If Ayanokōji's hypothesis was correct—that these images were snapshots of a future timeline—then this broadcast was becoming a source of invaluable intelligence for a version of himself that hadn't lived through those events yet.
[ "I'm getting a little bored now." Elsa spoke softly. Although she and Ayanokōji appeared to be in a stalemate, she hadn't exerted even half of her true strength; she was simply a cat toying with a mouse. While Ayanokōji had reached the peak of ordinary human capability, his stamina was draining rapidly. The frostbite made his movements sluggish. Conversely, Elsa was no ordinary human; she was an elite assassin blessed with a specific "Divine Protection." Her strength and speed had long since transcended human limits. Even an entire squad of guards would have met their end at her hands. ]
[ 'Is this what death feels like?' Ayanokōji felt the pain intensify as his body temperature plummeted. Yet, beyond the physical sensation, he felt nothing. His mind remained as still as a frozen lake. To him, his own death was just another mundane event, devoid of any desperate will to survive. He knew that struggling against an impossible outcome was a waste of energy; it wouldn't change the result. ]
[ His lack of reaction left Elsa dissatisfied. Whenever she took a life, she relished the emotions that bled out of her victims—fear, hatred, sorrow. She savored those final moments like a fine wine. But from Ayanokōji, she felt nothing. It was as if he weren't a complete human being. For the first time, Elsa herself felt a prickle of discomfort. ]
[ Feeling his consciousness and heat slipping away into the void, Ayanokōji slowly closed his eyes. ]
[ Ayanokōji Kiyotaka: Dead. ]
An agonizing silence filled the Class D classroom. They had just witnessed a boy who possessed near-superhuman psychological and physical discipline be systematically dismantled. Against any other human, Ayanokōji would have been the victor—but the Bowel Hunter was something else entirely.
"No..." Horikita Suzune's tears finally spilled over. She kept telling herself it was just a video, that the boy on screen wasn't the boy sitting next to her, but the realism of the broadcast made the distinction impossible to maintain. Seeing him die felt as real as if it had happened right in front of her.
She quickly wiped her face, unwilling to let her classmates see her weakness, and stole a glance at Ayanokōji. He was sitting perfectly still, watching the screen with the same detached interest as before.
"Ayanokōji, the person who just died was you!" Horikita's voice was sharp with anger. How could he remain so calm while watching his own execution? "Don't you have anything to say?!"
"I'm alive right now, am I not?" Ayanokōji replied coolly. To him, there was no point in getting emotional over a recorded failure. If this was indeed the future, his only priority was to analyze the data so he could find a way to counter Elsa when the time came.
[ Darkness, like a thick fog, enveloped Ayanokōji. He wasn't sure if he was truly gone. ]
Ayanokōji's brow twitched. He had expected the "movie" to end with his death, but the broadcast continued. Why? Had he survived the gutting? He leaned in, focusing on the screen.
[ Bright sunlight poured down, reflecting off the ancient architecture of the Lugnica capital. ]
[ Hearing the familiar roar of the crowds and the clatter of carriages, Ayanokōji's consciousness snapped back. He looked at the demi-humans passing by, a rare look of bewilderment crossing his face. ]
[ 'I'm not dead?' He surveyed his surroundings. The scene was identical to the moment he had first transmigrated into this world. The same people, the same intervals between the carriages, the same light. ]
[ Having a mind like a high-speed camera, he compared the current scene to his memory. It was an exact match. He instinctively touched his stomach—the spot where Elsa's blade had carved him open. The phantom pain lingered, but the skin was unbroken. Not even a scar remained. ]
[ 'Was it an illusion? No... the pain was too visceral. One other possibility remains: I died, but I was reborn at this specific point in time.' ]
"He... he came back to life!?"
In another world, Shinomiya Kaguya stared at the television in shock. Just as she thought the macabre video was over, the protagonist had hit "reset."
Beside her, Fujiwara Chika puffed out her chest. "Clearly, Kaguya-san doesn't watch enough drama! I've seen series from all over the world that use this trope!" Fujiwara was so engrossed in the story she had completely forgotten how terrifyingly real the footage was.
"That's not the point, Fujiwara..." Shirogane Miyuki sighed, though he too was leaned in. He was curious: if Ayanokōji truly had the power of rebirth, how would he choose to play his "second life"?
[ Ayanokōji's mind raced. To verify the time-loop theory, he followed his memorized route back to the alleyway. ]
[ Sure enough, shortly after entering the alley, the same three bandits stepped out. "Hey, if you don't want a beating, hand over everything of value!" ]
[ Hearing the familiar lines, Ayanokōji asked calmly, "Have we met before?" ]
"He's even treating death as a tool to be utilized?"
In a small, cluttered, dimly lit room, Sora looked down at Shiro, who was curled up in front of him. "It's like when we're playing a game," Sora said. "Sometimes you have to die on purpose just to see the Boss's attack patterns. It's a 'necessary death'."
Shiro nodded, her young face pale. "He... is like us."
[ "You think you can take all three of us?!" Before the bandit could finish, Ayanokōji struck. He targeted the thin one first, knowing he was the one with the hidden blades. ]
[ His strike was explosive and precise. A jab landed perfectly on the man's throat—controlled enough to crush the cartilage and cause instant unconsciousness, but not enough to be fatal. Ayanokōji didn't want to deal with the logistics of a murder investigation by the city guards. ]
[ It happened so fast the other two couldn't react. Ayanokōji dropped his center of gravity, using his momentum to kick the knee of the largest man. As the giant lost his balance and toppled forward, Ayanokōji met him halfway with a rising knee to the skull. The man, twice Ayanokōji's size, slumped into a heap. ]