Black Suit extended his hand toward me. The path I walked was somewhat paved, yet it sat right at the desert's edge. Because of that, bothersome sand gritted under my feet.
Parking a luxury black car in the desert—especially in a place where fierce winds sandblast everything in their path—was an act of madness to any car lover. But then again...
「... There you are, Mr. 'Mysterious Powers.'」 (Subaru)
Black Suit's car was packed with otherworldly elements. Whether it was an electromagnetic field or a protective barrier, a faint light repelled the sand, directly triggering the boyish excitement within Subaru.
「This is merely the minimum for self-defense; there is no guarantee these people won't try to eliminate me along with you.」 (Black Suit)
「Good, very good. I'd appreciate it if you two just destroyed each other without my involvement.」 (Subaru)
「Kukuku, you are cruel... Come, step inside.」 (Black Suit)
The man led Subaru into the car for the nth time. The back seat, once the height of luxury, now felt strangely uncomfortable—the kind of unease that comes from a setting grown too familiar in the worst way.
Inside the spacious cabin, Okusora Ayane and Kuromi Serika lay asleep, their hands clasped together. Subaru suppressed the urge to rush toward them.
「You seem accustomed to such situations.」 (Black Suit)
「I'm not accustomed; I was forced to get used to it against my will.」 (Subaru)
「── Kukuku, perhaps I should offer you words of appreciation and sympathy then.」 (Black Suit)
「Shut up. Do you actually mean any of that, you bastard?」 (Subaru)
「I do.」 (Black Suit)
「...」 (Subaru)
It was always like this. Despite his unnerving presence, Black Suit never failed to maintain the dynamic of 『Adult and Child』 when facing Subaru. No matter how much Subaru groomed himself or adjusted his collar, the result remained the same: the tricks and appearances that fooled the Kaiser corporation meant nothing to this man.
Subaru had many reasons to lose heart, but simply dwelling on this man's true nature killed his motivation entirely. He chose silence instead, and then──
「── I'll start with this: you can defuse the bombs planted in those girls, can't you? If you truly want to 'talk,' then do it now. Immediately.」 (Subaru)
「In exchange, I'll show you some of the cards up my sleeve.」 (Subaru)
「Hmm.」 (Black Suit)
Black Suit showed no sign of panic. Instead, a look of genuine confusion crossed his face as he stared at Subaru with intense interest. Subaru treated Kaiser's proud "finishing blow"—the bomb trap—with such indifference that it seemed to vanish instantly.
「Even if you are some mysterious, incomprehensible entity, I have no reason to back down if I have a viable way out. But...」 (Black Suit)
「Then this ends here. I will take the girls and leave without your permission. Understand? Hoshino can defuse those bombs in an instant. I will get them back without a scratch, and Abydos and I will reach a perfect outcome for everyone.」 (Subaru)
「So, if you 'do it' for me, I'll return the favor. I don't care which path you choose. What will it be, 'Black Suit'?」 (Subaru)
To an outsider, his words would sound like the claims of someone entirely indifferent to his own interests. Black Suit possessed the means to judge whether Subaru—surrounded as he was by Kaiser's soldiers—could actually pull this off. He saw no concrete basis for the confidence written across Subaru's face.
Except for one thing──
「── By the way, if you choose that path, I will become your 『enemy』.」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Black Suit)
「... ── I see. You far exceed my expectations, Natsuki Subaru.」 (Black Suit)
As if those words represented the one thing he loathed most, Black Suit recoiled and yielded immediately.
I know full well that Black Suit, driven by his inherent nature as a researcher, cannot endure the agony of a dead end before the unknown is revealed. He loathes losing a connection while mystery still reigns.
── I know exactly what you hate. I know how to provoke you, and I understand precisely how to shatter that aura of calm composure you project.
And for that very reason, I will not take that path. I have already failed it once before.
「Adults toil desperately for what they want, yet when they find a child possessing that very thing, they feel no shame in seizing it by force... I find such behavior pathetic and suffocating.」 (Subaru)
「── Nevertheless, I still see you as someone I can talk to, strange as that may seem.」 (Subaru)
「So, I want to reach a settlement. I don't want to cross the line and treat you as anything more than a 'bad adult.' I need you to understand this... Can I count on you?」 (Subaru)
── This was the compromise Subaru reached—a man who, regardless of the circumstances, could not harbor absolute enmity toward Black Suit.
If they crossed this line, Subaru would stand as Black Suit's declared enemy. Neither Subaru nor Black Suit desired this; it would be, quite simply, an "utter nuisance" for both parties.
「...」 (Black Suit)
「I understand. I will defuse the bombs planted in the girls here and now. After that, I shall hear your demands.」 (Black Suit)
「That saves the day. Let's get straight to the point, then.」 (Subaru)
「── 『Return them to me』 right here, right now. I ask for nothing more.」 (Subaru)
「In exchange, I want to know 'you.' I want to decipher 'Natsuki Subaru'—the only existence capable of bypassing 'Horus of the Dawn.'」 (Black Suit)
「...」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Subaru)
「「...」」
── Their shared silence collided and crowded the interior of the car, throwing off sparks of stillness.
Yet even this silence was no match for Subaru, whose heart now overflowed with a searing heat.
Subaru had engineered this entire situation—provoking Kaiser and drawing their guns upon himself—solely for this moment. What did it all mean?
── Black Suit is a man who shifts his judgments and values based on the data of the current situation.
Therefore, in this challenge, the one to break the silence would be ──
「...」 (Black Suit)
「Kukuku, kuku, kukukuku... ── Are you certain? Natsuki Subaru, what you intend to shoulder while still a mere child is the 'Hero's Illusion'—a burden that exceeds the narrow confines of childhood.」 (Black Suit)
「You are about to carry the symbol of the 'protagonist' in Kivotos, even though the effectiveness of such a symbol vanished from this world long ago.」 (Black Suit)
「Do you truly believe you can carry this weight while you remain unable to fully utilize the authority of the 'Shittim Chest'?」 (Black Suit)
「── I can.」 (Subaru)
He replied without a second of hesitation.
He did not stumble over a single letter; his voice remained untainted by doubt.
Did Black Suit think such words could shake what Subaru had been entrusted with?
The Hero's Illusion? Don't talk nonsense. I have no intention of carrying something like that.
── What I shoulder is everyone's "future." I am merely reclaiming what you were trying to steal.
「Ah...」 (Black Suit)
「── You adults are capable of putting a title in one scale and a living life in the other just to compare them, aren't you?」 (Subaru)
They place things on the scales that should never be weighed, failing to see their error, weighing them with absolute confidence and calm. Because that is who you are, and because you are like this:
「That is why we can never understand each other. That is why you will spend your entire life unable to comprehend why I try to save Abydos. Nothing you seek to understand will ever be realized.」 (Subaru)
「Therefore, Black Suit.」 (Subaru)
「Do as you please.」 (Subaru)
「But I won't guarantee the consequences if you take your eyes off me.」 (Subaru)
「Because, in the end, we are a child and an adult.」 (Subaru)
── And children are creatures who commit acts beyond an adult's wildest imagination the moment they are left unobserved.
Black Suit had no choice but to keep watching Natsuki Subaru. He could not miss a single breath or movement; otherwise, he would lose the ability to comprehend him entirely.
「── Isn't that right?」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Black Suit)
「... Kukuku, ah, you truly are an intractable riddle. I cannot fathom a single principle behind your actions.」 (Black Suit)
「However ──」 (Black Suit)
「I am watching. From this moment on, Gematria will continue to observe... to understand Natsuki Subaru.」 (Black Suit)
「I will release the girls. In exchange for you not recognizing Gematria as an enemy to be eradicated, I hereby conclude this contract with you.」 (Black Suit)
●○●○●
The pale orange sunset glinted off the mechanical frames of the Kaiser soldiers as they monitored Abydos High School across the dunes that had swallowed the surrounding houses.
Visibility was poor, and the soldiers' morale had hit rock bottom; their training was utterly insufficient to contend with Takanashi Hoshino.
── Even so, no "tomorrow" awaited them.
They were meant to be ordinary employees of a standard corporation, yet the current of events had swept them into the ranks of a terrorist organization. It was a heart-wrenching fate, yet ultimately the consequence of their own choices as adults who had surrendered their lives to the company. No savior would come for them, and no one would take responsibility in their stead. That was the cold reality of being an "adult."
「... Are we really going to shoot to kill?」 (Soldier 1)
「Those are the orders.」 (Soldier 2)
One of the Kaiser soldiers—among the dozens stealthily surrounding the luxury black car—sighed as he brushed the dust from his weapon. Was that feeling regret, or merely a heart overflowing with pain? It was hard to tell; everything seemed to dissolve into the warmth of the sunset. That twilight haze was slowly stripping away their ability to judge the situation.
「... And just like that, I'm officially a murderer. I've stained my hands with many things, but... ── honestly, I find myself hesitating this time.」 (Soldier 1)
「Everyone here feels the same. The moment that plan failed, we were finished. We've reached a dead end.」 (Soldier 2)
「「...」」
── Ah, what a miserable, tedious life.
As those adults, trapped by their own choices, muttered their complaints...
「Hmm?」
An explosion roared, and the smoke filling their vision tore in two. Their dulled judgment proved fatal; the situation escalated before they could even level their rifles.
「── Ah.」
「Argh!?」
A flash... of pink.
Moans and wails followed. Those who had chosen to stop walking their own paths...
── How could they ever hope to stop a girl who lived every moment with her entire soul?
「Impossible.」
「── Step aside.」 (Hoshino)
「This makes no sense! How did you do that!?」
It was unthinkable. In this open desert, how had she bypassed the security grid and drawn so close without being noticed...
Impossible. The word hung on their lips. It was as if the barriers didn't exist at all. What about the hostages? Why had the scene suddenly transformed into...
── While one of the Kaiser employees harbored this silent blame toward others, a bullet pierced his skull.
「Hmm. Just as expected of you.」 (Shiroko)
「... The smoke screen will clear in five seconds.」 (Hoshino)
「Subaru has let go of this "child" (the device) for now. That means he is in a vulnerable position with no defense. We must move decisively and quickly, Shiroko.」 (Hoshino)
At that moment, Hoshino held Subaru's trump card in her hand—the old device he called his "partner." It was the legacy of the General Student Council President, a thing as vital as Subaru's own life. When he handed it over so simply, words questioning his sanity nearly escaped her throat; Shiroko had even grabbed Subaru by the collar in a fit of rage. Ultimately, however, they both yielded to his stubbornness.
── Now, Hoshino's field of vision had expanded. With a perspective from the sky and the GSC President's legacy controlling Shiroko's drone, the optimal solution for this encounter was being constantly displayed before her eyes ──
「...」 (Hoshino)
Her wariness of Natsuki Subaru and the power he possessed grew, but at the same time, the confidence he showed by entrusting her with it spread across her tongue like the sweetness of sugar.
── He will betray you. Do not trust him. There will come a moment when you thank God you didn't.
To ensure she wasn't deceived by that sweetness only to swallow poison, she had to believe he had other motives—even if he entrusted his life to her. She must not grant him her full trust until the very end.
「── I'll handle all of them alone.」 (Hoshino)
「... Are you serious? ... It seems you are.」 (Shiroko)
「With this "child" (the device) with me, it's simple. I'll be back in two minutes. Take Subaru and the girls back to the school building, Shiroko.」 (Hoshino)
「Understood. Since it's you, Hoshino-senpai, this really will be a walk in the park. I'll head on ahead then.」 (Shiroko)
── But.
「Very well then...」 (Hoshino)
「Take good care of me, dear "Legacy."」 (Hoshino)
If this allows me to reclaim everything, I will gladly be the sacrifice. I don't mind being the only one deceived, as long as the result of that deception is everyone's return.
── As the saying goes, "If you're going to eat poison, you might as well finish the plate." Show all your cards, Natsuki Subaru; I will play along with your game. I won't let you trick me—instead, I am choosing of my own free will to be "tricked" for your sake.
According to Hoshino's radar, the army was spreading across the desert just a few kilometers ahead. More than ten helicopters circled in the sky, while Crusader tanks and Goliath units approached on the ground, soldiers advancing like a human wall.
「Do you want him dead so badly that you risked breaking the blockade to attack?」 (Hoshino)
── And yet, those forces were utterly insufficient to set a stage worthy of Takanashi Hoshino.
「Come then, advance ──」 (Hoshino)
They would soon realize they were far "below the mark" required to stand against her on this stage.
●○●○●
I feel the crushing weight of two bodies on my back.
I thanked God for my consistent exercise routine. At this long-awaited moment, my muscles seemed to celebrate the achievement as I trudged along, carrying both girls while drenched in sweat.
This is the true weight of human lives—a weight those who discard or forget the sanctity of life will never know.
「Damn it,」 I muttered, forcing my trembling legs forward. I felt a pang of regret that my body remained unchanged despite the cycles of "Return by Death." I wished it worked like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where the body evolves through harsh training regardless of the environment, but I kept those foolish complaints to myself.
── Since everything is proceeding as planned, I must keep moving. I scolded myself for those stray thoughts and pushed forward.
Black Suit pelted me with various questions afterward, but he eventually fell silent after realizing I was only offering evasive, non-committal answers. He knew he wouldn't gain anything more from me.
『First: This entire situation has been broadcast to the world for some time now.』 (Subaru)
『Second: If you don't want Hoshino to spiral out of control and destroy everything, you must stop interfering with Abydos. I know exactly what she will become.』 (Subaru)
── Thanks to that declaration, I am alive right now, carrying the girls on my back. Everything—every single thing—is going according to plan.
Despite the awkwardness of the girls' legs pressing against me, this path I had secured was perfect for getting lost in thought.
Things were never truly fine. The future still felt too distant for me to offer any words of comfort; that cold hardness in my chest had yet to settle.
── What had frozen inside me were the countless memories of "Return by Death"—memories I had stopped counting long ago.
This isn't the end. Just to stand at the starting line, Natsuki Subaru has exhausted himself to this degree. He has piled up an infinite number of lost "pasts" just to reach out and touch tomorrow.
「Heave!」 (Subaru)
I adjusted the girls, who were nearly slipping, and hoisted them up again.
Their long black hair was disheveled from being held captive for over a week. It would have been easier to carry them if I pried their hands apart, but if I did that, I would never forgive myself as long as I lived.
How many times have I looked at their faces? Four? Five?... Perhaps more than ten times across failed attempts.
Serika is sleeping with a terrified expression; she must be having a nightmare. For someone with her trauma of dark, confined spaces, being locked away was pure torture.
As for Ayane, whose tears left streaks beneath her glasses, she must have been clinging to hope in her heart. She believed that Hoshino or Shiroko would definitely come for her, and that fierce determination remained etched on her sleeping face.
Beloved younger sisters, irreplaceable friends, the dearest of companions.
── Yet, for Subaru, they were effectively "strangers."
「... Since I haven't died yet, Hoshino must have pulled it off.」 (Subaru)
One thing still deeply puzzles "Black Suit": why does Natsuki Subaru go this far? Why does he exhaust himself to such an extent to extend a helping hand to Abydos High School?
They are, after all, mere strangers. No logic or justification exists for Subaru to drain his life and shred his very soul for their sake. The answer to that question is simple: he does it because he wants to. When a person chooses to act according to their heart's dictates, they carry a proportional weight of responsibility and burden. As for the oaths and promises, they were merely trusts placed upon his shoulders—trusts he accepted of his own free will.
── If "Black Suit" heard this, he would only laugh again, dismissed it as something "beyond comprehension."
「Just a little further. Be patient, girls.」 (Subaru)
Step by step, Subaru continues his march along that sand-strewn path.
── All the while, he bitterly recalled how their bodies had disintegrated in a bomb blast during a previous attempt, and how light they had become to carry then.
── All the while, he remembered how they were gunned down in another loop until their bodies became nothing but wreckage.
── All the while, he remembered returning once before, carrying the light, lifeless corpses of two girls who "had lost their lives," and how Hoshino had turned her gun on him in her shock.
He walks that silent path, kicking the sand with his feet as he advances, struggling with all his might to drown out the voices echoing in the corners of his mind.
「...」 (Subaru)
He tries to expel them, to break free ──
「... Shiroko...」 (Subaru)
『Natsuki Subaru!!』 『Subaru!!』 『I won't be fooled!! Iiiiii!!』 『Subaru! Subaru!!』 『Natsuki Subaru』 『Kukuku, Natsuki Subaru, let us strike a contract then』 『This is the end; how pathetic you are, Natsuki Subaru』 『Subaru, you can still fight』 『Subaru』 『And you ask me to believe you after everything that happened? Enough nonsense... Tell me, Natsuki Subaru』 『How miserable. Your state is truly pitiable, Natsuki Subaru』
『Ultimately, Natsuki Subaru is nothing but a helpless child』 『Subaru, get up』 『Natsuki Subaru is powerless; he cannot save anything. Takanashi Hoshino, why did you take this person's hand?』 『Natsuki Subaru ── !!』 『Subaru, I trust you』
『Natsuki Subaru』 『Natsuki Subaru!』 『Tch! Natsuki Subaru!!』 『Stop this reckless nonsense, Natsuki Subaru』 『Are you only good at boasting with your tongue? Natsuki Subaru』
『『『『Natsuki Subaru』』』』
「Subaru.」 (Shiroko)
「───」 (Subaru)
「So, you successfully retrieved them.」 (Shiroko)
The voices vanished from his head instantly.
「Let's go, Subaru... Hoshino-senpai is still fighting alone over there. Now we can return to the school building without anyone blocking our way.」 (Shiroko)
「... Subaru ── ?」 (Shiroko)
「Ah, right, right! Okay! You two really did a great job. Shiroko, can you take them on your back and head back to the school first?」 (Subaru)
「... Go ahead of you...? ── Subaru.」 (Shiroko)
「It's fine, it's fine. I just need to go somewhere quickly to take care of something necessary. I'll do what I have to do and catch up with you.」 (Subaru)
Since his legs had begun to tremble like a newborn fawn's under the weight of the two bodies, he entrusted the girls to Shiroko. He then used both hands to sweep back his hair, which was matted with sweat.
How pathetic. My lack of physical fitness is truly shameful. Even though I no longer feel any pain, exhaustion still manages to paralyze my body all the same.
「I'm going too.」 (Shiroko)
「You can't. Who will carry the girls back to the school then?」 (Subaru)
「Right... Subaru, were you planning for things to turn out exactly like this?」 (Shiroko)
「Just a coincidence.」 (Subaru)
「Answer me, and I won't get angry. Or are you really going to keep the person risking their life for you in the dark about what's actually on your mind?」 (Shiroko)
Her words, sharp as a blade, sent a shiver through him. Her directness left Subaru no room for excuses or lies, causing his newly smoothed hair to droop dejectedly.
「... Yes, I was planning it...」 (Subaru)
「Understood. I'll save the scolding for when we get back.」 (Shiroko)
「Oh... You're starting to sound just like Hoshino.」 (Subaru)
「... ── Go, Subaru. If you must go, then it must be for the good of us all. I trust your promise.」 (Shiroko)
Truly, those words moved me.
── She trusts me from the bottom of her heart, and I trust her just as much. So why do I always end up making her sad? Intense emotions surged within me like lava—one-sided promises and feelings that grew until they overflowed, and──
「I will definitely go and return! Wait for me!!」 (Subaru)
「Yes.」 (Shiroko)
「I'll show you what I can do! Shiroko, I'm counting on you to protect them!」 (Subaru)
He ran, drawing strength, resolve, and kindness from their words. Everything he needed to push him forward had always been in his hands. Their paths diverged until they could no longer see each other, yet each offered a silent farewell in their heart, and──
「Wait for me.」 (Subaru)
「── Suou Asagiri.」 (Subaru)
●○●○●
「...」 (Shiroko)
「...」 (Hoshino)
「Hoshino-senpai.」 (Shiroko)
On her way back with the girls, Shiroko caught the pungent scent of oil, scorched engines, and gunpowder. She veered slightly from her path to glimpse the battlefield where Hoshino had unleashed chaos. She intended to signal a retreat, but...
「... Ah, Shiroko.」 (Hoshino)
「...!! Ayane! Serika too! Wonderful. You actually got them back safely...」 (Hoshino)
「Yes. Subaru entrusted them to me before heading off somewhere.」 (Shiroko)
「I see... That boy will be fine. Let's head back quickly, Shiroko.」 (Hoshino)
「... Hoshino-senpai... ── Are you okay?」 (Shiroko)
「Hmm?」 (Hoshino)
Shiroko asked while glancing at her with repeated concern. The reason lay in the stifling smell of oil, the scent of corroded iron filings, and the gunpowder smoke filling the air. This desert had become nothing more than a graveyard of iron wreckage. Atop these metallic mounds, the marks left by the fangs of the true Takanashi Hoshino had carved deep wounds into the desert itself.
Shiroko believed she grasped the extent of Hoshino's power. Yet, the absolute devastation before her eyes shattered every lingering doubt and "mere possibility" she had once entertained. Instinctively, Shiroko felt a surge of caution toward her senior; the ground where Takanashi Hoshino now stood was nothing less than──
── a macabre funeral portrait from hell, where bodies lay heaped upon one another.
「── Don't worry about me; I'm fine. I'm more concerned about Subaru. I don't know if he'll make it back alive, yet he left this 'child' (the GSC President's legacy device) with me and went on his way...」 (Hoshino)
「I... I think Subaru will be fine. He promised us he would definitely return.」 (Shiroko)
「... ── I see. Well then, let's head back.」 (Hoshino)
Shiroko felt the vastness of the world—a staggering gulf in ability and a crushing disparity in power. While Hoshino had peak conditions and unprecedented technical support, witnessing this scene made the gap undeniable. This was the entity named "Takanashi Hoshino" that Shiroko strove so hard to surpass. Despite her affection for the girl, seeing Hoshino stand there without a single drop of sweat or a minor scratch sent a shiver down Shiroko's spine.
「I'll carry Serika. Shiroko, you take Ayane.」 (Hoshino)
「Understood.」 (Shiroko)
「Once we're back, we'll form a defensive line! Our goal is to protect the school building until we force the Kaiser forces into a total withdrawal!」 (Hoshino)
Hoshino spoke with a smile before she set off.
── She was fast.
Despite having just finished a large-scale battle single-handedly, she showed no signs of exhaustion. In fact, Shiroko—who had supposedly been conserving her energy—began to fall behind. As Shiroko ran with all her might, feeling a tightening in her chest as the gap between them widened instead of narrowing... ──
── the sounds of combat reached her ears from the direction of the high school.
「...? Is someone—no, it sounds like a large group of people... fighting there?」 (Shiroko)
「Did you hear something, Shiroko?」 (Hoshino)
「Yes. A massive crowd has gathered around Abydos... and that sound is... ── mortars.」 (Shiroko)
「... Let's pick up the pace, Shiroko.」 (Hoshino)
「Yes.」 (Shiroko)
Hoshino accelerated even further; she could not accept the thought of returning to find the school building reduced to rubble. After a continuous, breathless sprint, they arrived at the school in a state of panic, only to find... ──
「Gaaaaah, damn it!! Why did the Chairwoman order me to cooperate with someone like him... ── I will never forgive you, Natsuki Subaru!! Once the Chairwoman resumes her duties, I'll put a leash on you and turn you into Miss Hina's pet!」 (Amau Ako)
A girl stood there, wearing a peculiar uniform that immodestly exposed the sides of her chest, leading a large contingent of students. The armband she wore was unmistakable:
── the mark of the Gehenna Academy Prefect Team.
There was no logical explanation for seeing this girl stomping her feet in such a rage. As Hoshino hesitated to speak to her, an unfamiliar student called out.
「Are you... are you truly Miss Hoshino...?」 (???)
「... Yes, I am. And who might you be?」 (???)
「Actually, I owe Natsuki-san a personal debt... Since he contacted us, I invited the 'Momo Friends Fan Club,' and we came to help...!」 (???)
「── Natsuki-san is the one who saved my life.」 (???)
「And if he is trying to save people in distress again, just as he did for me...」 (???)
「Then please, let us offer whatever little help we can. Oh, and right—this is a message from Subaru-san.」 (???)
She held a phone before Hoshino's eyes, displaying a short text from Subaru that read: "I'm sorry."
「────」 (Hoshino)
「And therefore!!」 (Amau Ako)
「'Peroro Enthusiast ♡ No. 1'! 'Peroro Enthusiast ♡ No. 1'!! We're counting on you now!!!」 (Amau Ako)
The moment she screamed that strange and embarrassing codename, mortars rained down, wiping out the advancing Kaiser soldiers. The tide of battle turned in Abydos's favor instantly.
New faces joined the fray amidst the incomprehensible chaos.
「W-wait, please... don't call me by that username...」 (???)
「But Trinity's cooperation would never have happened without the efforts of 'Peroro Enthusiast No. 1.'」 (Amau Ako)
「Ahaha... I only asked if they could lend a hand...」 (???)
「... It seems I'll need to interrogate that boy about a few things later~」 (Hoshino)
「Indeed. Subaru keeps too many secrets. We might need to tighten the screws on him a little when he returns.」 (Shiroko)
As Hoshino's wariness toward Subaru climbed another notch, her sharp eyes—despite the encroaching dusk—identified the mortars firing into the distance.
── These were Trinity weapons. Deploying such ordnance required authorization from the school's highest authority: the leadership body known as the "Tea Party."
「May I ask you something? Did you arrange for these mortars?」 (Hoshino)
「Ahaha... Not exactly me. Let's just say a high-ranking individual did...」 (???)
「── And what motivated the Trinity students to help us?」 (Hoshino)
「Oh, uh, well... it's because a friend said he needed help...」 (???)
「Is that the only reason? This 'old lady' isn't so easily convinced. At least tell me the nature of your conversation with Natsuki Subaru.」 (Hoshino)
Hoshino began to exert a pressure heavy enough to bring an ordinary person to tears. But before Shiroko could step in to de-escalate, the girl wearing the peculiar hippo helmet replied firmly.
「That is the only reason. Nothing more.」 (???)
「── For that same reason, Natsuki-san risked his life to save a friend of mine he didn't even know—a total stranger.」 (???)
「So I decided to follow his lead and do the same... Ahaha, (Truthfully, I just rushed over after seeing the livestream. I never expected things to escalate this much...)」 (???)
「... ──」 (Hoshino)
Hearing that, the shroud of suspicion that had clouded Hoshino's heart evaporated completely.
「I see,」 Hoshino replied with a hint of playful annoyance.
●○●○●
The former Kaiser director monitored the battlefield from a bird's-eye view via a drone.
Sandstorms tore through the desert, making it impossible for even high-tech drones to remain airborne for long. As the battery dipped toward zero, he waited impatiently for a glimpse of Natsuki Subaru's corpse. He expected this result—or rather, he believed it was inevitable.
「── What is happening?」 (Former Kaiser Director)
First, the bomb planted in those two girls—why hadn't it detonated? And why were no reports coming in from the soldiers surrounding the area?
「What is really going on?」 (Former Kaiser Director)
Even if a few soldiers fell, Natsuki Subaru should have perished before such overwhelming numbers. Defending against an assault from all sides requires a comprehensive defense in a fortified position; otherwise, gaps are unavoidable. And yet, their opponents were only two people.
「What is happening...!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
The situation remained manageable for now. Either way, he planned to resolve everything with a large-scale bombardment once he secured authorization to use "The Legacy." His strategy involved neutralizing Takanashi Hoshino while raiding the Abydos school building. Her fall would spark an open conflict with Kivotos, providing the necessary pretext to seize the Legacy's power.
「── What... is going on!!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「Why!! Why, why!!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「Why are Trinity and Gehenna protecting Abydos!?」 (Former Kaiser Director)
Before him, the Gehenna Prefect Team fanned out to secure positions while Trinity's precision artillery decimated his remaining troops.
「Did you not see them coming!?」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「M-my deepest apologies. We didn't have enough personnel to maintain the patrols...」 (Soldier)
「Damn it! None of that matters now. Why did they move? Who intervened, and how...!!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「We don't know...」 (Soldier)
「Useless fools!! Curse it all!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
Damn it, I need to keep my head. He understood the Prefect Team's involvement; everyone knew their leader supported Natsuki Subaru. But Trinity? How did a newcomer forge a connection with them so quickly?
「Get that usage authorization from headquarters immediately! There's no turning back now!! I'll blow them all to──」 (Former Kaiser Director)
As he screamed, clutching his subordinate's collar, the office door shattered inward. Thick smoke filled the room. Under a heavy beat of footsteps, multiple officers tackled the former director to the floor.
「Ugh, what—what is this? Who are you!?」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「── Former Kaiser Director, or should I call you 'Leader of a Terrorist Organization'?」 (Kana)
「───」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「Ogata... Kana...」 (Former Kaiser Director)
His pupils dilated. After seconds of stunned silence, the reality of his predicament set in. His body shook with a violent, helpless rage.
「You are under arrest as a representative of an organized criminal group.」 (Kana)
「You... you... you bitch!!! Do you realize the consequences!? After all this time... after everything, you choose to betray Kaiser?」 (Former Kaiser Director)
Natsuki Subaru. It was him; this woman was merely a pawn on his board. How much did he actually know? It defied logic—Subaru had only arrived in Kivotos a few days ago. How could he have possibly uncovered the secret ties between Kaiser and the Valkyrie Police?
「You stray bitch! You have nowhere left to go...!!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「No. A person carves their own path; we create our future through our own choices.」 (Kana)
「── And fortunately, I have someone standing by me. Someone fighting right now at Abydos.」 (Kana)
「Gah... Argh... Natsuki, Natsuki Subaru, NATSUKI SUBARUUUU!! Is it him again!? Was this his doing too!!!!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「Your screams are music to my ears, Director.」 (Kana)
「── Take him away.」 (Kana)
「Sir!」 (Policeman)
「Let me go! Aaaagh! Na...tsuki...」 (Former Kaiser Director)
「NATSUKI SUBARUUUUUU!!!!」 (Former Kaiser Director)
●○●○●
Return by Death.
Return by Death... what does a man actually gain from it? Where lies the ultimate power of such a gift?
「Ha... ha... ha... ha...」 (Subaru)
It is a war of information.
It is the ability to possess every detail in advance; the sheer effectiveness of this advantage needs no long-winded explanation. No one loses at rock-paper-scissors when they already know their opponent's hand. Victory is a certainty in poker for the one who knows every card before they are even dealt.
Time—the one thing the Creator bestowed equally upon all—is something Subaru hoards for himself alone. Through this unfair advantage, he has managed to sow traps and schemes across the entire board.
Minutes passed. With the situation at Abydos finally settled, Subaru's message must have reached its destination exactly as planned. Somewhere, the Director is likely in handcuffs right now, howling in his own pathetic misery.
I warned him clearly enough in my "love letter": 「Staying cooped up in your office is bad for your health. ♡」 Had he been arrested while still hiding in that room, the irony would have killed me. Had he bothered to step onto the front lines for even a moment, he might have tasted the air of freedom just a little longer.
「Ha... ha... ha.」 (Subaru)
Subaru ran, his lungs burning as they begged for air. He stripped off his track jacket and threw it over his arm while his feet churned through the heavy sand. Dehydration set in, and the direct sunlight hammered a pulse of pain through his skull. This blistering heat, which the superhuman residents of Kivotos might ignore, was actively tearing his fragile body apart.
Why push himself this far when he possesses "Return by Death"? Even without such suffering, he could have reached the desired outcome. What does he seek by walking this path? What hope drives his desperate, trembling hands? ──
「Did I... make it... in time?」 (Subaru)
It was a question—not a self-assurance, but a plea that required an answer from another. Subaru had sprinted to a ramen shop on the outskirts of Abydos, a ten-minute dash that felt like a suicidal marathon.
A sigh came from the other side.
「... You are twenty-seven seconds late.」 (Suou)
── He had come to meet the entity known as Suou Asagiri.
「Administrative Superintendent of Highlander Academy! Suou Asagiri!」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Suou)
「I'm a nobody, so I'll act like one. Without a shred of pride, I'll throw myself at your feet and beg you, Suou.」 (Subaru)
「── Please, lend me your strength.」 (Subaru)
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