“Using your transfer… you crushed them…”
“Amazing… that’s why you gave them a chance…”

Ono didn’t give up and combining his strength with Otsuka and the others to try and attack me while I had my back turned to them. They were then crushed by the massive amount of dirt I had transferred. After all, even if Ono has both stealing and recovery abilities, he can’t do anything if he’s utterly buried in dirt on a cellular level…

Yukinari:“Tch…”

My body finally flares up in pain. It’s crying out from the unreasonable movements I kept making during my battle with Ono. Just holding the metal turtle sword is difficult, and I let it drop.

“Ah… the stolen abilities, they’re returning…?

The survivors of the battle group along with those of the base group who had their abilities stolen sigh out and place their hands against their chests in relief at having their abilities return. Some dig up Ono’s corpse and confirm his death. I’m hesitant to describe the outcome… it’s a corpse resembling a lump of meat.

There’s no way he isn’t dead. If my transfer hits, it can even kill a metal turtle. Anything surviving dirt filling its whole body would be a monster. 

Yukinari:“…”

My boiling blood cools and my anger fades. Having gotten my revenge, my only impressions are indescribable regret and self-hatred. 

What is my transfer good for?! Passing out candy and chocolates to get popular based on how happy it makes everyone?! Looking down on everyone from above like a god?! I could have done so much more!

Minori: “Yukinari-kun!”
Yukinari:“Sorry…”

Minori-san rushes over to give me base recovery, but I refuse and lightly push her away.

Minori: “Yukinari-kun?”
Shigenobu: “What’s wrong, Yukinari?”

Everyone looks at me with questioning eyes. That’s right. There’s still a murderer here after all, they can’t calm down.
…I’ve… been guilty of an unforgivable crime for a while now.

Yukinari: “Everyone, listen to me.”
“What?”
“What’s up?”
Yukinari: “I’ve committed an unforgivable sin.”

I speak as if I’m confessing. My classmates of the battle group and base group tilt their heads in confusion and glance at each other before responding.

“You mean killing Ono and the others?”
“That was… something that couldn’t be helped. If it wasn’t Hanebashi, someone else would have had to do it or everyone would have been killed.”
“Yeah, he would have either raped or killed us girls. The boys surely would have been massacred.”
“Yeah, he said he would kill all the boys. He easily killed Taniizumi and the others, so there’s no mistaking that.”

Everyone has determined that it was necessary. I almost unconsciously justify that act myself. But this is definitely unforgivable. I can’t forgive myself.

“It was self-defense!”
“It might be wrong according to the law, but Hanebashi protected everyone, didn’t you!?”
“That’s right! Think about how many people Ono killed!”
“This isn’t Japan. No one here blames Hanebashi, right?
“Yeah, it’s fine as long as Hanebashi doesn’t try to control everyone or kill any more people!”

I shake my head in response to everyone’s objections. Even if everyone else forgives me, I can’t forgive myself. I committed murder and ended up saving everyone… that’s an undeniable fact. However, this equally terrible secret I’ve been keeping from everyone is absolutely unforgivable.

“If no one did anything, we would have all been killed. If it wasn’t Hanebashi, someone else would have done it!”
“No, someone had to do it! For us to survive!”

Someone else repeats what was said.

Yukinari: “Wrong… your wrong.”

No… there’s no longer any need for me to hide it for my own protection anymore. This is something I’m prepared to be killed for by everyone. This environment has already collapsed. I don’t even know how many people died just today. If it’s like this, adding one more body to the count won’t matter.

Yukinari: “My ability is transferring… which everyone thinks is backwards compatible with Meguru Hiyama-san’s. But that’s wrong.”
Shigenobu: “Yukinari!? You mean-”
Hagisawa: “Hey… what are you trying to say!?”
Minori: “Yukinari-kun!?”

Shigenobu, Hagisawa, and Minori-san’s eyes open wide. Hagisawa and Minori-san might be misunderstanding.

Yukinari: “My ability…allows only me to return to Japan.”

“…Eh?”

“No way, really?”

The surviving classmates are all surprised. There is no distinction between the battle group and the base group.

Yukinari: “I can prove it. I’ll transfer something and show you.”

I designate a transfer to myself, wait out the casting period, and show everyone the moment it arrives. I hold up this week’s issue of a magazine that was in my room. It’s physical evidence that can’t be explained by me having it in advance. 

Hagisawa: “Ha-Hanebashi, then the MD burgers you gave us to eat were…”
Hagisawa staggers back a step and asks in disbelief.

Yukinari: “I just went back to Japan using my transfer and bought them. It was only out of guilt at trying to keep this from Taniizumi and the others that I secretly hand out sweets from Japan to everyone.”
“That’s…”
“What’s going on in Japan!? A mass disappearance like this… should be a big incident!”

I shake my head and answer.

Yukinari: “Everyone, you all believe I was at the base this entire time, right? That I’ve been hiding the fact that I’ve been going out? That’s not it. You’re all mistaken in thinking that I was with you. Especially in thinking I have been going into the bath with you all. That’s never happened”
“Wh-what are you saying?”
“We went in with Hanebashi, right? Right? He was there, wasn’t he?”
“He was there! He was absolutely there!”
Shigenobu: “B-but… did he wash his body?”
“No way… he soaked in the bath… huh?”

Shigenobu has a feeling. But unlike Meguru-san, he doesn’t have any resistance to the memory modification. I finally understand just how happy I was that Meguru-san had that resistance. It makes me feel sick.

Yukinari: “Yeah, even though I wasn’t there, everyone has memories of me being there. But actually, I was in Japan.”

This is my negligence, my punishment for living in luxury in a safe zone. Thus, I need to tell everyone the truth.

Yukinari: “It’s not even an incident there. After returning to class, my name is the only one recorded in the roster. There were no traces of everyone else in the album either.”
“Liar!”
“That can’t be true!”

I hold out the magazine, and the truth stirs up everyone even more.

“Then shouldn’t Hanebashi ask for help from Japan?”
“Think about it! People that you can’t prove exist went to another world. Who would believe pleads for help from people like that!?”
“So when Hanebashi is in Japan, we act as if he doesn’t exist here? What should we do!?”
“Hanebashi’s story might be a lie!”
“If it’s a lie, then what’s with this magazine!?”
“Unbelievable… but we’ve been using these abilities to fight mamono. If we start questioning things now, there’ll never be an end to it”

The solid proof right in front of their eyes is real. With this here, the voices of doubt start to fade away.

Yukinari: “That’s why I can’t be forgiven. I didn’t report it, I stayed quiet to protect myself. If I had talked about my ability properly instead of hiding it, this wouldn’t have happened! That’s why… I should be punished…!”

I point the metal turtle sword at myself, and thrust it towards my chest-

Shigenobu: “Yukinari!”

Shigenobu grabs the metal turtle sword by its blade and runs his hand all the way down to its guard to stop my suicide. Blood drips from Shigenobu’s hand onto my body.

Yukinari: “Wha-!?”
Minori: “Yukinari-kun!”

Minori-san pushes the weakened me aside, and I drop the metal turtle sword.

Hagisawa: “Hanebashi! Calm down!”

Then Hagisawa finishes by pinning my arms from behind.

Minori: “Shigenobu-”

Minori-san treats Shigenobu’s bleeding hand. Another classmate with a recovery ability helps treat Shigenobu’s injury as well and his urgent wound closes.

Shigenobu: “Idiot!”

Shigenobu, having had his wound healed, hits me in the face. Ugh…

Shigenobu: “You didn’t understand any of Meguru-san’s words! Meguru-san, just as she would despise a murderer, would also despise anyone who would commit suicide.”
Yukinari: “This isn’t suicide! This is just punishment!”

Shigenobu hits me again at those words.

Shigenobu: “Meguru-san died protecting you! To waste that life is an insult to her! She would absolutely never forgive you for committing suicide!”

******

Yukinari Hanebashi:
1) Teleport objects /Self to Earth
2) Point/yen conversion. (Tells others it’s a shopping catalogue)
3) Remote viewing
4) Bestowal transfer
boxing gloves, strawberry wallaby medal, kangaroo knight medal, kitchen knife
Kangaroo Punching Glove +10 | Effect : Dynamic Vision Up | Wind Punch | Wild Sense
     Instant Expansion Ability : Kangaroo Step | Boxer

Meguru Hiyama:
1) Teleportation
2) Clairvoyance
3) Material transfer (uses pillars of light)
4) Transfer to the other world
Metal turtle sword

Shigenobu Sakaede
1) Black Smith
2) Mining Correction
3) Equipment Strengthening
4) Grant Effects
Hammer??

Minori Himeno: Has a polite/formal way of speaking
1) Healing/recover mana
2) Charge with mana
3) Repair (doesn’t fix missing pieces/chips)
4) Item box
Crowbar??

Dai Hagisawa
1) Craft things
2) Identify
3) Trade
4) Collection Improvement
Hammer??

---

E/N: So, does anyone still remember the teacher? I just realized, but he was never labeled as killed. Considering his situation, he’s probably hiding in some shack??

<Chapter 47
Chapter 49>