Chapter 21
The Strength of Everyday Life
Saturday.
It was late April, long after the cherry blossoms had fallen.
Yahiro Kota. Experiencing spring.
I stood before the mirror, almost humming to myself. Reflected there was a face utterly unlike the one I used to have.
In elementary school, people had called me old-looking, and in middle school, they had called me tanuki-faced. But now, I was quite handsome.
Apparently, the elf and oni blood had influenced me in a favorable way, giving me delicate, elegant features.
My hair was as black as if it had been painted with ink, and my skin was snow-white. Amid all that, my wine-red eyes made a powerful impression.
At first glance, I had an androgynous appearance, but I had a distinct Adam's apple, reasonably broad shoulders, and a tall stature. I also knew that beneath my clothes was a six-pack.
My face before becoming a Gifted person had been different down to the bone structure. I remembered that on the morning after the 'Day of Regression,' when I was in my second year of middle school, nobody in my class seemed to know who I was.
Apparently, some Gifted people had their identities fall apart because of the changes to their bodies. That was what I had heard on television and the internet. I was probably lucky to have undergone a positive change like mine.
At this point, I might even be able to become a model. Right after the 'Day of Regression,' girls from other classes had even come out into the hallway just to see this face.
Well, eventually, they started keeping their distance because I was a Gifted person.
Despite having a good face, I wasn't merely treated as a pariah in class—I was treated like hazardous material. The world really wasn't all about appearances...
You'd think there could at least be one girl who said, "But I like non-ordinary handsome guys!"
...Yeah. In fiction, maybe, but in real life, of course people would avoid me.
And on top of that, the person inside is me. Even a love that lasted a hundred years would cool off.
...Saying that myself was starting to make me sad. Even my handsome face in the mirror, which I still wasn't used to, had turned pathetic.
No. Today was my first date in my entire life. I absolutely couldn't let myself look pathetic...!
Even if the purpose was dangerous and the other person's thoughts were dangerous, too! If a young man and woman went out into town alone on their day off, that made it a date!
...Oh. Just thinking about it made me so nervous that my stomach felt ready to turn over. The miso soup I'd had that morning seemed about to come back up into my throat.
M-maybe I should cancel today? I-I need to be more careful...
After spending ten minutes wavering over whether to send a cancellation email, I received one from Takanashi-san asking, "Can you go today?"
"...Y-yes."
While cursing this body for not even allowing me to fake an illness, I replied, "I'm fine," in a pathetic voice.
＊ ＊ ＊
I waited for Takanashi-san in front of the mysterious monument outside the station.
Despite having agonized over it, I had somehow arrived at the meeting place thirty minutes early.
Only now did I search for "advice for dates" on my phone.
I should have made a point of buying my own clothes instead of relying on my mother to choose them. The clothes and shoes she'd picked out suddenly made me feel uneasy.
Come to think of it, how long would the investigation take? Given the time, we'd probably end up eating lunch out. In that case, we needed to decide on a restaurant—
"Yahiro-san."
"Y-yes!"
I hurriedly raised my head at the cool voice that was starting to sound a little familiar.
Standing before me, as usual, was Takanashi-san in a military jacket and jeans.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I believe I told you our meeting time was ten thirty, but there must have been some miscommunication..."
"N-no, no! It was just a coincidence! I happened to arrive early! A-and besides, I wasn't waiting... okay?"
"Is that so? Then that is good."
Takanashi-san looked completely natural, without any particular sign of nervousness.
I felt inexplicably moved that I'd managed to say the standard line, "I wasn't waiting." I was now enjoying my youth like the protagonist of a story.
In that case, I should follow the advice I often saw online and compliment her clothes.
Humanity's collective wisdom, lend me your strength!
"Takanashi-san. Um, your outfit looks stylish today!"
"...? I do not believe it is particularly different from usual."
"...Y-you're always stylish."
"I see. Thank you."
The internet really was useless. Damn it.
No. I was on the verge of falling to the dark side there.
That had been my mistake. Of course. Takanashi-san was dressed the same way as always.
"I have three identical outfits, so I wash them and rotate them. I take pride in this attire for combining a certain degree of functionality with enough stealth that I do not attract strange looks from those around me. If you approve of it, Yahiro-san, then it must be satisfactory."
"Right..."
Though, with you wearing it, any outfit would stand out.
In fact, she had captured the attention of everyone passing around us. In the couple over there, the man had been staring intently at Takanashi-san's rear until his girlfriend elbowed him.
I put aside my thought of Serves you right, normie. There was no way stealth was possible for Takanashi-san.
"My other clothes are either conspicuous or difficult to move in, so I am taking good care of them."
"Oh, really...? Wait, what do you mean by conspicuous or difficult to move in?"
"The clothes in the closet included a bunny-girl outfit, a maid uniform, a school swimsuit, a nurse costume for cosplay, a lab coat, and an outfit with an unusually excessive number of frills. Most of them were things I had never seen in real life before."
"...Yeah. Those would be conspicuous and difficult to move in."
"I cannot understand why Demi-chan prepared outfits like those. There were more than five maid uniforms alone. Was she anticipating using them for infiltration, or was she simply unfamiliar with the clothing of this era...?"
Takanashi-san covered her mouth with one hand and began pondering the matter seriously.
I didn't know what kind of personality that self-proclaimed Demiurge had, but judging from what she'd done on the 'Day of Regression,' she probably had the personality of a prankster. I doubted she'd thought that deeply about it.
"There was also an unusually wide variety of underwear, which was helpful... No. Let us discuss this another time."
Wait. That sounded like an incredibly interesting topic.
However, I didn't have the courage to dig any deeper. Besides, it would be sexual harassment.
"Let us go, Yahiro-san. We need to identify her residence during the day. After sunset, it will be the vampire's time."
"Oh, okay."
At Takanashi-san's prompting, I began walking.
Right. On occasions like this, I was supposed to walk on the side nearer the road. When I started paying attention to my position, however, she was already walking on that side.
She kept a wary eye on our surroundings, both hands in her pockets. Judging from the faint magic I could sense, she was probably hiding her staff and scrolls in there.
This girl is terrifying...
Perhaps she'd misunderstood the expression on my face, because Takanashi-san gave me a small nod.
"Please rest assured. I have no experience with bodyguard duty, but if necessary, I will serve as your shield."
"...No, you don't have to do that."
"There is no need for modesty. Leave it to me."
"No, really..."
This really wasn't a date.
I sighed inwardly, thinking that my first date was still a long way off.
＊ ＊ ＊
There was a minor hiccup when Takanashi-san struggled a little to buy her ticket, but aside from that, we boarded the train without any trouble.
Even though it was Saturday, this area was rural. Fortunately, there were hardly any people on the train, and we were both able to sit down with room to spare.
At first, we'd planned to sit with one seat between us, but I was a little surprised when Takanashi-san sat down beside me, saying, "We should avoid being separated."
There was a group of girls who appeared to be middle school students, an elderly couple, and some men in suits aboard the train. It was an entirely ordinary scene for this area, and there was no need for particular caution.
The train began moving with an announcement. It gave a slight jolt with a clatter.
The scenery outside the window gradually began to accelerate.
Without so much as glancing at the passing scenery, Takanashi-san sat perfectly straight, her right hand always tucked inside her pocket. More precisely, she was gripping her handgun-shaped staff.
If someone found that suspicious and a station attendant or police officer checked her belongings, she might be arrested. Growing genuinely worried, I addressed her in a low voice.
"Um, Takanashi-san."
"Yes. What is it?"
Perhaps to match me, she replied in a whisper as well.
Her face was very close, and my heart began to pound a little. A faint scent of soap tickled my nose.
"If someone sees the staff, they might mistake you for a criminal. I think you shouldn't touch it too much... probably."
"...Understood. My apologies."
"No, it's fine. Really."
She gave a small nod and withdrew her right hand from her pocket. I felt relieved, but then noticed that a ring containing magic had been threaded onto the cord wrapped around her wrist.
...She put the staff into her Item Box.
Perhaps because she was wary of Ishiyama Iwako-san, also known as 'Rosso Vendetta,' who had committed crimes in the future, Takanashi-san had brought Kenning with her.
I'd anticipated her bringing this magic item for that purpose, but it was still bad for my heart.
Even among the already small number of Gifted people, users of spatial magic were said to be rare. Imbuing a magic item with a Gift was difficult in its own right, and spatial magic was more difficult to use that way than other types.
The contents aside, the Item Box itself was an extremely valuable object. I was starting to feel nervous in an entirely different way.
After that, I couldn't think of anything to talk about, and we rode in silence. I reached for my phone several times, but with someone beside me in a battle-ready state, I found it difficult to take it out.
Eventually, we arrived at the next station. Several people boarded and took seats in the still mostly empty train.
The number of people might increase sharply around the next station. That area was relatively developed.
And Ishiyama-san was in the city where that station stood.
What kind of person was she, I wondered. She might be exactly the sort of person Takanashi-san described, or she might be an upstanding person in this era.
I hoped it would be the latter. I'd never experienced violence between humans. And as for piercing someone's heart... Just imagining it was enough to make me feel nauseated.
My experience entering dungeons and fighting monsters let me vividly imagine the sensation of flesh being pierced. Against monsters, I could avoid feeling too guilty, but if the opponent were human...
I remembered the time a skeleton had appeared in the city. I still couldn't forget the red that had soaked the ground then.
───Shaa...!
"Hm...?"
I raised my head at the sound coming from the window.
Apparently, it was raining. The rain gradually intensified, becoming a downpour in no time at all.
The forecast had said sunny, then cloudy, but apparently it had been wrong. I hadn't brought an umbrella. What was I going to do?
I hoped they sold plastic umbrellas at the station or a nearby convenience store. I gazed out the window as I thought about it.
But amid the rain streaming past...
I thought I saw the same red I'd seen that day.
"Huh?"
In an instant, my Magic Eye activated.
I saw the world upside down, Takanashi-san's neck slamming into a pole, and myself being slammed against the ceiling.
I clairvoyantly saw the future several seconds ahead.
"Look out!"
It happened almost simultaneously with my cry.
───SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!
A high-pitched screech of brakes, followed by a powerful impact. Just after the sideways shaking threw me off balance, the train 'jumped.'
As screams rose from every direction, the train car began toppling violently. The passengers were shaken around amid their screams, unable to brace themselves as they were slammed into the ceiling, the floor, and one another.
I instinctively shielded Takanashi-san. At the same time, I deployed my 'Spirit Armament.' Even with the weight of two people, the tremendous impact easily tore us from our seats.
I thought my back had struck the ceiling, but then a pole came rushing toward my face. After taking it on my shoulder, I fell toward the doors. Somehow, I endured the pain while holding Takanashi-san's head in my arms.
How long had the shaking lasted? Ten seconds? Ten minutes? I had no idea.
Through my flickering vision, I saw rough ground. Was it... asphalt?
Seeing it through the broken glass of the door was a first for me, and an indescribably strange sensation overcame me.
After staring blankly at the scene for several seconds, something moved in my arms.
"Ngh...!"
"T-Takanashi-san!"
I was in a position that had crushed her, so I hurriedly moved off of her.
Perhaps I'd held her too tightly, because her white forehead was slightly red. I'd managed to shield her head and back with my arms, but apparently I hadn't been able to protect her legs. Her left leg, wrapped in jeans, was bent at an unnatural angle.
Only then did I realize that I had deactivated my 'Spirit Armament.' Apparently, I had returned to my normal appearance when I lost consciousness.
No, more importantly...!
"Healing...!?"
As I healed her with my unique Gift, I unconsciously raised my head.
There,
"Ah..."
I saw red.
Shattered window glass lay everywhere, and rain entered through it. The bodies of the people exposed to the rain were already drenched in blood.
Aside from us, nothing moved.
"!"
Takanashi-san suddenly sat up and looked around with her staff in hand.
Apparently, she had seen the carnage inside the train as well, because she drew a small breath.
"A-ambulance... an ambulance! Takanashi-san, call an ambulance quickly! I'll heal them!"
I stood and tried to approach the elderly couple lying nearby.
But before I could, a slender hand seized my shoulder and stopped me.
"It is pointless. They are dead."
Huh?
Unable to understand, I turned toward Takanashi-san.
She continued in a flat, expressionless voice.
"Your unique Gift has no effect on the dead. We should prioritize moving now."
She deployed her 'Spirit Armament' and leaped onto the pole at her feet. She grabbed the pole overhead on the opposite side and lifted herself up with it like a horizontal bar.
Then, without hesitation, she operated the emergency door release. She used a 'Telekinesis' scroll on the door that had opened slightly, creating enough space for a person to pass through.
"Thank you for earlier. For now, come this way. We do not know the current situation, but remaining in an enclosed space is dangerous. Let us secure our safety first."
I couldn't understand what she was saying.
Dead? Everyone? Nobody was alive?
The elderly couple who had been chatting so fondly until moments ago. The middle school students who had been talking together in low voices. The man in the suit who had looked sleepy.
I looked around, telling myself that couldn't be true.
But each person had either had their neck twisted in an unnatural direction or their head crushed. Even someone with no medical knowledge could tell they had suffered fatal injuries.
And I couldn't sense any magic from them. That meant—
"Urk."
Before I knew it, I'd vomited the contents of my stomach onto the ground at my feet. A wet, filthy sound echoed.
Takanashi-san climbed down and rubbed my back. Even through her gloves and the cloth between us, I could feel her warmth.
Even so, the nauseating feeling swirling in my chest did not disappear.
The stench of the vomit from my own mouth. The iron smell from the fallen, unmoving people. And the smell of rain entering from outside.
They all hammered home that this was reality. My reason couldn't accept it, but my instincts understood.
The everyday life we'd known only moments ago had vanished without a trace.