The next morning, at dawn.
"Hirohiko, wait!"
From atop the high log wall, Chiba poked out half his head and called down to Hirohiko, who had just patted a student's shoulder to signal that it was time to set off.
"Chiba?"
Hearing the call, Hirohiko paused as he watched the last student in the long line depart. Just as he was about to take a step forward, he looked up and answered instinctively.
"Come up here first."
Chiba called again, waving for Hirohiko to come up onto the wall.
"Okay!"
Hearing this, Hirohiko did not hesitate. After telling a teacher beside him, "I'll leave things to you for now," and receiving the teacher's agreement, he headed through the camp gate and climbed the wall step by step.
"What is it, Chiba?"
After reaching the top, Hirohiko stopped beside Chiba and asked in some confusion.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you last night. There's something I want you to help me with when you have some free time."
Chiba smiled, hesitated slightly, and looked at his friend, who had gone from skin and bones to merely thin after eating regular meals, before speaking.
He had spent all of last night agonizing over the question of whether his existence was justified. Since accepting that discovery had taken quite a while, he had completely forgotten to talk to Hirohiko about Fire Release Nature Transformation.
That was why he had gotten up especially early today—to tell Hirohiko about it before he headed to the construction site.
Although he now understood that the death caused by the irrationality of his existence was unavoidable, Chiba, knowing there was no real way to guard against it and that he could only take things one step at a time, had no intention of giving up.
He had not