「-- Oh God, I feel like I'm going to throw up... Ugh... 」 (Subaru)
Subaru was suffering from severe motion sickness (nausea) due to being violently swayed aboard the human vehicle, which was Hina. As a result of the insane speed, the remnants of his dinner, which he had before coming to the world of Kivotos, mixed with the contents of his stomach, churning like a washing machine, sending bitter, hot contents rising into his throat.
Only a few days had passed since he arrived in this world... -- but physically, he felt as if three weeks had passed without food (due to the extreme stress), and he was consequently feeling hungry. Well, for the moment, he was grateful that he had not eaten anything (so as not to increase his suffering).
He genuinely wished he could bury his face in a bucket to vomit, but unfortunately for him, the receptacle for his vomit would be the clothes he was wearing, which were his only attire, and he could not afford to get them soiled with vomit.
「I hate being the protagonist who reaches the end while throwing up! What a disgusting sight...」 (Subaru)
If he could finish climbing these stairs, he would reach the Shittim Box (the central device that represented the objective). This meant the end of the game, a goal he had reached after the long, repeated return from death.
It is true that the credit mostly belonged to Hina and the Service Department (who helped with the cover-up), but this was something he would not discuss (an implicit agreement). Subaru stepped into the final stair and opened the door as if cutting a finish line ribbon.
「-- Are you kidding me?」 (Subaru)
「Open fire immediately!!」
What awaited him was not the celebratory fireworks launchers at the finish line, but a crowd of riot shields and a storm of live ammunition.
Subaru felt utterly desperate; his face went pale, he slammed the door shut, and quickly rolled toward the wall to hide from the line of fire.
Subaru watched the door instantly shatter and be destroyed into splinters. He realized that if he had delayed his retreat by just one second, his fate would have been the same as the door's.
His body was far weaker than the door's durability, and he excessively imagined himself turning into a pile of shredded flesh and a cloud of blood.
Firearms are terrifying, and the people firing them, in Subaru's view, are neither sane nor normal. Merely seeing the face of the person who shot and killed him makes him want to cry and recoil in fear.
Even with Aru and her companions (members of the Service Department), he exerted his utmost effort just to conceal his fear and tearful face. His trembling hand did not stop shaking as usual; he did not become stronger because he overcame the fear of death (with his "Return by Death" ability); instead, the terror still dominated him.
Natsuki Subaru can endure; he has endured until now, and therefore, he will continue to endure.
「Hold on, hold on, me... I can still advance; things have not reached a dead end yet!」 (Subaru)
But how? He wished he had a smoke bomb or a weapon in his possession, but what he held in his hands were only his initial supplies: an old flip-style mobile phone with a low battery, a partly consumed can of Corn Potage soup, and a cup of instant ramen.
「Damn it, there's absolutely nothing useful!!」 (Subaru)
The common phrase says, "The pen is mightier than the sword and the gun," but Corn Potage soup loses to the pen, the gun, and the sword (a sarcastic expression of the wretchedness of his equipment). Subaru wished the equipment he had obtained was slightly better, but time was not waiting for him in the meantime.
The sound of footsteps echoed loudly, advancing steadily and uniformly toward his position from the other room, and they were now very close.
「What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do...!!?」 (Subaru)
If he faced them directly, his fate would be the same as the door that was shattered, and he had no option but this single, hellish entrance.
It was a race: whether time would run out first, or whether he would die first.
He had come this far, only to find himself trapped and helpless.
「I'll do it!! -- A, a, ah? A, a, a, a-whoa-whoa-whoa!?」 (Subaru)
「Bu-beerrraah!!」 (Sound of a painful crash)
The moment he took a step forward, Subaru lost his balance on his very first step (he stumbled).
For a few seconds, he felt sorry for himself because he was no longer even capable of walking properly, but the sensation of floating (loss of control) soon engulfed his body.
It was like the feeling one gets when misjudging a stair while looking away; his face slammed into the ground, and blood profusely gushed from his nose... Before he could even comprehend what had happened, intense pain assailed him.
The sounds of collapsing and groans from the students (the enemies) reached him from the other room; perhaps they had fallen the same way.
「It hurts... -- But! This is the only option (to move forward)!!」 (Subaru)
Driven by an unexpected surge of energy (often called a desperate coward's strength), Subaru's body moved, disregarding the pain.
Pushing off the ground with his hands and feet, he leaped into the room, only to find that the students armed with riot shields had all fallen onto their faces like dominoes (due to the building's tremor causing them to collapse).
「Everyone! Reorganize your ranks!! The target has breached the location!」 (A Leader)
「-- And here is an extra gift, eat this, you idiot! The old phone's flash!」 (Subaru)
「Gah!?」
As he jumped over them, Subaru fired the flash at the maximum possible brightness, utilizing all the remaining power in his old mobile phone's battery. Avoiding this deceptive attack was impossible, and the trick of sudden blinding (eye dazzling) succeeded brilliantly. While Subaru was smiling in triumph, he felt:
-- Bang.
「-- Geh!!...」 (Subaru)
A simultaneous cold and hot sensation struck his right side.
The heat (meaning the bullet), which he had tasted hundreds of times before, struck his right abdomen area. A stray bullet, fired haphazardly due to the students' confusion, pierced his body with unfortunate coincidence.
The moment he realized a foreign object had pierced him, a taste mixing intense pain, vomit, and blood returned to his mouth.
Fortunately, no vital, indispensable organ was hit. This very familiarity, which he never wished to grow accustomed to, was now sustaining Subaru.
He had overcome all obstacles; the Shittim Box (the central device) was now directly visible before him, and moreover, the necessary blood for its operation had been "renewed" (supplied).
「-- I can reach it.」 (Subaru)
Blood is the currency, life is the cost, and death is the price.
-- Natsuki Subaru's hand touches the Shittim Box.
「Welcome back, Mr. Natsuki Subaru.」 (Arona)
The meaningless words "welcome back" entered his ears, but he had no time to listen to them.
「... Welcome back? What nonsense is this... -- Please, Arona!! Restart the Sanctum Tower!!!」 (Subaru)
「Understood, please wait two seconds -- Connection established, control system overridden, I will restart the Sanctum Tower now...」 (Arona)
「Wonderful!! Ugh... (Sound of coughing up blood)...」 (Subaru)
Subaru clenched his hand in an expression of triumph, while his body automatically expelled clots of congealed blood so that he could breathe.
All that remained before him was survival. If he survived, he would be the winner. If he survived...
「Mr. Natsuki Subaru.」 (Arona)
「The building damage rate has exceeded 27%, and any further damage threatens its collapse. The resulting injuries and fatalities from the collapse cannot be covered by the remaining power in the Shittim Box currently.」 (Arona)
「-- What?」 (Subaru)
「What action would you like to take?」 (Arona)
-- Will he die?
No, he cannot die now. He is still alive, and if he is alive, he can survive. He can still do more; he can still accomplish something; if they stop this conflict, the building will not be subjected to further destruction.
That's right, he must survive. He must resist and struggle until the last moment, to survive, to survive, to survive, to survive, to survive, to survive, to survive, to survive...
「Can you... transmit... my voice... to the outside?」 (Subaru)
「Understood. I will now begin penetrating all electronic devices and loudspeakers located near the building. . . . . . . Penetration successful.」 (Arona)
「You are connected to the Shittim Box (the central device); please begin whenever you wish.」 (Arona)
He had to ignore the blood pooling in his lungs and mouth and scream with all his might.
「-- My name is Natsuki Subaru!!!」 (Subaru)
●○●○●
"My name is Natsuki Subaru!!!"
He screamed this name across the entire vicinity of the Schale building, which was filled with people.
His voice emanated from smartphones, communicators, internal earphones, loudspeakers, and from the building itself—from everywhere.
Because of this voice, the sounds of gunfire ceased, the hands of the combatants paused, and silence suddenly dominated the entire chaotic battleground.
「Is that voice...!!?」 (Aru)
「Yes, it's Subaru.」 (Kayoko)
This voice reached the ears of Aru and Kayoko, who were engaged in combat on the lower floor, declaring the plan's success and their initial victory.
"I am the person the Student Council President is looking for, the one above whom none is higher in Heaven or on Earth!! I am the man who has taken control of the Sanctum Tower!!" (Subaru)
"Don't stand there frozen, listening to me in astonishment!! I am the one who won this battle!! Try to rebel now, and I'll show you! I can launch the missiles entrusted to me by... hmm... the Federal Student Council President, right?!" (Subaru)
"You filthy scoundrels from the Kaiser Corporation, open your ears and listen well! I know your conspiracies perfectly! If you have recognized that, withdraw your helicopters and missiles and look at me!" (Subaru)
"Your enemy is me!! The Kaiser Corporation! And the CEO of the Kaiser Corporation!!!" (Subaru)
「「...」」 (Aru and Kayoko)
If this statement were true, Aru would be the first to shoot Subaru in the head (to prevent catastrophe), but it was nothing more than obvious and massive disinformation. Nevertheless, Aru ignored the arrogant voice, but the other individuals—those who were not from the Service Department—who were instigating conflict near Schale...
-- They could not hide their confusion in the face of this sudden announcement. Some yelled, demanding that he stop lying, while some of the agitated troublemakers rushed to leave, saying: "Oh my God, should we run away from here!?"
"The penetration of your mobile phones is happening now, and the perpetrator is me!! Do you think I am lying? Well, tell me then, who is the perpetrator! Me! I am the perpetrator!" (Subaru)
"I understand that you only know how to communicate by pointing a weapon, so we will follow the same rule! Therefore, let's communicate by pointing missiles at your faces!" (Subaru)
"You fools may not know this, but when you deal with someone who is immensely stronger than you, you should throw down your weapons and beg for your lives, no matter how scared you are!! However, you won't need to do that, because I will communicate with you (I will negotiate with you)!!" (Subaru)
Most of those present showed anger at this highly arrogant statement, as it was impossible for them to concede that this young man named Subaru was superior in rank to them, and thus throw down their weapons.
Sounds of curses and accusations erupted simultaneously, and all the gathered anger in the place converged on Subaru, contrasting sharply with the silence that had reigned moments before.
-- However.
The scene that unfolded in the sky above, simultaneous with Subaru's declaration, completely changed the consciousness of the crowd.
「That is a good declaration, Subaru.」 (Hina)
「-- Therefore, I will also drop the curtain on this play.」 (Hina)
Soraki Hina had just destroyed eleven Kaiser combat helicopters that were surrounding the Schale building.
She destroyed the helicopters that were aimed at the head of the announcer, as the Purple Aura (Aurora) emitted from her cannon, The End: Destroyer, simultaneously annihilated both the helicopters and the launched missiles. The explosions turned into fireworks, decorating the city sky before the eyes of the crowd.
This sight, which could be described as a "horror video," uniformly halted all curses and accusations.
"I will repeat my statement once more, open your ears and listen well."
"My name is Natsuki Subaru."
"I am "that person" whom the Student Council President appointed (to take charge)."
"If you understand the situation, drop your weapons and let's go have lunch, alright?"
●○●○●
After the barrel of her rifle cooled down and she placed her hand on the rubble to leap, Hina immediately ascended to the upper floor, prepared to witness the end of the "grand play" that Subaru had just performed. It was a brilliant hype speech (disinformation); without him, this situation could not have been calmed down without violence. He truly is a person with a mysterious charisma.
Hina stepped past the unconscious Valkyrie students (security forces) who were piled up as a single mass, then she found Subaru leaning against the opposite wall.
「I congratulate you on your achievement, Subaru... What a declar...ation...」 As she raised her gaze to greet him, she realized the truth.
「Hello, hello... Hina...」 (Subaru)
「-- Wha, what state are you in!!!」 (Hina)
「Don't worry, don't worry... I'm perfectly fine... But no, actually, I'm going to die.」 (Subaru)
Subaru affirmed this while raising his thumb in a feeble attempt to reassure her, but blood was profusely flowing from his right abdomen, which he was pressing on, forming a pool, and his face was also smeared with blood.
It turned out that he had been running while in that state, and blood trails extended on the floor toward him from the middle of the room, meaning he had delivered his crucial speech while injured like this.
Hina seized up her throat, while he painstakingly manufactured a smile toward the girl who was approaching him with a face distorted by tears.
「Wait for me! I will administer first aid immediately!!」 (Hina)
His breathing was shallow. When Hina lifted his clothes to examine the wound... she confirmed it. It truly was just a single bullet that led to this tragedy; exactly what he had hoped would not happen, turning the worst assumption into a brutally painful reality.
「What recklessness... I told you I would protect you... --」 (Hina)
「W-wait, wait... No need to emphasize that anymore! ... After everything you've done to protect me, and after bringing me here, if you say things like that, my effort will be fruitless or worthless to me.」 (Subaru)
「Don't talk anymore; take a deep, slow breath, lest you open the wound.」 (Hina)
「... Can I ask for one thing --?」 (Subaru)
「Don't talk anymore; take a deep, slow breath, lest you open the wound.」 (Hina)
「... Can I ask for one thing --?」 (Subaru)
Suddenly, Subaru grabbed Hina's hand. Hina froze in place with surprise, and before she could recover from her shock and open her mouth, Subaru had placed the hand he was holding over her mouth (indicating a request for silence).
The distance between Subaru and Hina was no more than one fist width, a distance that, in a normal situation, would be considered a scene for a declaration of love. Subaru recalled every "death" he had gone through until now, feeling as if he had traversed an extremely long and winding road.
He had died a total of 45 times. He used to cry from fear just by seeing a weapon or seeing the students (fighters), and his mind had nearly collapsed from the terror.
Subaru remembered the reason he was able to push forward, and this time, his smile was not forced; instead, he directed a genuine smile at Hina, saying:
「Thank you for helping me.」
He saw her face, astonished in shock, and inwardly blamed himself: "It's natural for her reaction to be like this in this situation." He felt he would be met with the worst expected reaction.
Yet, that word meant everything to him.
-- Thank you for helping me when we first met.
-- Thank you for not pointing your weapon at me even once.
-- Thank you for protecting me every time, regardless of the circumstances.
He had reached where he was now because he had met Hina in the first place.
He was thrown into another world, died without understanding anything, was deeply hurt, regretted profusely, suffered immensely, and fought life-threatening battles.
The reward for all of this was zero. Although, it is true that he is now in a slightly better position.
「Haha, ... -- Damn it, it's completely useless (but fun).」 (Subaru)
It was merely a simple, small first step.
And so, Natsuki Subaru's first day in the other world was drawing to a close.
「... -- Subaru!」 (Hina)
He thought about tomorrow, even though he knew that tomorrow might not come (due to the possibility of his death and timeline reset), and he took a shallow breath and commented on the situation.
He was finally able to express what he wanted to say after calming down, but it was likely that everything would start over again.
-- Even if that happens, I will return to this place once more, and I will say the same words to you again.
His field of vision was engulfed in darkness, and he might have already lost consciousness.
Hina's face, visible through the gaps, was overwhelmed with panic; her eyes, usually narrowed and dark blue, were wide open.
He felt her soft, fluttering white hair on his face, from which the scent of sun emanated. She was exceedingly beautiful in appearance, intelligent, and talented; and honestly, her small stature was incredibly appealing.
-- Ah, what a wonderful transfer to another world, to be able to get this close to such a magnificent girl.
With this uninteresting, cliché remark, the consciousness of Natsuki Subaru sank into the darkness.