ch21-ch40 · 038-ch38

Chapter 38: Toward the Guiding Light

"Is that..."

While everyone was transporting items, someone suddenly noticed something and pointed. Following their gaze, I saw floating text appear.

《Collapse in 19 minutes 56 seconds》

What's this number?

『The time until this world collapses.』

Lumiel muttered in her white cat form.

"The world collapses?"

『Yes. If the master of this place is gone, there's no reason for this world to exist.』

Which means...?

"So we have to get out before that time runs out?"

『Mm.』

Lumiel-san, if you knew, you should've told us. I mean, there's less than 20 minutes left!

"Everyone, we're in trouble... apparently when this hits zero, this whole world collapses!"

"Eh!?"

"Hurry and lift it up! Rise!"

The psychokinesis skill user lifted everyone and their cargo upward.

Still, even with only 20 minutes left, once we get out of this pit, the exit is right there.

That's what I thought — but when we got out of the pit, we were stunned. The exit had disappeared.

"Wh-why!?"

"There's still time left though!?"

"Calm down! Check the radar, hurry!"

The Hunters panicked.

Let's calm down for a second. Calm...

I looked around — and saw several crashed drones with cargo. Probably the support supplies Vice President Mineyama said he'd send.

Based on their position relative to the pit and the scenery, there was no doubt the exit had been here.

"If the drones stopped being sent through, that means at some point... the door on the other side disappeared too?"

No — a World Clock has never disappeared in the five-year history of this phenomenon.

Rather than disappearing, maybe it's more accurate to say it closed... Either way, it means they can't interfere from the other side either.

"No good. It's not showing up on radar."

"Is your radar even reliable!? Because it didn't work properly, Kido-san...!"

"So you're blaming me!?"

"This isn't the time to be fighting you idiots!"

Narashima-san broke up the Hunters' argument, but time kept ticking down.

Then Kunimori-kun said something ominous.

"Last time there was a guy showing us fake info, right? So isn't this probably that guy's doing too?"

"Th-there's no way! The master here was taken out by the Descent Arts lady—"

Akisame-kun started to say, then trailed off.

We defeated it. That was certain. I mean, I literally got its drop item.

Kasugai-san muttered, half-crying.

"Maybe it set something up before it died..."

"That could be it," Lumiel confirmed.

I had a hunch about that too.

"Fool... you... return..."

Those dying words of the enemy.

That thing definitely did something.

『If the door closes when time runs out, then logically, the door can't close before time runs out. The door is somewhere.』

"Yeah, that makes sense."

Thinking about it in reverse, that follows.

If the concept of remaining time exists, it's more reasonable to think the door was hidden rather than erased.

Even if it's invisible, the door should still be there — if we pass through where it originally was, we should be able to get back.

But considering the drones stopped coming through, there's also a possibility the door itself was moved.

"Long story short..."

I relayed the enemy's last words, my analysis, and Lumiel's statement.

Narashima-san clicked his tongue.

"What a hell of a parting gift."

"I-if it was moved, that means it has to be somewhere, right? If we can find it—!"

Akisame-kun's optimistic words were followed by someone muttering in exhaustion.

"Somewhere... where though?"

Search through the vertical pit, the horizontal shafts, the colony, the ruins, the rest of the vast cave system extending deep underground?

Even if we split up, assuming we could find it — say, at the horizon — there's no radio signal, no way to communicate, no way to regroup.

《Collapse in 18 minutes 22 seconds》

"In that case, rather than splitting up, it'd be faster for the S-Ranks to go all out searching. Akisame, Kunimori. Can you do it?"

"U-understood!"

"Got it."

Just as the three S-Ranks were about to head out, Lumiel noticed something and hopped down from my shoulder.

She transformed from a white cat into her girl form — and the necklace hanging around her neck was glowing pale blue. The wing-shaped necklace the former town mayor had given us.

Seeing this, Kasugai-san gasped.

"That's a Return Stone magic tool!"

Kasugai-san shouted excitedly.

Everyone's eyes focused on Lumiel.

"A Return Stone...?"

"It's a magic stone popular with travelers and hikers. In short, it's like a compass that points the way home!"

The pale blue light from the wing-shaped necklace was pointing in a fixed direction.

The way home — could it be pointing to the door!?

There were two possibilities.

One, it was pointing to the location of the door. Two, it was pointing to our world.

If it was the latter, even knowing the direction wouldn't help if we had no means to get there.

Either way—

"We've gotta bet on this, right?"

It's way more promising than searching randomly.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Lumiel muttered quietly.

"I'll take you."

My body floated softly.

A circle of golden light formed around Lumiel, and everyone's body lifted into the air as if gravity had vanished.

She flapped her wings, and we flew through the air.

The scenery around us blurred into lines.

"What speed...!"

"Everyone, don't bite your tongues—!!"

Left, right, up, down — we were shaken around like a roller coaster, transported at high speed.

"There!"

Someone pointed ahead — and there was the door.

Beneath the door was a mountain of drones, evidence of the Association desperately searching for us after the door had been moved.

Beyond the door, I could see our world.

We can make it—!

"GOOOOO—!!!!"

With a sensation like passing through a thin film of water, we burst out into the night sky.

◇◆◇◆

—Akayama Town.

Vice President Mineyama, looking weary, gazed up at the sky as if in prayer. There, the World Clock stood silent, wrapped in the darkness of night.

At Akayama Town, Hunters who'd answered the emergency summons had gathered, watching the remaining time on the clock with tense expressions.

Meanwhile, the Hunters who'd come from overseas were chatting cheerfully.

("The survey teams from the other two countries already came back... what's happening?")

The two other countries where World Clock anomalies had been detected (besides Japan) had reportedly closed theirs safely with the help of overseas Hunters.

Yet Japan's survey team — which had even deployed Descent Arts — still hadn't returned.

『It's been nearly an hour since Remnant Guild's Kunimori Ren Hunter and several others entered. Back to the studio—』

『The participating Hunters include an impressive roster: Hunting Dogs Guild's Narashima S-Rank Hunter, Akisame S-Rank Hunter, Cross Guild's Kido S-Rank Hunter—』

The World Clock was surrounded by news helicopters, and on the ground, anchors were reporting on the situation.

"..."

Mineyama rubbed his eyes and let out a small sigh.

The mountain of support supplies piled up made it obvious they hadn't been able to use them.

Defense and Awakening Minister Yanamoto had requested "additional Hunters be sent in," but Mineyama had put that on hold.

"V-Vice President!"

A staff member rushed over urgently.

Following where they pointed, he saw a crowd of people bursting out of the World Clock with force.

Flying at the lead was — a silver angel.

"...Well done."

Mineyama muttered, biting back his emotion, and smiled with relief.

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