Chương 73: Chapter 20 The Eve of the Counteroffensive (Part 1)

The shrill ringtone of my smartphone dragged me awake. I glanced at the clock by the bed. Seven o'clock. The caller ID showed my wife. It was awfully early. Something must have happened. We'd been keeping in touch through LINE, and since I'd gotten back late last night, I hadn't called, figuring I shouldn't disturb her. Maybe she'd finally run out of patience. If so, that was on me.

"Hello?"

"Tsukasa, are you awake? Have you seen the TV?"

"No, I just got up. Which channel?"

"Just turn it on!" I had no idea what was going on, but something clearly had happened. Mochida wasn't due to pick me up for a while yet, so I switched on the television. > "This is a live broadcast from the National Diet. The gates that have appeared in Akihabara and across the country will henceforth be officially designated as Dungeon Gates. In response, the government has enacted the Special Designated Harmful Beast Countermeasures Act, which will come into force at noon today.

Effective immediately upon enactment, the area within a five-kilometer radius of the Akihabara Dungeon Gate will be designated a Hazardous Beast Zone, and an evacuation advisory will be issued. Please take all necessary actions to protect your lives...... Pardon? Is this confirmed?... We've just received additional information. The government has declared that anyone who refuses to comply with the evacuation advisory will do so entirely at their own risk, and the state will bear no responsibility whatsoever.

Any announcement regarding the lifting of the evacuation advisory will be made separately by the National Diet." The government hadn't held anything back. If the objective was to minimize casualties, this was undoubtedly the most effective solution. Still, seeing them act this decisively was almost refreshing. There were roughly five hours until the evacuation deadline. Considering it was Akihabara, there was no guarantee everyone could get out in time.

Still, since the evacuation announcement itself hadn't begun yet, perhaps there was at least a little room to breathe.

"Rina, I saw it. Has this been on since this morning?"

"I think since around six-thirty. Every station is broadcasting the same thing. Tsukasa... are you okay? You said you'd become one of the response personnel..."

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'll be home soon."

"Liar! I've seen videos online! Those monsters are terrifying! It's dangerous! Please... just come home..."... Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She was crying. The last person I ever wanted to hear sobbing. I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms. To return to the ordinary life we'd left behind. To spend peaceful days with Rina and the rest of our family again. But if I wanted to reclaim that future... I couldn't turn back now.

"I... can't." I forced a smile into my voice.

"Besides..."

"I'm immortal, remember?" A stupid joke. I just wanted her to worry a little less. The truth was, it was a scam. A rigged game where one person was guaranteed to survive. Chiyoda had once joked that the people upstairs probably thought I was nothing more than a con artist. At this point... They weren't exactly wrong.

"But it'll still hurt! You'll still suffer! Why does it have to be you?! It doesn't have to be you! There are other people! Stronger people! Police officers! Soldiers! There are plenty of them!" She wasn't wrong. Tachibana had grown stronger. Hyodo had grown stronger. Even that high school student I met yesterday would become stronger. Anyone who entered a Gate and received a Class gained strength.

"Rina..."

"If someone has to do this job... then there's nothing wrong with that someone being me."

"You can't push it onto somebody else."

"I promise."

"I'll come back to the woman I love."

"I swear it."

"... No..."

"No... Why does it have to be you, Tsukasa...?"

"Why does it have to be the man I love...?"

"... But no matter what I say..."

"You're still going, aren't you?" I owed her more apologies than words could ever express. But now wasn't the time. When I apologized... I wanted to do it face-to-face. Words alone weren't enough. Feelings like these had to be conveyed while looking into each other's eyes.

"Yeah."

"I'm going."

"But I'll come back."

"So..."

"Will you see me off?"...

"... Take care."

"I'm off." The call ended.

He was already waiting outside. Oddly enough, he'd arrived early, and out of consideration he'd stayed silent until I finished. He looked exhausted. His usual neatly parted hair had fallen over his forehead. Unshaven stubble covered his jaw. His complexion was pale, and the dark circles beneath his eyes were even deeper than usual. He probably hadn't slept at all.

"Good morning. Can you leave right away?"

"Of course."

"Let's go, Chiyoda-san."

"You've gone a bit wild."

"I haven't slept."

"We'll talk while we walk." Wearing my killer whale hoodie, I hurried down the hotel corridor. Everything from here on would lead straight to the battlefield. We still had strategy meetings before the scheduled deployment. Time was finite. Once it passed... It never came back. The hallway was deserted. I lit a cigarette as I walked. Walking while smoking wasn't exactly good manners, but I hoped I'd be forgiven just this once. Chiyoda shot me a disapproving glance. He didn't say anything. Good enough.

"You've seen the broadcast?"

"I have."

"They made a bold decision."

"How many troops?"

"Six thousand combined personnel from the Self-Defense Forces and the police."

"Volunteer civilians will be deployed around the four-to-five-kilometer line."

"Anyone who goes inside that..."

"... does so at their own risk." So the plan was simple. The inner circle would intercept the monsters. Anything that slipped through would be stopped by the outer perimeter. I had no idea how many civilian volunteers there would be. But anyone stationed inside the inner zone had already accepted the possibility of death. At this point... Telling them not to die would only insult their resolve.

"... What about the dog tags?"

"And the wills?"

"... Everything has been prepared."

"At least with the tags..."

"... we'll be able to return them to their families."

"I see."

"Then when this is over..."

"We'll recover every body."

"And send them home with dignity." We climbed into the car, Chiyoda taking the wheel. The streets were in chaos. The emergency broadcast had thrown everyone into confusion. People wandered aimlessly, unsure where to go. Some had already obtained Classes. Others hadn't. Some would flee. Others would fight. Each person was making that decision for themselves.

"There is good news."

"And bad news."

"... Let's hear the bad first." Even now, on the eve of battle... There was still more. No— Not the eve anymore. Battle was almost upon us. The enemy still hid inside its den. The moment it emerged... The surprise attack would begin. We had no way of striking first.

"Several politicians and foreign ambassadors have requested your personal protection."

"They're waiting twenty kilometers away from the Akihabara Gate."...

"Chiyoda-san."

"After you drop me off..."

"I have another job for you."

"What would that be?"

"Tell them..."

"... to go to hell."

"And politely make it clear that, under my name..."

"... I will never accept another request from them again."

"Heh..."

"Now that's an assignment worth taking."

"I'll deliver it personally." Self-preservation was perfectly understandable. But they'd chosen the wrong person to rely on. Did they really think I'd smile sweetly and agree? If they wanted protection... They were free to spend their wealth and influence hiring someone else. Besides... Chiyoda had to be carrying more than a little frustration himself. Letting him vent some of it would probably do him good.

"What about the good news?"

"This."

"One envelope is for now."

"The other..."

"Open it after everything is over." Chiyoda handed me two sealed envelopes. The one on top was obviously meant to be opened first. I broke the seal and read the contents.... I see. That certainly qualified as good news.