TN: Please read my translations only on my website since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Sponsored chapter by our Patreon. Enjoy~
Part 2
“The total human population right now is... 200,000 people.”
“.....”
Kazuya’s matter-of-fact words left me speechless.
All of humanity... only 200,000 people...?
The people in this big city in front of me─or rather, this very small city, when viewed on a global scale─are all of humanity.
There was no way I could believe such a story.
However, Kazuya’s expression was completely serious.
“This is the result of the war between humans and AI. We also acquired the power of the superpower, but... we were no match for them. Not only have we failed to regain the human sphere of existence, but the number of awakened humans continues to decrease... we’re running out of time.”
“.....”
While I was at a loss for words due to the seriousness of the situation, which was even more serious than I had imagined, Kazuya smiled.
“But it’s okay now! We were able to call Yuuya-san!”
“This is too much for me...”
Of course, now that I’ve been asked for help, I’ll do my best to fight.
However, the more I heard, the more I began to doubt whether I could really solve the situation on my own.
Then suddenly, the question arose whether I could use Divine Authority to return to the Earth of my time.
If I could go back, I would explain the situation to Iris-san, Usagi-sensei, Night, and the others and ask for their help.
If this was the Earth of my time, it would be a big problem, but with a population of only 200,000, it shouldn’t be a problem. From what I could see, cars were flying through the air, and no one would be surprised if a rabbit spoke, probably.
But... the result was no.
Even after using Divine Authority, it didn’t seem possible for me to return to my original time period.
I thought maybe Divine Authority itself wasn’t working, but it didn’t seem to be the case, so I tried to manifest Divine Authority in my right hand, and a rainbow-colored aura appeared without any problems. Ṝ
I don’t know how to explain it, but when I try to interfere with space-time with Divine Authority, it’s as if some strange force is preventing the interference itself.
What’s going on here? Could it be that there is some unknown power in the future world that even prevents Divine Authority from working?
Well, there are powers out there that I don’t know about, so it wouldn’t be strange if there was a power that could interfere with Divine Authority, right?
If this situation was caused by an AI, then I can’t afford to let my guard down for a second.
I really have to borrow the power of Night and the others and Usagi-sensei...
At that moment, I suddenly realized something.
By the way, what about the Gate to Another World in this era?
If it exists, I thought I could use it to request reinforcements from another world, but since this is the future, I probably don’t know of any people from another world left.
There is a possibility that the elf, Odis-san, is still alive, but... it’s a difficult situation.
Anyway, if I can’t find the gate, it’s a waste of time to think about it.
As I let out a sigh, Kazuya called out to me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Eh? Ah, that is...”
...Wouldn’t it be faster to just ask him directly without trying to cover it up?
After making that decision, I decided to ask him right away.
“Hey, Kazuya, do you know about the Gate to Another World?”
“Huh? The Gate to Another World? Sorry, I’ve never heard of it.”
“I see.”
As the owner of the Gate to Another World, I tried to call it to me, but there was no response.
There was nothing I could do. I was worried, but I decided to work together with Kazuya and the others and do my best.
I realized that I hadn’t even asked them where we were going, even though I had given up on the gate and the Divine Authority.
“By the way, where are we going now? I just followed you without thinking...”
“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry... We’re going to the research facility now.”
“Research facility?”
“Ah, umm...?”
As I called out to her, who seemed to be in a disturbed state, the woman came to her senses.
“Oops... I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought. I’m Marin Kijima, and I run this research facility. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Yuuya. Um, Kazuya’s ancestor? It seems so...”
When I shook Marin-san’s hand and introduced myself, she laughed in amusement.
“Hahaha! Well, if I was suddenly brought into a world like this and told by a complete stranger that I was her ancestor, I’d probably react like that, too!”
“Marin-san!”
Kazuya quickly jumped in to correct Marin, who had said it in a blunt way.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. Anyway, I’m in charge of looking after all the equipment in this city and all the equipment of the Awakened, so if you have any concerns, please feel free to tell me.”
“Ah, just one thing then... um... can I go back to my original world?”
When I asked about the thing I was most worried about, Marin nodded.
“Of course.”
“Ah,
“──but not right now.”
“Eh?”
I couldn’t help but ask back, and Marin-san continued.
“I think you’ve heard about Kazuya-kun, but right now, we really need your power. That’s why we can’t let you leave. But even if we ignore that, we can’t send you back to your world right now.”
“Wh-why is that...?”
“It’s simple. We have no fuel.”
“Fuel?”
“Yes. Of course, you may have already heard that we regularly send awakened people like Kazuya back to the surface to bring back fuel that is scattered all over the Earth. At the moment, we can barely keep the city running with this fuel. Right now, we don’t have enough fuel to send you back to your own time.”
“S-so what am I supposed to do then...?”
“It’s simple─defeat Mother. That’s all.”
“Mother?”
I think Mother was the boss of the mechanical knights who currently rule the Earth.
“Right now, most of the fuel that powers the Earth is monopolized by the mechanical knights on the surface. They have created a complete recycling system and have even developed technology that allows them to process used fuel so that it can be reused. We are in the process of reclaiming this fuel by defeating the mechanical knights one by one.”
“H-hah...”
“But there is a limit to how long we can keep defeating the mechanical knights. That’s why, other than completely defeating Mother and winning the war, there is no other way to secure the fuel that will allow Yuuya-san to return to your original world. Most importantly, Mother currently consumes the most fuel among the mechanical army. If we defeat Mother and take the fuel, this war will end, and Yuuya-san will be able to return to your original world, right?”
“I see...”
In other words, I have to end this war in order to go home.
As I nodded in agreement, Marin-san clapped her hands to change the mood.
“Well then, the difficult conversation is over. I’m sure you’ve heard from Kazuya-kun, but from now on, you’ll be taking the superpower test. However, it’s not only a test of your superpowers but also a test of your physical functions, so it’s a bit like a big health checkup.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I nodded a little nervously, and Marin-san smiled a fearless smile.
“Well then... I wonder how strong the superpowers of the savior from the past are...”
“...I don’t want to take the test anymore.”
What if I don’t have any powers?!”
Despite my thoughts, Marin-san operated a bracelet-like device and then led us through the research facility.
We passed many people in white coats and people armed like Kazuya.
Each time, everyone looked at me with curious eyes, making me feel very uncomfortable.
On top of that, I noticed that many people were following us.
“Why are they all following us...?
“Of course, it’s because I told everyone that the Savior has come!”
“I’m being cornered more and more...!”
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Table of Content