"Subaru-sama... ───" (Arona)
"... I understand." (Subaru)
I grabbed Shiroko's hand and joined Nozomi and Hikari as they fled the cockpit at the front of the train. Nozomi had already set the train to autopilot, reversing us to delay the collision with the automated ghost train barreling toward us at insane speeds.
"Big Bro." (Hikari)
Hikari called out to me while clutching my hand. She likely did it to keep me from stumbling under the G-force of our sudden retreat, but the slight tremor passing through her hand betrayed her fear.
"... Hikari, are you actually scared?" (Subaru)
"To be honest, it's a little frightening." (Hikari)
Even for the residents of Kivotos, no one can guarantee survival if crushed between two massive iron masses moving at high velocity. Few have absolute faith in their own durability; even if bullets don't bother them, their hearts remain as delicate as their appearances suggest.
"Then, could you hold my hand... a little tighter? In a situation like this, I'm scared too." (Subaru)
"── Okay." (Hikari)
"Thank you. Thanks to you, courage is starting to flow back into me... ── don't worry, I'll find a way." (Subaru)
Nozomi caught up with us, and we all moved to the rear carriage. According to their estimates, we could avoid the collision by retreating while destroying the tracks with the turret they had been operating earlier. However... ──.
"The problem is the ones surrounding us, right?" (Shiroko)
That was the reason no one could simply leave. The train was traversing a ghost town, and Kaiser and Arius soldiers surrounded us, keeping their weapons trained on the train at all times.
"Even if we try to move the turret, firing requires us to expose ourselves. With our slow retreat, we'd be easy targets... and if they destroy us before we destroy the tracks, we won't avoid the crash." (Nozomi)
"And if the collision happens, we might survive, but Big Bro, you... ──" (Nozomi)
Nozomi looked down, her face dark with despair, as if to say my chances of survival were slim to none. Being in the last carriage didn't mean we were safe; thinking the impact wouldn't reach us was naive. Moving here was only meant to deploy the gun platforms and minimize damage to "Kivotos standards." If the ghost train was clocked at 200 km/h earlier, it must have accelerated to 300 km/h by now.
"Nozomi, Hikari." (Subaru)
"── Don't look so worried. Leave it to me!" (Subaru)
"... Leave it to you? But Big Bro, aren't you the one in the most danger here?" (Hikari)
"Maybe. But... I am "Natsuki Subaru," and I won't allow Nozomi or Hikari to feel any more fear." (Subaru)
"So trust me. Can you count on me?" (Subaru)
Before Nozomi could react, Hikari nodded and squeezed Subaru's hand. Though they had met him by pure chance, the time they spent together was enough to understand his character. Trust is usually an affection that accumulates over time... but for Hikari and her sister, the experience of someone "apologizing to them" was entirely absent from their lives. "I'm sorry" is a magic word; for two girls who had never truly apologized from their hearts, seeing someone apologize to them so sincerely gave him a special radiance.
As soon as Hikari took his hand, Nozomi naturally reached out as well. Upon grasping his warm hand, their fears vanished. Two children in his hands, and a wolf at his back... ──.
"Shiroko, get off me." (Subaru)
"I don't want to." (Shiroko)
"Good grief..." (Subaru)
"Just tell me what you're going to do." (Shiroko)
"... The best plan is to destroy the tracks. I want to achieve that at any cost." (Subaru)
Subaru began searching the bag he had brought—the explosives provided by the "Black Suit," originally meant for demolishing buildings. The optimal plan was for someone to jump out, plant the bombs on the tracks, and detonate them as the ghost train passed over, or to ensure success, blow the tracks in advance.
"Ah...?" (Subaru)
According to Arona's assessment, even with a pre-emptive blast, the current amount of explosives wouldn't be enough to fully destroy the rails. If the destruction was incomplete, the ghost train might simply "jump" over the gap at its current speed. If that happened, it would be The End. Even then, we might have a chance to blow up the train using the turrets, but we didn't know if the surrounding enemies would allow it.
The intel Arona whispered didn't stop there. She noted that some Arius soldiers carried similar explosives. Considering the sheer number of Kaiser troops, there would be no chance of escape without the train.
"── That means..." (Subaru)
"What's wrong, Subaru?" (Shiroko)
"... No, it's nothing. Let's finish the strategy meeting quickly." (Subaru)
"Nn." (Shiroko)
Once again, this was a battle that couldn't be lost, and a situation where death wasn't an option. I had four cards in my hand: Shiroko, the twins, the explosives/cannons, and Arona. How to play these cards fell to Subaru, as the leader holding the reins. The choices were countless, the possibilities infinite—and so were the chances of death.
Unfortunately, they faced Kaiser soldiers who hadn't given up their pursuit, but Subaru felt he could deal with them calmly now. That strange heat in his chest didn't stem from ego or reckless bravery; it was confidence derived from accumulated experience. Every previous narrow escape now pushed him forward.
"The target is the tracks. We must escape the collision at all costs. Nozomi, Hikari, take the cannons. Shiroko, you'll protect the firing hatch and destroy the rails. By the way, the top priority is the train! If the train is destroyed, we have no way to escape the encirclement." (Subaru)
"Nn. And what about the surrounding enemies during the execution?" (Shiroko)
"I'll be their opponent. They came for me, after all." (Subaru)
"... Can you do that? No, you're saying this because you can. What are the odds?" (Shiroko)
"I'm counting on Arona. Regardless of the mercenaries, Arona will handle all the Kaiser soldiers. Besides, I'm the one who attracts their attention most." (Subaru)
If we built the plan logically, Subaru always found himself in the position of a "Metal Slime"—the least useful in direct combat, but the highest-value target. Honestly, the idea of someone getting off to plant explosives wasn't realistic; to disembark from a moving train—even a slow one—and then jump back on after planting the bombs... ──.
"Then, you don't need anyone to guard the cannons, Subaru." (Shiroko)
"..." (Subaru)
"You just said that. Did you forget already?" (Shiroko)
"── Hoo... fine. Can I count on you, Shiroko?" (Subaru)
"Of course. As long as Subaru does his best... I'll do mine too." (Shiroko)
"Yeah... ── I'm leaving it to you." (Subaru)
I entrusted the bag to Shiroko; she alone was capable of planting the explosives and returning safely. As usual, Subaru felt powerless against Shiroko's behavior, which felt like a wife asserting her will. I left the primary plan of blowing the tracks to her. As for the secondary plan involving the turrets, all I could do was pray the girls didn't lose control again...
"Bahya-hya! You look great, Big Bro... aren't you going to tell us you're counting on us, too?" (Nozomi)
"── It seems there's no need. If I fail, the rest is up to you! Shoot down anyone who gets close to Shiroko!" (Subaru)
"If Big Bro fails... Heh, we don't think about bad possibilities. So even if you say you're counting on us, we won't understand what you mean~" (Hikari)
"You two brats... you're so relaxed about this..." (Subaru)
Subaru felt relieved seeing the girls had regained their energy; it meant he didn't have to worry about a thing.
── The battle to defend the train begins now. This is the point Subaru must cross to shatter the scheme the "Basement Dweller" wove out of his own panic.
●○●○●
"One minute until collision. Keep your eyes peeled until the very end." (Unit Leader)
"Roger." (Kaiser Soldier)
Tension surged through the Kaiser soldiers surrounding the moving train. They had received orders to cooperate with the mercenary groups that had suddenly appeared. Although they accepted the arrangement, the thought of taking fire from behind was enough to sour the entire operation.
The Director had requested non-interference, yet he also hinted that he wouldn't comment on "accidents" occurring during combat. In other words, this was a race to see who would stab their ally in the back first.
The forces remaining on the train couldn't possibly do anything, so there was no cause for concern... ──.
"...!! Behind the train! Natsuki Subaru is on the roof! He's out there alone! Prepare to fire, but try to take him alive if possible!" (Unit Leader)
"Damn it, what are you saying...?" (Kaiser Soldier)
The soldier slammed his foot on the accelerator, surging toward the tracks. Commanding a live capture in this situation was an impossible task; these mercenaries likely had no interest in such a peaceful resolution. They had to catch him before the mercenaries killed him.
Motorcycles and heavy vehicles swarmed alongside the tracks. In a flash, the pursuit units and most of the mercenaries had converged on Natsuki Subaru, who sat atop the rear of the train. The sheer number of troops was a direct testament to how much they feared the entity known as "Natsuki Subaru."
When the soldiers looked up to see what kind of terrifying opponent they faced...
"..." (Subaru)
The target came into view.
── He was a perfectly ordinary boy. He possessed no striking features and gave off no sense of distinction whatsoever.
"... ──" (Kaiser Soldier)
"You idiot... Hey! What are you staring at! Aim your weapon now!" (Kaiser Soldier)
"Ah... I-I'm sorry." (Kaiser Soldier)
He wore a shabby tracksuit and had messy hair. His face lacked any imposing presence. He was just a boy clinging to the train, shouting "Oowah!" as the headwind buffeted him.
"Ah, that hurts... Wow! Look at all these people... It seems my ability to attract attention like a panda is no joke." (Subaru)
The soft impression the boy left was inversely proportional to the number of muzzles pointed at him. He truly was an ordinary boy, and the stark contrast between his appearance and the legends they had heard from command sparked instant confusion.
"... Is it really okay to shoot...?" (Kaiser Soldier)
Radios buzzed with questions asking if this was truly Natsuki Subaru. The rumors had transformed him into a faceless monster, but because reality offered only a disappointing figure, no one dared to pull the trigger.
As if the Arius students had run out of patience, they fired warning shots at Subaru. One of the rounds grazed his body. The bullet hit his forehead or some part of him; he let out a loud groan, "Ag-gh," and collapsed onto the roof.
Then, blood began to flow from Natsuki Subaru's body, streaming off the train and dripping drop by drop onto the head of a nearby machine, obscuring its vision. That blood was proof of a sudden, disappointing result: the operation to neutralize him had already succeeded.
Following the unit leader's orders, a vehicle pulled alongside the train, and soldiers leaped onto the roof where Natsuki Subaru lay.
"... So this is Natsuki Subaru..." (Kaiser Soldier)
On the roof, several soldiers surrounded Subaru, fighting the vibrations and the wind. The source of the blood seemed to be his left arm, which he clutched tightly. The more they looked at him, the more they saw a weak creature—just an ordinary boy...
"Kill him." (Voice over radio)
"... But, the orders were to take him alive..." (Kaiser Soldier)
"No, kill him here. I've decided this is the best solution." (Unit Leader)
"..." (Kaiser Soldier)
The voice belonged to the unit leader who had witnessed Subaru's previous escapes and failed to capture him. Yet, the soldiers' fingers couldn't easily pull the trigger. It wasn't because of a lingering kindness, but rather a "bad feeling" that came from surrounding such a weak boy with multiple people just to gun him down. Since the original orders were for live capture, killing him now would make them liable to headquarters again. It was a hesitation born of selfishness, but it was hesitation toward killing nonetheless.
"Heh." (Subaru)
"── What are you doing!! Kill hiiiim!!!" (Unit Leader)
── Had that hesitation not existed, it would have been the end.
Their bodies responded to the shout; trained reflexes moved before conscious thought. Their aim was locked... and the fatal bullet meant to pierce the boy's skull was about to fly ──.
"!?" (Kaiser Soldier)
But it didn't happen.
"Thanks for underestimating me. And thanks for getting this close." (Subaru)
Nothing moved. Not their fingers, not their bodies. Everything froze completely before the triggers could be pulled.
"────" (Kaiser Soldier)
"───" (Kaiser Soldier)
"─" (Kaiser Soldier)
Only their thoughts remained active. The word "WARNING" appearing on their displays was a nightmarish announcement of the total destruction of their firewalls. The radios went dead, and every unit fell into the same state.
The moment the Arius students saw the Kaiser soldiers unable to move, they began to act... but by then, it was too late.
── The next time I see Natsuki Subaru's face, I won't hesitate to pull the trigger. The soldier felt only regret for a lesson he might not have time to apply, and hatred for his body, which began to move on its own.
"Open fire── Wait, what!?" (Arius Student)
The Kaiser armored vehicles turned their machine guns toward the Arius students. The soldiers' aim shifted away from Natsuki Subaru and toward the Arius girls. The feet of the Kaiser drivers slammed on the brakes, and the fingers of the soldiers surrounding Subaru—which hadn't moved a moment ago—began to move of their own accord the moment they were aimed at the mercenaries ──.
"Damn it, retreat! Get away from the train now!" (Arius Student)
"Is this a betrayal...!? Everyone fall back with cover fire! If the turrets move... ── damn it, whatever! Fire back!!" (Arius Student)
"Wait! Damn it, wait, this is a mistake! It's not us... shit, this is why I hate working with people who aren't on our radio frequency...!" (Kaiser Soldier)
The situation descended into absolute chaos in an instant. As for the soldier who had approached Natsuki Subaru and become paralyzed...
"───" (Kaiser Soldier)
"Oh, amazing! Did Arona really manage to control this?" (Subaru)
"── Arona, you really are the best and strongest partner. Kisses to you... huh? My left arm... ah, it's fine, it's fine. I'll just put some spit on it later... Psych! I'm kidding!! I'm sorry!" (Subaru)
"──────" (Kaiser Soldier)
"... I feel like I'm being hit with an incredibly sharp stare. Are you still conscious of your surroundings?" (Subaru)
"── Well then! Goodbye." (Subaru)
The soldier's body began to tilt. Contrary to his will, his feet slipped from the roof, and he fell toward the tracks. As he plummeted, the last thing the Kaiser soldier saw was...
The sight of the gun platforms emerging from the train, completely crushing the rear support units and the mercenaries.
●○●○●
Pound, pound. Pound, pound.
With every ounce of his strength, fueled by sheer hatred and resentment, he struck the ground repeatedly. He felt no physical pain; only rage and spite surged through his veins.
"Huff... huff... huff..." (Basement Dweller)
Pound, pound. Pound, pound.
He did this to stifle his fury and rein in his heart, reminding himself that he was an "adult" and should not succumb to such panic. He slammed his fists against the floor, conjuring images of the "Anonymous Passerby" in his mind, venting his wrath upon those helpless, silent figures.
"..." (Basement Dweller)
He sat in a chaotic void where light failed to penetrate—perhaps light didn't even exist there. Despite the imposing name of his location, the man looked utterly wretched. His clothes were little more than rags, his white hair a tangled mess. The wild, unkempt strands suggested he had been tearing at his own hair in a frenzy.
Resentment is a sickness that rots the heart, and this man writhed in the throes of that agony.
"I... I wasn't supposed to be wrong about anything...!!" (Basement Dweller)
"What? What went wrong? Where did I fail...!?" (Basement Dweller)
Finding no answers in his self-interrogation, his confusion turned into pure malice. He began clawing at his hair again, trapped in a loop of unanswerable questions.
"It hurts... ── It hurts, hey... Uggh... it hurts..." (Basement Dweller)
"Why... why did this happen... My campaign, my scheme..." (Basement Dweller)
"An entity like that violates the "Code"! I... I will never acknowledge him!!" (Basement Dweller)
"If such a thing existed, you should have told me beforehand!!" (Basement Dweller)
Fortunately, no one could see him in this place. Had anyone witnessed him, they would have pointed and laughed; the sight of a grown man wailing and sobbing like this was truly pathetic.
Most of his cards had been neutralized early on. For some reason, Takanashi Hoshino—the essential piece—showed no signs of "Inversion." Even Suou's intervention had gone to waste. He had run out of options.
"The, the difficulty is too high...! I've never heard of anything like this...!" (Basement Dweller)
"Everything in existence must have a solution, right...? That's not just a rule... ── it's an absolute law! A fundamental principle!!" (Basement Dweller)
He screamed, pounding the ground again and again. This was the "world" where he played, and in his mind, nothing in it was unsolvable. If no solution existed, then everything he had done would be reduced to mere child's play. His very meaning and value as an "adult"—one permitted to treat the world as he pleased—would vanish.
"You pest who knows nothing of "Death"!! You filth! Do not stand in my way!! You nobody who isn't even a pawn on the chessboard!" (Basement Dweller)
"Killing him must be possible. A solution must have been prepared for me. What is this thing! What is this entity called "Natsuki Subaru"!!" (Basement Dweller)
Through this campaign and the suffering he manufactured within this game, he sought an answer for what he himself would eventually face. He believed that once a sacred being like Takanashi Hoshino was subjected to such intense pain, the answers would pour down upon him as the "Player."
"The only chance... to know "Death," to know "Pain"... ── to know if "the truth of nothingness" is actually true!" (Basement Dweller)
Indeed, this man knew nothing of death or pain. A pest like that boy, that sudden hero... that vagabond, that "forced savior," could not possibly understand those truths.
Do not stand in my way. You have no solution, and you cannot comprehend Takanashi Hoshino's suffering.
"... ── He-heh... yes, that's right... he has no way to save Takanashi Hoshino! Heh-heh-heh!" (Basement Dweller)
── Is the truth of nothingness actually true?
Death comes to everyone equally. Yet, it is impossible for one to experience it and understand it simultaneously. We only "enjoy" the deaths of others, accepting it as something that simply exists over there. Thus, we have no real grasp of death; something that merely exists but cannot be perceived can never be understood.
This was an ancient law—not just a code or a rule, but a principle of this world; the truth and the essence.
── However, we knew a concept that paralleled death.
Pain. Pain is an internal concept that can never be shown to others, nor can it be understood by them. Another person can never truly feel your pain.
"If I kill Natsuki Subaru here, things will go smoothly... Heh-heh, even if he survives, he cannot save Takanashi Hoshino...!" (Basement Dweller)
When Takanashi Hoshino—the greatest "mystery" in Kivotos—reaches a state of "Inversion" through pain, I will finally have the answer to my question: Is the truth of nothingness actually true?
"Yes, heh-heh, yes yes yes yes! He is a child who knows nothing of "Death"! A child who knows nothing of "Pain"!!" (Basement Dweller)
"He is a nuisance, a real nuisance... But! He can't save Takanashi Hoshino anyway──!!" (Basement Dweller)
The moment he found solace in his arrogant conclusion, another figure stepped into the chaotic void.
"Yes, it is exactly as you say, Basement Dweller." (Anonymous Passerby)
"Ah?... The Anonymous Passerby...! What business do you have here now!! Why did you come!!!" (Basement Dweller)
"If you intend to stand in my way, then you too... ──" (Basement Dweller)
The Basement Dweller lunged forward, intending to seize the visitor's slender neck. But before he could, the visitor presented him with a specific document.
His rage didn't subside, but the sudden sight of the paper stunned him. His mind stalled for a second before he regained his composure. A document; for the Basement Dweller, who knew how difficult it was to bring physical objects into this realm, the texture of that thing—regardless of who the "Anonymous Passerby" truly was—came as a massive shock.
"... What is this..." (Basement Dweller)
"It is a gift for you." (Anonymous Passerby)
"『The Ten Sacred Voiceless Words』...?" (Basement Dweller)
"It is better to have many cards in your hand. If you wish to kill that person, your current position lacks strength." (Anonymous Passerby)
"Our act of freeing you, and the new favor we grant you now, will all be forgiven if you manage to kill that person." (Anonymous Passerby)
"..." (Basement Dweller)
"Heh-heh... heh-heh-heh... I see, I see! Yes, "cheating" cannot be permitted. Such an entity, such "manipulation," cannot be allowed to pass. Thus, the "Game Master" has granted me equality...!" (Basement Dweller)
"... Your interpretation is difficult for me to grasp... but no matter. Strive for a pleasing result." (Anonymous Passerby)
With those words, the visitor vanished.
"Heh-heh!" (Basement Dweller)
That boy used foul methods. I don't know what means he employed, but he is a fool who defiled my campaign. If that is the case, I must use the same methods.
『I shall face cheating with cheating.』
That unknown entity—I will ensure he dies at the hands of an entity he does not know either. And with that, I will finally obtain my answer.
"── Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!!!!" (Basement Dweller)
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