「W-w-wait! Subaru! What are we going to do about this situation!?」 (Aru)
「I have absolutely no idea!! This is so far out of control that Natsuki Subaru's stock (representing my mental stability) is currently crashing and is about to go bankrupt!」 (Subaru)
「... Even Valkyrie, Caesar, and the Hot Spring (Onsen) Development Division? This is truly abnormal. Therefore, we must take up positions around Subaru temporarily, as stray shrapnel might cause him a fatal injury.」 (Aru)
「Yes, understood. And President, look over there... Even Ōji Kana (a wanted fugitive) has shown up for this fight, and if any one of us gets caught, our fate is the detention facility. The available resources in our possession are insufficient to blast away and disperse all of these people; consequently, what should we do now?」
Before Subaru could immerse himself in the illusion of comfort of being surrounded and protected by beautiful girls, he was confronted with a situation that one could easily mistake for a genuine war. He abandoned his pride and desperately clung to everyone's backs.
The area immediately surrounding the Chalet was packed with waves of people and machines. It had escalated to close-quarters combat involving iron clubs and bare hands.
It would have been better if he had experienced this scene at least once through his "Return by Death" ability. Perhaps Subaru's suppressed power of improvisation would have emerged, allowing him to escape the situation.
『This is an entirely new scenario』. If he were to die in this place, he would have to start everything over again.
「...!」 (Subaru)
His knees were trembling. It is this ability (Return by Death) that allows Subaru to revert to this moment no matter how many times he dies. The next time, he would be capable of facing this situation with sufficient strategies, adequate preparations, and full information.
-- So, is the correct action to "abandon this world" (i.e., die intentionally) to gather information for a future opportunity?
「... I cannot articulate it, but that action is definitely wrong.」 (Subaru)
Subaru has literally been walking this path while putting his own life on the line.
But what about those around him? Hina, of course, as well as Service Section 68, and everyone in this place will not truly die. Subaru is the only one risking his life.
I am risking my life while there is no real danger to those around me; isn't that unfair? I am enduring all this pain and exerting all this effort...
No, that is not the point. Rather, the point is that Subaru is the only one allowed to engage in "this thing" (death and reset).
To put the lives of others at risk, dragging them into a "life-or-death gamble for the sake of a reset," risking their entire existence, everything they have, and his own life...
「That is the wrong action.」 (Subaru)
「... Subaru?」 (Hina)
「Sorry, I'm fine... I felt dizzy for a moment because of this bizarre, illogical, and chaotic celebration.」 (Subaru)
「Certainly, that's true... -- Hey, Natsuki Subaru.」 (Hina)
「Huh?」 (Subaru)
「I will protect you. Can I rely on you to handle the instructions and planning?」 (Hina)
「......」 (Subaru)
「... Are you alright, Subaru?」 (Hina)
「Sorry, my heart was ripped out for a moment, and I can't stand (due to the emotional shock). And again, I'm not sure if I can handle this feeling.」 (Subaru)
「...」 (Hina)
It was a devastating salvo, akin to an S.M.M. Love Machine Gun. Subaru's heart had already been pierced and shredded by Cupid's arrows, but he had no time to surrender and fall to his knees.
With those words, his anxiety dissipated. If there was one word to be granted to Subaru now, it was what made him capable of moving forward through this hell.
Subaru took a deep breath, and the proposal he put forth was a single option:
「Above all, we must protect the Chalet from the Calamity Fox; there is no point if everything is destroyed before we get to it.」 (Subaru)
「The Calamity Fox... Do you mean one of the Seven Prisoners!? Is he here?」 (Aru)
「... Most likely, he is there.」 (Subaru)
Subaru pointed his finger towards the third floor of the Chalet building, where glass was just breaking, and a student wearing a police uniform was being hurled to the ground.
While his brain was working at maximum speed searching for a solution to this situation, he compensated for his lack of energy with a hot corn beverage from the convenience store bag.
Even though fragments of the can scraped his throat and made him cough, these moments were enough for Subaru to regain his composure.
He did not have to worry about the injuries he might sustain. Subaru's ultimate priority is the Shittim Box. Therefore...
「I want all of us to enter the Chalet, and I want you to take me to the location of the "Discernment Method" as quickly as possible.」 (Subaru)
「Once the Sanctum Tower is activated, I believe Caesar... might withdraw. After that, I want us to enlist those who look like police on the ground; can Hina talk to them?」 (Subaru)
「... That will be difficult. That unit of Valkyrie (currently present) was likely arranged by the "Traitor." I believe they intend to eliminate everyone who steps foot in the Chalet without exception.」 (Hina)
「... Then, this means there is no option but to breach that wall... Kayoko, do you have a plan? My mind cannot come up with anything.」 (Subaru)
「Considering Subaru's situation, separating is a bad idea. The best course of action is to place Haruka at the front and flank Hina with Mutsuki. As for the President and me, we will handle clearing the surrounding area during the rush.」 (Kayoko)
「Great! Let's execute Commander Kayoko's plan!!」 (Subaru)
No sooner was the decision made than the execution was swift. Subaru pushed the embarrassing image of being carried and flanked by Hina and Mutsuki, both of whom are much smaller than him, out of his mind and took another deep breath.
Subaru leaped into the battleground ahead of him, into the warzone where life-threatening bullets, bombs, and rockets were flying like rain.
His trembling body and non-stop accelerating heartbeat certainly reached Hina, who was closest to him.
Subaru can do nothing in this place; all he can do is trust them. Subaru accepted his weakness and need for help, and he reached out his hand to grasp Hina's.
「Hina, I am counting on you.」 (Subaru)
「Yes, of course.」 (Hina)
From behind, Subaru felt a light bump on his head.
「Don't forget me either, Subaru-kun (Mutsuki's affectionate nickname for Subaru).」 (Mutsuki)
「Absolutely! I am counting on Mutsuki, Haruka, Aru, and Kayoko too!!」 (Subaru)
「Hehe-hon! Alright!!」 (Mutsuki)
「Y-you are counting on me!? E-ehehehe... I am useless... but I will do my utmost for President Aru!」 (Haruka)
Subaru exchanged a fist-bump with Aru and looks to confirm the timing of the charge with Kayoko.
In this world dominated by noise, Subaru's immediate surroundings became silent. His heartbeat and breathing crept into his hearing, so he closed his eyes and braced his abdominal muscles.
「-- Let's go.」 (Subaru)
●○●○●
「"Director Kana!!"」
The Valkyrie Police School is an organization with official operational jurisdiction, primarily responsible for security in the D.U. district.
Based on orders from the Director of the Defense Office of the General Student Council, the organization enforced a comprehensive lockdown of the area surrounding the Chalet, issuing an order for the indiscriminate apprehension of anyone crossing the defense barrier.
Although they had secured the area since early noon, the gang of troublemakers led by the Calamity Fox allowed the latter to infiltrate the interior of the Chalet.
Due to the subsequent arrival of forces from the Caesar Company and the Hot Spring (Onsen) Development Division, the defense line collapsed, forcing them to concentrate their forces only at the entrance of the Chalet, thereby achieving a state of fragile stalemate.
「What is it?」 (Kana)
Ōji Kana, the Director of the Public Safety Office, received the radio call.
Kana was uniquely dealing with the Calamity Fox and several other troublemakers who had managed to penetrate the Chalet.
She had abandoned engaging the Hot Spring Development Division, aiming to force the attacking units to fight amongst themselves (internal conflict), and she was maintaining this rapidly collapsing defense network.
「"There are new forces!!"」
「... Again? Who is it this time? Depending on the adversary, we might need to elevate the defense line to the third floor, which is currently controlled... --」 (Kana)
「"It's, it's the Service Section 68! And also..."」
「"Soraki Hina! It's Soraki Hina!! The President of the Prefectural Discipline Committee of Gehenna, Soraki Hina!!! She is approaching from the main front of the Chalet!"」
「What?... This is madness; she should not have the jurisdiction to operate outside her territory (the autonomous Gehenna district)... And even worse, the Service Section too?」 (Kana)
「... -- Do not change the standard operating procedure! Everyone who infiltrates is subject to arrest, regardless of who they are! However, since the adversary is who they are, we must end this war of attrition. Everyone must converge on the tenth floor and above of the Chalet.」 (Kana)
「Ignore the Caesar air units! Immediately upon taking their positions, the snipers on the upper floors must deal with the Hot Spring Development Division! All units are to commence redeployment, with the absolute priority being not to cause the building to collapse!!」 (Kana)
「"Understood... Ughhhh!?"」
「"Please forgive us... -- Forgive us... -- Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Get out of the way!!!"」
The sound coming from the radio device held by Kana was cut off, accompanied by someone's scream.
Kana ground her teeth in irritation and let out an audible sigh of annoyance.
「.......... Ahhh...」
「-- This situation must be explained to me now, Director Kaya.」 (Kana)
Meanwhile, the scene unfolding directly before her eyes was:
-- Soraki Hina and Service Section 68 rushing inward, clustered together as one cohesive unit and surrounding "someone" in the middle.
Kana's annoyance did not subside; she stepped on a troublemaker's rifle with her foot, growling with frustration:
「What exactly does Natsuki Subaru represent!! Director Kaya?」 (Kana)
●○●○●
「I-I'm going to die... -- I'm definitely going to die!!?」 (Subaru)
Hina's accelerating pace continued, leaving Subaru's scream behind. Had she not been carrying him and shielding him with her wings, he would have certainly fallen long ago.
「Ahahaha-hah! Explode and fly away, all of you!!」 (Mutsuki)
Behind them, large explosions, which had tossed Subaru around several times, were widening the path Haruka had cleared, purging the enemies around them.
Although Subaru was astonished by the ability of the rear trio to keep up with Hina's speed despite her carrying him, he did not have the luxury to dwell on his surprise.
No one can stop Soraki Hina, even if they cannot draw their weapons. Furthermore, Haruka was taking charge of eliminating all dangers that could potentially kill Subaru, such as incoming grenades.
Once again, someone jumped from the crowd to collide with Haruka. She, in turn, opened a new path using the enemy's own grenade.
At that moment, Hina's eyes—which were moving through the crowds while gathering information about her surroundings—spotted Valkyrie's movements.
「...! Valkyrie has changed their positions... It's a siege! We must storm the Chalet before they can tighten the encirclement. Subaru! Hold on tight to me!」 (Hina)
「I-I-I'm already... holding on! Already!!」 (Subaru)
「Then, so you don't lose consciousness, I will increase the speed a little... Service Section 68, I will leave the lower floors to you.」 (Hina)
「Understood!! Please go ahead first!!」 (Aru)
「-- Eh?... How... -- Waaahhhh!!???」 (Subaru)
Hina's foot planted into the asphalt, shattering it.
Subaru could not clearly perceive what was happening in the constantly shifting scene, but he felt the air being violently cut against his skin.
It was like riding a jet plane without a seat or a helmet, which drastically increased the G-force acting upon Subaru. It would have been very easy to rob Subaru, who had at least sworn not to be a burden, of his consciousness.
「Ugh... st-st... stop...」 (Subaru)
Subaru gritted his teeth, silently congratulating himself on not passing out, and kept his gaze fixed on the rapidly approaching building, concluding his prior mental exercises.
「!! Soraki Hi—...」
「Get out of the way.」 (Hina)
「Ogg!!?」
Subaru truly could not grasp what was occurring in front of him, but he sensed that the sunlight had vanished, and this alone confirmed that they had entered the building.
The sound of someone falling, the sound of something being knocked down; Soraki Hina was surpassing all these sounds, ascending the floors at a crazy speed.
-- But then.
A massive explosion covered the horizon directly in front of her.
Hina made a backward flip with a force that almost cracked the ground, ensuring no shrapnel reached Subaru, and then turned to take a quick look.
「Soraki, Hina.」 (Kana)
「Oh oh... Ughhhhhh, another obstacle.」 (The Calamity Fox)
「...」 (Hina)
「-- Move forward.」 (Kana)
「I won't ask why.」
「Do we and you even need reasons in the first place? Aha, hahahahahaha!!」 (The Calamity Fox)
In the tenth-floor club room of the Chalet, the superior forces of the Calamity Fox, Ōji Kana, and Soraki Hina met. This did not matter to Subaru, who had been thrown to the ground and was feeling dizzy, but had Hina not shielded him in that brief moment, he would have already died three times.
Hina completely stopped both attacks: Kana's kick to the table and the Calamity Fox's assault with the bayonet-fixed rifle, all while protecting Subaru.
Hina directed a resolute shout toward Subaru, who was sweating and tearing up:
「-- Subaru! Can you run?」 (Hina)
「Ugh... M-m-yes, of course!」 (Subaru)
Subaru dismissed the awkward words he had just uttered and ran while maintaining a defensive posture, ready to fall.
The Calamity Fox was not about to let him escape, so she rushed toward the man who was considered the weakest and most vulnerable person in the area.
「-- Hmph.」 (The Calamity Fox)
The Calamity Fox released a sharp killing intent and brandished a piece of glass she was holding toward the running man's neck.
The light reflected off that piece of glass was seriously fatal; it cut through the air, lunging at Subaru's thin neck. Subaru was completely defenseless and did not even realize the glass shard had been launched toward him. Instead of taking a defensive posture, his gaze was fixed on the stairs, and he did not even try to maneuver to evade.
While Hina was breaking the rifle's bayonet that she had seized from the Calamity Fox's hand, the latter aimed her gun toward Subaru.
The moment Subaru perceived the light of the glass shard, he imagined his blood exploding and his neck flying off into the air, like a scene from a comic book (manga) -- but then,
「And do you think you'll be permitted to do that?」 (Hina)
「... She truly is off-the-charts (abnormal).」 (The Calamity Fox)
Hina's cold, hushed voice, in a tone Subaru had not expected, rang out.
Specifically, a blow landed on the Calamity Fox's left side.
「-- You will fall.」 (Hina)
The Calamity Fox received a palm strike to her left cheek. The impact was so severe that it nearly generated a shockwave, sending the Calamity Fox flying away. Her mask shattered as she plummeted toward the outside of the building.
The Fox labeled Soraki Hina as "off-the-charts" because Hina managed to advance and reach her objective faster than the Fox, despite the Fox only taking her eyes off Hina for a single moment.
The Calamity Fox managed to cling to the window frame and return to the room via a rotation. However, Subaru was utterly astonished by Hina, who had used a mere palm strike, infused with an almost explosive shockwave, to blast the Calamity Fox away like a dry leaf.
Although Subaru remembered that Hina had once pierced a cyborg with her bare hand, the attack seemed ordinary to him.
Nevertheless, this was still not the maximum extent of her power.
-- For this exact reason, he can proceed without worry.
「Ruuuun, meeeeee!!」 (Subaru)
「Stop!」 (Kana)
「I won't do what I don't want to! Hina! Please help me!!」 (Subaru)
Hina pushed away the bullets that Kana fired with her arm, and even dodged the ferocious, subsequent attack from the Calamity Fox with her bare hand.
Then, Hina looked toward Subaru, who was running without looking back, and returned her gaze to the two opponents:
She could not use her heavy, back-mounted machine gun, The Terminator: Destroyer, in this indoor fight. If she tried to hit the Fox who was running around, she would have obliterated the entire upper floors along with her.
「... Is that alright with you, Director Kana of the Public Safety Office?」 (Hina)
「... Well, if I said I didn't want to do this, it would be considered a dereliction of duty. Unfortunately, this is the most I can do.」 (Kana)
「-- But, this young man is Natsuki Subaru, correct? I have already positioned troops in the area immediately preceding the "Discernment Method." He will be apprehended immediately.」 (Kana)
「... -- Subaru is a human who came from the outside (outside this world). A single bullet is enough to end his life. Do you intend to turn the children on the upper floors into killers?」 (Hina)
「What?」 (Kana)
「Do you think I am lying?」 (Hina)
「... Damn it!! "Attention, upper floors! Do not fire at... --"」 (Kana)
「Oh, ugh... What good information I have obtained, Soraki Hina. Even if I cannot defeat you...」 (The Calamity Fox)
The Calamity Fox wiped the blood that was dripping from her mouth and extracted a detonator device from beneath her cloak.
What followed was the activation of Misdirection; the Calamity Fox, confident in her indoor combat skills, threw the device directly in front of Soraki Hina's eyes.
Simultaneously, she tossed the scattered building debris around the room and attempted to infiltrate a corner far from the line of sight.
The Fox had believed that the weak young man was a vulnerability that could be exploited to reach Soraki Hina, but she had not expected him to be anything more than just a weakness.
-- The detonator she just threw was nothing more than a toy, a mere decoy.
「I will destroy this entire place!!」 (The Calamity Fox)
The actual detonator for the bombs she had planted in the entire vicinity of the building was still firmly in her grasp!
「Wait!!」 (Kana)
「......」 (Hina)
-- Soraki Hina was observing this entire sequence of events with her gaze lowered.
「-- Un... "--... Understood."」
Hina placed her hand on her heavy, back-mounted machine gun, while conjuring Subaru's image in her mind.
●○●○●
{Hina's Pov}
『Natsuki Subaru』
A strange boy.
He has a habit of feigning heroism, but he never sticks to his role until the end; he is a coward, yet he charges ahead of everyone. He is an unbalanced boy.
However, since meeting the Service Section 68, his actions have gradually begun to change.
He has always been like this since I first met him: possessing a face that suggests he is on the verge of crying, on the verge of death, and seeking salvation without realizing it. This feeling has become even clearer now.
He is so fragile that you might break him just by touching him, and he might collapse if you try to talk to him, yet he does not realize how close he is to a breakdown.
He was unaware that his hands were shaking; I saw them trembling when he was joking, trying to hide his fear, and I saw them when he was carrying the child who was almost kidnapped.
-- Whenever he spoke, trying to make someone smile, he was always concealing a deep-seated terror.
Given this torn and anxious expression of his, is it possible to ignore him when he asks you to trust him?
That expression, which he does not show to the Service Section, I saw it; or rather... "I was forced to see it" in our first encounter.
I know I am a lenient person, and I know I am unqualified as the Discipline Committee President to say something random like "he is not lying," despite the absence of any evidence to confirm or prove that Natsuki Subaru can be trusted.
I interacted with him for a very brief time, yet I cannot let him go.
Should I just leave him be? That is common sense. Humans rarely care about good intentions; that is the flow of society, and that is Kivotos. I might have been deceived until now.
But.
If someone is about to sacrifice himself to save another person directly in front of me...
I did not even want to imagine that face dying.
『... -- His halo is non-existent... And his physical strength... --』
What I heard on my way to hand over that boy to Sena was, if I were to explain what Subaru said literally: I (Subaru) will die in this world if you just throw a stone at me.
-- Is he stupid?
Are you aware of this, yet you stood between me and the Service Section?
Did you step forward to the front line to challenge Caesar's rifle-armed soldiers?
Were you chased by troublemakers firing randomly just because you wanted to meet me?
「-- This timing you both provided me (by your distraction) has helped.」 (Hina)
「「----------------! ?」」 (Kana and The Calamity Fox)
At that moment, the two adversaries (Kana and The Calamity Fox) became preoccupied with the tremor they felt beneath their feet.
At that moment, the two adversaries (Kana and The Calamity Fox) became preoccupied with the tremor they felt beneath their feet.
Hina was the only one who had anticipated this tremor. It was part of Service Section 68's plan: to detonate the entrance of the Chalet and bring it down to halt the enemies' movement.
The scene distorted before the adversaries' eyes, and they could not perceive Soraki Hina's evolving movement. They could not process it.
The next thing the two adversaries felt was the sensation of floating (in the air).
[The End: Ish-Bosheth]
The heavy machine gun, The Terminator: Destroyer, began operating with a terrifying, fearsome sound.
This calm preceding an explosion, this stillness before something immense was about to happen, was what the two adversaries felt on their skin, freezing the blood in their veins, for the monster they never thought would be used had awakened.
The adversaries did not realize what had occurred until they were both hurled toward the sky.
-- The Aurora.
That glow was the result of the fired rounds. Hina's modified machine gun (The Terminator: Destroyer) can fire 6,200 rounds per minute, whereas the standard version's rate of fire is 1,400 rounds per minute. This means it fires approximately 103 rounds per second.
The new firing sounds overlapped before the artillery shots themselves could fully resonate, making the scene sound like one complete musical melody.
That was a storm of bullets equal to or exceeding the power of a Vulcan Cannon, a storm of Gatling and Vulcan rounds that had... split the space in front of them in two.
「-- As for those two (Kana and The Calamity Fox), they will heal within a few weeks.」 (Hina)
Hina's gaze instantly shifted upwards toward that frail entity called Natsuki Subaru, who would die immediately if left alone.
「I said I would protect him.」 (Hina)
Natsuki Subaru
(Someone) off-the-charts.
Even if there were anyone else besides Soraki Hina—someone who could move faster than the wind, or possessed supreme skill enabling them to accurately hit a target 500 meters away, or had extraordinary repulsive (pushing) force, or even immense firepower.
All those skills would fade and become pale when compared to her.
She had no time to climb the stairs with discipline. Hina attempted to forcibly ascend via the outer wall.
And what she saw the moment before was...
「......」 (Hina)
「"We apologize, but this young man must die. -- Execute the order."」
All eleven Caesar combat helicopters' targeting devices were aimed at taking Natsuki Subaru's life.