The person being waited for.

　――The twenty-seventh time.

(It's my fault…… I approached him carelessly……!　And because of that!! )

　When Akira woke up, he bit his lip in intense regret.
　At that time, Nao died because he got mixed up in troublesome matters himself, even though he was just trying to see how things were going.
　It was true that Nao was caught up in the horde that the man was leading, but if he had not approached carelessly―― or if he had gone alone to check on the situation - she might not have been tortured to death by the monsters.
　These thoughts have been swirling around in Akira's mind ever since he woke up.

"――――！ "


　Akira then bit his lip even harder, thinking about Nao.
　He had experienced death many times before, but the cause of his death was almost instantaneous.
　So Akira has never known the horror of being slowly killed by the monsters as Nao experienced this time.
　However, that did not mean that he could not imagine it.
　Surely, the pain and fear leading up to the point of near-death must have felt longer and stronger than any death Akira Ichijou had experienced.
　It was not hard to imagine what she must be feeling now that she had woken up under such circumstances.

(Damn……!! )

　Letting the words out with his mind, Akira covered his face.
　Circling around in his head were the words said by the man as he left.

　――――I'm sorry.

　What was the apology that he muttered for?
　Was it simply for getting them involved in that messy business? Or was it for pushing that horde against them in order to save himself?
　Now, there was no way to know the true meaning of that.
　What was known to Akira Ichijou was unknown to the people of this world.


(What in the world do you have to do to attract that many monsters in the first place……?)


　It was impossible to simply walk around the city and come across that many monsters.
　Surely there must be a reason why he was being chased by such a large swarm.

( Was he thinking of gaining experience by collecting a large number of monsters and killing them all at once?　……No, surely not. If that had been the case, he would not have screamed like that. If anything, that cry was like―――― the kind of cry you'd give if you unexpectedly ran into that horde.)

　Akira recalled the voice he heard in his previous life.
　That cry, tinged with palpable fear, was not the kind of cry that would come from a man on the verge of death from a seed he had sown.

(If so, did the herd really grow while they were running around town?　……That's possible. He had the feet to get away from a Black Wolf, so perhaps, his status is a singular type focused on Speed. Or, like me, he had a unique skill, one that was "escape-specific"……)

　Akira did not believe that he was the only one with unique skills.
　Surely, somewhere in this world, there must be someone who is "special" in some way, just like himself, Akira thought.


(……No. Even if that were the case, would there be that many of them?　The speed of the Black Wolf and the Goblin in that pack was completely different…… That's just like when that minotaur was there, there's no way that many monsters would move all at once unless they were trying to escape from a boss-level monster that showed up there――――)


　After thinking that much, Akira stopped, holding his breath.
　A hypothesis popped into his head.
　No way, it can't be. Even as he thought this, Akira knew somewhere in his heart that it was the only answer possible to that event.

(I'll have to look into that.)

　Whispering in his mind, Akira decided what he was going to do in this life.
　His newly awakened body was also back to a state of immobility.
　Despite his frustration, Akira moved his gaze to an object on the floor.


"Next is this guy…… What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"


　Akira's gaze fell on the minotaur's battle axe, which rested flat on the floor of the hospital room.
　It was as if it had been there from the beginning, dully reflecting the sunlight that streamed into the room.
　Akira stared at it and slowly sighed.

(……I see. So this is the effect of inventory. It was as if it had been there all along. As if it belongs there. If anyone finds it, it's going to be troublesome.)

　While he was not sure if this axe was treated as something that had been here from the beginning in this world, if not, it would certainly be a source of consternation.


(I wish I could hide it…… I can't even move my body…… Wouldn't it be less troublesome later if I just told Karube-san that I'm looping? )

　Akira let out a small sigh and switched his thoughts to such a matter.


(……For the time being, let's wait for Nao-san.)


　It was important to think about the future, but first, we must be there for her, who must be in shock.


　And so Akira remained still, waiting for her to come to the room.
　What words should I first say to her when she visits?
　What words can ease the horror of what she experienced? How can I be there for the fear she experienced, for the pain, for the hardship of it all?
　For the courage she gave me at that time. The hope. Kindness. Now is the time to give back even a fraction……
　While waiting for her, Akira Ichijou was thinking about nothing but that.

　But no matter how long he waited, she did not visit.

　Time simply passed and the room began to show streaks of crimson.
　Soon, a small knock sounded in the room, as if to signal that time was ticking away.
　At the sound, Akira lifted his downcast face, and the door slowly opened.


"Excuse me."


　The person who visited the room was not the person Akira had been waiting for, but Minoru Karube, a self-defense officer who guarded this hospital.

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 ToC    

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