Sakaki's Intuition

The rooftop at lunch was wrapped in a somewhat listless atmosphere.

The glare off the concrete and the distant sound of the brass band practicing.

I sat in the shadow of the water tower, mechanically chewing on a CalorieMate bar.

A tasteless lunch. But right now, I didn't have the leisure to savor a proper meal. Every moment spent efficiently absorbing nutrients was precious.

I checked the latest news on my phone.

"Mass Hallucinations Across the Country?"

"Government Establishes Response Task Force"

"Communication Disruptions, Cause Unknown"

(… The progression is fast.)

I rubbed my brow and scrolled through the screen.

According to my initial simulation, there should have been nearly two weeks until manifestation.

But in the past few days, the maso concentration had risen at a rate far exceeding my predictions. It was as if this world's "wall" was weaker than expected, or as if something on the other side was forcing it open.

Either way, X-Day was close. Not a week away. Days… no, it might even be a matter of hours.

"… There you are."

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the metal door opening.

I closed my phone and looked up.

Standing there was Sakaki Ryo, my childhood friend and classmate.

Normally he'd crack a joke like "C'mon, let's eat lunch together," but today Sakaki was different.

Deep furrows creased his brow, and he looked down at me with a cautious gaze, like someone watching a stray cat that had wandered in.

"… What is it, Sakaki. Is there something on my face?"

"Something? You look like a completely different person."

Sakaki sighed and dropped down heavily beside me.

He had bread from the school store in his hand, but he didn't even open the bag.

"I'll ask straight up, Kurose… Are you mixed up in something 'dangerous'?"

"Dangerous?"

"Don't play dumb. Your eyes have been crazy lately. Like a predator stalking prey, or like a hitman… Either way, those aren't law-abiding citizen eyes."

I gave a wry smile.

As expected, this guy's intuition was sharp.

Even without Mana Sight, an ordinary person was picking up on the faint killing intent I exuded and the changes from opening my mana circuits.

For a high schooler raised in peaceful Japan, his wild instincts were exceptionally keen.

"And then there's that bag."

Sakaki jerked his chin at the sports bag by my feet.

Inside were a weighted vest with lead plates for after-school training (total weight: ten kilos), backup water supplies, and a survival knife for self-defense (just barely legal under Japan's blade length laws).

The rebar spear was at home, but even so, the weight was considerable.

"When you set your bag down in the classroom earlier, it made a sound. A deep 'thunk.' That wasn't the sound of textbooks or gym clothes."

"…"

"That was the sound of a chunk of metal. What are you carrying around? Don't tell me it's a gun."

Sakaki's voice dropped low.

Genuine concern in his tone.

He probably thought I'd gotten caught up in gang fights or shady part-time crime.

I hesitated briefly.

It would be easy to throw him off with a casual lie. If I said "workout gear," I could get away with it as long as I didn't show the contents. There actually were lead weights inside.

But looking into his earnest eyes, I couldn't bring myself to tell a cheap lie.

I finished the last piece of CalorieMate and turned my gaze to the sky.

"… I'm not involved in any crime. I swear on that."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm just preparing."

"For what?!"

Sakaki's voice rose.

I turned to face him and spoke quietly.

"You won't believe me, but… something big is coming soon."

"Huh? An earthquake?"

"Something worse. By my reckoning, we don't have more than a few days left."

I gripped my bag strap tightly.

If I told him the truth, he'd only be confused. Or he might try to drag me to a psychiatric hospital.

So this was my best effort. The most I could say as a warning.

"Sakaki, listen carefully. If you ever hear 'the sound of glass breaking' echoing across the world…"

"Glass?"

"Yeah. If you hear a cracking sound from the sky, run without thinking."

I looked straight into Sakaki's eyes.

Not joking or threatening. Conveying genuine sincerity.

"Don't go home. Hide inside a sturdy reinforced concrete building. Stay away from windows. And whatever you do, don't look 'outside' out of curiosity."

"… Wh-what is that? Urban legend?"

"Promise me. Run. If you want to survive."

Sakaki opened his mouth to argue, but swallowed his words when he saw my eyes.

He must have realized I wasn't joking.

After a few seconds of silence, he awkwardly looked away and tore open his bread bag.

"… Fine, okay. If you're gonna make a face that serious, I'll remember it."

"Thanks."

"But in exchange, Kurose… Don't do anything that'll get you killed."

"I'll do my best."

I stood up and shouldered my heavy bag.

The bell rang.

Sakaki still didn't look convinced, but he didn't press further.

His sense of distance. His kind of trust.

Right now, I was grateful for that.

I put my hand on the rooftop door handle and looked back just once.

The back of my friend, eating bread under the blue sky.

This peaceful scene might be the last I ever see.

(Stay alive, Sakaki.)

I didn't say it aloud. Just thought it to myself.

If X-Day comes, I'll fight for myself. I might not have the luxury of saving others.

But I hoped that at least this sharp guy would use his innate instincts to survive.

I opened the door and headed down the dim stairwell.

Leaving that dry friendship behind, I returned to my solitary preparations.