Chapter 445: Hope of Salvation

Chapter 445: Chapter 445: Hope of Salvation

Chapter 445: Hope of Salvation

"Thirty days, huh..."

Watching the dark red mist gradually disappear from his vision, Asagiri opened his eyes.

He had returned to the seaside villa in the real world.

Yuuki Asuna and the others were all sitting in the living room. After confirming that no one was missing, Asagiri spoke softly.

"Did all of you see the System’s countdown just now?"

"Countdown?"

Yuuki Asuna looked confused and shook her head.

"No. Just like usual, it displayed our special bonus actions and Dungeon ratings, then sent us back to the real world."

"There wasn’t any countdown."

"No one saw it?"

After confirming that none of them had received the thirty day countdown, Asagiri nodded thoughtfully.

"Before I returned, the System sent me another message."

"It said we have thirty days left."

"And it apologized for being unable to buy me any more time."

"An apology?"

Kaguya Shinomiya frowned.

A complicated emotion appeared in her crimson eyes, and her voice became slightly heavier.

"Does the System believe that, with our current strength, we can’t defeat Nyx?"

"So it’s apologizing because it couldn’t give you more time to prepare?"

"It’s not only the System."

Iwanaga Kotoko spoke calmly.

"I think the same."

"With our current strength alone, completely destroying Nyx will be extremely difficult."

"Even if we follow the plan Asagiri proposed, gathering every Player in our world and trying to eliminate all humans in the Blackwatch world would still be incredibly difficult."

"And there’s another important problem."

"None of us here fear death anymore, but that doesn’t mean the other Players are the same."

"If they enter that world while still fearing death, could they become another source of power for Nyx, just like the native humans there?"

Hearing Iwanaga Kotoko’s analysis, Yamauchi Sakura and Fujiwara Chika both wore adorably blank expressions.

"This is way too complicated..."

"Conceptual power is complicated by nature."

Iwanaga Kotoko replied indifferently before turning toward Asagiri.

"If we only have thirty days remaining, then this was our final normal Dungeon."

"What do we do next?"

"Thirty days..."

Asagiri also felt that the remaining time was nowhere near enough.

They had only just eliminated Shido Masayoshi.

Originally, their next step should have been to unify all the Players in this world.

Using the brain computer NERvGear developed by Kayaba Akihiko, they could train together, cooperate through repeated Dungeons, improve the overall strength of the Player population, and minimize casualties.

Only after completing those preparations should they have launched a full scale assault on the Cursed world where Nyx’s true body resided.

But now, there was no time.

They did not even have another opportunity to scout that world.

The next time they entered through the System’s power...

They would have to launch the final assault immediately.

"Let’s confirm our Dungeon rewards first."

Asagiri looked around at the girls present.

Aside from Sakurakawa Rikka, who was absent because they had entered the Dungeon from different locations in the real world, the eight people here, including Asagiri himself, represented the strongest combat force in this world.

No.

In this entire Death Game.

"Alright. Then we’ll head upstairs first."

Just like last time, Kaguya Shinomiya, Hayasaka Ai, and Fujiwara Chika left the living room and went upstairs.

They belonged to the same team as Sakurakawa Rikka, so after clearing a Dungeon, the four of them usually discussed their reward choices together.

Even though Sakurakawa Rikka was not physically present this time, a video call would work just as well.

After they left, Yuuki Asuna stood and walked over to Asagiri.

She sat beside him and asked softly,

"This time... can we win?"

"Hard to say."

For the first time, Asagiri gave a different answer to that familiar question.

But his tone immediately changed.

"If we don’t try, though, we’re guaranteed to lose."

"Yes."

Yuuki Asuna nodded.

Her gaze moved toward Iwanaga Kotoko, Kato Megumi, and Yamauchi Sakura.

From their expressions, it was obvious that everyone was already prepared for the coming battle.

The same was true for Kaguya Shinomiya, Fujiwara Chika, Hayasaka Ai, and Sakurakawa Rikka.

However, when Yuuki Asuna took out her phone and opened the Eye Icon APP, no reward selection appeared.

Instead, a translucent light blue Tarot card materialized on the screen and slowly rotated.

[Tarot Card: The Lovers]

Similar cards appeared on everyone else’s phones.

Iwanaga Kotoko’s screen displayed The Magician.

Kato Megumi’s displayed The Hermit.

Yamauchi Sakura’s displayed The Sun.

And beneath each card, the same sentence appeared.

[Unwavering resolve has become the hope of salvation.]

"This is..."

"It seems we’ve received our ultimate power."

Iwanaga Kotoko gently touched the screen with her fair right index finger.

The Magician Tarot card transformed into pale blue light and flowed into her fingertip.

At that instant, she clearly felt both her physical attributes and mental strength rise dramatically.

If the change were expressed numerically, then before this, without activating Netherworld Summoning, she could use God Chasing only once at most.

Now, she could activate it twice consecutively.

A direct doubling.

However, it was not that the strength of her mental power itself had doubled. That aspect already seemed to have reached some kind of limit.

Instead, the total quantity of spiritual power she possessed had doubled.

Her physical attributes had improved more straightforwardly.

Stamina, strength, speed, reflexes.

Every value had doubled.

"Asagiri, which Tarot card did you receive?"

Hearing Iwanaga Kotoko’s question, Asagiri closed his phone and slipped it into his pocket.

Then he smiled.

"As the great, chosen, sole protagonist, mine is naturally The Universe, representing the culmination of the journey of rebirth."

"The Universe?"

Yamauchi Sakura had played Tarot divination with friends at school before.

She tilted her head curiously.

"If I remember correctly, don’t Tarot cards usually go from The Fool to The World?"

"Different Tarot systems use different names."

Asagiri explained casually.

"In some systems, the final card is The Universe. In others, it’s The World."

"The names differ, but the meaning is essentially the same."

"The Fool completes the entire journey and finally reaches its destination."

"I see."

Just as Yamauchi Sakura finished speaking, her phone suddenly rang.

Seeing Miwa Ashikaga’s name on the caller ID, she paused.

Then she remembered.

Asagiri’s, Yuuki Asuna’s, Kato Megumi’s, and Iwanaga Kotoko’s original phones had all been destroyed during the battle.

The phones they had used to clear the Dungeon were obtained inside that world, so naturally, they had no signal after returning to reality.

"Here. Ashikaga-sensei is calling."

"Thanks."

Asagiri accepted Yamauchi Sakura’s phone and answered.

"What’s up, Ashikaga-sensei?"

"I am The Hierophant."

"The Hierophant? No, no, no. You’re a middle aged woman."

Miwa Ashikaga fell silent.

"...I’m talking about the symbolic Tarot card that appeared on my phone."

"I’m The Hierophant."

"I remember Asuna and Kotoko received those cards before, didn’t they?"

"The ones connected to the Persona slots?"

"Mm. Megumi has The Hermit, Sakura has The Sun, and mine is The Universe."

"Kaguya and the others should have received their own as well. I’ll ask them upstairs later."

"Oh, really..."

After hearing that Kato Megumi and Yamauchi Sakura had also received symbolic Tarot cards, and that Kaguya Shinomiya and the others probably had them too, Miwa Ashikaga let out a long sigh.

Her complicated tone made it easy to imagine the expression on her face.

"This is all because of you and your group..."

"Why did the System give me one too?"

"I didn’t complete the hidden main quest with you."

"Of course, being acknowledged by the System for helping save the world isn’t a bad feeling, but..."

"That’s not quite right."

Before Miwa Ashikaga could finish, Asagiri gently interrupted her.

"It’s not that everyone recognized by the System for saving the world receives a Tarot card."

"It’s that the people who are important to me, and who helped me throughout my journey of rebirth, receive a symbolic Tarot card."

"I see..."

Miwa Ashikaga immediately understood.

A few seconds later, she spoke again in a more relaxed, teasing tone.

"Even if that’s true, it still sounds like we’re all supporting characters and you’re the protagonist."

"It makes me feel a little complicated."

"Guiding students onto the right path is a teacher’s duty, isn’t it?"

"At a time like this, you can suddenly say something completely reasonable."

Miwa Ashikaga sighed.

"Fine. We’ll discuss the details after you return to Sapporo."

"The school trip ends tomorrow anyway."

"Come back first."

"Okay."

After ending the call, Asagiri returned the phone to Yamauchi Sakura.

Then he looked around at Yuuki Asuna and the others and smiled.

"Let’s rest for a while."

"We’ll be heading back soon."

After saying that, Asagiri left the villa alone.

He slowly walked toward the shore.

Under the night sky, he stood facing the dark ocean, listening to the rhythmic sound of waves washing across the beach.

A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

"You didn’t tell them everything."

Hearing the voice behind him, Asagiri turned.

Kato Megumi stood quietly a short distance away.

Asagiri chuckled.

"You noticed?"

"I thought my acting was flawless."

"Maybe it’s because people don’t notice me very often, so I have more time to observe everyone else."

Kato Megumi calmly walked closer.

"And your acting really was flawless."

"But..."

She raised her fair right hand and gently placed it against Asagiri’s cheek.

Tilting her head slightly, she looked directly into his eyes.

Her voice remained soft and steady.

"As your girlfriend, I’m still one step ahead of you as a boyfriend, you know."

....

https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR

[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]

[[email protected]/FanficLord03]