Reunion

Now that I think about it, perhaps Charlotte had decided to keep me alive ever since she saw that message on my phone.

I guessed she was curious to find out what would happen when the countdown reached zero.

That was the sole reason why she had let me live.

We’d been nothing but playthings to that woman.

“This is not my real body, but merely a remote-controlled dummy.”

“There’s a powerful bomb inside my body. If I die, it’ll go off and kill us all.”

“I don’t have any skills since I’m not a Savior.”

Lies, all of them.

“I love you.”

I remembered the last words she said to me and ground my rear molars to dust. Rage and hatred filled me.

It wouldn’t be long before “Shizuka” was loaded with bullets again.

I was resting at the fortress in the desert, which was now completely devoid of survivors.

The air was filled with the smell of blood and gunpowder smoke.

My senses seemed to be dulled, however, as it didn’t bother me at all.

I decided to put on “Yuichi,” the goggles I’d been wearing on my head, just in case.

There appeared to be no signs of life within a two-kilometer radius.

However, I had a slight nagging feeling as though I was being watched.

I recalibrated “Yuichi” and increased its magnifying power.

There was a castle three kilometers from here, and I spotted movement on one of the turrets.

Ah. So that’s where you are, Charlotte.

I returned my hand cannon “Shizuka” to “Futoshi,” my backpack, and took out “Yayoi,” my sniper rifle, instead.

While Futoshi’s skill had been regarded as useless when he was alive, it was indispensable to me now.

Without “Futoshi’s” ability to pack everything I needed, I wouldn’t have been able to carry even half of my classmates’ weapons.

Futoshi had been killed by Yayoi.

I wondered what went through Yayoi’s mind when she shot him.

That day, I had forgotten the sheet music I needed for class and gone back to our classroom to get it.

As I was about to step inside, I witnessed Futoshi, who never shared his food with anyone, give Yayoi one of his precious buns.

I still remember the look on Yayoi’s face then.

That was the first and only time I had ever seen her smile.

Instead of getting my sheet music, I turned around and headed back to the music room.

I moved “Yuichi” up above my head and adjusted my grip on “Yayoi.”

I confirmed two people on the castle turret through “Yayoi’s” scope. One of them was a man observing this fortress through his telescope.

There was no mistaking the other person.

It was that bitch, Charlotte.

I aligned the laser sight on the man with the telescope.

I’ll save you for last, Charlotte.

Just like you did to me, I’ll kill all of your comrades before I finish you off.

It’s all right, “Yayoi.”

You don’t have to worry about accidentally shooting your friend ever again.

I set my jaw and squeezed the trigger.

“Consider this a greeting from me, Charlotte.”

The bullet spiraled swiftly through the air and pierced the man’s skull, telescope and all.