End of Century Chapter 03

"Awakened"

   The sprawling city of "Kusano" centered around a large shopping district.

   On the road leading into the city, a protective barriers is erected from the inside, fortified with construction fences, iron plates, and piles of building debris. 

   On the outermost layer, abandoned cars are lined up, with sharply pointed iron pipes and reinforcing bars jutting out from their interiors.

   With this, monsters wouldn't easily get in.

   The city's sole entrance is the arched gate of the shopping district.

   At the entrance, two gatekeepers stand, along with an aluminum gate that commonly seen at construction sites.

   The gatekeepers, pointing the makeshift spear, at the three. Saeki, Shimada, and Kato.

"You, travelers. What brings you to this city? Migration? Or just lodging?"

"We've come from Kyushu. We'd like to rent a room for the night."

   The gatekeepers looked at the three with suspicion.

   Kato in particular was closely observed, his lack of luggage and clean appearance making him seem more suspicious compared to the other two.

   After a moment, perhaps deeming them not a threat—

"Alright."

He says just one word.

"In this city, all forms of criminal activity are prohibited. For minor offenses, it's amputation of a forearm and then expulsion. For heinous crimes like murder, it's the death penalty."

(Even If it's a minor offense, you get an  amputation!)

   Kato thought to himself.

"Understood. We'll keep that in mind."

   Satisfied with Saeki reply, the gatekeeper opens the aluminum gate.

   The three are granted permission to enter the city.

**********

   They secured lodgings (a run-down internet cafe) around the time when the setting sun dyed the desolate world with crimson red.

   Next to the lodgings, there's a spacious parking lot where street vendors are set up.

   A drum can with a fire burning inside was the center of the parking lot, surrounded by several tables.

   Even now, a few customers are enjoying meals from the vendors.

"I'm going to buy some food. Shimada, get us seats."

"Yes!"

   Shimada takes a seat at one of the tables, securing their spots.

"Blue Sky Diner: Forest of Meat"

Menu:

- Giant Toad Meat: Ten Black Crystals or One Red Crystal

- Deer Meat: Five Black Crystals

- Bear Meat: Six Black Crystals

- Monkey Meat: Three Black Crystals

- Goblin Brain: Market Price

   if you bring your own meat, you'll just be charged a cooking fee and seating fee. 

   Takeout available.

"What is a 'crystals'?" 

   Kato gazing at the signboard, and is intrigued by the unfamiliar term.

"Hey, Kato! Hurry up and sit down, let's eat!" Shimada calls out.

"Ah, yeah." 

   Called by Shimada, Kato takes his seat. Saeki has returned as well, holding a plate piled high with meat.

   Saeki and Shimada dig into the meat with wild enthusiasm. Kato follows suit.

(I wonder what kind of meat this is? I've never eaten deer, bear, or monkey meat, so I honestly have no idea. It's a bit chewy.)

   However it's surprisingly delicious. Come to think of it, Kato hasn't eaten anything since he woke up.

"This really hits the spot..." 

   Kato mutters to himself. He concentrates on eating for a while. 

   In just a few minutes, the heaping amount of meat has settled in the stomachs of the three.

"Phew, but..." 

   Taking a breath, Kato looks around.

"It's quite bustling." 

   Everyone in the city is armed, from swords, spears, bowgun to even carrying shotguns on their back.

   The Conversations are also rather disturbing, mentioning things like allies being killed by certain monsters or raiding the bandit stronghold in the western city.

"Well.... Considering how it is outside the city"

"True. ...So, are you going to tell me soon?"

"...What has happened in these past twenty years?, and the situation you found yourself in?."

"Haaaa." 

   After letting out a sigh, Saeki slowly begins to speak.

"It all started twenty years ago. Since the beginning of the year, abnormal weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and colossal meteor impacts occurred all over the world."

"Ah! I think I vaguely remember hearing about it on the news. I'm pretty sure some city in another country disappeared due to a meteor."

   With Saeki words, vague memories start to come back. I remember vividly, earthquakes and off-season typhoons frequently occurring in Japan, resulting in a large number of casualties.

"Yeah. And the pinnacle was the sudden appearance of a continent that split the sky, landing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. To investigate this mysterious continent, the militaries of various countries and renowned scholars set foot on the continent, but..."

"No one came back." 

   Saeki adds to the story.

   For some reason, I also vaguely remember the story of that continent. I'm pretty sure they were making a fuss on tv about it possibly being the legendary Atlantis.

"It's coming back to me... Huh? But, I feel like they stopped talking about that continent pretty quickly."

"Abnormal weather and natural disasters on a global scale were continuing, after all. The world had bigger things to worry about."

"I see. So, that's how the world collapsed and ended up like this."

   Kato looks around. 

   The only source of light is the fire in the drum can, so I couldn't see far, but the sun has completely fallen, the ruined city must be sinking into the darkness.

"Well, i've figured out why the world collapsed. And, just remembered it. But, I want to know... What are those monsters?"

   Creatures that seem purposely built to kill anything other than themselves, the leopards.

   A Gigantic dinosaurs that seem to have leaped out of an encyclopedia.

   And the pinnacle, goblins, a product straight out of fantasy.

"I don't know."

"Huh?"

"What they are, where they came from... That's what we also want to know. They appeared in the city suddenly after the world collapsed. That's all i can say to explain it."

"Seriously. There are way too many unexplainable things between the mysterious continent and them."

"After the world collapsed, there was no one crazy enough to investigate such things. Everyone was just trying to survive... And, you're one of the many inexplicable things too."

"Huh? Me?"

(...Well, it's certainly the most mysterious thing to suddenly time-slip from the past.)

"What am I, exactly...?"

   He mutters to himself. And it was Saeki the one who responds.

"We call people like you 'Awakened.'"

"'Awakened'... Hm? Wait a second. Did you just say 'you guys'? Are there others like me?"

   Saeki prefacing that he only knows what he's heard.

"About five years ago, a girl appeared in a certain city. It seems that this girl was the same one who went missing during the world collapse fifteen years ago. However, strangely enough, the girl hadn't aged at all, her clothes were neat, and the most peculiar thing was that she had completely lost all memories of the past fifteen years. It was as if she had suddenly time-traveled from fifteen years ago to the present..."

   Saeki points at Kato and adds, "Just like you now."

"...After that, the girl was taken in and protected by the city. Then, after a while, an epidemic broke out in the city. As several residents fell ill, the girl personally fed her own blood to a severely ill person."

"Blood!? To a sick person!?"

"Yeah."

"Why would you do something like some cult ritual? I'd understand if it were medicine."

"Well, I get what you're saying. But strangely enough, the severely ill person reportedly recovered as soon as they drank the girl's blood."

"Huh!? Seriously? Is it a passport effect!?"

"What?"

   Shimada tilts his head.

"...Are you trying to say 'placebo effect'? Not a single letter of that was right."

  Kato coughs once, as if trying to brush it off.

"I later found out that the girl's blood apparently had the effect of healing diseases and injuries. No matter how unknown the illness or how fatal the injury, it was healed in an instant with the girl's blood."

"That's... Was something."

"The girl herself apparently doesn't know why she had such power. She just said that she was 'taught' how to use this power."

"...By whom?"

"I don't know!"

   Again with that. This guy really doesn't know anything important. I guess he just has a personality that doesn't get hung up on those sorts of details.

   In the center of the parking lot, flames roar as they consume firewood inside the drum can. The sound of a loud crack reaches the ears, even amidst the bustling noise of the parking lot.

"...But It's a weird tale."

"It certainly is a strange story, but as I mentioned earlier, you're just like that girl."

"Huh?"

"With the appearance of that girl, people across Japan started waking up with lost memories. What they all had in common was waking up in an entirely unfamiliar place and having at least one special ability."

"Special abilities...? Like the girl who could heal people?"

   Saeki nods.

"So I had the power to heal people...? "

   A healer?. I remember getting scolded by a girl in my class who said, 'Looking at your face makes me sick!' But it's surprising that someone like me was a healing type.

"No, that's not it."

"Huh?"

"The abilities gained are different for each individual. It's better to think that Kato has a unique ability of his own."

"So, I might have a cool ability other than healing?"

"Cool or not, I wouldn't know."

...I wasn't a healing type after all. I was probably more of a face that made girls uncomfortable.

"So, what kind of ability do you have?"

Shimada asks eagerly.

"What I heard back then was a story about an 'Awakened' who could walk in the air."

"Oh, that sounds cool. Floating in the air, I admire that."

"And the one I met in north was an 'Awakened' who could breathe fire."

"That sounds cool too! Impressive!"

"Hey, can you show us your ability?"

   Shimada insists. But Kato smiles awkwardly.

"Even if you ask... I honestly don't know what ability I have, so I can't show you."

   How do the other 'Awakened' even know about their abilities? The girl in the story said she was taught, but who taught her?

"For now, tell me about other abilities. Something might click..."

   Saeki and Shimada exchange glances and list the abilities they've heard of.

   The ability to instantly solve complex arithmetic problems, the ability to discern poisons, the ability to walk straight with closed eyes, the ability to play your favorite music in your head, the ability to never get lost, the ability to mimic voices, the ability to not oversleep, the ability to come up with clever puns and jokes when conversation stalls, the ability to change the sound of a fart, etc.

"The second half is a bunch of crap abilities!! What's up with the ability to change the sound of a fart!"

"The ability to come up with clever puns is a good one, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't listen to your opinions! Sure, there are some abilities I wouldn't mind having!"

   The ability to play your favorite music in your head... Kato did think that would be nice.

"'Awakened' don't like to talk about their abilities with others. So, the rumored abilities don't really matter... Many of them are pretty mundane."

"I see..."

   I understand Shimada's explanation, I really wouldn't want to talk about an ability that changes the sound of a fart with anyone.

"Oh! Speaking of 'Awakened', I just remembered. There's a gang of thieves that have settled on the road ahead. It seems their boss might be an 'Awakened'. The residents were talking about it earlier."

"Is that information reliable?"

"Yes. Judging from the tense atmosphere, I think it's quite credible."

"Well, it's better to be cautious."

   Saeki and Shimada speak solemnly. 

   Watching the two of them, a question I hadn't asked until now suddenly spills out of my mouth.

"Come to think of it, why are you two traveling?"

"! Kato, that's..."

"We can't say. After all, you're an outsider."

"Ugh!"

   Kato stammers at Saeki stern tone.

"Kato. We'll leave you in the city."

"Huh?"

"You're an 'Awakened'. If you reveal that, the city will welcome you warmly. 'Awakened' are valuable assets anywhere."

"But I don't even know anything about my own ability..."

   That aside, being left alone in this desolate world, let alone in an unknown city, makes me anxious...

"That's your problem! Figure it out on your own. We brought you to this city to save you. We explained the situation you're in. Don't rely on us anymore."

"...Right."

   That's true. I can't even muster a retort.

"We'll cover tonight's lodging for you. After that, we won't be involved with you anymore."

   Saeki stands up and says. Shimada follows suit, and in doing so, he shoots Kato an apologetic look.

"Ah...!"

   I almost cling to those eyes, but I stop myself. Just as Saeki says, it's up to me to figure out what to do from now on. Relying on Shimada won't solve anything.

"You won't survive in this post-apocalyptic world if you keep depending on others. You need to think and act for yourself..."

   Saeki parting words resonate in Kato ears for a long time.

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