kscans

Chapter 204 - Fight It Out Amongst Yourselves

(...This is not good.)

The gift exchange was a resounding success, and the food was delicious. We were having a sleepover, and the board games we were playing now were unbelievably fun. It was a graduation and Christmas party with nothing to complain about. And yet.

(This bad feeling is getting stronger and stronger.)

I searched high and low across the entire world for anything that looked like a threat, but I couldn't find a single thing to justify my sense of danger. I thought it might be an approach from space, so I extended my antennae in that direction, but that was a dead end too. Not that I searched the entire universe, but I somehow felt that wasn't it. So then, where was it coming from...

(Could it be this isn't a simple danger?)

This sense of crisis I felt. I had a vague idea that something terrible was about to happen to the world, but was that wrong? Does that mean this bad feeling is about me personally? But what kind of bad feeling would be about me personally? It was hitting me harder than ever before, but I didn't feel any abnormalities in my body... no, wait.

"What's wrong, Hiro? You're sweating a lot."

"Satou-san, is the heat on too high?"

There is something. There really is. No, it’s not what you think. But the possibility of me personally facing an unprecedented crisis... yes, a secret child. I lost my cherry ages ago. I've never been in a serious relationship, but I've had my share of temporary, no-strings-attached arrangements. I'm not the type to use someone and toss them aside. I always chose girls who were on the same page. You know how it is, right? Sometimes you're just desperate for human warmth, but you're not ready for a formal relationship. I became temporary lovers with girls like that. I did, but... I was always careful, in another sense as well. I used techniques from both the Surface and Supernatural Worlds to ensure no little Satous were ever conceived. So it shouldn't be possible. And yet...

"Your face keeps changing color, are you okay?"

"Also, Hero-san, don't you look a little thinner? What's going on with your body's structure?"

But... there are no absolutes in this world. And the women I was involved with weren't the type to say anything to me even if they did get pregnant. We came together with a mutual understanding, so bringing it up would be out of line... they were all strong women like that.

"Hey Satou, what are you hiding? Spit it out already."

"Satou-kun, that's the face of someone who's done something wrong, isn't it? Fess up."

My reputation with them might plummet, but I can't possibly handle this situation on my own.

"...I think, um, I might have just found a serious landmine."

"A landmine?"

"Yeah, you see, I might have a secret..."

At the very instant the clock's hands pointed to midnight,

"...Huh?"

The world ended. The attack came from completely outside my awareness. Even so, my body reacted unconsciously, and I somehow managed to escape with only serious injuries.

"Ghh...!!"

It's okay. I can fix this. It can go back to normal. If I force time to rewind, I can restore everything. So for now, I need to calmly figure out the cause. There's no point in restoring everything if the same thing just happens again. I forcefully stamped out the storm of confusion and passion raging within me.

"The place I'm in now is a sea of complete nothingness... The attack came from outside the world. And... the universe is dying?"

I fully opened my senses to grasp the current situation. Earth wasn't targeted specifically. An attack meant to kill our universe had been unleashed, and as a result, the solar system, Earth and all, was obliterated. Earth just happened to be destroyed in the process. Why is the universe dying... which is it? Is it because of the nature of the attack from the outside? Or is the universe structured like a human, and it's dying because its stomach was blown out? ...It seems like both.

"Found you."

I glared at the edge of the void. There stood a breathtakingly beautiful, pure white girl. Dressed in a gown, she had the air of a noble lady, but she was nothing so gentle. Yes, I know her. But right now, her identity doesn't matter. First, unless I deal with that, safety won't be guaranteed even if I restore everything.

"...Die."

I surpassed sound, surpassed light, and closed the distance from outside of perception, plunging a dagger into her defenseless head.

"Wha..."

I fired the pistol in my right hand again and again at her heart. The stab, the gunshots, each was delivered with enough force to annihilate a world. And yet, her form remained intact.

(I caught her completely off guard in a defenseless state, too...)

I knew I couldn't kill her. But she took less damage than I expected. ...To be honest, I never thought I would see another one. An "enemy," that is.

"...How surprising."

It seemed she had come to her senses as well, and she escaped my attack to create some distance. ...There are no openings. She's formidable, but I too am at a loss for how to attack.

"I never thought myself the supreme, ultimate powerhouse... but it seems that after crossing many worlds, I have grown arrogant."

Pure, unadulterated surprise floated on the woman's face. To think that there was a being who could stand on equal footing with me.

"...That's a bit too big of a scale for a spoiled brat's temper tantrum, 'Villainess'."

She's much stronger than the version I saw in that record, but there's no mistaking her. She's the woman who destroyed the world attached to Okutama. She should have been content with her own world... but she had to go and spread her negativity to other worlds too.

"...You, do you know me?"

Her golden eyes widened. It seems my words are getting through to her. She might be using a similar spell to my own.

"A fragment of a world you destroyed drifted into mine. I picked up its records of regret there."

"I see."

She let out a soft chuckle.

"To think that I would happen to attack such a world, and that there would happen to be someone there who could match me. What a strange fate."

"You're right. I never imagined I'd come face to face with you directly either."

Like I could have ever predicted this would turn into a battle of vengeance, you idiot.

"Let me introduce myself again. I am Lucia. Lucia Celonias. What is your name?"

"Satou Hideo."

"Satou... Satou, you say. Well then, Satou, I have a proposal. Shall we take a break and start over?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're going to die right here."

"Stop bluffing."

The villainess smiled as if troubled.

"The moment you failed to kill me with your initial surprise attack, your mindset should have shifted. You know it's not wise to continue like this. You can handle spontaneous combat, but that's not where your true strength lies, is it? Your original style is to analyze your opponent's strength and make every possible move to ensure victory before you engage."

...The creator god who made this one certainly did a troublesome thing. She has zero empathy, but it seems that by spending a long time in the human world, she has developed an eye for people. Her point is correct. If we keep fighting haphazardly like this, there will be lingering doubts even if I win. If I die upon winning, I won't be able to restore the world that was destroyed. Even if I have some time before I die, I can't say for sure if I'll have any strength left. My true desire is to restore the world and make preparations so that there are no problems even if I die, and then fight.

"I am indifferent to my own life, but that does not mean I wish for death."

"Is that because you can't destroy anything if you're dead?"

"That is correct. I too would like to make every possible move to kill you before we begin our battle."

If we start a fight that is unsatisfactory for both of us, we both stand to lose.

"That is why I am the one making the proposal. Out of respect for you, who has reached such a domain."

"One month."

Further discussion is pointless... or rather, I don't want to give her the advantage. One month. That's probably the maximum amount of time I can buy myself. I don't know what will happen if I prolong the negotiations, so I forced the terms on her first.

"...Very well. I will align my time with yours."

She's likely thinking something similar to me. It seems she wants to end the negotiation by accepting a timeframe within her tolerable range.

"Then in one month, I shall invade your world again. With everything at my disposal."

"And I'll meet you with everything at my disposal."

With a soft laugh, she vanished. What shall I call the battle that is about to begin? If I had to name it, it would be...

"...The Cheat Bastard vs. the Villainess, I guess."

What a crappy battle.