Chapter 317: Time Troubles

"He... Ha... Ha..."

Breathing heavily, Keigo stared at the smoke cloud in the sky, his body aging at a visibly accelerated rate.

The previous attack had cost him a significant portion of his vitality, to the extent that his body was now paying the price.

Being able to repeat the same attack on a larger scale was terrifying; understanding the level of catastrophe it could cause. If it weren't for the rotating crown in the world, that attack would have destroyed a significant part of the Earth's atmosphere, creating a massive hole where environmental and collateral damages would be fatal for life.

However, the entire assault on the world was nullified by the absolute shield.

"I've... Repaid my debt..."

Nevertheless, it was worth it. Checking his diary, he could confirm Minene's death.

It was indeed fortunate that Minene couldn't manipulate time as skillfully as Keigo, or she might have used the same attribute to escape the prison.

With his debt paid, a significant burden was lifted from Keigo. Being in debt to Yuki didn't feel good, especially with that kid clinging to his shadow.

"It's all over..."

His life was no longer in danger. With this contribution, Yuki would have no reason to harass him. Now, all that remained was to wait for the time limit to end and enjoy the rest of his life with his family.

Becoming a god didn't interest him. As long as he could live happily with his loved ones, that's all that mattered.

Just as he had said...

It's all over.

"That's right... It's over!"

Just as Keigo attempted to light another cigarette, a strong pressure hit him, imprisoning him in a barrier, and his body was unable to move. Hearing that familiar voice full of anger, a profound fear seized Keigo as he tried his best to turn his head.

And there she was, Minene, without a scratch, her face distorted in rage as she clenched her hands.

"Sorry, my love, I won't make it to dinner."

With those final thoughts, the light in Keigo's eyes vanished.

"Time Theft!"

[April 11, 2:35 PM]

[DEAD END]

Another nuclear bomb had fallen at the hands of Minene.

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"Damn!"

Clutching his fist tightly, Yuki trembled with anger.

He regretted Keigo's death; he was a good man who only desired the happiness and well-being of his family. Even when he fought against Minene, he thought of his family until the end.

He was a good pawn, but he died in the end.

He didn't obey the order to flee; his clone warned him of the danger of Minene, yet he chose to face her.

Everything got complicated; events deviated from the original plan.

The plan was for them to team up after killing the Fifth and Tenth; the four of them would corner the Seventh.

The Seventh was, after all, an anomaly among the participants, an error in the system.

They would also force Minene to hide until the time limit, ensuring everyone's survival. Yuno would be the winner by default, possessing the crown.

There was no need for his body to reach such extremes of disappearance.

However, Reisuke was more powerful than he thought, and his energy depleted, causing him to fall into a 24-hour coma—enough time for Minene to kill Keigo.

Reisuke was the first variable, now it's Minene.

"That damn demon!"

If not for Muru Muru's intervention, his plan wouldn't have been affected.

"It's troublesome, Yuki; that woman is now more powerful."

Indeed, with Keigo's power, Minene entered an entirely different scale; she was no longer a Mid-Tectonic.

She was a High-Tectonic. Even if Yuki were in peak condition, he could only force a draw.

That's how formidable his enemy is.

And Yuno, who had fought against her, couldn't help but lower her gaze. Like Yuki, she couldn't win, and unlike Yuki, she wouldn't force a draw; all she could do was flee.

"What's more concerning is that ability... Resurrection. It's annoying."

Tsubaki, on the other hand, bit her lip. She had also read in Rasiel, and that ability Minene used to win was very unfair and went against the rules...

"I know. With that ability, even in my current state, I'm defenseless."

Sighing bitterly, Yuki thought it was so unfair. That ability shouldn't exist.

(What a terrible ability)

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Temporal Self-Resurrection

This was the name of this unfair ability.

Using a significant portion of her power, Minene was able to revive herself.

Her Diary didn't lie; she had died in that terrifying explosion. However, at the last moment, she activated this ability belonging to the Eighth.

She revived, rewinding time to a point where she hadn't faced Keigo yet.

She cheated death; that's why Keigo's diary recorded her death but not her resurrection.

A complete Trap ability.

Although this ability should be impossible since, upon death, she wouldn't have willpower and power over souls, otherwise, Yuki would have long ago revived his entire clan.

However, Self-Resurrection is not limited by this; being herself, she had control over her soul and time.

That's why she could revive herself, but she couldn't revive others.

"Hehehe, did you think you'd defeat me? Silly cop, it's you who let your guard down."

How do you beat someone who has time on their side?

It's very difficult, but Minene had already killed the Eighth, so she knew that those who possess the Time attribute are challenging to kill.

And true to her word, Minene didn't make the same mistake she made with Yuno; she didn't underestimate her opponent.

She knew Keigo was plotting something, so she waited for his vitality and energy to be consumed. She used herself as bait for Keigo to launch his final attack.

Even though it cost her a life, it was enough to kill Keigo and, in turn, steal his time and energy.

Minene was very lucky; now, with the power of three participants, a smile formed on her face.

"No, not yet. I need more power."

But, as if reminding herself of those two troublesome kids, Minene shook her head. After all, she wanted an overwhelming victory, not to make the same mistake where her life was at risk, especially with Yuki. That boy is manipulative and cruel, with a more malevolent mind than hers.

A single mistake, and Yuki would exploit that tiny weakness to the fullest.

"Seventh..."

But the only one who could grant her more power was another participant, as she would eventually have to face three nuclear bombs.

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"I think we should hide. We have less than 30 hours; we can make it."

Analyzing her options, Tsubaki borrowed Rasiel, and the information contained in the book surprised her.

This book is even more powerful than the Future Diaries, possessing all the information globally, even Minene's fight was recorded in this book. Now she knew why Yuki was always so well-informed about the participants; it's a pity that it can't predict the future. Otherwise, this book would be more than enough to completely avoid all participants and hide until the time limit.

"No, we can't. Yuki said it's a bad idea."

However, Yuno immediately rejected this idea without hesitation. Maybe at the beginning, she would have agreed, but she knows exactly that it's impossible. Minene won't give up.

"Do I have to go back in time? No, the absolute shield doesn't allow the creation of parallel timelines."

Yuki, on the other hand, seriously considered using the Twelfth bullet to prevent Minene from becoming more powerful and killing Keigo.

But by doing that, Yuki would create a different timeline, and with the absolute shield, that's impossible. The crown protecting the world is very sensitive; if he activates this bullet, the Demon King will surely awaken and won't hesitate to merge with him again.

His most viable option was to use the Sixth bullet and send his consciousness into the past. This way, events would continue to unfold, and he would ensure that no new timeline is created.

But it's a pity that, being only his consciousness, his body and power would suffer from the same restriction. Besides, he didn't know if this would have massive effects on the Demon King.

"Damn!"

Two of his best cards were rendered useless.

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Author's Note: Yes, Minene has the power of Subaru, only in a version where her body rewinds time instead of traveling to the past, thanks to the absolute shield.