"A tropical low has suddenly strengthened into Typhoon Kuroshio, with a central pressure of 965 hPa and wind speeds of 40 meters per second. It's moving northwest at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour."
"It's expected to pass north of Okinawa around 17:00 on the 17th, then turn northeast around 20:00 and head out toward the Sea of Japan."
On the TV, the weather expert sat up straight.
"This is the strongest March typhoon since 1958. But its path is still following the usual spring pattern. Regions along the Sea of Japan will only get hit by the outer cloud bands, with rainfall between fifty and one hundred millimeters."
[Lifespan: 14 days]
"A man needs a woman!"
Hoshino turned off the TV and dimmed the lights. The evening sunlight slipped through the window, brushing his face with a lonely, fading glow.
He was at the age when iron is supposed to be forged into steel, yet no blacksmith had picked him up for molding. Pretty much every teenage boy knew that feeling.
But someone as good-looking as him shouldn't have been stuck in that crowd.
He actually had a blacksmith already — a schoolgirl, shy and easily flustered, but with the right guidance she had real promise.
Too bad he wasn't going to live long enough to see that happen.
He was about to die again.
"It's five forty-five. Fifteen minutes left."
A perfectly straight, golden piece of straw appeared in his hand. He rolled it between his thumb and index finger, the ripe grains spinning lightly.
[Demon-Hunting Weapon: Lifesaving Straw (8/12)]
[Note: Using multiple demon-hunting weapons at the same time increases the effect of each, and the cost rises accordingly]
"Cost, cost, cost. That's all you talk about. You hand me all this stuff but not a manual? What, you think I'm Japanese or something?"
He decided he'd bite down on the Lifesaving Straw at the last moment.
If it didn't activate before the final second, he'd die tonight at 7:30.
With nothing better to do while waiting for death, he willed another screen to open.
A blue floating interface spread out in front of him.
[Island Descent Group 7]
March 16th, 2:24 p.m.
Naoto: Did everyone escape the pursuers?
Chopper of a Thousand: I got out!
Hate Childhood Friends: Yeah.
Naoto: So it's just us three?
Hate Childhood Friends: Looks like it. Damn it! Lost more than ten days of memories in an instant. No wonder He descended personally to break the barrier and leave.
Naoto: Don't talk about the past. Our new mission is to find Him. I'll search near Okura Village.
Hate Childhood Friends: I'm already looking. There are so many government people around.
Chopper of a Thousand: Be careful.
At first, Hoshino had foolishly thought this was just some new system feature. But three hours ago, when "Naoto" posted a message in [Island Descent Group 7], he realized something was seriously off.
He remembered the long number he gave when he first joined "the organization." Then he looked at the three groups under his user tab: [Evil Family (Main)], [Asia Division], and [Island Descent Group 7].
Perfect.
It was an exclusive communication network for the organization, using tech way beyond anything Japan could've had in 1997 — closer to the 2025 he remembered from his previous life.
Yet this world was a parallel version of 1997.
The global political landscape was different, but the tech level was supposed to be about the same — or at least that's what everything suggested.
"Demon-hunting weapons?" Hoshino muttered, thinking about his cursed fate. A dark suspicion crept in.
"Don't tell me… I'm not the protagonist of this world?"
His face stiffened. He forced a shaky laugh.
"No way."
"If I'm not the protagonist, why bring me here?"
"Don't scare yourself…"
He looked at the wall clock. Five minutes until six.
Pushing down the restlessness in his chest, he refocused.
[Island Descent Group 7]
Chopper of a Thousand: Failing yourself is scary enough, but someone else succeeding hurts even more!
Hate Childhood Friends: What happened?
Chopper of a Thousand: Another group succeeded.
Hate Childhood Friends: What kind of devil?
Chopper of a Thousand: Don't know.
Hate Childhood Friends: @Naoto?
Naoto: Not sure either, but there's a rumor going around. The biggest news since Nostradamus' prophecy about "the great king of terror descending in July 1999."
Hate Childhood Friends: Damn it! Stop talking in riddles!
Naoto: The world's progression has accelerated for some reason.
Love-Sick Prince: I'm alive too.