You know, there was absolutely no time to react.
It all happened in just a split second.
—No, it was even faster.
If a millisecond is the unit used to measure the moment one second ago, then the sword must have pierced my body at three times the normal speed.
A very short period of time, which many people call a "picosecond."
However, considering the exact time it happened, I'm convinced it was actually much faster.
So fast that I couldn't process the moment before, so fast that I couldn't comprehend what was happening.
All I know right now is that my body is abnormally hot and I feel like my ribs are going to burst.
It's so hot, so hot.
I try to scratch my skin, but then I realize my hands won't move.
Are they broken?
No, that's completely wrong.
...In fact, the nerves had already ceased to function, and the muscles had become completely immobile.
...I beg my limbs to move!
Please, move!
Of course, nothing happens.
The heat of my body begins to burn up like a hot iron mace. Or rather, the heat being exerted from a large mass ahead of me has begun to spread.
No, it is really neither.
"——————"
—Opening my two eyes, I can see the figure looming carelessly above me.
The one who killed me.
It doesn't appear to be human, but it takes on a familiar appearance.
There is a chance it is a homo sapien.
I have heard of rare genetic anomalies existing in our times, like humans who are extremely tall or strong.
But, something like this doesn't seem right.
No. Not 'seem.'
Something like this is just very wrong.
This thing defies the very standards of human creation.
Standing at about eight feet tall, a man in burgundy kicks my body repeatedly.
"Ow! Stop that! Stop it, I said!"
I grimace and shout.
But, from the looks of it, my throat was slashed by something as well.
The man in burgundy doesn't pay me much attention. As if he were to scoff, he finally kicks me over, like I'm something in the way.
Like the dozens of people here, I was just one more person that just so happened to get killed. There was no need or care to linger on one insignificant life, so he moved on without thinking twice.
It was obvious that life was simply a matter of being dead or alive to this man.
And rightfully so.
Because there are so many people here, he would be a fool to carry the value of murdering a small child. Even a pacifist would know this much.
I can see that I'm in a place of helpless bodies.
It's my first time seeing what an organ looks like from the outside, so I finally let go of my vomit.
But, it doesn't come straight out.
More or less, like a punctured pipe, it sprays in every direction.
I try to clean it up, but my arms are confined to small twitches.
"....What is...missing?"
I weakly grab at my chest, where a gaping sensation is.
Like a black hole, something is missing from my body.
So I place my hand inside of my midsection.
…Oh.
—Theres a hole in my chest.
More specifically, the left part, where a particular important organ is.
I'm really not sure how I haven't died yet.
But even so, I want to.
I want to escape whatever hell this is and go home.
I want to go back to my Sensei.
I want to go back to the bakery.
I want to go back to my school.
I understand that I got seriously unlucky, but.
Why did I have to die as a child?
Everybody knows the fact every second, some human will undoubtedly perish, but why did I have to be that person?
Why do I have to die?
No, that's not it…
Why did anybody here have to die?
…No. That's still wrong, too!
Why did anybody here have to be killed?!
"Urk."
I think I'm finally dying.
Yes, I am.
I know this much because my heart isn't so warm anymore.
It's a tenuous heat that'll die out in about fifteen seconds.
I wasn't really able to do much in my life.
Even so, in my dying moments, I couldn't save any of the people here.
Nor did I have final memories of my loved ones or family.
Maybe I could have warned the people before this man began this massacre.
Or better yet, get up and go punch this man in the face.
Rather, I can only close my eyes as my ears pick up the helpless groaning of a woman being killed behind me.
I really couldn't save anything.
Even the merchandise and shelves are ripped apart like paper.
Despite having sensed bad signs beforehand, I did not take any countermeasures.
In this red place, I couldn't even save myself, nor could I save anything of value.
I didn't have the ability to do anything anyway.
The only reason I'm thinking about such trivial things is because I'm going to die soon.
And, does this mean I will die with regrets?
Will I become a ghost?
"Haa, haa…"
My heart has almost died.
I probably only have a few seconds left until my life ends.
But that's not a big deal.
My body is already dead.
My veins are gray, and my skin is as white as paper.
I can feel the presence of death on my skin.
Surprisingly, it's not cold.
Rather, it was a raging red burn.
It burns like the fires of hell.
It was as if the Devil itself had burned my skin with black flames.
"Aaaah…"
At least now I can let go of everything and finally escape this hellish place.
But in exchange, I will let everyone die.
...It's probably pointless anyway, so I shouldn't worry about it.
Ultimately, a corpse cannot face the consequences of its own actions.
And so, everybody in this building will be killed.
And so, the life of Sustrous Aron will come to an end.
And then I will be trapped in this red hell.