Chapter 392. Who Are You?
A predicament has arrived; pessimism has set in.
Yet, even at a moment when Hikigaya Hachiman himself believes his end might be near, there is a group of people who remain filled with absolute confidence in him.
Roswaal, Garfiel, Reinhard, Otto, Wilhelm, Julius, Priscilla, Crusch, Anastasia, Beatrice, Emilia, Rem, and the Ground Dragon.
The residents of the village, the Royal Capital, the Sanctuary, and Watergate City.
All those who personally witnessed him trek through a jungle teeming with thorns and beasts, all those who were personally saved and inspired by him—even if Hikigaya Hachiman stops believing in himself, they will continue to believe in him unswervingly.
...They believe deeply, but they are still pained and heartbroken.
"First his memories, then his existence. Hachiman's repeated tragic encounters... when will such a future finally vanish completely?"
Rem grit her teeth, her heart a mixture of hatred and sorrow.
On the streets of the Royal Capital, Emilia's eyelids drooped. She believed in Hachiman's resilience, but she felt a profound sadness toward herself for forgetting him.
"We just agreed that I would protect Hachiman forever... and in the blink of an eye, I've abandoned that oath and promise."
Looking at the grieving Emilia, Puck shook his head in consolation. "It can't be helped, Lia. The Authorities of these Sin Archbishops are each more bizarre and terrifying than the last."
Return by Death is strong, but the Authorities of Gluttony and Greed are not inferior to it at all; in some aspects, they far surpass what Return by Death can achieve.
If used correctly, Gluttony's Authority can even exceed Return by Death. Hachiman is already "cheating" with his abilities, but his enemies are using even greater "cheats."
Compared to the heart-manipulating Authorities of the other Sin Archbishops, Petelgeuse's "Unseen Hand"—which once seemed so powerful and strange—now seems quite normal and acceptable by comparison.
"These Authorities, these things... every single one of them is a monster! A monster among monsters!"
Because the invincible Reinhard was present before, the sense of terror surrounding the Sin Archbishops had been diminished. Now, witnessing the result of Hachiman facing a Sin Archbishop alone, many people finally remembered the fear of being dominated by these monsters.
Reinhard cannot be everywhere at once, after all. Furthermore, the Sin Archbishop of Gluttonys in reality are not all dead; Roy and Louis remain.
The Council of Sages and the Imperial Emperor Vincent are now so terrified that they have completely abandoned any intention of entering the Sage's Tower. Before, it was merely a "useless" objective, but now that they know reading a Book of the Dead might lead one into the Corridor of Memories, only a fool would dare flip through those books.
Who among normal people would dare enter the Corridor of Memories to duel the third Gluttony sibling? That is her home turf. If someone overestimates themselves and goes there...
Unless that person is Reinhard or Pandora, they will end up exactly like Hikigaya Hachiman.
"One person can't climb the Stone of Cuin..."
In the Sanctuary, Garfiel murmured in a low voice, looking up at the future with a heavy heart. "But now, the General has no choice but to climb the Stone of Cuin alone."
"But he isn't actually climbing it alone—it's worse than that. There are people who will actively obstruct the Prime Minister's ascent."
Inside the Hoshin Trading Company, Anastasia's face was pale, and she looked ready to collapse. She bit her lower lip, her voice weary: "That person... is me!"
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「When Hikigaya Hachiman awoke in reality, he remained silent in the library for several minutes until he had sorted out the causes and consequences, clarified his thoughts, and mentally prepared himself to face reality.」
「Returning Reid's Book of the Dead to the shelf, Hachiman closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He grit his teeth to steady his trembling body before making his way toward the fourth floor.」
「...As soon as he stepped off the stairs onto the fourth floor, he heard it. Faint sounds of weeping and wailing—these painful sobs drifted through the entire space, filled with sorrow, coming from different people.」
「He arrived outside the Green Room. Everyone who had come to the Sage's Tower was gathered there; their faces were full of grief and confusion. Almost every one of them was so dejected that no one had even bothered to close the door.」
「"Why... am I crying? I feel so sad, so much pain... what's happening? I... what am I..."」
「Murmuring softly, two lines of tears fell uncontrollably. Emilia reached up vacantly to touch her heart; she felt a sharp pang of angina, as if she were punishing herself, as if she had done something for which she could never forgive herself.」
「But why? What was the reason?」
「"Someone... can someone please tell me?" Emilia looked around blankly, but the Crusch, Anastasia, and Julius she saw were in a similar state. Since waking up this morning, they had felt a mysterious sense of loss and bewilderment that they couldn't explain.」
「Beatrice was nearly catatonic, curled in a corner and shaking her head repeatedly. Even the Ground Dragon was restless and agitated.」
「Only Ram and Meili felt nothing was wrong; they felt everything was normal. Because of that, they found the situation even more horrific.」
「"Something... something must have happened... it must have!"」
「Hachiman finally understood what happens when a person's existence vanishes. For those whose emotional bond isn't deep enough, like Ram and Meili, their perception is completely rewritten.」
「But if the bond is profound—if your lives have intertwined so much that you are part of one another—then you feel a heart-wrenching pain, like something has been hollowed out of your chest... This feeling is far more unbearable than any physical wound.」
「This served as proof of how much Emilia and the others valued him. Though it was evidence of the "Genuine" treasures he had received, Hachiman didn't feel happy at all.」
「The thought that his decision to flip through the book was the source of all this filled Hachiman with guilt. His expression shifted between light and shadow. He thought for a long while, bit his lip, and was just about to step inside when suddenly—」
「"Master!"」
「With the joy of a long-awaited reunion, Shaula's eyes lit up as she sprinted from behind and threw her arms around him. Shaula was clearly overwhelmed by the surprise; she didn't restrain her strength. The force she used was so great that, combined with her momentum, both master and disciple were sent crashing into the Green Room.」
「BOOM!」
「The commotion snapped everyone out of their daze. Emilia raised her head, looking hesitantly at the two people who had stumbled inside.」
「"Shaula, and..."」
「Emilia tilted her head in confusion. Using her slightly raspy, silver-bell voice, she asked gently:」
「"Who are you?"」
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