Estimated reading time: ~6 minutes
Chapter 99
「So, why did the Prophet look like a fish caught on a lure?」
「Don’t ask…」
I lower my head as Teo says this to me in the waiting room. It’s really embarrassing to have been seen like that. And to make matters worse, my best efforts at resistance dealt zero damage. Why does the one who bit down have to worry about their own teeth?
Once that sense of shame subsides a bit, I take another look at the person beside me. Teo. The man who died in 2060. But since it was 20 years ago, while his face and figure are the same, he has a bit less pressure and more youthfulness about him. But how should I talk to him? Let me try to sort out the situation.
The Order and the Reformists are in opposition. I know about him, but he only knows about me from data. And above all, the sight of Teo becoming unresponsive in 2060–
「Well, if you say so, I’ll let it slide. I watched the livestream, man – I looked so cool!」
「…Even though you died?」
「Yeah, if you ride a fusion body, you’ll either be killed by a Strain or end up as a part of the fusion body. In that case, I want to die in style.」
Well, I figured he’d say that. Otherwise, there’s no way he’d head to his death so cheerfully. …Based on this feeling, it seems best to give up on riding a fusion body after all? It’s really disappointing, but if the person himself is like that, regardless of my true feelings, it wouldn’t be good for me to drag out a gloomy atmosphere, so I decide to face forward again.
The waiting room is consolidated into one room where nearly 60 players are spending their time as they please. Even though it’s called one room, it’s about the size of a small gymnasium, so there’s plenty of space. But in the midst of that, I feel many gazes directed at me.
The players are diverse in age, gender, and nationality, but many of them are dressed in a way that is conscious of being seen by others. It feels like former pro gamers from other games or famous people have been gathered here, and I feel extremely out of place. I never thought I’d be glad to be wearing a mask. With this cosplay, I can actually intimidate others.
「Um, excuse me.」
Amidst this, one girl speaks to me. A girl with bright green dyed hair, wearing excessive frills on a monochrome outfit that would have been called a 「landmine type」 not too long ago. Japanese. She seems a bit younger than me. I have a memory of seeing her gentle and cute appearance somewhere before. That’s right, it was on the thumbnail of an 「HAO」 video. Still in a shaky voice, she makes up her mind and opens her mouth.
「H-hello, Prophet! I’m Kanata from West Japan Precision Heavy Metal Industries! Thank you so much for including us in the Order. Thanks to you, our management has improved and we’ve avoided bankruptcy. With this gratitude in our hearts, we will do our utmost to contribute to you, Prophet!」
「O-oh. Nice to meet you.」
As I absorb the rapidly delivered words, feeling a bit dizzy, I remember that Kōmitsu Solutions shares information and forms an alliance with other companies, and she belongs to one of those companies. Well, with this many players, it wouldn’t be strange to have at least one related person. …But I feel a bit of fear at the dangerous light of what should be called worship in her expression. She believes from the bottom of her heart and is expecting the great salvation drama of Orange.
This is troubling. How did it end up like this when I’m supposed to be enjoying the game? While thinking that and trying to end the conversation appropriately, she doesn’t allow it.
「I’ve always wanted to ask, how do you see the future… no, I’m sorry for saying something rude, could I have your autograph instead – ah, I forgot the paper!?」
I mean, she’s just running wild on her own. The more she shouts and makes a fuss, the more attention is drawn to us, and I realize to myself why they’re called the Order. And also the absurdity of its reality. Now, what should I do? As I’m thinking, I hear a new voice from the other side of the wall.
「Good luck, Tsu-chan!」
「…You be careful too.」
The person entering the room like that looks very familiar. A calm-looking young man wearing glasses. Yes, it’s our glasses-wearing upperclassman. After seeing me, he walks straight towards me and suddenly bows his head. As I’m getting dizzy from the sudden situation, he starts speaking with a regretful look.
「I’m sorry about this time, it’s my fault for putting you in that situation. It’s because we could only defeat Strains Type-5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 19, 25, 29, and 35 by 2060…!」
「Wait, wait a minute, isn’t that too many, Nakamoto!?」
「If we had just held out a little more in the 2055 operation, we should have been able to defeat 17. Then we wouldn’t have been shot down and could have finished the investigation there.」
Is he bragging!? What are you saying about how many Strains you’ve defeated? Come to think of it, I heard something about him being the world’s strongest Apollyon user. So this apology is more like regret for not achieving his own goals rather than bragging. The regret of not being able to do it himself even though he should have been able to. But even so, isn’t he too strong? Is that the combat power of a human?
Well, certainly, if 17 hadn’t been there, the operation would have gone much smoother. And the way he’s talking is probably because he 「synchronized」 and collected the experience of Ver3.00. The gazes around us are getting more intense and I’m starting to have trouble reacting. I’m aware of it and I know this is troublesome. …Did the 「fixated」 me really continue this for 15 years? Was I really able to do such a thing?
As I’m flustered and at a loss for words with my senior continuing to bow his head, a savior appears from outside to break through this delicate atmosphere. A man in black appears from the opposite direction of where we entered, and at the same time, a huge monitor turns on. On it are two male commentators, and lively music starts playing. The man in black takes out a memo from his hem and shouts so that it echoes throughout the room.
「Players ‘Quickly Loser,’ ‘Badly Loser,’ and ‘Severely Loser,’ please come this way!」
…Somehow, everything we were talking about until now seems irrelevant. What are those names?
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