2 ◇ Avenger, Reincarnation (Revised)

He should have been wrapped in the smell of blood that would cling to the nerves.

He should have been kneeling in an abandoned building that was left behind in the world.

He should have been drowning in a darkness overwhelmed with despair.

However.

The air was clear.

It was really mysterious.

It was also slightly bright here.

It was but a moment.

Kousuke closed his eyes for only a moment, that’s all it took.

The knife had certainly succeeded in landing the blow that would take his life.

I feel that I heard a strange voice just before that……

However, hallucinations cannot explain the reality of the matter.

And Kousuke did not believe that he has gone crazy enough to be hallucinating.

However, he didn’t have the means to accurately grasp the reality in front of him.

For the time being, he put a hold on making a decision and tried to collect information.

His life taught him how to stay calm at all times.

Drowning in frustration or confusion is but a waste of time and will not benefit you in anyway.

If so, you should discard all the unnecessary parts and focus on what’s in front of you.

Kousuke achieved his goal by thinking and acting based on that style.

Therefore, even in the midst of this unbelievable hallucination, he would not let go.

From a quick look around, it looked like an ancient temple.

Calling this place a ruin might be even more suitable in this situation.

A dozen of stone pillars stand side by side to support the ceiling, but some were broken, and even if they were not, they had many cracks on them.

A part of the ceiling had collapsed, which raised a great doubt regarding how safe this place actually was.

The ruin might have been built in a forest or in the woods because the surrounding scenery was full of greenery.

It seems that it has been unused for a long time because the roots of the plants were growing on the stone floor.

The climate was little warmer than it should have been in winter.

That’s only if you compare it with winter in Japan, but it should be closer to autumn if you had to compare seasons.

In other words, it’s not particularly warm.

When Kousuke turned around, there was an altar in front of him.

It was made of stone piled up together. I think this was called a stone masonry?

He stood up with the knife in hand and check if there was anything on the altar.

There was a stone tablet with writings on it, but the characters were blurred and unreadable.

Somehow, he thought it wasn’t a language that actually exists in the world.

But he didn’t have that kind of knowledge, so it was just a guess.

Even after collecting the information in the visible range, nothing caught his attention.

However, new questions were born.

Why don’t I commit suicide as it is?

He originally intended that, so the location, be it an abandoned building, a mysterious temple, or something else, it shouldn’t really matter.

However, he was actually trying to confirm what kind of place this is without attempting suicide again.

Why?

There is one reason that Kousuke could think of.

That voice.

[“Isn’t it such a waste?”]

That was what he was told.

It must have meant that it was a waste to kill myself.

In reality, there was no reason to live anymore.

And so, he tried to die.

If this scene is actually reality, what does it mean?

If you don’t want to live in reality, try living in here.

I wonder if I can accept that.

…so, what?

 This is irrelevant.

The guy who decides to die once quits because the environment has changed, he cannot afford such a weak choice.

Kousuke puts the knife on his neck once more.

“I order thee to shatter [Volker Wong]!”

Right at the moment the knife was about to slit his throat, the blade crumbled into particles.

“——-!?”

What surprised Kousuke wasn’t the phenomenon but the voice.

From what could be called an entrance, somebody appears from the place where the stairs were connected.

“You sure have no hesitation about killing yourself. You should really stop.”

It was a girl.

The transparent white silver hair flowed to the waist like a clear stream.

A beautiful glow that gently shines and then softly reflects the light.

Eyes reminiscent of obsidian hung down like those of a friendly cat, and cheeks that were joyfully loose.

Her pink lips were drawn in an arc as she approached with her thin arms in her pockets.

Her cloth, if I had to try to express it in a modern way, would be a short dress.

A black cloth was wrapped around her waist, and she wore something that looks like an apron.

She seemed to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, but she had an abundant chest that was unimaginable for her age.

Simply speaking of how she looked, it would similar to a signboard girl found in fiction such as games and mangas.

“You just thought that I was like a signboard girl at a bar right? Correct, I’m a signboard girl at a bar.”

The girl who speaks in a light tone stops a few meters away from Kousuke.

“I’m Shiro. That’s how this beautiful lady is called. What about you?”

Kousuke threw away the knife which has been reduced to a mere handle and stared at the girl.

“I have something to ask”

The girl tilted her head and asked.

“What is your name?”

“Is this reality?”

“What is your name?”

“Where is it? What is the name of this country?”

“What is your name?”

“I used to be in a completely different place. What is this supposed to mean?”

“What is your name?”

The girl repeated the same line just like an NPC.

Kousuke bits his lips and says

“Kurono Kousuke. If this is all right, answer my question.”

“Hmm. Kuro. That’s how you should call yourself for the time being. Japanese names are not common in this world after all.”

Going by that, it seems that the concept of Japanese is at least familiar to the girl in front of him.

However, since it is said that it is not common, it seems that Japan itself does not exist, or even if it exists, its popularity is extremely low.

After all, it seems even giving a Japanese name is not recommended here.

“Oh, so you’re Japanese. Sometimes there are people that have Japanese characteristics but they say they are from “Yamato” or “Wanokunibito”. Although most of them are indeed Japanese. Well, I’m going to put all of them together and call them visitors. You should be one too, right?”

“In other words, this isn’t earth?”

Listening to himself he became amazed at how absurd that sounds.

“It’s helpful that you understand quickly, but it’s a bit unpleasant. It’s cuter to be more surprised you know?”

Kousuke once read such a manga.

The story of a boy who was a dull student in reality, one day  gets transported to an another world, and there his special power awakens and he went on an adventure with his friends.

When I was little, he was absorbed in reading that story.

The memories of those exciting moments felt very nostalgic.

That was long ago, it is irrelevant to me now.

Am I in the same situation as the protagonist of that manga I have read?

From Japan to another world.

――Is that the case?

Unacceptable

“Why would you stop me from committing suicide, assuming I’m a visitor?”

Even if this is assumed to be reality, not everyting can be accepted immediately.

I fear that they will try to force a strange role on me.

I have no obligation to answer their call.

No matter what the story is, Kousuke had his own ideas and ways of life.

I have no intention of complying with someone else’s will

I just need to find some means to commit suicide.

The girl cutely changes the shape of her lips, puts her index finger on her cheek and speaks out.

“Because I am a guide. If the game starts without any explanation, everyone will be in trouble, right? It is very unfriendly if there is no explanation of the rules and world view. So I fulfil that kind of role. That’s how a human is. As a former visitor, I came here from a different world than you. Did you understand?”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

“Right? It’s not an answer. Umu, not an answer that gives reason to stop your suicide. You see, I was reincarnated here from an accidental death, but that sounds pitiful right? But in the case of human beings, it seems like they usually end up here after committing suicide ”

The girl shows a mischievous smile to Kousuke.

“It’s a waste you know? That’s the only reason you need to stop your suicide.”

“Hey Kuro. Why don’t you listen to me?”

“This world is fun you know?”

“At least, much more than the world you were in.”

That tempting voice reminded him of a devil’s whispering.

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