Only I Know That This World Will Eventually Perish

Only I know.

　In the silence of the office, Ichijou Akira was sitting in front of his desk.

　Nanase Nao, who was there just a short time ago, was already gone.

　She was worried to no end about Akira, who gave empty replies no matter how many times she called out to him, but she left as the last train was about to depart.

“…………”

　Akira’s emotionally unreadable eyes moved suddenly and turned to the wall clock.

　――12:32 a.m.

　Normally, that would be the time when he would have left on the last train and be already walking back home.

　And at the same time. That was also the time he had encountered and been killed by the Minotaur twice before.

(There is no doubt, after all. The moment I die, I’m transported back in time……)

　The term “return to a specific point” was mentioned in the description of the skill Return from Hell.

　The so-called return from death. Or reset. Or a phenomenon that could be called a time leap.

(It’s like repeatedly saving and loading a game.)

　But the situation was not so simple.

　Akira moved his gaze to the screen that was being displayed.

　――――――――――――――――――

　Ichijou　Akira　25 years old　Male　Lv1 (3)

　Stamina：５

　Strength：１０

　Endurance：９

　Speed：４

　Luck：４

　Earned points：２

　――――――――――――――――――

　Unique Skills:

　・Return from Hell

　――――――――――――――――――

(……If I were simply going back in time, this status screen would not be happening. This is my status screen after I’ve defeated the goblins and gotten some level-ups and trophies as a result. If I just went back in time, then my stat values should have been reverted to their original state.)

　Only the level dropped, but the stat values that increased remained the same.

　To use an analogy, it was a New Game that inherited the previous state of the game. It could be what they call a “new game+”.

(If this is a new game+………… What are these numbers in these brackets next to the level?)

　Musing in his mind, Akira turned his attention to the place on the status screen where it was located.

(……The number of life I’m currently at? No, that can’t be right. I’m on my fourth one.)

　Other than that, what was deemed possible was that the parentheses indicated the previous level. That was not something that could be confirmed, but it seemed the most likely candidate at present.

“For the time being, should I consider myself lucky…… that I didn’t lose the points I earned when I went back in time? “

　Muttering, Akira leaned his weight on the back of the work chair.

　Hearing the squeak of the work chair, Akira looked up at the ceiling and asked himself the same question he had asked the last time.

(Why was that world destroyed?)

　He didn’t even have to think about that. There were monsters in that world. That world was doomed by the monsters.

(……If so, what happened to the police and the Self-Defense Forces?)

　He didn’t know. But from the looks of that world, it is true that the police and the Self-Defense Forces could not have prevented it.

(Did firearms not work against monsters, or something?)

　That was hard to imagine. After all, he was able to beat a goblin to death. It seemed possible to defeat not only goblins but even minotaurs, as long as you had firearms.

(…………If so, why was the world destroyed?　Why were there monsters in the world in the first place?)

　He didn’t know. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t understand.

　But there is only one thing. Only one thing that was clear to him.

　Right now, at this moment. At this time.

　――――Only I know that this world will end.

“……I don’t want to die.”

　Akira muttered quietly.

“I don’t want to die! “

　Once again, Akira uttered the same words as if to strengthen his resolve.

“I don’t want to feel that way anymore!!　I have had enough of all that pain and suffering!! “

　Akira clenched his fists hard and slammed the desk forcefully as if taking out his anger.

　Why am I the only one who is going through this?

　Why must I come back to life and die again and again?

　Such anger welled up inside Akira.

“I will definitely survive!!　Even if this world will eventually be destroyed in the future, I will be the only one who will never be destroyed!! “

　Akira said and stood up. Then he quickly turned his attention to the wall clock and his thoughts drifted to what was to come.

　It was now past midnight. At this hour, the Minotaur had already appeared in this world. What he knew from his memories before he returned from death was that in the next few hours, monsters would be appearing all over the world.

　That is to say, the appearance of that minotaur was only the beginning, and the number of monsters appearing in this world would only increase exponentially as time went on.

(――Those stats are absolutely critical for survival in this world. I know I can’t take on the Minotaur just yet…… If it was against goblins, I could have gotten by with a decent weapon.)

　He survived that time by taking on the challenge with his bare hands and snatching his opponent’s club, but that would not be something he would be able to do very often.

　If the future of this world had been set to be ruled by monsters, then you should procure weapons while you still could.

　Preparations were required.

　Complete preparations for the coming collapse of the world.

“――――Alright.”

　Akira waved his hand to erase his own status screen and left the office.

　Only a few hours left until the world was destroyed. Let’s get as much done as we can before then.