Chapter 21(216): Second Death, Return Fails?
As he said that, Hikigaya didn't waste any time and directly took out all the money he had left.
Upon seeing the money, Otto seemed to awaken some hidden bloodline within him and immediately hugged the pile of gold coins.
"Hehehe… money, hehehe…"
Hikigaya: "I need you to take us somewhere."
Otto hid the money behind him and showed a very confident smile.
"Of course! Giving you a ride is no problem. It's got nothing to do with money. Even without money, I'd still take you."
'Uh…'
"But it's strange. The birds have been really noisy, and the carriage completely lost control earlier. What in the world caused that?"
'Could this also be related to the White Whale? And the people in this village… all of them are gone…'
Without further hesitation, the group quickly boarded Otto's carriage.
"Tch, riding in a commoner's dragon carriage like this really disgraces my status."
'This woman, now she's being picky too…'
Although Al was usually extremely easygoing, and Hikigaya could feel his friendliness when interacting with him, even he had become cautious now.
Hikigaya: "Did you notice something?"
Al quietly leaned closer to Hikigaya and said in disbelief, "Even though the princess has a bad temper and a sharp tongue… I know her very well. She's absolutely not the type to ignore a driver."
This, at least, was something Al was certain about.
Hikigaya: "You mean…?"
Al: "From the moment earlier, everything's felt wrong. I mean, brother, I thought you were joking, where exactly did you bring us?"
Hikigaya: "Who's joking with you… I need to investigate something. The existence of the White Whale might be related to the Witch Cult. In order to protect…"
At that moment, the suffocating sensation he had once known all too well surged up again. It was as if a pair of untouchable hands were now gently gripping his heart.
'No way… even this works?'
"In any case, I have to figure some things out." Hikigaya gasped for air, breathing heavily. Even though he kept scanning his surroundings, his uneven breathing made it impossible for him to focus.
"Brother, what's wrong with you…?"
"Uwoooooooo!"
A deafening roar caused the dragon carriage to completely lose control. Even though Otto desperately relied on his superb driving skills to keep the carriage from overturning, the people in the back still lost their balance.
Priscilla wasn't paying attention and slammed straight into Hikigaya. Although Hikigaya could have dodged immediately, he instinctively caught the girl in front of him.
However, the girl in his arms was not as light as he had imagined. Perhaps the excessive weight of the two massive objects on her chest caused Hikigaya to be turned into a human cushion, smashing hard into the railing.
Al: "Brother, Princess, are you alright?"
Priscilla said rather awkwardly, "I'm fine… what just happened…?"
Hikigaya: "I'm not fine at all. Princess, could you get up first?"
Priscilla: "Blocking disaster for me is what servants like you are supposed to do."
Hikigaya: "…"
Al: "Now's not the time for that. Otto, what was that just now?!"
Otto held the reins tightly, while using his connection with animals to constantly observe the surroundings.
"Even if you ask me, I don't know…"
Hikigaya: "The White Whale…"
Priscilla: "So we really ran into it. Ever since I met you, my luck hasn't been good even once."
Hikigaya: "Leaving your life to something like luck… just how confident are you?"
Priscilla: "What about you? Don't tell me you came here just to die."
Hikigaya: "I did come here to die…"
Before Priscilla and Hikigaya could continue bickering, thick fog instantly poured in around them. At this point, they could barely see the road ahead.
Otto: "What do we do now? There's still some distance before we reach Roswaal's territory."
Hikigaya: "Detour into the forest!"
Even though the fog obscured his vision, Otto still relied on his bond with animals to maintain the balance of the dragon carriage.
"ROOOOOAR!"
Another sky-shaking roar made every living being nearby feel true terror.
Al: "Looks like this is really getting the blood pumping now."
Priscilla: "How dare it chase after me. It must be tired of living!"
Hikigaya: "More importantly, I think…"
"ROAR!"
A massive gust of wind caused the three inside the carriage to collide violently once again. Amid the continuous impacts, it was Priscilla once more, her entire body was about to be thrown out.
Smack!
Thankfully, at the last moment, Hikigaya tightly grabbed her hand, preventing her from being flung away. Even so, neither of them was in a good position.
'Hey, Al, you're not even protecting your own master anymore?'
Priscilla: "Lowly fool, daring to touch me with your filthy hands, you deserve death!"
Hikigaya: "Even in this situation, you still can't change that mouth of yours. I hope you manage to survive."
Priscilla: "What are you doing?!"
Hikigaya didn't answer. He simply pulled hard, dragging her back up from the edge of the carriage, where Al caught her from behind.
Without the slightest hesitation, since he had already decided on death, there was no reason for Hikigaya to drag others along just to deceive himself.
Now that the White Whale had appeared, what he needed to do was observe the time, location, and conditions of its appearance, and then struggle desperately before dying.
Before Priscilla could say anything to him, Hikigaya jumped straight off the dragon carriage. Thanks to the Blessing of wind magic, he didn't end up crippled.
Perhaps because of the speed, the dragon carriage vanished from sight almost instantly.
By the time Hikigaya regained his bearings, he was already completely enveloped by the white fog. He had only two objectives: first, find the White Whale; second, buy them some time to escape.
'Speaking of which… was its appearance just a coincidence, or…'
"I can die and ret…"
The Witch's scent surged up again. Hikigaya's body went numb as if struck by electricity, and from deep within the fog, the White Whale's roar echoed once more.
"ROOOOOOOAR!"
'This is unbelievable… Even if it was sheer coincidence, this kind of luck, I really want Priscilla to see it.'
[Priscilla: "That guy really thinks I'll be grateful just because he saved me twice?"]
[Al: "Princess, um… he probably acted on instinct."]
[Anastasia: "That's right. It had nothing to do with you, Priscilla. He would've done the same for anyone else."]
[Priscilla: "Being able to save me is his honor."]
[Crusch: "Unfortunately… Sir Hikigaya had already resolved himself. Like this, with just him alone, it's impossible to defeat the White Whale."]
[Wilhelm: "Forget defeating it. If he's alone, even obtaining information would be extremely difficult."]
[Felix: "I believe Hikigaya always finds a way."]
Relying on his memory, he used wind magic alone to finally climb up a tree. Although he still couldn't see anything nearby, the gigantic towering tree in the distance stood out clearly.
'A magic beast capable of producing such roars must be enormous. Fighting in the forest might be slightly better than on open ground, but it's still far from ideal.'
'From now on, I'll force out every last bit of power in my body and struggle until death.'
"ROAR!"
It was like an explosion ringing directly in his eardrums. Hikigaya knew very well, the White Whale was right nearby.
Relying on the power of wind, he continued darting through the forest. Just as he leapt toward the fifth tree, the trees behind him began collapsing as if struck by some massive force.
In such a critical moment, Hikigaya could only rely on his survival instincts and keep jumping forward.
RUMBLE!
Only after a prolonged struggle did Hikigaya realize that the entire forest had already been flattened.
Facing the last few remaining trees, Hikigaya had no retreat left. As time closed in, dawn was about to arrive.
Gathering magic into his hands, Hikigaya let out a soft breath. The thick fog in front of him dispersed like bamboo shoots after rain.
Only when he finally saw the so-called White Whale did Hikigaya truly understand his own ignorance.
That colossal body, even standing atop a tree, he still couldn't reach its eyes.
As if he had lost the ability to think, Hikigaya merely endured the strain on his body, gasping for breath.
'If only I could do better… if only…'
Along with the White Whale's roar, Hikigaya froze completely, losing all ability to resist.
Facing its gaping maw, he wanted to struggle, yet he had no strength left to continue resisting.
BOOM!
The tremendous biting force unleashed terrifying shockwaves for miles around. When Hikigaya opened his eyes again, a familiar face appeared before him, speaking impatiently: "If you dare die like this, I'll never forgive you."
"You…?"
"I haven't beaten you yet. I won't let you die so easily."
Al: "Brother, things have changed. I still don't understand what's going on in your head, but our princess is just like this, saying one thing while meaning another. You should understand that."
Hikigaya chuckled faintly. "Looks like that's true. But Miss Priscilla, could you put me down first?"
Priscilla didn't say anything and directly tossed him aside.
Al: "I'll hold it back. You two get away first."
Hikigaya: "No way."
Priscilla: "If anything, we should stay together."
Hikigaya: "...The way you two think really is something."
The three stood back to back, mocking one another even at this moment. It was then that Hikigaya realized the woman before him wasn't quite as hard to get along with as he had thought.
'It's just a shame… I dragged them into this hell.'
Otto had already left. The remaining two would now have to use every ounce of their strength to fight the White Whale.
The outcome was always cruel. After a prolonged battle, Al was swallowed whole by the White Whale while protecting Hikigaya.
But…
"Al… Al who?"
"Priscilla…"
Those killed by the White Whale would have their existence erased…
Yet Al and he were unaffected…
Almost instantly, this possibility surfaced in Hikigaya's mind.
While he was still in a daze, the sky had already grown bright. That horrifying night had somehow passed.
And as the fog dissipated, the White Whale vanished as well…
'As long as it's daytime, the White Whale disappears. Surviving was probably just luck… after all, when we encountered it, dawn was already near.'
'But… Al…'
Hikigaya clenched his teeth. He couldn't accept Al dying for his sake. Now, all that remained was one final verification, then he could commit suicide without conditions, even if this death would be especially difficult.
Supporting himself step by step as he walked into Roswaal's territory, Priscilla showed no excessive grief, since she had already forgotten Al's existence.
[Al: "Princess, Princess… so this is how I die."]
[Priscilla: "So this is the White Whale… It's fine. Dying for me is already an honor."]
[Al: "Since I decided to offer my life to the princess, there's nothing left to regret."]
[Hikigaya: "I'm the one who should apologize. I dragged you all down."]
[Al: "No need to say that. After all, we're brothers, right?!"]
[There are always one or two people who call themselves brothers, overflowing with loyalty.]
If one paid close attention to Priscilla, they would notice that the inside of her chest had already been pierced by a massive attack.
Even someone as strong as Priscilla couldn't survive such an injury. As the third jewel on her chest shattered completely, her face turned deathly pale.
Only then did Hikigaya, his hands soaked in blood, realize that he had unknowingly caused their deaths.
Priscilla had never mentioned this injury. Only now did she finally lose her last bit of strength, collapsing into Hikigaya's arms.
"I really… really got tricked by you…"
"In the end… I still never beat you…"
"Should I say I was lucky, or unlucky…? This is the first time in my life I've felt something like this…"
"Ah… I really wish life could last a little longer. If it did, I'd definitely be able to win."
"But… What can be done? You foolish mortal just had to come here to die… If you died like that and left me to regret you for the rest of my life, I'd rather… just… die like this… in your arms…"
"Like this… what I should remember… is no longer… me…"
Having lost her final strength, her hand fell limply onto Hikigaya's thigh.
[Priscilla: "I actually died just like this? Tch… that damn White Whale, and that damn guy."]
[Al: "Princess, it seems the White Whale's strength really cannot be ignored."]
[Priscilla: "When I faced the White Whale, it was already night. If it weren't, I could have unleashed the Sun Sword and still had the strength for another battle."]
[Their stubborn resistance just now… although the group had exhausted every ounce of strength to keep Hikigaya alive, if one thinks that was all their power, they'd be dead wrong.]
[Anastasia: "Looks like defeating the White Whale before dawn is going to be really troublesome."]
[Crusch: "Even so, we no longer have the option to retreat, Wilhelm-san."]
[Wilhelm: "Indeed…"]
After burying the blonde girl before him, Hikigaya's mind was struck with a sudden, intense agitation, unable to settle.
He hadn't wanted things to come to this, which was why he had repeatedly left them behind. Yet in the end… although these two had followed him from start to finish, they had also, invisibly, protected him.
Perhaps, when Priscilla looked at him for the last time, her gaze must have been full of contempt.
She, after all, could not understand how someone who had driven her into such despair could willingly give up his life.
And she herself, having been born into harsh circumstances and clawed her way up through countless escapes, simply could not comprehend it.
Life is such a precious thing; how could it be abandoned so easily?
To cause the death of others was absolutely intolerable to Hikigaya.
Having lost his last fragment of soul, Hikigaya simply walked step by step toward the village.
He lost track of time, sunrises and sunsets passed, he fell and rose again, and all he remembered was a constant blur before his eyes.
Along the way, he saw too much: Otto's lifeless body, mountains of corpses, countless followers of the Witch Cult, Chen suffering despite trying to escape, Ram and Rem with their eyes gouged out, and Meili who had starved.
The stench of decay hung heavily over Hikigaya's mouth and nose; at that moment, he could do nothing.
"Emilia…"
Instinctively, he sought her body, but failed to notice that he had collided head-on with a familiar figure of overwhelming presence.
Elsa, the Bowel Hunter.
"Where is Meili?"
"….."
"I'm asking you, where is Meili?!"
"..."
"Die!"
Bang!
The swinging scythe was seemingly repelled by some special force, and Elsa staggered back several steps. Even Elsa who usually wore a smile could no longer do so after failing to find Meili.
Betty appeared slowly from somewhere, silently observing the completely demoralized Hikigaya: "You've returned… but it's all too late."
"..."
"Betty could have saved you, but by the time my brother comes…"
"Why… didn't you save them?"
"You ask why? Betty has no obligation to help them."
"Them?… I see…"
Hikigaya slowly stood and walked toward Elsa.
"Give me a real fight."
"Hah, since you killed Meili, then go down with her."
There was no lingering attachment on his face; in this world, he had killed those who shouldn't die and failed to help those he should have.
Betty: "Since you're intent on dying, then I…"
Just as the scythe was about to slice into Hikigaya's stomach again, a violent storm instantly enveloped the entire mansion.
Elsa: "What's happening…"
Before leaving, Betty glanced at Hikigaya and, somewhat incomprehensibly, left: "So, my brother has arrived…"
Hikigaya looked at the colossal figure before him. Though its appearance had changed completely, the unique aura remained…
"Puck…?"
Puck: "Hachiman… you're late."
"Even if you had kept the promise… it would have been meaningless."
"Lia is dead, and my path ahead is nothing but darkness."
"According to the contract, I shall begin to destroy the world from now."
By the time Hikigaya realized what was happening, Elsa, who had been about to attack him, had completely frozen into an ice sculpture.
It was a blizzard brought by Puck, and the consequence was the destruction of the world.
Hikigaya finally understood that all of this stemmed from his own arrogance.
At some point, his body gradually lost all sensation. His limbs turned to ice, then shattered. Yet Hikigaya felt no emotion, this death he had seemingly awaited for a long time.
What lies ahead for him?
Would this death be the end?
Perhaps… or perhaps not…
As Hikigaya's head fell, everything collapsed into an ending.
Hikigaya Hachiman died again.
[Emilia: "How… could this… Puck… how can this be…"]
[Puck: "All according to the terms of the contract. And… even if I didn't kill him, he would have committed suicide."]
[Ram: "Because Hachi is just that kind-hearted… just like Lady Emilia."]
[Rem: "I'm worried… what if Hachiman-kun can't recover?"]
[Crusch: "If he can't recover, then he isn't the Sir Hikigaya I know."]
[Priscilla: "Although it's frustrating… if this guy dies just like that, it would be an insult to me."]
[Al: "Indeed. To me too, it's an insult. At least I must cut off that White Whale's head first."]
[Anastasia: "Truly revenge-driven… but something feels off."]
As consciousness returned, Hikigaya felt his body suddenly become incredibly light, as if floating, entirely without gravity.
And… Most importantly, before him was utter darkness, as though wrapped in a separate space.
'Could it be… I didn't return…'
'Could this be my end?'
'Could… My gamble has failed?'
(End of this chapter)