So great that it made them shrink back.
At this,
Haimo showed no disappointment.
On the contrary,
such hesitation was only natural.
After all,
not everyone was like Sasamori Aya or Nemumeno Satori.
This was humanity at its most genuine.
People longed for unknown sights in distant lands, yearning to escape their unchanging lives.
But when the door to a new world truly opened and a biting wind blew in,
anxiety over the uncertain road ahead and attachment to their peaceful lives would become heavy chains, holding their feet firmly in place.
It was like those people who shouted about taking a spontaneous trip.
When the moment actually came to quit their jobs, give up their apartments, and pack their bags,
most would still worry about the future and quietly shove their suitcases back under the bed.
The resolve to burn one's bridges
was, in the end, a quality only a few possessed.
Chapter 12: Turn Your Blade on Your Cowardly Self
"Yes."
"Since I, as a god, can take you there, naturally I can bring you back."
"Traveling to and from this world isn't particularly difficult for me."
Faced with the girls' hopeful or apprehensive gazes, Haimo gave them an affirmative answer.
The tension in the air immediately eased.
Hanabishi Warabi let out a long breath and patted her chest.
Kikakujō Mary also looked relieved, as though having that return ticket turned the journey to another world into a slightly more exciting school trip.
However,
before that relaxed atmosphere could spread,
Haimo's next words came down like a bucket of ice water over their heads.
"But."
"If you're going with the idea of trying it out and coming back if it doesn't work out,"
"then,"
"I suggest you stay here."
"Living beings often unleash astonishing strength only when they have no way out."
"Even the most cowardly mouse will bare its fangs and fight to the death for a sliver of hope when a cat corners it with nowhere to run."
"That bridge-burning resolve is essential fuel on the road to becoming strong."
"But once a living being has an escape route,"
"once they know there's a safety door standing open behind them, that all they have to do is turn around to return to that warm, comfortable bed where nothing can hurt them,"
"their will to struggle for survival in desperate circumstances will crumble."
"It's like someone walking a tightrope."
"Without a safety net, they'll concentrate on every step, every cell in their body screaming to maintain their balance."
"But if there's a thick foam mat underneath,"
"they'll think, 'Oh, falling won't hurt me anyway.'"
"And then,"
"their footwork will grow careless, and their focus will slacken."
"Fighting with your back to the wall has never been a tactical choice. It's a state of mind."
"When someone knows she still has a way out,"
"her sword swing against a monster will carry a little less force."
"Her dodge away from its claws will come a beat too late."
"But in that world,"
"that little bit of missing force,"
"that single beat of delay,"
"is the dividing line between life and death."
"The place I'm taking you isn't an amusement park, nor is it a simulated stage for you to play at being heroes."
"People really die there."
"Monsters' claws will tear out the throat of every adventurer who underestimates the Dungeon."
"If, at that moment,"
"you're thinking 'I want to go home' instead of 'I'm going to kill this beast,'"
"then,"
"you really will die."
Haimo's words came to an end.
The gymnasium fell deathly silent.
Even Sasamori Aya, who had been the most excited earlier, lost her smile, her gaze turning solemn.
She wasn't afraid of death.
But she understood what Haimo meant.
This wasn't merely a question of whether they would die.
It was a matter of resolve.
The mad resolve to sever the past completely and stake one's entire life on a single gamble.
"So."
Haimo spread his hands as though delivering a final ultimatum.
"Anyone who wants to come with me,"
"please kill the version of yourself in your heart who still thinks she can come back."
"Treat this departure as a one-way ticket."
"If you don't have that resolve yet,"
"then please let the matter end here."
Haimo finished speaking.
Haimo said no more. He simply stood there quietly, waiting for their choices.
In that moment,
the first to break the silence
was naturally Sasamori Aya.
After hearing Haimo's words, the fervor in her eyes hadn't faded. Instead, it burned even brighter.
"What a boring question."
"To me, this world has long been nothing but a lifeless tomb."
"And if it's a tomb,"
"why cling to it?"
"As long as I can feel the pain of being alive, who cares if it's a one-way ticket?"
Sasamori Aya strode behind Haimo without the slightest hesitation.
With someone taking the lead,
a second person naturally responded.
It was Tsukuyo Inaba.
Then,
with her katana in hand, she slowly rose from her cushion.
"In that case, Tsukuyo will go too."
"After all, Tsukuyo's world has always been pitch-black."
"If it's night everywhere,"
"why should it matter whether the door behind me closes?"
"If this is the proving ground you have prepared for Tsukuyo, my lord,"
"then Tsukuyo can only venture forth."
"And if I can hear a different wind,"
"Tsukuyo will be content."
With that,
Tsukuyo Inaba opened her sightless red eyes.
Cradling her long blade, she stepped toward Haimo's side.
In the blink of an eye,
the first of the Five Swords had made her choice.
Seeing this, Nemumeno Satori tilted her head, and the false smile on her face briefly vanished.
But almost immediately, she replaced it with an even brighter, more dangerous smile.
"Since everyone's so enthusiastic,"
"wouldn't little Satori miss out on all sorts of fun if she didn't go?"
"Besides..."
"A game with no way out is more exciting, isn't it?"
With that,
Nemumeno Satori skipped over and stood on Haimo's other side.
By now,
they had declared their choices one after another.
At this point,
only Onigawara Rin, Kikakujō Mary, and Hanabishi Warabi of the Five Swords remained where they were.
The pressure on the three intensified.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Every second stretched on endlessly.
Kikakujō Mary clutched the dictionary in her arms.
Her gaze darted back and forth between Haimo and the others.