・

　――When I regained consciousness, the first thing I felt was difficulty in breathing and a sense of pressure.

「Cough!」

　I coughed, expelling the unpleasant sensation that had pooled in my mouth――spitting out sandy saliva as I struggled to open my heavy eyelids. I had lost consciousness.

　This wasn’t just napping; it was a forced unconsciousness, swallowed by an overwhelming wave that was impossible to resist.

　A heavy sensation, as if sand was pressing down to my eyelashes. Straining against it, I tried to recall what had happened to me just before.

　Certainly, there had been some intense chaos, and then I had tried to leave the tower, managing to exit without anyone getting in my way――

「Worms and… white light…」

　Recalling the terrifying events that followed right after, I began to question whether I was truly alive.

　Had I been caught up in such abnormal circumstances, did I really have enough luck to survive?

　That aside, even if I had died back there, it was questionable whether I could truly die in the current situation as Natsuki Subaru, an unwanted foreigner.

「After the needle, falling into an antlion…」

　I remembered the ground caving in, getting swallowed underground along with the corpse of a giant worm. I had desperately stretched my neck to secure some oxygen, but ultimately, I was consumed by the sand, losing my consciousness.

　It had seemed like I was going to suffocate in that moment, but that hadn’t happened.

「This is… the underground of the desert, huh?」

　Looking around, it was a place devoid of any light, a darkness where I could hardly see my hands.

　I pushed my hand, freed from the sand, right in front of my face. I could barely tell it was there, but the world felt so fragile that I couldn’t even see the lifeline.

　――I truly wondered if I was still lingering in the world of the living.

「…This isn’t creeping me out at all, you moron」

　Having thought that far, I slowly moved my limbs and freed my body from the heavy pressure of being buried in sand. The oppressive sensation over my body was caused by the sand that had engulfed me from the waist down, and it was a stroke of luck that my upper body hadn’t been buried too.

　It was like unpiling a sand mound that had a flag stuck in it without knocking it over. To avoid being completely buried in sand with rough movements, I carefully brushed the sand away and got out.

「――――」

　Barely getting free from the sand, I felt an unexpectedly heavy fatigue wash over me.

　The cold sand had sapped my body heat, and having been continually pressured didn’t help either. The terrifying thing was that I couldn’t even tell how long I had been unconscious.

「Good thing I wasn’t bitten by another worm while I was sleeping…」

　Speaking to myself, I felt a thirst and moved my hand to my waist.

　There should’ve been a water skin I secured for crossing the desert when I fled the tower. However, upon reaching for it, my fingers felt empty; no matter how many times I searched, the water skin was nowhere to be found.

「If I was buried to my waist, it makes sense…」

　It seemed the water bag had come off when I was sucked into the sand. Simultaneously, the bag packed with emergency rations was also out of reach. Realizing that this signified a dire situation, my mind remained eerily calm.

　Perhaps I was becoming numb to the cruelty of this situation, and it felt absurd to react to everything.

「At least if something were nearby… huh?」

　Kneeling down, I began to feel around the vicinity of the sand mound I had escaped from.

　With so much sand, I hardly had any expectations, but in what was likely a comfortless act, I found a soft sensation right where my upper body had emerged.

　I confirmed with my fingers that it was the water skin I sought, and I couldn’t help but be surprised.

「To be shocked twice when it’s empty…」

　From the weight and feel of the leather bag, it was immediately clear that it was empty. I briefly pressed the opening of the bag to my lips, just a faint droplet moistening my tongue.

　Even that tiny amount of water felt like a precious resource right now. Enjoying the pangs of thirst on my tongue, I returned the water bag to my waist and again felt the surroundings with my hands.

「――？」

　If there was a water skin, perhaps there was a chance of food as well.

　That hope, like the water, was met with disappointment.

　――Food was scattered around the sand mound as if half-eaten.

「――――」

　It was too dark to discern the scene around the mound clearly.

　But I could see that supplies I had brought were strewn about in the sand. And the remains resting in my palms were not in their original state――to put it plainly, it was clear something had been gnawed on and left behind.

　Gulping, my dry throat made a sound.

　The reality of scattered food around me gnawed at my psyche, which I believed was calm, like claws raking over flesh.

　The fear I held about being prey to worms surged, causing me to break out in a sweat, precious moisture trickling away down my forehead and back.

　Originally, this place was where that giant worm had emerged from, essentially a monster’s thoroughfare.

　That worm’s main body was surely dead, but it wouldn’t be surprising if there were other monsters cohabiting in this path.

「I need to get away from here…」

　Subaru thought.

　However, in processing that thought, he could barely see his surroundings. Instead of looking for walls, he crawled on all fours, relying on the ground to confirm there was a floor, walls, a path, and his own existence, scurrying away on hands and knees.

「Damn it… it hurts like hell…」

　The white needle that had grazed my right ear, the re-growing nail on my right hand, and all the pain from my body’s signaling organs urged me on as I crawled away from that spot.

　To distance myself from some eerie presence. Even though I did not know what awaited me once I had distanced myself.

　For now, I could only keep fleeing from the incomprehensible fear.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

「――――」

　Snorting, Subaru was guided to move his limbs that way.

　The sensation grew stronger, guiding Subaru deeper.

　――About an hour had passed since my escape, crawling in the dark.

　While desperately fleeing with no destination, Subaru slipped down sand mounds, faced walls on unmarked trails, and occasionally, rolled in fear from the showers of sand falling from above.

　Amidst this turmoil, Subaru realized he was in a hollow underground of the desert.

　Though this realization didn’t offer any relief, soon after realizing that, a genuine sign presented itself.

　――It was a peculiar, attractive scent that suddenly filled his nostrils.

　It wasn’t to be called fragrant in any normal state.

　Usually, smells are mere uncertain information of lower priority when it comes to assessing situations. However, confined in darkness, where I couldn’t see and the world was void of sound, the sudden stench felt incredibly fresh.

　Thus, Subaru felt compelled to crawl toward it, like a child relying on walls.

　Snorting, in a dog-like posture, he was led deeper into the hollow――though whether it was deeper or more toward him, he could not really tell.

「Hah, hah, hah…」

　Before long, Subaru stuck out his tongue, breathing heavily like an actual dog.

　I’d heard dogs stick out their tongues to regulate body temperature, but that wasn’t the case for Subaru’s current actions. He was outstretched, wanting to take in as much information as possible by experiencing the faintest breeze with his tongue.

「――――」

　In the darkness, in just a few hours, he felt like he had adapted to being a living creature that thrived in the dark. Naturally, this fleeting sense of omnipotence starkly contrasted reality.

　Still, the darkness gave Subaru nothing, and only his breathing and the soft sound of sand scraping echoed in the lonely space――but that felt comforting in his current state.

　――Scary, terrifying, I must do something.

　At first, such instinctive fears filled him.

　Now, however, Subaru found this serene dark space, an empty and ‘lonely’ space, to be dear.

　Here, he wouldn’t have to suffer any more injuries.

　Here, he only needed to struggle to escape.

　Here, he didn’t need to think, nor did he have anything to do.

　A sense of stagnation, as if surrendering oneself into lukewarm mud, embraced Subaru’s heart, saturated it like a mushy lump of clay.

　If only he could dissolve away and disappear like that, then perhaps that wouldn’t be an issue either.

　――While lost in that escapist thought of languor and weariness.

「Damn it, what is this…」

　Steadily, Subaru crawled through the invisible hollow.

　Along the way, he encountered paths diverging left and right, debated endlessly over which to choose, and ultimately opted for the right, keeping on the long, lingering journey guided by the scent.

　Would there be a place for relief at the end of this? Would he reach a brighter place? Completely lacking expectations, Subaru nonetheless pressed on.

　And yet――

「Is this a dead end…?」

　As he continued forward against the narrowing path and steep slope, what awaited Subaru was a path so narrow he could only crawl and at the end, a wall of sand――in other words, the terminus of the scent.

「What was the point of coming all this way… No, wait a minute」

　An angry emotion surged up and Subaru had to pause from throwing a punch at the sand wall. Then, he pondered the contradiction between the scent he had followed here and the current situation.

　He had undoubtedly navigated this place by relying on the scent wafting through the air.

　The scent had carried on the wind, definitely reaching Subaru from afar. In other words, if there was any space for wind to flow, then the sand couldn’t close up like this.

　The wind must surely have flowed in from outside into the hollow.

「Then…!」

　Patting around his surroundings, Subaru felt his way backward, exploring the dead-end path.

　He couldn’t afford to overlook the left, right, or the front. Then, where might he have overlooked?

　――Far above, where he feared he’d been abandoned by the stars.

「――There!」

　After an hour of moving backward, his hand brushing the ceiling felt air, and Subaru’s eyes glinted.

　Standing up, he thrust his arm upwards, and even with his shoulder stretched, he didn’t reach the ceiling. There was a hole. It was more than double the circumference of Subaru’s body, big enough for him to slip through.

　In that case, by pushing against the back and legs, he should be able to climb up.

「――――」

　From above the hole, a faint breeze flowed in. The scent that Subaru had sought as the only thing to cling to until now was carried in by that wind flowing underground.

　Snorting, having confirmed that, Subaru had no choice but to climb up.

「Guh… Nngh…」

　Slipping into the hole, he pressed his back against the wall. Naturally, since the wall was made of sand, if he angled it wrong with too much pressure, it could easily collapse, failing his plan.

　To avoid that, he was careful, yet when stepping up, he acted boldly, making a swift movement to stick his backside and feet out as he climbed the hole bit by bit.

「――――」

　Fortunately, or so one could say, there were indentations in the walls of the hole that offered some supportive footholds to the lonely climber, Subaru.

　If someone had superhuman physical abilities, perhaps they could spring off those indentations and bounce up to the top of the hole.

「Oh」

　However, Subaru lacked such physical prowess and had to keep persisting with a steady challenge.

　Still, it seemed his body, honed over time in unknown ways, was trained to endure this kind of unnatural activity.

　Just like getting accustomed to a new vehicle, his body gradually adapted to this ‘engine transplanted’ state. By the time he had climbed past halfway up the hole, he grasped the technique and was solidly establishing himself as a climber.

　That said, before he could fully display this ability――

「――An exit」

　He didn’t know how many meters of wall he had climbed, but before he knew it, he had risen to a height where falling would surely result in death.

　As a reward for his relentless pursuit, Subaru finally achieved climbing up the wall.

「――――」

　To his surprise, he wasn’t filled with much of an emotional response.

　It was more of a mundane thought that this was all rather trivial.

　It was just that, now with so little to say, climbing up the wall felt inconsequential compared to what lay ahead.

　Emerge from the hole, stepping on new sand, Subaru stood up.

　Before him, loomed a solemn presence, which made him mutter briefly.

「――A door」

　――There stood a peculiar door, standing alone without support.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

　――Before the solitary door, Subaru found himself at a loss.

「I can see it」

　The hole Subaru had emerged from didn’t lead straight above ground.

　This was likely still inside a hollow――if there was a layer to the hollow, then the spot where he fell was B2F, and now he was at B1F.

　And there was a single door, not integrated with the walls or floor, merely standing there vacantly in a space that was obscured through devious means.

　Was there anyone who could discern the meaning behind this at first glance?

「――Anyone but me」

　As Subaru gazed at the door, he uttered that remark with a strong, arrogant feeling bubbling to the surface.

　Placing his hand on his chest and widening his eyes, he was completely aware of the sudden encounter.――This was a door meant for him.

　It was a bizarre certainty.

　A conviction that this door belonged to him.

　The wind that flowed underground, the scent it carried, and the path he followed reached this destination.

　Everything had summoned Natsuki Subaru to this place.

　And now, the door before him softly asserted its presence even in this darkness, eagerly anticipating the moment it was opened by Natsuki Subaru.

「――――」

　As if touching a beloved sweetheart, Subaru approached the door with a lively heart.

　This door, appearing to be double-opening, looked wooden and was about twice Subaru’s height. Upon closer inspection, there were peculiar patterns on the knob at the center of the double doors.

　――There shone seven gems.

「――Ah」

　As Subaru laid eyes on the gems, he reached out to touch the door.

　Instantly, the gems on the door began to glow brightly.――Four of them.

　Four out of the seven gems brilliantly sparkled, welcoming Natsuki Subaru’s arrival――

　――But the master of the door did not acknowledge the visit of one without the key.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

・

　――In the blink of an eye, Subaru found himself at a loss, not knowing where he was, blinking repeatedly.

「Hah」

　He let out a dazed breath, looking down at his hands.

　It was visible. Of course, it was. There was light, there were colors. He could see his footing. He was standing on a stone floor――a stone floor.

「――ッ」

　Stiffening up, Subaru hurriedly glanced around.

　All around him were reddish-brown walls, walls, walls――the walls of a tower shaped like a circle, with a large door behind him leading outside.

　This was inside the tower――the fifth layer of the Pleiades Watchtower.

　He must have flown out of that place with some strong resolve, but now he had returned.

「What」

　The words didn’t flow. No matter what, they wouldn’t come out.

　It had only been an instant, yet in a split moment, Subaru found himself standing in a place like this. Unable to erase his astonishment, dizziness hit, and he wobbled on his feet.

　His bare feet, the shoes he had taken off rolled against his toes, and Subaru clenched his molars tightly.

　There was no time to be dazed here. He had to escape immediately――no.

「Why do I have to run away?」

　A murky, turbulent emotion boiled up within as Subaru looked up with fiery intensity.

　A heated hatred, like magma simmering, churned within Subaru.

　This was the end of a time spent alone, the end of the peace in the dark, the end of the scent that had clung to him――all given to him forcefully from that place, eliciting unjust hatred.

「――――」

　Why did Subaru have to run away?

　Because someone plotted to kill him, attempting twice to take his life. Hiding that fact beneath a calm façade, how could he remain in a place that shamelessly masqueraded as a good person?

　――The suspect could only be within the tower.

　Was he to search for the culprit among them? Or had he fled because he couldn’t?

　Foolish, foolish, foolish, he understood nothing.

　――If any one of the suspects was guilty, then just crush them until he found the guilty one.

「――――」

　Fortunately, they were all letting their guard down around Subaru.

　Only the guilty one would keep their wary eyes on Subaru, but――that particular suspect had no way of knowing that Subaru suspected them.

　Here, Subaru held an advantage from having died once.

　Having died once, he knew someone was trying to kill him.

　Before that heinous act could occur again, he could simply kill whoever was trying to kill him.

「Hihah」

　A wicked grin appeared, and Subaru covered his mouth with his hand.

　An ingenious plan sprang to mind, and Subaru had gained the grace of saving himself.

「――――」

　Then it was time to procure a weapon to quickly deal with this.

　Having reached a conclusion, Subaru was decisive in action. He hurriedly descended the spiral staircase――heading down to the sixth layer.

　Vaguely remembering, he recalled that the bottom layer of the tower, the sixth layer, contained the lizard that Subaru and his friends――the original Natsuki Subaru had sought for assistance in crossing the desert, along with a carriage for travel.

　Naturally, if anything was there, it could prove useful in ‘emergency’ situations.

「――――」

　Upon reaching the bottom layer and spotting the intended carriage, however, Subaru halted.

　The reason was beside the carriage――where lay a massive lizard, having collapsed and already expired.

　Its head was blown off, and the body, minus its neck, lay flat on the ground. The impact must have been significant, as the severed head was nowhere to be found.

　Instead, blood from the giant form pooled on the ground, but it had already dried, indicating a substantial amount of time had passed since this tragedy.

「――Needle」

　In that instant, the memory of the struggle with the worm right after leaving the tower and that mysterious white needle that blew its head away flashed through Subaru’s mind.

　The attack of that white needle matched the impressions of the lizard corpse lying here. If so, the attack must likely have been from someone inside the tower――a suspect among them.

　Furthermore, to slaughter their livestock——

「――I’m guessing they’ve stopped hiding their true identity.」

　Was the fact that Subaru had escaped the decisive blow that prompted them to act hastily？

　Trembling at that realization, Subaru rummaged through the untouched insides of the carriage――that which seemed to be treated like a bed and found a large knife among some random supplies.

　It was likely something close to a survival knife.

　Rather than being a weapon for combat, it was a large blade used for clearing obstructions ― but in this situation, it would undoubtedly serve as the perfect tool for Subaru’s intentions.

「I don’t know who the enemy is…」

　――But I’ll show them what’s what.

　With dark emotions burning within him, Natsuki Subaru took the knife and headed back upstairs.

　With a twisted smile, hatred pushed him forward.

　Believing that even heinous acts would be justified for the sake of salvation, he moved ahead.

　――Unaware that tears of unshakeable fear were streaming down his cheek.