of the classroom bathed in blue sunlight.

"A-are you okay, Plana-chan?"

And it was a girl looking down at me with a worried expression.

In her usual bright and lively appearance, completely different from the blood-soaked memory from just moments ago.

"Did you have a sad dream? You suddenly started crying, so I was surprised and called Sensei...!"

Arona...?

As I was confused by the incomprehensible scene, another figure appeared in the classroom one after another.

"Everyone! What's wrong... Goodness."

The man, who had hastily entered the room and found us, widened his eyes in surprise.

He quickly rushed over to us, knelt on one knee to meet my eye level, and gently caressed my shoulder, asking carefully, "Plana, are you okay?"

"Sense... i?"

The warm temperature transmitted through my shoulder, and the voice that carried a similarly sincere warmth.

The person in front of me was clearly the Sensei I admired more than anyone, who had protected us until the very last moment before fading away.

"Arona, what happened? Did something happen to Plana?"

"I-I don't know. Plana-chan just got here yesterday, so I just let her sleep in the spot I usually use, but she was crying when I woke up..."

Sensei and Arona exchanged worried conversation while looking at me with bewildered expressions, as I still hadn't regained my composure.

I just joined yesterday?

What does that mean... Ah.

"I think I can try... just one more time. Like when I brought Sensei back." I've... come back.

Only after recalling Arona's last words in my memory alongside their conversation did I finally realize.

Ihad received a second chance as Plana.