Chapter 454: The Beginning of Salvation

Chapter 454: Chapter 454: The Beginning of Salvation

Chapter 454: The Beginning of Salvation

"Uh..."

Faced with Asagiri’s question, Eriri suddenly had no idea how to answer.

A faint blush rose across her cheeks as her mind raced.

After several seconds, she finally came up with an explanation that sounded reasonable.

"What I mean is... the Death Game is finally reaching its end."

"After the next Dungeon, no one will have to die anymore."

"So I’m just a little excited about that."

"Oh, I see."

Seeing that Asagiri did not press the issue, Eriri quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, she couldn’t exactly tell him the truth.

That she was excited because, for the first time, she might get to enter the same Dungeon as him.

Saying that aloud would be far too embarrassing.

Besides, there was still plenty of time.

Once the Death Game was completely over, she could slowly figure out how to win Utsunomiya-san over.

They shared plenty of interests and would have countless opportunities to interact.

There was no need to rush.

"Utsunomiya-san."

At that moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha also walked out of the room.

Her feet, covered in black sheer stockings, stepped lightly across the floor.

Combined with the loose loungewear she was wearing, which still outlined her figure whenever she stretched, the sight immediately made Eriri grit her teeth.

Question.

What did Eriri and Iwanaga Kotoko have in common?

Both were easily jealous.

Both loved to sulk.

And both had a black haired, red eyed romantic rival.

Although, in Eriri’s case, her rival possessed overwhelmingly greater "combat power" than Iwanaga Kotoko’s.

"Maki sent a message."

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised her phone, her tone as flat as ever.

"She wants to discuss the Game with us."

"I’m getting hungry anyway, so I was thinking of going out to eat with her and Eriri."

She glanced at Asagiri.

"If you’re willing, Utsunomiya-san, you can come too."

"Sure."

The moment Asagiri agreed, Eriri felt a burst of joy.

She had no idea why the usually sharp tongued Kasumigaoka Utaha had suddenly decided to invite him today, but for once, that wicked woman had done something useful.

"I’ll go change!"

"I’ll be right back!"

Eriri immediately rushed into the room.

Watching the door close behind her, Kasumigaoka Utaha shifted her gaze toward Asagiri, who remained seated on the sofa.

A complicated emotion flickered through her dark red eyes.

After a brief hesitation, she walked over and sat beside him.

Crossing her long legs, she spoke softly.

"Utsunomiya-san."

"Although I don’t particularly enjoy boasting, I do possess considerable talent when it comes to literature."

Asagiri replied without hesitation.

"That’s definitely boasting."

"Then let’s say I’m boasting."

Kasumigaoka Utaha did not argue.

Instead, she calmly pointed toward the closed door.

"And unlike that person, I’m not particularly slow when it comes to understanding things."

"So?"

"So..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head and looked directly into Asagiri’s eyes.

Her gaze seemed to be searching for something.

"I haven’t seen the complete story of the game."

"But from the outline and the sections you’ve given me to write, I can already feel the atmosphere."

"There’s something sad about the ending."

She paused.

"I don’t think you’re simply making a game."

"I think you’re using it to leave something behind."

"Almost like..."

"A will."

"It’s not quite that dramatic."

To Kasumigaoka Utaha’s surprise, Asagiri did not attempt to hide it.

He simply smiled.

"It’s more like insurance."

"Preparation, just in case."

"You..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha frowned.

After several seconds of silence, she slowly asked,

"Does anyone else know?"

"No."

"Then why are you willing to let me know?"

"Because it doesn’t affect you that much, does it?"

Asagiri answered with a carefree smile.

"My usual teammates are one thing."

"But Ashikaga-sensei, Maki, and Eriri have all been helping me throughout this."

"If they knew I was already preparing for the possibility of not coming back, they’d definitely carry that burden with them."

"But whether they like it or not, rationally speaking, I still need to make preparations."

"It doesn’t affect me that much...?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha quietly repeated those words.

Then she pursed her lips and smiled faintly.

"Perhaps I’m not as unaffected as you think."

"My relationship with you isn’t particularly close."

"And I don’t have romantic feelings for you like Maki and Eriri."

"But still..."

"I hope you survive."

She looked away slightly.

"I really like your writing."

"What about me?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha froze.

Then she looked back at him with disbelief.

"You’re far too direct."

After a brief pause, however, she continued honestly.

"Still..."

"I am interested in you as a person."

"Even if you weren’t Shadow, I’d still be willing to spend time with you."

"So..."

"It would be better if you didn’t die."

"I’ll try."

Asagiri shrugged.

"But if I really die, then there’s nothing I can do about it."

Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed softly.

Then, after some hesitation, she asked,

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Hearing that question, Asagiri’s gaze openly swept across her long legs covered in black sheer stockings.

Then he shrugged.

"If I answered honestly, you’d probably get angry."

"So let’s not."

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at him.

"...Judging from where you’re looking, I can roughly guess what kind of answer you were about to give."

"I’m asking about the Dungeon."

"Your emotional intelligence is surprisingly low, Kasumigaoka."

Asagiri answered bluntly.

"Even if you combined your abilities and stats with Maki’s and Eriri’s into a single person, you still wouldn’t be able to contribute much to the battle I’m about to face."

"So here’s some sincere advice."

"When Phase Seven sends everyone into the Dungeon, stay as far away from the main battlefield as possible."

"Don’t even think about taking risks for additional rewards."

"This is already the end."

"There might not even be rewards after clearing it."

"You’re worried about us now?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha was momentarily surprised.

Then she covered her mouth and laughed softly.

"You’re preparing your own will, yet you’re still worrying about whether we survive."

"You don’t seem like the gentle type at all."

"And yet at a time like this, you suddenly show this strange tenderness."

"Utsunomiya-san..."

"You really are an unusual person."

"This is perfectly normal."

Asagiri smiled.

"My upper chamber has already judged that the three of you belong to the friendly faction."

"Even if you can’t contribute much in the Dungeon, you’re extremely useful assistants in the real world."

"And all three of you are attractive."

"So naturally, my lower chamber also voted in favor."

Kasumigaoka Utaha fell silent.

"...I regret calling you gentle."

...

Ten days later, inside Miwa Ashikaga’s office at Shuchiin Private Academy.

"Ashikaga-sensei."

Asagiri pushed open the door and walked inside.

Miwa Ashikaga sat behind her desk.

"I need to take a leave of absence."

"You?"

Miwa Ashikaga stared at him in disbelief.

"A leave of absence?"

What surprised her was not the request itself.

It was the fact that Asagiri had actually come to her office to ask in person.

Normally, he would simply send a message.

Whether she saw it or not, he would already be gone by the time she had a chance to object.

"How long?"

"I don’t know."

"But probably more than five days."

"Five days?"

Miwa Ashikaga immediately frowned.

"There are only five days remaining before Nyx completely invades this world..."

Her voice suddenly stopped.

She looked at Asagiri.

Then her expression changed.

"Wait."

"You’re planning to enter that world early?"

"That’s right."

Asagiri walked toward the desk and slowly opened his palm.

A tiny figure appeared.

Chibi Mita jumped directly from his hand onto Miwa Ashikaga’s desk.

"I’m going into the Dungeon world first."

"I’ll gather intelligence, analyze what has changed, and prepare a strategy for the final battle."

"While I’m there, I’ll communicate with you through Chibi Mita."

"Even across different worlds, as long as I don’t dismiss her voluntarily and she isn’t forcibly destroyed, she can maintain a telepathic connection with me."

"She’ll act as the link between us."

"But you..."

"Ashikaga-sensei."

Before Miwa Ashikaga could finish, Asagiri interrupted her.

"You know this is the safest approach."

"With my current strength, even Nyx can’t kill me easily."

"We need to know what has changed in that world."

"We also need to establish contact with Blackwatch and see whether negotiation is possible."

"If everyone enters blindly without any information or preparation, we’ll be at too much of a disadvantage."

"Indeed..."

Miwa Ashikaga did not want to see Asagiri take such a risk.

But she could not deny the logic.

Entering an unknown and extremely dangerous Cursed world without intelligence, without preparation, and without even knowing what Nyx had done there during the past month would be far more dangerous.

She took a slow breath.

"I understand."

Then her expression became serious.

"But what happens if you encounter danger?"

"This Dungeon is different from the previous ones."

"You can’t simply choose to enter and leave whenever you want."

"I already considered that."

Asagiri took out his phone.

He opened the Eye Icon APP and handed it to Miwa Ashikaga.

A single message was displayed on the screen.

[The hope of salvation and the will of the world have been entrusted to your hands.]

"What does this mean...?"

Miwa Ashikaga frowned.

Asagiri spoke quietly.

"I decide when every Player in this world, and possibly Players from other worlds as well, will enter the Cursed world where Nyx’s true body resides."

"The System gave you authority over the timing of the final battle..."

Miwa Ashikaga raised a hand and adjusted her gold rimmed glasses.

Before she could continue, Asagiri spoke again.

"And now I’m giving that authority to you."

Miwa Ashikaga’s expression froze.

"If Chibi Mita suddenly disappears while I’m over there, it means I’ve entered a battle dangerous enough that I need to deploy three Personas simultaneously."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"If that happens..."

"Immediately initiate the final battle."

....

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