AWB Chapter 290: Our World
Chapter 290: Our World
Chapter 290: Our World
"Although that may be the case, to be safe..."
Asagiri looked at Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi, then spoke softly.
"After I board the train, head to Tokyo Station immediately. Prevent the other side from having people already lying in ambush there, ready to receive them."
"Okay."
Then Asagiri turned to Ashikaga Miwa.
"You have connections with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, right? Have them find an excuse to evacuate the crowd inside the station in advance. Otherwise, they’ll only get in the way."
Ashikaga Miwa nodded.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
After Asagiri finished outlining the plan, Yuuki Asuna asked tentatively.
"Should we notify Chika and the others?"
"Those three..."
Asagiri did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked toward Kato Megumi and Iwanaga Kotoko.
"What do you think?"
"Hmm..."
Kato Megumi tilted her head, showing a cute expression as she thought seriously. After a few seconds, she spoke in a gentle tone.
"I’m not very familiar with them. I only met them once in the last Dungeon. I’ll leave the decision to you."
"Let’s notify them."
Iwanaga Kotoko gave her opinion with a smile.
"Tokyo isn’t just the city we live in. It’s also the city they live in. At a time like this, they should provide help within their own capabilities. How can they rely on us for everything?"
"That’s true."
Asagiri nodded with a smile, then drafted an email and sent it to Kaguya Shinomiya. The content was very simple.
"Tokyo Station. There’s an operation. Come quickly."
...
Meanwhile, inside a certain carriage of the train speeding toward Tokyo.
"Report. The other side still hasn’t made a move."
Hearing his subordinate’s report, a man sitting by the window nodded.
He was dressed in ordinary clothes, with a crew cut and sharp eyes. He stood up, scanned the dozen or so Players in the carriage, then gestured for the subordinate who had just spoken to close the glass door at the carriage connection.
Only then did he speak in a deep voice.
"For us, this Dungeon has only one objective: seize Kayaba Akihiko’s laptop and successfully bring it back to headquarters. The research he is conducting has immeasurable value to us. This mission can only succeed. Failure is not allowed."
After saying this, the man swept his gaze over everyone present. He paused for a few seconds, then continued.
"The Players of this world seem to have detected our movements. It’s hard to say what those men in black suits are, but that blue twin tailed girl was not on this train before. She suddenly appeared. She must be a Player with extraordinary abilities, and there must be other Players on this train who do not belong to our Black Watch."
"The plan has changed. Wait for the other Players to make the first move. Then, during the chaos, seize Kayaba Akihiko’s laptop. If that fails..."
The man, whose identity was clearly that of a Black Watch Commander, narrowed his eyes and slowly spoke.
"Then destroy the laptop and kill Kayaba Akihiko. We absolutely cannot allow the people of this world to grasp that technology."
...
On the other side, Crazy Mita, who had been standing in the carriage, seemed to sense something. She pouted and complained softly.
"Finally here..."
The next second, she suddenly vanished.
Under the astonished gazes of the bodyguards, a figure wearing a long black trench coat, black gloves, black boots, and a dark gray mask appeared in her place.
"And you are..."
"Calm down. I’m on your side."
Asagiri spoke lightly first, then looked toward Kayaba Akihiko, who was still sitting there, and said in a smiling tone.
"Mr. Kayaba Akihiko, aren’t you scared?"
"Scared?"
Kayaba Akihiko seemed somewhat dull, the type who was not skilled with words. But his eyes were astonishingly calm. So calm that there seemed to be no emotion in them at all, only cold, ruthless rationality.
He raised his head and looked straight into Asagiri’s eyes, speaking in a flat tone.
"I have no power. The only thing I can do is construct the ’real world’ inside my mind. Before that is complete, I cannot die. So I ask... no, I beg you. Can you save me?"
"Then will you cooperate with Ashikaga Miwa?"
"As long as she promises not to interfere with my research. Otherwise, I would not have wasted my time boarding this train."
"Good. The deal is done."
Asagiri nodded and slowly spoke.
"I won’t let you die, Kayaba Akihiko."
...
Ten minutes later.
"Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station. This train will stop here for ten minutes. This train will stop here for ten minutes. Please bring your personal belongings and luggage and disembark in an orderly manner."
As the announcement sounded inside the train, passengers preparing to get off at Tokyo Station picked up their belongings and stepped onto the platform.
Only then did they realize that the platform, usually bustling with people, was now completely empty. It even carried a deathly silence.
"What’s going on?"
"Why isn’t there anyone here?"
"Did another earthquake happen?"
Just as the passengers who had disembarked were starting to feel confused, another announcement came from the station loudspeakers.
"Due to a minor malfunction on the train tracks, service at this station is temporarily suspended. All passengers are requested to disembark first. Dedicated staff will arrange accommodation for you. Please board again after service resumes. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your understanding."
"Oh, so service was suspended because of a malfunction. That’s unlucky."
"Forget it. It’s fine as long as they arrange accommodation."
"I hope they fix it quickly."
After hearing the station announcement, the passengers, whether they had originally planned to get off at Tokyo Station or not, could only take their luggage and leave the train.
Among them, surrounded by more than a dozen bodyguards in black suits, a man in a white coat carrying a laptop bag also stepped onto the platform.
"Why is there no one outside..."
The Black Watch members observed the situation outside through the train window.
Seeing the man in the white coat, surrounded by more than a dozen bodyguards, about to leave, the Black Watch Commander’s face showed anxiety. He no longer had time to ponder why things had become like this and immediately gave the order.
"No time left. Assault! Whoever grabs Kayaba Akihiko’s laptop will be covered by the rest of us. As long as we enter the city, our chances of successfully reaching the extraction point will greatly increase. Move!"
At the Black Watch Commander’s order, more than a dozen Black Watch members, who were also Players, shattered the thick train windows and launched their assault on "Kayaba Akihiko," who was surrounded by bodyguards.
"What happened?"
Hearing the sound of breaking glass, the hundreds of passengers who had already left the train could not help but stop and look toward the source of the noise.
The dozen or so bodyguards protecting "Kayaba Akihiko" immediately drew their guns and opened fire at the attacking Black Watch members.
"Bang!"
The sound of gunfire rang out.
The crowd, who had stopped out of curiosity, froze for a brief moment. Then panicked screams erupted.
The order that had barely been maintained collapsed instantly. Everyone instinctively began fleeing toward the station exit.
"Shoot them down, God Gun."
Just as the Black Watch members endured the bullets and were about to catch up to the bodyguards, a clear and cold voice rang out.
Immediately after, a snow-white blade gleaming coldly under the light suddenly extended forward and pierced straight through the body of the leading Black Watch member.
As the blood-stained blade slowly retracted, the Black Watch members finally saw the attacker clearly.
A black-haired girl stood there in a black kyūdō uniform patterned with red markings. She wore a dark red mask, and behind it, her eyes were also red. Holding a long sword, she quietly gazed at them.
Beside her stood a girl wearing a black bow tie and a Hannya mask that looked like it had been bought somewhere at random.
"Two people... If we go all out..."
Just as the Black Watch Commander was about to order them to continue the attack, Kaguya Shinomiya, who was standing there, suddenly spoke.
"The otherworld Players who were originally hiding inside the station have already been killed by us."
Hearing her sudden words, the dozen or so Black Watch Players were somewhat bewildered.
But in the very next second, they suddenly felt danger from behind.
"Cold Frost Spear."
"Bang!"
Most of the Black Watch members scattered immediately, but two of them were half a beat too slow.
Their bodies were instantly pierced by ice spears emanating frigid air, and blood flowed across the station platform.
"Hmm. Well done."
Only then did the Black Watch Players notice that a mysterious figure in a long black trench coat and dark gray mask had appeared behind them at some point.
"Shadow... Could this be..."
Just as the Black Watch Players stared at Asagiri with expressions of horror and shock, a deep red afterimage flashed and appeared beside him.
Kato Megumi, wearing Nightingale Armor and a plain mask, and Iwanaga Kotoko, wearing a masquerade mask, slowly walked down from the platforms on the left and right.
What shocked the Black Watch Players the most was that the armed bodyguards silently parted.
"Kayaba Akihiko," the supposed protected target carrying the laptop bag and wearing a white coat, walked out through the path they opened. His clothing rapidly changed, instantly transforming into a blond girl in a JK uniform wearing a light blue mask.
"Congratulations. You guessed correctly."
After Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, Kato Megumi, Hayasaka Ai, Kaguya Shinomiya, Fujiwara Chika, and the strongest Players in Tokyo had all appeared, Asagiri looked at the Black Watch Players, who were speechless with shock, and slowly spoke in a smiling voice.
"This is our world."
.....
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