THE LAST DAY: 09/16/2030, 03:19 Natsuhiko found himself on the ground. The sound of a watch echoed faintly nearby. Natsuhiko awoke to that sound.  ...Ugh... Wh... where am I...?   ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ Just how much time had passed since he had lost consciousness? As he pondered that question, he heard people groaning beside him.  ...Ugh. N... Natsuhiko?It was Mashiro and Salyu. They had both just woken up, it seemed.  Ah, guys! Are you okay!? Hmm... I guess I'm okay? I don't hurt anywhere, at least... But it looks like we can't move. Huh...?Natsuhiko finally noticed. His hands and feet were bound by stiff rope. And on closer inspection, Mashiro and Salyu were bound in the same way. Ah, what is this!? I think it's to prevent us from escaping. Mmgh...! Gh...!No matter how much strength he put into his arms and legs, the ropes wouldn't budge. (Dammit... We need to free ourselves and stop those guys...!)As if in response to Natsuhiko's impatience, a strained cry echoed out from the darkness. Alice: Kyuu~...! Ah, they didn't break Alice... Thank goodness. Alice, over here. Alice ran over to Salyu as if in response to her voice. ...Hmm, wait. Alice can walk on her own? It's a simple feature, but yes. She can walk in accordance to voice commands or by inputting route data. I see...! Then can we get Alice to bring us something we can use to cut the ropes? Ah, didn't think of that.After looking around, they spotted some glass shards scattered on the ground beneath the window. Okay, Alice. Start command. Go forward 15 m, pick up the glass shard there, and return to current position. End command.Alice: Kyuu! Alice responded confidently and headed to the window. She spent a moment there looking for the object Salyu commanded her to find-- --and eventually, she came back with a shard of glass in her mouth.  You did it! Good girl, Alice!Natsuhiko twisted himself around to take the glass shard from Alice. Hang on a second guys, I'll get myself free so I can out your ropes...Natsuhiko pressed the rope against the shard as hard as he could-- --and somehow, he managed to cut his hands and feet free of the rope. All right!He then he cut Mashiro and Salyu free too.  ♪ BGM: Anxious Times of Rokumei City ♫ Thank you, Natsuhiko.The girls also appeared to be uninjured after all. Apparently the terrorist's goal here was only to entrap the kids and nothing more. ...But still, I do not understand the terrorists' intentions. There shouldn't have been any point in leaving us alive... No, their target is LABO, after all. They were probably afraid they'd draw too much attention if they killed us. How can you tell? I heard it from them directly. From their mental voices, that is. You heard their mental voices? With empathy? Yeah, probably...Even though he thought it was empathy, something still felt off about it to Natsuhiko. The ability Natsuhiko activated right before he fainted-- seemed a little different from empathy. Not only did he hear a voice, but he also saw a vision. Was that still empathy? But then he recalled the words he had once heard Ena say.   Who knows? One day you may find a third ability beyond that of telepathy or empathy. That was a possibility. Natsuhiko's BC ability was rapidly growing these last few days. Though he had yet to master either telepathy or empathy, he had become able to use both abilities within just a few days. (Could it really be...?)But there was no time to stop and consider the possibility. Right now, the information he gained from that ability was far more important than the ability itself. ...Anyway, according to their mental voices, it looks like it's true that they're targeting LABO. And to make matters worse, D-day is today...! Today!? Th-then we gotta stop them! But how? Even if we report it to the authorities, we likely won't get any different results than yesterday. That's for sure...!Even if they explained everything to the security department and the police, it seemed highly unlikely that they'd make it in time. Natsuhiko silently pondered. (Should we go directly to LABO and tip them off there...?)But that would be dangerous. There was a high probability that Q had a sleeper agent there. They could very well wind up caught in the terrorist attack themselves. That would almost certainly get them killed--! (... In that case... Shouldn't we run for it as soon as possible...?)He could bring Mashiro and Salyu straight home so they could take Yuuri out of the city. That seemed to be the most proper course of action to him. It would be a different story if it were just him, but there was no way he could expose the girls to danger. However-- (But then I'd be abandoning all the people in town. Is it okay to ignore all the people we don't know...?)He always had. That was what Natsuhiko's life had taught him. He didn't care about the the fires, the accidents, or the violent events he saw on the news on TV. They had nothing to do with him at all. They weren't important. Pretty much the only people important to him were himself, Yuuri, and perhaps Mashiro and Salyu too. That's what he had always thought... But in the back of his mind, he thought about all those people in town who had ''nothing to do with him at all''. The classmates he had associated with at a distance. The childhood friends who had left him after learning he was a Communicator. And Ena, who would not open her heart to them. (... Dammit, what does that all even matter? If the nuclear reactor melts down, everyone will die, won't they? This town will become uninhabitable, won't it? Which means that the obvious choice of action is to prioritize our own escape, isn 't it...!?)But right then, suddenly-- The memories of various statements Natsuhiko had heard recently came echoing back into his mind.    ♪ BGM: The Truth is Revealed ♫ (...!)And then, Natsuhiko realized. Even if they tried to escape now, that wouldn't necessarily mean they could. (Even residents need to go through strict checks and procedures to come in and out of the city... Can I still take Yuuri out of the city despite that?)It seemed difficult. He could go to LABO or he could try to escape. They were in danger regardless. In that case-- (I should go to LABO...!)Natsuhiko surprised himself with the conclusion he came to. But his convictions only grew stronger. Nine years ago, Natsuhiko and Yuuri went to LABO and got into an accident. The fear he felt that fateful day had yet to fade. He might face death once more. He might lose something precious. But that was no reason to stop. (I have to go, don't I, Yuuri...? Or else I'll never be able to overcome the past.)As soon as that thought crossed Natsuhiko's mind, Mashiro gasped. ...Natsuhiko, don't tell me... You're not planning on going to LABO right now, are you? !?Both Natsuhiko and Salyu's eyes opened wide at those words. How did you!? Did you use empathy? I can tell even without using it... We've been together for so long, after all. (I see... there's no hiding it from Mashiro, huh...)Natsuhiko answered her with a smile of resignation. ...Say, Mashiro. I finally understand how you felt three nights ago. Huh? Nobody in the whole town knows that a terrorist attack will happen at LABO today besides us. This situation... kind of makes you feel a sense of obligation, doesn't it? ... ...If I don't do something, the city's good as gone. This isn't some event happening on the other side of the TV. This has everything to do with us-- So I really do have to go.He had thought that by avoiding danger, he could live in peace. But no matter how much he'd try to avoid the danger, his peace would crumble. And as Natsuhiko finally realized that, Salyu softly spoke up. ...Even if you go to LABO, you might not be able to do anything. Even if you warn the security officials, there's a high possibility that they won't believe you. But if I don't go, I'm sure I'll regret it. I don't want to have any more regrets.Natsuhiko had built up countless regrets prior to today. Countless times he thought ''If only we hadn't gone to LABO that day...''. But now it was the opposite. He would regret it if he didn't go to LABO. Then we'll come too-- No, there's no need for you two to come. I'll be fine by myself. Then what do we do? I've got a favor to ask. Go home right away and take Yuuri as far away as possible. ... Make her come with you, even if she screams and cries. In case the worst happens...!Natsuhiko looked the girls in the eye. But Mashiro-- Mashiro glared back at him. ...Don't give me that. You expect me to go home now, after all we've been through, just because you tell me to? Huh...? Nine years ago, you and Yuuri got into an accident at LABO, didn't you? Do you have any idea how it felt for me? I regretted not stopping you so badly that I wanted to die. Not even you can be dense enough to not realize that, can you? ...! Even now I want to stop you... If we're going to run away, then I want you to run away with us! But there's no stopping you, is there, Natsuhiko? You won't give up on going to LABO no matter what, will you!? It's the same as nine years ago! ... So in that case... In that case, at least let me go with you. You say you don't want to have any more regrets? Well neither do I...!Mashiro's voice was trembling. Those were probably words that Mashiro had kept locked inside her heart for years. But Mashiro, that's still...!When Natsuhiko still persisted on stopping Mashiro from joining him, Salyu sighed and spoke up. I agree with Mashiro. Nothing we say can stop you, Natsuhiko. Huh? You always say you're trying to avoid danger, but whenever it involves Mashiro or Yuuri, you break that oath all too easily. N-no, that's, well... That contradictory demeanor of yours is unmanageable. I've become painfully aware of that these past few days. Since it's pointless to stop you, you leave me no choice. I'll go with you too.Natsuhiko gasped at those words. H-hey, what are you saying!? Were you not listening? Y-yeah, it's going to be dangerous, you know!? I have a 9-year score to settle, but why do you have to come with us too, Salyu? No, it's actually only obvious that I go. If you two go to LABO alone, you'll have no way to deal with the terrorists if you come across them. Am I wrong? Mmph... Well, true, but... the terrorists were able to KO you last night, weren't they...? That's right. My regret is last night. If I had defeated them, we wouldn't be having this much of a problem now. So I'm going too. End of discussion. You cannot change my mind. Besides, above all else-- my duty is to protect you, Natsuhiko.Salyu spoke in one breath. In the same, level-headed tone she used when they had first met. But between the lines, Mashiro and Natsuhiko could tell that she was worried about them. Aagh, geez... How can you two be so stubborn...!?Mashiro and Salyu threw Natsuhiko's vitriol back at him. I don't want to hear it from you, Natsuhiko. The three of us just have the same idea in mind. Total agreement.Natsuhiko smiled wryly at their words. (I guess there's no stopping you two either, huh...!)He was headed towards a terrorist target with two girls as his only allies. It was quite an absurd proposition and an extremely dangerous one at that. And yet Natsuhiko was starting to feel that he was okay with it. (Dammit, why...? My fear from 9 years ago hadn't faded after all those years... So why is it only softening now that I know I've got these two by my side?)He was beginning to understand how Mashiro felt more and more. How the simple notion that he was not alone was so encouraging. Natsuhiko grinned at the girls and spoke in a deliberately cheerful voice. ...Okay, okay, you win, guys! I concede! Natsuhiko, you mean!? I can't waste any time arguing here, so I've got no choice but to take you two with me! ...Hey, what's with the attitude!? You're weaker than me, you know... Hahah, you got me there! Though he was laughing, Natsuhiko swore to himself. That no matter what happened from here on out, he'd protect these two. He was physically weaker than Salyu, and he was less skilled with BC than Mashiro. So protecting them was the only way he could repay them for the courage they provided him. ...Okay, then. Ready, guys? Roger. Mmm, I'm ready to go when you are. Let's go, to protect the city...!The kids nodded at each other and dashed off.
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| ← # ? Feb 12, 2017 14:10 |
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