── But enough of that for now.
「... I have to keep the promise.」 (Subaru)
Subaru muttered these words alone in the room after the two girls had left to get ready.
『Next time.』
As long as Subaru possesses "Return by Death," he will always have a "next time," a future, and a tomorrow.
── Subaru always finds himself crushed under the weight of his own powerlessness.
Because he is helpless, ignorant, and foolish, the things that slipped through his fingers—the things he failed to grasp—were far too many.
Like failing to pass the baton during the sports day relay because his stamina gave out, or being unable to extend his hand that final inch to touch the wall in the 500-meter swim.
Yes, Subaru has always been lacking. He constantly regrets what he lacks and breaks under the weight of his incompetence.
── But what is happening today is not merely a "simple lack."
「Prevent Hoshino from going on a rampage, avoid getting killed by 'Kaiser,' retrieve the two girls from 'Black Suit,' and do something about the lingering 'Nonomi' issue.」 (Subaru)
Can Subaru achieve all these things without "Return by Death"?
The answer is "No." An answer as clear as day.
「... 『Next time』.」 (Subaru)
Next time, will I protect them?
He won't be able to protect them. Even if it looks that way "in the end," how many corpses must he stack to get there?
It only "looks" like it is going well. Ultimately, it is mere misdirection, a magic trick whose dirty secrets are visible only to Subaru.
「First, let's start with the first step of the day...」 (Subaru)
He will not ask for forgiveness. Nor does he believe he will be forgiven, but he repeats the usual phrases because this is the only method Subaru has mastered; he has no other recourse.
── That contradictory ability is nauseating; to seek a path where no one dies and happiness is reached, he must witness a path where everyone dies and drowns in misery.
「I'll do what I can, as much as possible.」 (Subaru)
「── Mr. Subaru.」 (Arona)
「Sorry, Arona.」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Arona)
「I will do my absolute best, as much as I can.」 (Subaru)
「Watch what I do; I will show you a miraculous victory.」 (Subaru)
Stage 2: "Abydos High School." Day 3, Attempt No. 177. The challenge began without a clear strategy.
── And thus, he steps once again into hell.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「── So, I wonder just what sort of terrible things you're planning to do to this old lady?」 (Hoshino)
『I was almost fooled. Good thing I realized it before it was too late.』 (Hoshino)
『── Die, Natsuki Subaru.』 (Hoshino)
For Subaru to advance a single "Shogi" piece one step forward, he must first flip through the pages of the game's rulebook—via death.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「... My, my.」 (Black Suit)
The crucible of "Mystery," the Academy City, "Kivotos."
The "Academy City" is merely a surface texture masking the pillar known as the "Sanctum." It frames divinity within human form and contains the "Mystery" dormant within the girls' bodies.
The only entity capable of seizing control of this system...
Is a legacy that clearly transcends the ten unspeakable sacred words: the "Shittim Chest."
「I have received a most appreciated invitation.」 (Black Suit)
── "Takanashi Hoshino" embodied the greatest "Mystery" in Kivotos, harboring the divinity of "Horus" within her body.
What "Black Suit" seeks from her is the phenomenon of "Mystery Inversion."
In ancient times, when the priests of the "Nameless God" beheld deities with their own eyes, those divinities were present and realized. Yet, as time passed, the images of those gods collapsed into the realm of "Imaginary Numbers," splitting between real existence and illusory projection.
The "Nameless Gods" were originally incomprehensible, unprovable phenomena lacking physical substance; they were the embodiment of "that which cannot be grasped."
To mask that impossible nature, "Mystery" forced those entities into illusory molds—the bodies of students—making them perceptible and provable as existing, understandable beings.
「Natsuki Subaru.」 (Black Suit)
── The only existence in this world capable of operating the "Shittim Chest."
At the same time, he is the most "unstable" human being on the face of the earth.
「Kukuku... ──」 (Black Suit)
『To retrieve the two girls, let us have a conversation. We will also discuss the destruction of the world by 'Horus of the Dawn.' If possible, return the two before we begin talking. And deliver this love letter to the former Director as well.』 (Subaru)
「... Well now, I wonder how you know this truth?」 (Black Suit)
「── I find it hard to comprehend. So, what is the price I can afford for this conversation?」 (Black Suit)
「Kukukuku... That is correct. Perhaps the price is simply delivering this message to the former Director.」 (Black Suit)
「With pleasure. Let us make this dialogue fruitful, Natsuki Subaru.」 (Black Suit)
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「── So, I wonder just what sort of terrible things you're planning to do to this old lady?」 (Hoshino)
『Okusora Ayane and Kuromi Serika? Yes, of course I brought them. However... ── Whether you save them or not depends entirely on you.』 (Black Suit)
Subaru must learn to run before he can walk, even though he is incapable of walking in the first place.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「Hoshino! Shiroko! I have something to say!」 (Subaru)
Subaru, with time pressing him and slipping through his fingers at every moment, burst into the Countermeasures Committee room where Shiroko and Hoshino were present.
Seeing as they had just parted ways with him, and noticing the sweat glistening on his forehead, they realized the gravity of the situation and braced themselves to listen.
「What's wrong?」 (Shiroko)
「... It seems our situation is tougher than we expected, like we've hit a dead end, doesn't it?」 (Subaru)
「Yes, you realized that quite late.」 (Shiroko)
「Well, while thinking about retrieving the two girls from 'Black Suit,' I came up with a plan to turn the tables completely in one 'All-in' strike... ── Are you two ready to bet everything on me?」 (Subaru)
「── I intended to do that from the start.」 (Shiroko)
「Shiroko is amazing, and I know she is the best partner, just like 'Arona,' so I expected that answer... What about you, Hoshino?」 (Subaru)
「Eh? This old lady can't say yes or no before hearing the details first, right?」 (Hoshino)
「Fine, don't be surprised when you hear... this plan that I squeezed out of this head that is smaller than a walnut...!」 (Subaru)
Subaru raised his index finger with more confidence on his face than usual, a self-assurance he had never possessed before.
As he spoke with absolute confidence about his lack of competence, Hoshino showed a slight irritation on her brow, but Subaru understood that and continued:
「The school building might get destroyed.」 (Subaru)
「But, how about we start a little war?」 (Subaru)
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「── So, I wonder just what sort of terrible things you're planning to do to this old lady?」 (Hoshino)
『Is this the extent of this man? I want back the time I wasted being cautious of him.』 (Former Director)
『It's over, Natsuki Subaru.』 (Former Director)
For Subaru to soar, he must pluck the feathers from his frail wings with his own hands and craft wings of iron, not wax, in their place.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「Based on my partner's analysis, these are the projections.」 (Subaru)
Subaru began to dye the Countermeasures Committee's whiteboard black, following "Arona's" instructions.
At first, Hoshino watched him as if observing a kitten playing freely, but she soon realized that her perspective was mistaken, and her face grimaced with seriousness.
「... Are these really all 'projections'? Not hypotheses?」 (Hoshino)
What Subaru was writing on the whiteboard were the details of the proposed battle against the "Kaiser" corporation; the distribution of enemy soldiers, their numbers, and the siege network.
In the diagram of a large battalion invading Abydos, he illustrated the number of personnel and their deployment with extreme precision, from ground to air, even drawing simple circles to represent aircraft and writing "Aircraft: 2" next to their specific locations.
Originally, the war Subaru proposed was a "sacrificial operation" utilizing his position as the president of "Schale" to drag all of "Kivotos" into the conflict.
Ironically, while Hoshino was trying to use Subaru, Subaru was thinking of a plan that utilized Subaru himself.
The problem lay in three people facing over 500 "Kaiser" soldiers, and the uncertainty regarding the arrival of reinforcements. Even Hoshino didn't believe she could protect Subaru against such overwhelming numbers, but...
「── 'The Shittim Chest,' is she your partner?」 (Hoshino)
「Amazing, isn't she?」 (Subaru)
「... Yeah, this really surprised me.」 (Hoshino)
The invasion plan Subaru had completed contained every piece of information Hoshino needed.
It was so precise that Hoshino's suspicions nearly stirred again, but the sheer volume of impossible information made the idea of him being a traitor vanish; no traitor could possess such data.
「I will now hack into the system and send an email to 'Black Suit,' offering to turn myself in exchange for returning the two girls to Abydos.」 (Subaru)
「... Subaru, that is ──!」 (Hoshino)
「I'm not going to get captured; I'm just going for a little chat with 'Black Suit.'」 (Subaru)
「... But that means you'll be leaving the place where Hoshino-senpai and I can protect you. It goes beyond just being dangerous.」 (Shiroko)
「── Do you intend to go and die?」 (Shiroko)
A rebuke charged with intense emotion came from Shiroko. He had no choice but to admit the validity of her words, yet Subaru turned his face toward her as if what he was doing was completely self-evident.
「Trust me.」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Shiroko)
「── Please, Shiroko.」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Shiroko)
A cunning, cowardly, and despicable man.
── Even if she refused, he wouldn't give up until she nodded in agreement.
「What about that promise?」 (Shiroko)
「... Ah, that...」 (Subaru)
「── Aren't you going to keep it?」 (Shiroko)
Shiroko attacked fiercely while Subaru raised his hands in front of his chest in defense.
As if saying she wouldn't allow him to back down from his resolve, she continued to stare at him, then slipped her hands under his arms and lifted him high.
「Wait wait wait?! Wawawawawa!?」 (Subaru)
「Subaru is weak. If I do this, he can't escape.」 (Shiroko)
「Even I can capture Subaru easily.」 (Shiroko)
「I-I get it, I get it!」 (Subaru)
「No, you don't understand. How can you ask me to 'trust you' when you're going alone in this state?」 (Shiroko)
「I'll ask you one more time, Subaru. ── Do you intend to go and die?」 (Shiroko)
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「── So, I wonder just what sort of terrible things you're planning to do to this old lady?」 (Hoshino)
『Subaru! What do we do now!?』 (Shiroko)
『There are bombs planted in the girls──』 (Shiroko)
『Subaru!』 (Shiroko)
Subaru must strike the stone bridge to ensure its safety until it shatters, rebuild it, and then strike it once more before crossing.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「... Shiroko...」 (Subaru)
How can he speak of grand, ambitious dreams?
How can he turn a dream into reality?
A man stacking pebbles in the "River of Torment," advancing three steps only to retreat two and nine-tenths, miraculously surviving death, falling seven times and rising exactly seven times; that is Natsuki Subaru.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「── So, I wonder just what sort of terrible things you're planning to do to this old lady?」 (Hoshino)
『I wish I hadn't trusted you.』 (Shiroko)
『It would have been better not to trust someone like you.』 (Shiroko)
Subaru must dance upon thin ice, not to break it, but to dance until he melts it.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
「...」 (Subaru)
He knows. Subaru knows that this plan will succeed.
Based on his past experiences (in death and return), and however much it seems he is disregarding his life in this situation, he will utilize it perfectly and not waste it in vain as long as it is within his control.
Only Arona and Subaru know that while he appears to be sacrificing his life, he is actually running a race rigged brilliantly in his favor.
── He remembers the emotions hidden in those eyes he has seen time and time again.
Those eyes that always exposed the falseness of Subaru's courage, yet also crafted the lies he cloak himself in.
「── Don't worry! Am I the type to die recklessly without a plan? I'm not, right?」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Shiroko)
「Do you still doubt my abilities after I took Hoshino as an opponent?」 (Subaru)
「I don't doubt.」 (Shiroko)
「... So, you've decided then.」 (Subaru)
「Even so, I hate that you 'use' your life.」 (Shiroko)
「───」 (Subaru)
Look, Subaru's armor of lies is on the verge of shattering now.
The accumulations of self-analysis and autosuggestion that haven't ceased since coming to this world... the armor that makes Natsuki Subaru "Natsuki Subaru" is collapsing with ease.
When did he become such a foolish man, cloaked in appearances, stubbornness, and lies?
── Surely, it happened after he came to this world.
He doesn't want anyone to feel guilty towards him; he has become numb to his own pain more than anyone else... This is not like him at all.
「You push yourself too hard. None of the wounds on your body have healed.」 (Shiroko)
「Scars will remain... not just on the body but on the heart as well. And being covered in wounds doesn't mean you won't feel the new ones. Someday, a part of you will stop working.」 (Shiroko)
「── Don't wait until you can't move to say for the first time: 'That was painful.'」 (Shiroko)
「...」 (Subaru)
「'I didn't want to fulfill the dream because I held your hand; rather, I held your hand because I wanted to fulfill it'... You won't say something sad like I'm not part of your dream, Shiroko, right?」 (Subaru)
「Nn... ── Subaru can read minds too.」 (Shiroko)
「I can't, I can't. I just felt it for some reason.」 (Subaru)
「Well, that's why, Shiroko.」 (Subaru)
「As long as you include me in your dream, I will remain in that dream for you.」 (Subaru)
How many times has he gotten used to uttering sweet words?
Subaru kept stroking her hair gently the whole time.
While his right hand remained tightly grasping Shiroko's hand.
He continued to pat her head gently, with unending gentleness.
「...」 (Shiroko)
「Nn.」 (Shiroko)
And so, after she nodded in agreement, a feeling of ■ squeezed his heart until it nearly broke.
Even so, he took the promise he made with her as fuel, and cast it into the fire to move forward.
●○●○●
Evening falls upon Abydos High School.
In that hour when the rosy "Belt of Venus" intertwines with the twilight afterglow, the three of them stood atop the school roof, awaiting the arrival of "Black Suit."
The negotiator is one person, and naturally, it is Natsuki Subaru. Should "Black Suit" decide to yield to Subaru's demands—which reek of fraud and exaggeration—the two girls would be returned before any negotiations even began.
Shiroko and Hoshino were waiting impatiently to retrieve and treat their classmates; although the meeting time had already been set, tension and restlessness dominated the atmosphere.
Hoshino, fully clad in her gear, perched atop the water tank on the roof, scanning the twilight-dyed surroundings of the city.
Shiroko, too, did not rest on the assumption that the opponent would act according to Subaru's predictions. Instead, she kept her body in a constant state of warm-up to repel any surprise attack from "Kaiser" soldiers... and the reason for their alertness was ──
『I will come to receive you, but I failed to persuade the Director; therefore, the matter of returning the two girls ultimately depends on the contract.』 (Black Suit's message)
Their goal was to protect Subaru from the army of the "Kaiser" Private Military Company, which had begun marching simultaneously with the arrival of that message—which Subaru sarcastically dubbed a "love letter"—from "Black Suit."
「So, in the end, you won't tell me what 'sales pitch' you used to lure that person in?」 (Hoshino)
「I sent him nothing but words overflowing with intent to swindle and defraud. That person's problem is that he overestimates me, reading too much between the lines to the point where he orchestrates his own loss.」 (Subaru)
「Heh, this old lady doesn't think someone like him would miscalculate profit and loss.」 (Hoshino)
Hoshino clasped her hands over her shield and smiled, while Subaru tilted his head in thought. ── Indeed, "Black Suit" seems strangely lenient with me right now.
However, if he were to confess this naive opinion to Hoshino, she would either look at him in astonishment as if seeing a rare specimen, or slap him back to his senses.
「Hoshino, you also misjudged me before, didn't you?」 (Subaru)
「... That's true too. You really are smooth with words.」 (Hoshino)
「Not to that extent.」 (Subaru)
── "Black Suit."
That being is the type who pays generously for the "Unknown." If he can learn what he does not understand or uncover what he is ignorant of, he does not hesitate to tip handsomely.
And Subaru, who appears outwardly mysterious to an astonishing degree, is like a "Lucky Bag"; no matter how trivial the contents, its true value cannot be judged until opened.
However, one can estimate the value before purchase. There are various ways to do so... ── but the easiest is to provide a "guarantee."
Just as the minimum value of contents is written on a "Lucky Bag" as a guarantee for the buyer, Subaru had to force "Black Suit" to swallow the terms by offering a tangible guarantee that would make him say: 『It is acceptable to conclude the contract』.
In other words: providing proof of strength by demonstrating his ability to bypass the military siege and come to meet him.
「All one needs is a little courage, and a handful of wooden betting chips... It seems I'll soon be dubbed the Legendary Swindler.」 (Subaru)
「Nn, Subaru is skilled at weaving schemes.」 (Shiroko)
「When push comes to shove, I'll turn the tables on them completely.」 (Subaru)
「... But you lack enough blackness in your heart, buddy~」 (Hoshino)
Chatting with high school girls under the glow of the sunset...
He felt as though his lost youth had returned, even though he never had such a thing to lose in the first place.
「── They're here.」 (Hoshino)
Hoshino shouldered her shield, having spotted the wall of the "Kaiser" army encircling Abydos High School as if about to crush it before anyone else, then leaped from the roof.
「Jumping as if it's completely natural... that's terrifying.」 (Subaru)
「Nn, Hoshino-senpai is the only one who can do that, so don't worry about it.」 (Shiroko)
「... Since I saw someone do something even more dangerous a short while ago, I'm not that surprised.」 (Subaru)
「Who?」 (Shiroko)
「Sorasaki Hina.」 (Subaru)
「── That's convincing.」 (Shiroko)
As if to say no one has any objection or argument against that opinion, Shiroko also descended, scaling down the school building wall.
But before that, she addressed a word to Subaru.
「Safe travels. Come back to us, Subaru.」 (Shiroko)
「I'm going, and I'll definitely come back. We'll all be here.」 (Subaru)
Shiroko received those words, then disappeared from Subaru's sight.
「... All, huh.」 (Subaru)
Left alone, there was no hand to hold. So it was only natural that he found no recourse but to clench his own fist tight,
And for that very reason, Subaru is always crushed under the weight of his own powerlessness.
Three people? No, the number he left behind far exceeds that. Because he is helpless, ignorant, and foolish, the hands Subaru failed to grasp were far too many.
── The man who must flip through the pages of the game's rulebook before moving a single "Shogi" piece one step,
── The man who tries to learn to run before learning to walk,
── The man who plucks the feathers from his frail wings to craft wings of iron in their place so he can fly,
── The man who strikes the stone bridge to ensure its solidity, shatters it, rebuilds it, then strikes it once more to cross,
── The man who dances upon thin ice, turning into a clown until the ice melts,
「... A swindler, that is what I truly am.」 (Subaru)
How can he speak of grand, ambitious dreams?
The secret to that trick always lies in the palm of his hand.
「Arona.」 (Subaru)
A faint light floated up.
Upon seeing it, like a child startled awake from a nightmare, Subaru remembered the promise immediately.
If his death concerned him alone, how beautiful and cruel—yet simultaneously comforting—that would be.
He does not repeat the same mistake twice. The problem lies in the sheer number of new and different errors obstructing his path, plunging him into confusion.
「■■■」
The numbers are not clear.
Ever since he made the promise, the illuminated figures appeared as if blotted out in black, vanishing from Subaru's sight.
Is this a curse, or is it a blessing?
── Is it a push at my back so I do not turn around, or a stab in the back out of pity for me?
There is no malfunction in Arona; the malfunction lies within Subaru. It is no wonder Arona fails to find the right words to console him.
「... ── Mr. Subaru.」 (Arona)
「Hmm? What is it, my dear Arona?」 (Subaru)
「I... I truly believe it was a good thing that you came to this world.」 (Arona)
「───」 (Subaru)
「Based on accumulated data, I just wanted to convey this fact to you.」 (Arona)
「What's got into you all of a sudden?」 (Subaru)
「If the 'General Student Council President' were here, she would have encouraged you with words of love or phrases befitting this situation. As for me... I cannot do that.」 (Arona)
「── However, the person standing beside you right now is me.」 (Arona)
「That is why 'A.R.O.N.A' deemed it necessary to tell you what I just said.」 (Arona)
── The words he wanted to offer in return stuck in his throat and would not come out.
He closed one eye, recalling all the memories of the past reflected in the darkness, and tried to manage a faint, self-deprecating smile... ── and though he was unable to cry, he felt a heat spreading through his eyelids.
「I am happy that you are here, Arona. Thank you.」 (Subaru)
In that moment, he could voice nothing but words of gratitude.
●○●○●
「Fuu... ── How is the deployment?」 (Director)
「The infantry company is advancing to form a cordon around Abydos High School; the siege network comprises 127 personnel in total, while the remaining forces are heading directly toward the school to deal with "Takanashi Hoshino."」 (Soldier)
「We have integrated the aviation platoon into the siege network. Considering the potential fallout, this is the maximum force we can mobilize.」 (Director)
「...」 (Director)
── Meanwhile, the former Director of Kaiser PMC suffered excruciating pain in a stomach he did not actually possess. If anything were truly aching, it ought to be the ball joints connecting his mechanical limbs.
Invading Abydos before the week was out... Once they transformed into a terrorist organization, the deadline set by the former PMC carried a weight that transcended mere words.
The corporation had fractured suddenly due to the appearance of "Natsuki Subaru"... And just as time was running out for Abydos, this week had served as a period of preparation and logistics for them as well.
『Because we are targeting Abydos, we will not touch any other location for the time being.』
Based on this tacit understanding, the upper echelons of Academy City held a reprieve to determine their stance regarding the PMC throughout that period.
Had they launched a forcible invasion without waiting for covert support from Headquarters, what awaited them was... total isolation and a crushing assault from all schools, with no allies to aid them.
「Natsuki Subaru... and that accursed "Black Suit"... ── If they hadn't... if they hadn't instigated all this...!」 (Director)
This stage, which "Black Suit" had presented and touted as a golden opportunity, was in truth nothing more than a scheme for personal victory, aiming only to line his own pockets.
A scenario guaranteeing the isolation of "Takanashi Hoshino" from "Natsuki Subaru," and a situation that appeared to be the optimal, most strategic move for battle while holding two members of the Task Force as hostages.
If matters proceeded normally, if they acted normally, if they fought normally, then no matter how strong "Takanashi Hoshino" might be, she would never be able to protect "Natsuki Subaru"—that human made of flesh and blood—until the very end.
「...」 (Director)
The top floor of the dim building... now appeared even darker and gloomier in the Director's eyes than it actually was.
Was it anxiety? Or was it exasperation at the persistence of those who came to challenge him, never learning their lesson?
Or was it fear of the losses that the final flailing of the weak might cause, proving the proverb that "a cornered rat will bite the cat"?
── No, that is not it.
Those are emotional luxuries afforded to victors and the strong. And because I am such, I should possess the privilege to feel them.
── Yet what grips me now is "dread."
Terror, fear, panic, and dread. What shakes the Operating System (OS) within me is that specific panic which only the weak are permitted to feel.
「Natsuki Subaru.」 (Director)
Whenever he uttered that name, fear dominated his main operating system.
「Emotions... such emotions... ──」 (Director)
「── He has arrived. It is Natsuki Subaru.」 (Soldier)
「... Is it time already?」 (Director)
He nearly smashed his fist onto the desk but hastily checked his temper. He could not afford to let anyone witness such a childish display of emotion.
The decision to conduct the negotiation via drone, rather than meeting Natsuki Subaru face-to-face, was intended to minimize risk... yet now, upon reflection, he could not gauge just how much "fear" had actually underpinned that choice.
But that ends here. It must end.
「...」 (Director)
With the sun setting at his back, a man clad in a tracksuit—exuding an air of frailty and unreliability—trod across the sands, advancing toward them.
Part of the contract with "Black Suit" mandated the joint release of the two captive girls, provided that Kaiser Corporation received support from "Gematria" and that Natsuki Subaru was separated from Takanashi Hoshino.
Despite the promise of release, there was no intention of handing them over peacefully. When surrendering "Okusora Ayane" and "Kuromi Serika" to Natsuki Subaru, they could simply strap C4 explosives to their bodies, turning them into living bombs.
Regardless, the moment the clause regarding 『Mutual Non-Aggression During Negotiation』 expired, they would surround Natsuki Subaru and gun him down.
Originally, were it not for the letter delivered by "Black Suit"—Natsuki Subaru's letter, which reeked of condescension and declared war—they never would have bothered with such a spectacle. What could a lone human without an organized military force possibly accomplish? His capabilities were known and limited.
If he was walking to his death while exposing his vulnerabilities, they had no choice but to oblige. What he discussed with "Black Suit," or how the latter maneuvered, were trivial matters. In fact, should "Black Suit" decide to side with Natsuki Subaru, it would be a golden opportunity to eliminate them both.
── This is the best option, the optimal solution. This must be the "correct answer."
"So, you are Natsuki Subaru?" (Director)
「Yeah, that's me.」 (Subaru)
In the heart of the Abydos desert, two men and a single drone faced off.
"My word. You are a man unpleasant to behold, lacking any distinction whatsoever." (Director)
「I get told that a lot, but do you really have the free time to worry about stuff like that?」 (Subaru)
"What did you say?" (Director)
「You need to get yourself ready to run home crying in disgrace, don't you?」 (Subaru)
"You bastard──" (Director)
「Whoa now. Adults shouldn't pay mind to a kid's prattle... though your face looks pretty red even through the screen, you know?」 (Subaru)
"──!!" (Director)
「Natsuki Subaru, stop fooling around. The girls' safety is at stake here.」 (Black Suit)
「Right, right. You're way too soft on me too, honestly... it's nauseating.」 (Subaru)
「Do you think so? At present, I couldn't meet your demands as I wished, nor could I return the Abydos girls prior to the contract. I do feel sorry about that...」 (Black Suit)
「It's weird that you're even listening to me. I don't know what means you have, but you're a strong 'adult'... don't you usually just 'redefine the world to fit your desires and take what you want'? I know that all too well.」 (Subaru)
「Kukuku, kuku... It is simply that your value has exceeded the value of doing so, Natsuki Subaru.」 (Black Suit)
「Is that so. Anyway... where are the girls?」 (Subaru)
「They are in the back seat. Handing them over depends on the contract we establish with you.」 (Black Suit)
「── A contract, huh... Listen here, 'Black Suit.' I'm going to impose a 'demand' on you. A demand so ridiculous it doesn't even reach the level of a contract, one that someone like you would normally refuse.」 (Subaru)
「And yet, you'll have to swallow it. You won't be able to refuse! From now on, for the rest of your life, I'm going to keep winning, and you're going to suffer a crushing loss! Do you understand that?」 (Subaru)
「Kukuku, kukukukuku... Then, let us hope for a fruitful 'conversation,' Natsuki Subaru.」 (Black Suit)
── Upon the desert sands where the winds howled—where objects, humans, and even time itself eroded away—a fateful confrontation began.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter between two parties who could never meet, nor ever see eye to eye.
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