The Legend of Level 0 in Academy City

She murmured softly, "The temperature inside the ice coffin is so low, and Leizi isn't even... how can she go in under these conditions?"

Faced with Inoue Eika's question, Saten Ruiko gave a bitter smile.

“I can’t feel anything in my body right now. Whether it’s pain or itching, cold or heat, I can’t feel anything. There’s nothing wrong with me, Yinghua, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Although Saten Ruiko said so, Inoue Hideka still felt a strong aversion to the idea of ​​putting his girlfriend in an ice coffin while she was still alive.

A complex look flashed in his eyes as he asked Saten Ruiko, "Can I... not do this?"

“Eika…” Upon hearing this, Saten Ruiko’s eyes dimmed even more: “I met Eika at the most beautiful moment of my life, and I also hope to say goodbye to Eika at the most beautiful moment. Promise me, okay… Eika?”

“I…” Inoue Hideka opened her mouth, and after a long while, she murmured, her voice trembling, “Rinko, do you… know what you’re saying? This kind of thing, this kind of thing…”

What man would do that?!

Who can freeze their own girlfriend, you bastard!

but……

"Please... Eika..." Saten Ruiko's eyes were filled with sorrow as she looked at Inoue Eika and pleaded softly, "Please... even if I die, let me die beautifully... after all, I'm still a girl... I'm only thirteen... I don't want to die so ugly at this age. At least let me always be beautiful in your heart... please?"

"..." Inoue Hideka remained silent, his lips opening and closing repeatedly... Looking at Saten Ruiko's sorrowful eyes, he couldn't say anything.

After hesitating for a long time, Inoue Hideka finally gave in to Saten Ruiko's heartbroken gaze and nodded helplessly.

Afterwards, Inoue Hideka said, "I'm going to make a phone call," and then went out.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, Inoue Hideka slid down the wall to the ground.

He covered his eyes with his hands, lowered his head in despair, and his eyes were gradually filled with endless death.

He originally thought that he would be free when he saw Saten Ruiko off on her final journey and when he himself left this world.

But unexpectedly, before that moment arrived, fate played another cruel joke on him.

What could be more devastating for a young man in love than personally sending his girlfriend, still alive, into an ice coffin?

Perhaps there really are still some.

At least, even when she was feeling incredibly distressed, Inoue Hideka did not wallow in despair.

A few minutes later, he took out his phone and contacted the nail who had used the external brain implant to plant the device when he went to the city before, asking him to find a way to send him an ice coffin.

Chapter 500: Trivial Matters, Her Departure

Just after noon, the ice coffin was delivered to the Inoue residence.

Inoue Eika prepared lunch, but Saten Ruiko could only shake her head with a wry smile as she watched the increasingly delicious food Inoue Eika made.

She couldn't eat anything.

All Saten Ruiko can do now seems to be lying in bed quietly waiting to die.

Inoue Hideka saw it all and felt deeply pained.

Even so, Saten Ruiko maintained her most beautiful smile, so Inoue Eika had even less reason to leave with a gloomy face and make Saten Ruiko unhappy.

He sat by the bed, talking to Saten Ruiko.

At Saten Ruiko's request, Inoue Hideka recounted many happy memories from the past.

And there's the future life we ​​dreamed of, the life we ​​longed for together, which we should have savored.

They might even get married, have children, and then grow old together.

During the journey, Saten Ruiko interjected, asking what name they would choose for their child if they had one.

Inoue Hideka hadn't thought about such detailed things, but Saten Ruiko forced herself to insist that Inoue Hideka give the child a name right now.

In the end, Inoue Hideka came up with two names: Mo Lei for a boy and Yi Qing for a girl.

Memories are always filled with emotion; don't shed tears of sadness.

Given Inoue Hideka's current state, it's hard to think of a name that evokes positive energy.

The two names express Inoue Hideka's feelings at this moment and also convey his affection for Saten Ruiko.

At first, Saten Ruiko didn't understand these two names.

Later, Inoue Eika explained the meaning in Chinese to him, and Saten Ruiko was actually quite satisfied with the two names, even happily saying that it would be great if they were twins.

Inoue Hideka was both amused and exasperated.

When a person is about to die, their own future is being swallowed up, so what is there to talk about with their children?

Afterwards, Inoue Hideka had the ice coffin moved to a metal plate downstairs, and after completing all the necessary preparations, he sent them away.

Back in the bedroom, Inoue Hideka looked at Saten Ruiko with great hesitation.

She should already know that the ice coffin has been delivered, but Inoue Hideka is not ready to put his girlfriend alive into the cold coffin like this.

If possible, Inoue Hideka would prefer that Saten Ruiko forget about this and never mention it again, so that he could spend more time with her.

However, judging from Inoue Hideka's expression, the understanding Saten Ruiko had already guessed what Inoue Hideka was thinking.

With a smile in her eyes, Saten Ruiko opened her mouth and whispered:

"Yinghua, I'm all ready. Can you carry me over?"

"..." Inoue Eika's lips trembled slightly as he looked at Saten Ruiko, who was smiling but whose expression was full of pleading. After hesitating for a moment, he stepped forward, put his hands under Saten Ruiko, and lifted her up around the waist.

Saten Ruiko wrapped her arms around Inoue Hideka's neck, looked up at him tenderly, and her eyes revealed a satisfaction that made Inoue Hideka's heart tremble!

Caught a glimpse of Saten Ruiko's expression out of the corner of his eye, Inoue Eika felt a pang of pain in his heart. He suppressed the tightness in his chest, forced a slight smile at Saten Ruiko, and all thoughts of trying to persuade her further vanished.

Let her pass away peacefully and contentedly.

Inoue Hideka sighed inwardly, but when she looked down at Saten Ruiko, her natural smile had returned.

"Tears...let me stay with you until the very end, okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Yinghua!"

Saten Ruiko probably didn't realize the double meaning in Inoue Eika's words: not only would he accompany her to the end of her life, but if there really was an afterlife, Inoue Eika also planned to stay with her forever.

Slowly placing Saten Ruiko into the ice coffin, Inoue Eika did not completely close the coffin lid, but left it partially open.

Saten Ruiko is still alive and needs oxygen. Completely sealing off the space would only hasten her death.

After the power was turned on, the ice coffin gradually released a chilling cold air. Even though Inoue Eika was standing outside the ice coffin, she could feel the chill penetrating her skin. However, Saten Ruiko, whose body was completely inside the ice coffin, seemed to feel nothing at all, and her expression did not change.

……

Only then did Inoue Hideka truly understand what Saten Ruiko meant by not being able to feel anything.

At this moment, Saten Ruiko probably wouldn't feel any pain even if a sharp blade were pierced into her heart.

Therefore, she could not feel the cold air inside the ice coffin.

But she couldn't feel it, yet she couldn't stop the low temperature from killing the cells in her body.

Gradually, Inoue Hideka saw that Saten Ruiko's skin was covered with white frost.

Saten Ruiko, however, kept staring at Inoue Hideka with a smile on her face. After a moment of silence, she began to ramble on as if she were having a final burst of energy.

"Yinghua, you need to take good care of yourself in the future. Remember to balance work and rest when you're training."

"Even though I'm gone, Misaka-senpai is still here, and Eika has been troubled by the relationship between Misaka-senpai and me, right? So, in a way, I've solved one of Eika's problems. Treat Misaka-senpai well, or I'll curse you in the next world!"

……

Saten Ruiko spoke even more slowly.

A layer of frost covered her lips, and although she couldn't feel the cold, her lips still trembled when she spoke.

Even so, Saten Ruiko continued to speak, as if... no, it should be said, these were her last words.

“I have a lot of photos and videos saved on my phone. If Yinghua misses me, she can look at the photos and videos.”

"Oh, and one more thing. In our other home in District 7, I put the last gift I wanted to give Yinghua under her pillow. Remember to get it, Yinghua."

Inoue Hideka nodded repeatedly, indicating that she had heard him.

He didn't interrupt.

Saten Ruiko's time is running out, and Inoue Eika wants to dedicate all her time to her.

"Yinghua, you must cherish the gift I gave you, okay?"

"Remember to eat three meals a day on time. Although Yinghua's cooking is not as good as mine, it's still edible now."

"Well, the most important thing is that even if I'm gone, Yinghua, you can't make a mess of our house. Remember to clean the room regularly. I'll be watching over Yinghua from heaven. If the house becomes like your slum before I met you, I'll be angry."

"Study hard in the future, and work diligently when you grow up."

……

……

The temperature inside the ice coffin was very low. As Saten Ruiko's extremities began to swell and her lips trembled, almost rendering her speechless, she forced herself to squint and murmur:

"Finally, Yinghua, could you... please not forget me? In the next life, and the life after that, and the life after that... I still want to meet Yinghua, fall in love, and finally, grow old together..."

"I want to be with Yinghua forever... forever..."

The sound grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely.

After taking one last look at the lifeless Saten Ruiko, Inoue Eika tilted her head back, letting the suppressed tears flow freely from her eyes.

"Tears, rest in peace. And remember to wait for me..."

Inoue Hideka reached out and gently stroked Saten Ruiko's slightly purplish cheek.

Then, with a 'bang,' the coffin lid was slammed shut.

After that, Inoue Hideka hired someone to dig a hole next to the cherry blossom sapling in her yard, intending to return and be buried with Saten Ruiko after retrieving the gift she had asked for.

By the time I finished all that, it was already quite late.

Inoue Hideka took a plane directly back to her former home in the 7th District of Academy City.

Accelerator and Last Order are still gone; there's no one left in the house.

The once bustling little house is now deserted and desolate after Saten Ruiko's departure.

Inoue Hideka rushed to Saten Ruiko's room, flipped open the pillow, and what she saw... was a letter!