Finally! I've made it through the gruesome hours!
With an excited attitude, I quickly pack up my bag and get out of school before anyone else.
It's not like I hate school or anything, but once you get the hang of the subjects you'll find school hours truly boring…
I mean, why would we have to torture ourselves for something that we already know?!
Besides, their method isn't exactly innovative or anything, just directly teaching everyone with the same tone while writing on the board.
Except for old people, I doubted that the new gen found school interesting or anything…
On my way home, I opened the chat group out of curiosity.
Although I doubt that anyone would use it at the moment, there's no hurt in checking this isn't it?
… Hm?
[Aya Koda: Jouno-san… Are you there?]
A new message? The sent time is… just 5 seconds ago?
[Jouno Tsukami: Yeah, I'm here.]
[Aya Koda: Oh… I thought you're not gonna pick it up…]
[Jouno Tsukami: You send it just in time, I just finished my school.]
[Aya Koda: … Well then, may I ask you something?]
A question? Weird…
[Jouno Tsukami: Go ahead, I'm all ears.]
[Aya Koda: … In my original work, is there any supernatural attack on the train?]
… What?
Such a weird question to begin with? An attack on the train? I remember there isn't any battle involving trai—
(Aya Koda: Me? I'm just taking the train right now…)
Suddenly, I remembered her earlier message, and a memory of a certain battle in BSD then hit me like a truck…
There is a battle on the train in the early chapter, where Atsushi and Kyouka first face-off and lay the foundation for the whole cargo fight… But, if that's the case, then…
[Saruyama Kenichi: Let me guess, a lady-life figure that is dressed in whole white hanging on top of a little girl dressed in a red kimono is currently slicing a boy with a fragile look?]
[Aya Koda: … Yeah.]
Saruyama then joins in the chat, as he also knows what's going on at Aya side since he also knows the BSD storyline too.
[Jouno Tsukami: Are you okay Aya? Are you injured?]
[Aya Koda: I'm still fine, albeit with some bruises…]
[Aya Koda: … I'm scared…]
Aya expresses her own feelings directly through the message, as I slowly swallow my saliva out of concern.
While the train terrorist event is just an opening event for every problem followed by, I doubt that the same could be said for what happened on Aya side.
Everything could go wrong at any given moment, and at worst… no one will go home at the end of the day…
[Aya Koda: The air is filled with a burning smell, everyone shows terrifying expressions… and the battle right before me just seems to dilute our chance to run away…]
[Aya Koda: … I wanted to go home…]
Watching the depression messages from Aya, I can't feel anything more than frustration, and all of my cheerful attitude earlier has vanished away.
Out of every world that the group chat connects to, Aya and Miwa's world is the most dangerous one, and Aya is the only one who can't fend herself in her world of unease…
Even then, if I could theoretically come there myself, what more can I do? I'm just a powerless human, what can I even do against those who can end the world by themself.
I did know some martial move from old times, but against those that can stop a frickin' buller with their bare teeth? Not a chance.
Minutes then passed by with no more messages from Aya's side, and my tension steadily increased with each second of silence, with me typing uncontrollably trying to connect back with her.
[Jouno Tsukami: Aya?! Are you still there?!]
[Saruyama Kenichi: … Be patient, man.]
[Jouno Tsukami: How can I be patient?! What if she died there?!]
[Saruyama Kenichi: … I am concerned! Why do you think I'm not?!]
On the other hand, Saruyama, showing his annoying expression on his face while sitting alone on a bench at a park, doesn't care whether anyone would see him in this state or not.
He's as impatient as Jouno at this very moment, and if he had an option to go to Aya side, he wouldn't hesitate one bit. He might be an indecent man, but he's absolutely no heartless bastard.
This is a 10 years old girl that is stuck between 2 destructive power battles we are talking about, obviously they have to worry about this whole mess!
But then, just right at when their impatience reached out of control, a message suddenly posted on the group from Aya side.
[Aya Koda: … Don't worry guys, I'm fine now.]
[Jouni Tsukami: How's it over there Aya?! Are you safe?!]
[Saruyama Kenichi: You good Aya?!]
Both of us expressed concern over Aya, and she took quite a while to post another message.
[Aya Koda: I'm fine guys, the boy and the girl have fallen to the river beneath, and everyone is safe…]
"…"
Based on Aya's story, it seems like the battle has gone through with the original work, and everyone is safe, for now.
In the future many more catastrophes will happen on Aya side, and all of them have the potential to brutally end her life as a joke…
He never regretted accepting the group chat invitation, but he can't really do anything to help her at all besides giving out information.
Admittedly, he did give her information related to her future as a token of gratitude, with some solid evidence to prove his word.
Although he doubts that Aya would take her word as reliable, he at least would expect her to be encouraged by her future self.
But at this time, it would seem like he has to go out of the way to give as much information as possible to help Aya at least survive in that damn world…
[Aya Koda: … Thank you for being with me…]
[Jouno Tsukami: Don't mention that, that's the least we can do… After all, we should be concerned about you.]
[Saruyama Kenichi: Yeah…]
Both of us left out a sigh at the same time unbeknownst, feeling how helpless they are at crucial times.
I then walk to my usual groceries store to stock up the ingredients for the weekend, and return back to the street with more on hand than before.
"Okay, with that everything should be done…"
While checking the list again to confirm, I still thought of Aya crying face while ducking all the way in the back, with 2 catastrophes raging with each other mere footsteps from her…
If I remember sooner, I would've warned her to avoid taking the train today.
But even then, how could he make sure that the event will happen today? The event never depicted its exact happening day in the manga, and it could happen way later…
In short, not even he, the one with most knowledge about Aya's future, could do anything more to save her than giving some vague information.
While still thinking about Aya's situation, he keeps walking back to his house all alone, carrying all those groceries. And then, someone suddenly stopped him in his tracks.
"You there! Give me all your good!"
Some guy wearing a hoodie and facemask threatened me, hand holding a kitchen knife. Judging from his dirty clothes and unbalanced stances, I bet that this is his first time stolen from someone.
"Listen here man, I can help you make a living in another way. You don't have to lower yourself like this. Besides, I believe you don't want to mess with me right now."
"Ugh… s–shut up!!"
With a frustrated yell, the hooded man lunged right at me with the knife. And a second later, he was suddenly lying on the ground, now unconscious, with me sitting on his back with an exhausted feeling.
" … Warned ya."
I then carry him to the nearest station, albeit with reasons that he's a beggar that suddenly collapses while I pass through, and then swiftly get out of there before they can ask me anything more.
Right when I turn around the corner and the police station has disappeared from my sight, everything changes.
[Ding!]
[A World's Mission has arrived.]
"Eh? A mission…?"
Curiously, I then checked the group chat, and saw another tab had appeared showing the new quest beside the chat tab.
[World Mission: Defeat the Hunting Dogs, make them lose by any means.
- Duration: None.
- Participants: Varied
Every member will be transported to Bungo Stray Dog universe the moment they accept the mission, and their world timesteam will be halted until the mission is finished.
Reward: A member will get a random Abilities originated from Bungo Stray Dog universe for each Hunting Dog member defeated.]
Oh my… a typical system quest cliché?