Looking down from high above, Haizaki could see far more clearly the destruction caused by this earthquake.
At least one-tenth of Tokyo's buildings had tilted. Many high-rises had already collapsed, and the entire city was shrouded in a gray haze of dust and smoke.
"Boom—"
Explosions even appeared in certain areas.
Natural disasters, by their very nature, possessed power great enough to easily destroy an entire city.
"This city is already… beyond saving."
Haizaki pushed the armed helicopter to its maximum speed. The sooner he arrived, the greater Utaha's chances of survival.
Why couldn't that woman have just left with him obediently?
If she had arrived before twelve, he would have already taken off, completely unaffected by this earthquake.
If he had taken the initiative to contact her, persuaded her a little, and expressed his thoughts, perhaps Utaha would not have delayed until now.
"You better stay alive."
Haizaki desperately hoped the girl was still alive.
Fifteen minutes later, the helicopter arrived at Toyogasaki Academy.
The school's athletic field was the best possible landing site.
The main earthquake had ended, but there was no telling when aftershocks might occur.
Carrying the tool bag and medical kit left in the helicopter, Haizaki ran toward the school building. Inside were records containing Utaha's home address.
At this point, he could only hope that Utaha had remained at home.
...
...
April 10th, 11:00 AM.
Utaha stared at the time displayed on her phone. There was only one hour left until the agreed time.
One hour later, that man would fly the plane out of Japan and head toward the Eastern Union.
At that point, the two of them would truly be separated.
As for the idea that he might return to pick her up after settling down in the Eastern Union?
Utaha let out a quiet laugh. She did not believe he would take such a great risk for her sake.
"It's time to make a decision. I can't keep hesitating and wasting time."
Utaha reminded herself softly.
Since this morning, she had been stuck in a state of indecision. From time to time, she checked her phone, always feeling as though there was a message or an incoming call—but every time, it was just her imagination.
For three days, she had not taken the initiative to contact Haizaki. Likewise, Haizaki had not contacted her either.
This made Utaha feel that he did not care that much about her existence. Yet at the same time, she could not help but think in a darker direction, suspecting that Haizaki was deliberately using psychological pressure to force her to reach out first.
"It's already this late. The least he could do is send a message saying he's leaving."
Occasionally, Utaha tried to find excuses for him—perhaps something had happened to Haizaki, which was why he had not contacted her. But before her finger could press the call-back button, she tossed the phone onto the bed.
"Damn it…"
Utaha was frustrated and conflicted.
She understood her true feelings deep down.
Although she still worried about Haizaki, the thought that once he went to the Eastern Union she would truly be left to survive alone filled her with uncontrollable anxiety and fear.
That intense unease pushed her more toward the choice of "trusting Haizaki and taking a gamble."
However, out of a girl's pride and other reasons, she decided to wait for Haizaki to contact her first.
She waited, intending to have a thorough conversation over the phone first.
If the call went well, she would tell Haizaki her location.
Then the two of them would meet in reality.
For this, she was wagering her entire life and future.
Yet unexpectedly, up until now, Haizaki had not even made a single call or sent a single email. This completely disrupted her plans.
"Fifty minutes left… forget it. Living alone is still living. It's not like I can't survive on my own."
There was no need to worry about water and food at all.
Vegetables and meat would spoil, but rice and flour could be stored for a very long time. With Tokyo's supply of long-lasting provisions, there was more than enough to support her alone for an entire lifetime.
Utaha was not worried about supplies in the slightest.
Her only concerns were electricity and the network.
But those were not things she needed to worry about right now. She could deal with them later—or simply accept them when the time came.
Utaha lay face-down on the bed, her small head buried in a soft pillow. Her long legs clad in black stockings kicked lightly up and down. Her pleated skirt was in disarray, and white undergarments were exposed to the air.
It was an incomparably alluring scene—but unfortunately, there was no one to witness it.
After letting out a few muffled cries to vent her inner frustration and dissatisfaction, she closed her eyes and chose to rest.
She decided to stop thinking about it.
Indecision was truly exhausting.
She would simply wait for Haizaki's response. If Haizaki contacted her first, she would talk to him. If he did not, then so be it—she was not the kind of woman who could not live without a man.
However, in her half-dazed state, Utaha felt the bed begin to shake—and the shaking grew stronger and stronger.
Having received earthquake safety education since childhood, she immediately realized what was happening.
"An earthquake…"
And this level of shaking was definitely not a small one.
She quickly got up, ignoring her shoes, and rushed out of her room and downstairs as fast as she could.
Only by getting to an open area could she be safe.
"Crack—"
A loud breaking sound came from above. Just as Utaha reached the first floor, her gaze instinctively lifted. Cracks had appeared in the ceiling above her head, spreading rapidly like a spider web.
Her pupils shrank. In a split second, she turned and threw herself into a corner of the living room on the first floor.
"Boom—"
Less than a second after she reached the corner, the ceiling collapsed with a deafening crash, accompanied by violent impacts.
"Cough, cough…"
Utaha curled in on herself. Feeling no pain, she realized she was not injured. However… her vision was dark, and the air was filled with the unpleasant smell of dust.
"Am I going to starve to death, die of thirst, or be buried alive and suffocate…"
She almost wanted to laugh, but her expression looked worse than crying.
Who could have imagined such a massive earthquake would occur—and that she would be trapped inside her collapsed home?
"Maybe this is the world's punishment for me."
No one would come to save her.
The only other person left in the world could not possibly come to save her.
She could not reach him. She could not tell him her location.
Because she had been on guard against Haizaki, the result was that Haizaki—who did not know her location—was unable to rescue her.
And at this time, Haizaki must already be flying through the sky.
The girl buried her head between her knees and quietly endured her suffering.
Deep in her heart, she still longed to live.
...