“Ugh... uaaah...”
I opened my eyes and lay there for a moment, thinking about what had happened yesterday.
“...Was that a dream?”
I slowly got out of bed, pulling the earphones out of my ears.
“What time is it now...?”
I looked at my phone. It was 12:21.
“...Did I drink a lot yesterday...?”
Haruta didn’t usually get drunk easily, and he hadn’t even drunk that much.
“...Was it really a dream...?”
I clenched and unclenched my hand, feeling the sensation.
“Haa... I should wash up.”
After a quick wash, I came out and looked around the dorm.
“...Haa... at least this is better than before...”
In my previous life, I’d somehow managed to survive, studied hard, and gotten into college.
There was no one to praise me or congratulate me. I lived alone, spending my days at home playing games. Since all I had was my phone anyway, all I could do was watch YouTube or play mobile games.
Out of all of them, I liked Blue Archive the most. There, at least, I wasn’t alone.
“But now... that’s become reality...”
I clenched my hand again and felt proof that I was alive.
“Now... I don’t even know what’s what anymore.”
Haruta recalled yesterday’s sensations.
His first kiss.
And the strange feeling of something touching his lips, of tongue meeting tongue—it had been bizarre.
“...So it’s been about a month... maybe a little more...?”
He tried to predict the fate and future that had been laid out for him.
“...I don’t have much time left now...”
Haruta looked back at his weapon and thought of the future he had seen. A headache started to build. The time given to him was one month. One month.
“...Then should I enjoy it while I can?”
He got up from the bed, put on his shoes, and went out. Familiar scenery.
“Right. Then I should help Sensei with work for now.”
Haruta entered Schale’s office building and sat down at his desk. A pen, a computer, and the refrigerator Sensei had prepared for drinking.
“...Well, when they come back, I should pour myself a celebratory drink...”
Then he started on the work that had come in.
“...Well, it’s not even fun anymore...”
Maybe it was because there was just too much work at Schale, but Haruta was dying inside.
Even so, he kept working silently and stared at the coffee on Sensei’s desk.
“What, did Sensei come and go already?”
He turned on his phone and checked the message from Sensei.
“...Hoshino... dropped out?!?!?”
Haruta woke up fully in an instant and understood what those Kaiser bastards had done.
“...Haa.”
Blood burst from his mouth. His gums were pressed so hard they bled, and two swords were once again in his hands.
“...Let’s smash everything today.”
Haruta tore open space and headed straight for Kaiser Corporation.
“Who are you!”
Sshhk!
The robot’s head rolled across the floor.
“...Next.”
“An intruder! Everyone, prepare for battle!”
“Just die already.”
Clang!
Fwoosh!
The two blades resonated, sending ripples through the air.
“Haa. Anyone who comes at me today is never moving again.”
Haruta gripped his swords harder.
“...I don’t think I need to use a gun anymore. I’ll just break everything.”
Haruta sent a slash at them with both blades.
Whoosh
Thud
Every robot standing in front of him dropped to its knees at once.
The floor slowly turned black with oil.
And Haruta, as if nothing had happened, as if it were no big deal, stepped into the elevator.
“Fiftieth floor.”
A mechanical voice chimed and guided him to the top floor.
Clunk!
The elevator jolted and nearly dropped for a moment.
“...Even this is a trick?”
Haruta said nothing, dragging his sword along the floor as he looked up at the top of the building.
“...I can just jump up there.”
Boom!
The ground split apart, and Haruta used his wings and jumping power to launch himself to the top floor where the Kaiser Group’s president was.
He smashed through a door that looked aristocratic enough for anyone to notice, and the president was sitting inside.
“I knew you would come...”
“Then die.”
“If you kill me here, it won’t end with just one or two years in the correctional facility.”
“I know. And you’ve tried to kill me before.”
“And your friends won’t be safe either.”
Haruta sliced the president’s throat with his sword.
“...Well, there might be a successor and all...”
After a brief moment of thought, Haruta grabbed the president’s head again to eliminate any future trouble and, along with the body, chopped him into pieces with his sword.
Then he burned the pieces to ash and planted bombs in the building, erasing even the possibility of a full recovery.
“There.”
KWAANG!
With a roar loud enough to split heaven and earth, the Kaiser Group’s headquarters collapsed.
“...Now then, Kaiser Corporation...?”
“Hey... you there. Stop.”
“?”
“Valkyrie. Hands up.”
Haruta slowly raised his hands and looked back.
“...You’re... Chaos.”
“...Ogata Kanna?”
“To think Kivotos’ worst criminal would recognize me... I’m honored...”
“Can’t you drop that ‘Kivotos’ worst criminal’ title already?”
Haruta asked Kanna, but there was no answer.
“Then, effective immediately, I will begin the arrest operation for ‘Chaos.’”
“What, you’re not even going to listen to me?”
“A criminal’s words are not worth hearing.”
“Tch.”
“Then surrender quietly.”
“If I just get arrested... I won’t really be punished or anything, right?”
“No. We’ll send you back to the correctional facility.”
“But... this time, I didn’t really do anything wrong, did I?”
“That large-scale terror attack just now... wasn’t that your doing?”
“Yeah, I did it.”
“That alone is enough to land you in the correctional facility.”
“Then trash belongs in the trash can.”
“That’s why I’m here to arrest you.”
“Then go back.”
The moment Haruta finished speaking, his figure vanished for an instant.
Thwack!
“Take a little nap.”
He struck Kanna’s neck and knocked her out.
“...Then now, again...”
Bam!
“?!”
Kanna staggered to her feet, a baton in her hand.
“...Now... obstruction of official duties... and criminal assault...”
“Hah.”
“From this moment on, I will send you to the correctional facility!!!”
“I’m leaving.”
Haruta tore open space and headed for Kaiser PMC.
“Where do you think you’re running!”
“If anything, I can just run away faster.”
As Kanna reached out to grab him, Haruta closed the gap in the open space.
“I didn’t expect to run into Kanna this quickly...”
Haruta slipped out through the gap and moved to Kaiser PMC’s Abydos base.
“...It’s been a while.”
He drew his sword again and entered the base.
“...Hey, General.”
“? You are?”
“Didn’t I tell you that if you messed with me one more time, I’d grind you all into dust?”
“I don’t think we’ve done anything wrong this time, though?”
“Then should I just take one arm and see if you start talking?”
Slash!
The sword took the General’s arm clean off.
“Kyaaaah!!!”
“Ready to talk now?”
“H-hah... huff...”
“What? I can’t hear you.”
Haruta asked while driving his sword into the General’s remaining hand.
“Graaah!!”
“Talk.”
“...Wh...what am I supposed to say...!!”
“Haa... you know Takanashi Hoshino, right?”
“I... I know there’s a Takanashi Hoshino in Abydos...”
“Then did you take her or not?”
“W-we didn’t kn—”
Shhk!
Haruta pulled the sword back, and the General’s hand was cut in half.
“Hey. Didn’t I tell you I’d kill you if you lied to me?”
“I... didn’t...”
“Did I or didn’t I?”
“Y-you did.”
At those words, Haruta cut off his hand and asked again.
“Hah. Damn it. I didn’t say that and you’re still lying.”
“Gaaaaah!!!”
“Quiet.”
“Kraaaah!! Stop! I’ll tell you everything! Everything!!”
“Good. Where is Takanashi Hoshino right now?”
“S-she’s in the Abydos desert district laboratory!!!”
“Good work.”
Haruta severed the General’s body and head, then wiped out the entire base with fire and bombs.
“...Tch.”
He opened a gap again and teleported to where Hoshino was.
“Intruder de—”
Thud
There was no sound, no visible movement. And yet the robot’s body and head came apart.
“Get lost.”
“From this point on, this is private property! If you come any closer, we will ope—”
Whoosh!
With the sound of air being cut, every robot and soldier standing ahead collapsed in a line. The floor was soaked black with oil.
“...”
He ran forward quickly and entered the research facility where Hoshino was being held.
“Enemy spotted ahead! Target is presumed to be Takanashi Hoshino! Deploy defensive formation!”
Just as everything disappeared from view, bullets came flying in.
“Too slow.”
Haruta moved behind them in an instant and cut down the heads of every robot in front of him.
“...Now it’s fifty...”
As Haruta descended floor by floor, he eventually found a massive iron door.
“...Here.”
He had been able to determine the location through his contract with Hoshino.
“At this point...”
Haruta placed a hand on the iron door and stepped back a few paces.
Then, at last—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He struck blade against blade, making them grind and ring out.
And then—
Sshhk!
The door split cleanly in half.
“...”
Inside the door, Hoshino was bound.
“...Ha...ru...ta?”
“Yeah. I came to save you, shorty.”
“...Ah... I see...”
“Haa... I grabbed your leash because I told you to value your life...”
“Then... you should’ve held on a little tighter...”
“?”
“Uhehe... no~”
“That way of speaking... yeah, Hoshino, you like me.”
“So... what happened?”
“I was... going to repay Abydos’ light...”
Haruta flicked Hoshino on the forehead.
“Ow... that hurts...”
“Hey, Hoshino. You don’t get to die whenever you want. So don’t even dream of sacrificing yourself again.”
“...”
“What? Are you crying?”
“...”
“Hey... I didn’t hit you that hard.”
“Haruta... really has no clue...”
“? What are you talking about?”
“Uhehe~ Nothing~”
“What is with you, seriously.”
Haruta took out his phone and sent Sensei a message.
[Sensei, I rescued Hoshino.]
[What??????]
[I rescued Hoshino.]
[?????]
[No... why are you so shocked?]
[Ah! Haruta, you’re in big trouble right now.]
[Huh?]
[Did you just smash Kaiser Corporation?]
[Yes... is there a problem?]
[No... good job.]
[Ah... yeah, something does seem to be wrong here.]
[Right. You’re wanted now.]
[I’m heading to Abydos first.]
Haruta held Hoshino in his arms and opened a dimensional gap, stepping through it.
“Hoshino-senpai!!!”
“Uhehe~ I’m back~”
“Yeah, Hoshino-senpai. You really need to be scolded this time.”
Watching Hoshino reunite with the Task Force from afar warmed my heart.
“...So you’re saying this whole thing can be covered up using Schale’s authority...?”
“Yeah... this time, I’ll take responsibility.”
“No, I’ll just...”
“Haruta... responsibility... is something adults carry.”
“...Haa... thank you.”
“Right. Let’s head back for now.”
Sensei said farewell to the Task Force girls and came back with Hoshino.
“? Hoshino, why are you...”
“Haruta... thank you... so much...”
“Then do better from now on, shorty.”
“Uhehe~”
“Then I’m going.”
“Sensei... this...”
“Yeah. Let’s celebrate this time with a drink!”
“...Well, I guess so.”
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