5.3

Within the black cloud, the world was incomprehensible.

The shape of the world, its color, its scent—none of these things could be discerned here.

The single firm, solid sensation came from the soles of his feet touching the ground. If not for that, surely he would not have even known which way was up inside the darkness.

He could see nothing. He could hear nothing. He could understand nothing.

So this was the end of the world.

As Subaru felt his feet pressing against his shoes, he searched for something within the haze. Surely there was something that awaited him within the black cloud, something he had to do.

—Something, something, something, something was missing.

Faced with a world of incomprehension, he had to remember the world of comprehension.

Why had this nothingness come? Who had brought it? What were the conditions for ending it?

Remember, remember, remember the world beyond, the world that was firm under his feet.

His command to his brain made thoughts erupt like sparks.

He couldn't make it another step. His feet were drained of all strength. Sooner or later, the incomprehension would crush him, making him doubt even the sensation of his soles. If he could see that coming, the answer did not lie outside him.

If the answer was not outside his body, it must lie within. Even if he could not bring the oblivion outside him to heel, he could call upon his internal organs, all subconsciously functioning even then.

The roles had been assigned. It was time to move. And so, finally—

"—!!"

Suddenly, he felt like his entire body was on fire.

The unendurable sensation of heat ripped through Subaru's body, bringing not words from his throat but a bestial cry… No, he thought it had. He did not understand even that.

He didn't understand. He didn't understand, but his feet, once drained of strength, moved once more.

Forward. His feet moved in the direction he believed to be forward.

Awareness, oblivion, awareness, oblivion, awareness, oblivion, over and over and over, until finally—