Chapter: 164. The Third World Line
Tick-tock—tick-tock—
Accompanied by a resonance that seemed engraved deep within his soul, Kanade suddenly opened his eyes.
The familiar ceiling came into view, the wooden beams bearing signs of age, soft light embedded in the pale walls, and a corner of the room not far away that held a few pieces of luggage…
He had once again returned to the hotel room through the “Box of Kaora.”
Morning light poured through the window, a warm glow floating in the air.
A new world line, new possibilities.
After regaining his senses, Kanade instinctively turned his head; she was still there.
The black-haired girl lay quietly beside him, slightly turned to her side. Her dark hair shimmered softly in the morning light, and in her bright, sparkling eyes, the moment he opened his eyes was reflected, a warm smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“Good morning, Kanade-kun.”
Everything was the same as last time, as well as the time before that.
He woke up from bed still in the lover’s position, fingers intertwined with Nagi’s.
The room he found himself in was so tranquil and peaceful, as if the calamity experienced in the last world line had merely been a nightmare.
Nagi in the morning light was pure and beautiful like an angel.
Her hair gently scattered on the pillow, and a hint of warmth from the morning light appeared on her fair cheeks. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly with each blink, and a mischievous smile lingered on her lips—this scene was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Kanade-kun? What’s wrong? Did you sleep too deeply?”
Was it because she noticed he had been staring at her face?
A layer of alluring crimson spread across Nagi’s stunning cheeks at an obvious pace as she bashfully asked.
Kanade’s throat tightened slightly, and the emotions swirling within him were too complex to express.
In the end, they could only transform into a low, hoarse apology: “…I’m sorry.”
Nagi’s eyes widened slightly, clearly caught off guard that Kanade’s first words upon waking were an apology.
She tilted her head, confusion filling her bright eyes: “Huh? Why are you suddenly apologizing?”
For a brief moment, Kanade found it hard to resist the torment in his heart and wanted to confess the truth about his world line regression to Nagi right in front of him—
But Kanade still held back at the last moment.
Because he knew Nagi was an incredibly gentle and kind girl.
If he told her the truth, she would surely feel sad for the tragic experiences he had undergone, and perhaps she might even take actions he didn’t wish to see to prevent him from continuing to bear this pain.
So, he couldn’t say it.
—This is a price and suffering I must bear alone.
In a moment of despair, Kanade made a decision, reining in his emotions and softly offering an excuse: “…Because I forgot to prepare your birthday gift.”
Nagi blinked and then broke into a helpless yet adorable smile: “You silly Kanade-kun~ There’s no need to apologize for such small matters, because being able to welcome a new day with you like this is the best birthday gift for me~”
The developments that followed were no different than the first world line.
It was still Nagi’s usual “sister declaration” on her birthday, followed by her excitement and anticipation about returning to Kawano City.
Throughout, Kanade mimicked his attitude from the “first world line,” forcing himself to respond to Nagi energetically.
He didn’t want Nagi to worry, nor did he want her to notice any flaws.
The current priority was to head to Kawano City with Nagi, while changing the development of the “first world line” as little as possible, to withstand the first wave of the SEFUMA attack until they found out that Nagi was the “true protagonist.”
Only he could find a way to protect Nagi from the onslaught of the fantasy monsters.
The moment the two organized their luggage and pushed open the hotel door, Kanade instinctively looked up at the sky.
—A clear sky.
No rainstorm.
This was supposed to be the moment a storm descended.
Yet in this world line, everything had changed.
Kanade faintly sensed an important pattern—
—As long as he was willing, going to Kawano City like in the “first world line,” the corrections from the world line would not take effect.
Kawano City would not suddenly face extreme weather.
“How is it?” Nagi seemed to notice something was off with Kanade and tilted her head curiously.
“Ah, no… I’m just a bit overwhelmed to be back in Kawano City after a long time…”
Another lie.
Unknowingly, Kanade found himself getting better at lying.
In the past, every time he deceived Nagi, he would feel a sting in his heart, but at this moment, he could lie to Nagi as naturally as breathing.
—Is this the price of regressing through world lines?
Kanade felt that with every regression, he was becoming less like himself.
He had become an outsider in this world line, and his sense of belonging to this reality was diminishing.
Everything was just conditions.
Everything was just variables.
Everything was just—
—No, that’s not right.
Kanade suppressed the wildly growing thoughts within him.
—This is not an experiment, nor is it a game!
—This is reality! The world in which he exists!
Only in this real world would Nagi continue to “live.”
Every time he failed, it would be Nagi who bore the pain and torment for him.
Kanade rejected the idea of finding the optimal world line through “constant trial and error”—
—————–
As the train pulled into Kawano City Station, the sound of wheels grinding against the tracks echoed in the carriage, and with the train’s deceleration, the scenery outside gradually stabilized.
Kawano City.
In Kanade’s memory, this city had long since turned into a sea of flames.
Yet at this moment, the platform was as bustling as ever.
The electronic bulletin board scrolled with train schedules, the familiar polite announcements from the conductors rang out over the speakers, and travelers dragging their luggage, students laughing and chatting, and tourists holding souvenirs all made everything appear utterly ordinary.
But amidst this leisurely and peaceful atmosphere, Kanade’s heart felt the complete opposite—tense.
Because all of this was the calm before the “destruction.”
“Wow—finally back, it feels so nostalgic~”
Nagi’s cheerful voice brought Kanade back to reality.
She slightly tiptoed and turned her head to look around, her smile revealing a hint of nostalgia.
Sunlight poured through the glass skylights, illuminating her hair, while the midday glow traced the soft lines of her silhouette.
Kanade tried to imprint this moment into his retina, to cover the impression of Kawano City from his memories which had turned into ruins.
The two passed through the ticket gate and walked through the bustling crowd.
As soon as they stepped out of the station, Kanade spotted the familiar promotional poster.
On the bulletin board in front of the station, several brand-new flyers were prominently displayed, with the most attention-grabbing being the poster about the reopening of the old amusement park.
“Kawano City Fantasy Amusement Park, grand reopening—stay tuned!”
In the “first world line,” Kanade and Nagi had gone to this amusement park.
But later, they learned that it was a trap by the SEFUMA.
The amusement park was nearly filled with SEFUMA members, a specially prepared cage just for them.
“Subaru-kun—”
Sure enough, Nagi had noticed it too.
She excitedly tugged at Kanade’s sleeve, pointing at the poster, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“I can’t believe the old amusement park has reopened! Plus, it’s free for the next two days, no tickets required to experience all the rides. Can we go check it out?”
The exact same lines, the exact same smile, the exact same excitement.
If Kanade hadn’t regressed the world line, he would have certainly agreed to her request just like before.
Then, they would be surrounded by the SEFUMA and swallowed by the suddenly appearing dark dragon, just like in the “first world line.”
Ultimately dragged into an inescapable trajectory by fate.
He couldn’t let the same thing happen again.
He took a deep breath, trying to make his tone sound natural: “No, the amusement park is just too eye-catching. Let’s go somewhere else today.”
“…Is that so? Hmm, I understand.”
As expected, if it was Nagi, she would always defer to his arrangements in similar situations.
But Nagi’s every display of thoughtfulness and understanding made Kanade feel a deep pang of anguish.
Yet in the end, he managed to force out a faint smile: “Today, I have another place I want to go.”
Now, he needed to buy as much time as possible until SEFUMA received the message that ‘Hoshimiya Nagi is the protagonist.’
Referencing his experiences from the “first world line,” he roughly estimated the necessary time.
During this time, he needed to protect Nagi from the SEFUMA’s pressures as best as he could.
If the opponent was SEFUMA, then their actions would be more cautious and conservative than the fantasy monsters, after all, SEFUMA would not easily expose the truth of the extraordinary world to ordinary people. As long as he and Nagi didn’t actively go to the amusement park, remaining in a situation surrounded by SEFUMA would help alleviate the pressure he had to bear in many ways.
Moreover, Kanade’s statement about “having a place I want to go” was not a lie.
To ensure Nagi’s safety, he needed to seek all possible assistance—
It was summer vacation now.
So there was a good chance that Mana had already returned to Kawano City.
If it was Mana, she would surely be willing to help him protect Nagi and hold out until the SEFUMA resolved their misunderstandings about Nagi.
