Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
Matsutani was the first to retreat. He carried the unconscious Imai Yoshida and ran into the void portal.
Shika carried Yuuko, Hitaka managed to carry both Maishi and Nomura by herself, and Rana dragged Rinura through the portal and returned to reality.
Finally, Seiji grabbed Miyabi and rushed out of the void portal together with Natsuya, escaping this completely collapsing world in time…
Everyone in the award ceremony banquet hall woke up again.
The award ceremony attendees were rather confused at how much time had seemingly elapsed without them realizing it, which caused a commotion.
Several hundred people collectively fell unconscious for several hours! However, not a single person among them was injured, poisoned, robbed, or anything like that. How were they supposed to interpret such an event?
The host, Thunderbolt Literature, had no experience in dealing with such an abnormal event, either.
At any rate, it was obvious that it would be necessary to report this to the police. Also, the remaining parts of the award ceremony would still continue. After all, the preparations had all been completed beforehand.
However, many people didn't want to stay here at a place where something so strange had occurred. Most of the attendees left.
Those that remained included Thunderbolt Literature's employees, people that had especially close relationships with the editing department's employees, people that wanted to wait for the police to arrive, and some rather foolhardy individuals that wanted to enjoy a free meal and participate in the random drawing for prizes at the end of the ceremony.
As for those that knew what really happened… Natsuya, Hitaka, Rana, and Shika all left after they confirmed that there were no longer any problems remaining.
Seiji, Miyabi, and the other authors remained at the award ceremony. They ate some food and chatted with each other.
Shoutarou Rinura was rather fatigued. He was able to mostly recall what happened during the period of time that Prince Adnan took over his body. Rinura also obediently accepted when Seiji told him the message from Adnan to stop writing the prince's story into a light novel.
Some time later, the middle school student Rinura received a phone call from his family and went back together with them.
Matsutani grabbed the largest plate he could find and filled it with steak, sushi, liver, barbequed meat, crabs, and all sorts of delicacies. He ate to his fullest.
Seiji and the others were rendered somewhat speechless upon seeing how their senpai of an author ate.
"Seeing Matsutani-senpai's appetite makes one wonder if anything just happened at all." Nomura sighed.
"He must have all sorts of similar experiences since he's a Spiritual Ability user…" Maishi commented.
"Even if one is a Spiritual Ability user, such occurrences aren't common." Seiji shrugged.
"It's as if I had a strange dream… it's truly inconceivable." Yuuko sighed.
"You can treat it all as a dream if you like now that it's all over. But…" Seiji paused for a moment. "We still don't know what triggered this incident, so it's still possible that another similar incident will occur. It's also possible that all of you may get dragged into this yet again. All I can ask is for all of you to be as careful as possible. If any of you notice anything abnormal around you, please contact me. I'll help as long as it's within my power to do so," Seiji told them all with sincerity.
Nomura and the others looked at him.
"Harano-san is just like a hero… no, you are a hero!" Maishi praised him. "You saved all of us… no, everyone here at the award ceremony!"
"I wasn't the only one who helped to save everyone," Seiji replied. "If you call me a hero, then all of you are heroes as well."
"Hero… I don't feel like I am one." Nomura shook his head. "I was basically forcing myself at the end there, and yet I still couldn't handle the mental strain and ended up collapsing."
"That's not how it is. If you weren't there… no, if any of us wasn't there, I think that we might have failed in the end. It was thanks to everyone that we all got out of this safely," Seiji told them.
It was indeed thanks to everyone… but everyone contributed different amounts. It was obvious who contributed more than others.
"Even if you say so, Harano-san, I still feel like I was merely a member of those who were saved." Yuuko smiled. "Thank you to you and your friends for saving me."
"I agree with her. Thank you to you and your friends, Harano-san," Maishi agreed with Yuuko.
"Me as well… I'm truly grateful," Yoshida stated.
Nomura also thanked Seiji as well.
Miyabi was the only one who didn't speak. She simply observed Seiji in silence.
"Everyone… no need to be so polite." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face. "I just did what I should."
'Treating the action of helping and saving others as something that one should do? That's exactly what a hero is, Harano-san,' Miyabi thought that to herself. 'You're truly cool and handsome. This extends to more than just your physical appearance.
'That's exactly why so many beautiful girls like you.
'That's… why I'm beginning to like you as well…'
The award ceremony finally ended and everyone started heading home.
Seiji won a robot smart vacuum cleaner during the random draw at the end of the award ceremony. He carried it in his hands as he left the hotel together with all the other authors.
"Ishiharsenpai, it's getting quite late. Why don't I take you home?" he offered to Miyabi.
"I knew you would say something like that," Matsutani sneered slightly, evidently drunk from imbibing too much alcohol at the award ceremony. "Handsome, remember to use a condom."
Everyone was rendered speechless.
"What are you saying?" Seiji felt rather helpless. "I'm merely taking her home."
"I apologize for the misunderstanding. Still, my goal was just to remind this girl to be careful of handsome guys that make such an offer!" The pudgy middle-aged man reeked of the stench of alcohol. "If you don't like what I'm saying, hit me!"
*Smack!*
Matsutani was indeed hit.
However, Yuuko was the one who hit him rather than Seiji.
The female author made the drunk Matsutani shut up with her fist before she smiled at Seiji and Miyabi.
"Don't mind this drunkard. The two of you should go home together. Have a good night."
Seiji and Miyabi were both rendered speechless.
After saying good night to the others, the two of them left together.
"Senpai, there's something I'd like to say to you," Seiji suddenly spoke up after they walked together for a while.
"What is it?" Miyabi felt her heart skip a beat.
"When we first met, didn't you ask me about how I knew who you were? Actually, that's because…" Seiji told her about her incident in the school infirmary.
"Ishiharsenpai, you have a special ability sleeping within you, unlike Hashimoto-san and the others. My guess is that after experiencing this incident, it's highly likely that you'll awaken to a Spiritual Ability tonight in your sleep and become what's known as an Awakened. If that really does happen, please contact me immediately. I'll meet with you again and explain to you about what Awakened need to watch out for. And if no such thing happens, you can just pretend I never said anything about it."
Miyabi silently listened to him finish speaking before she looked directly at him.
"Do you wish for me to become an Awakened?"
"Eh?" Seiji blinked in surprise. "This isn't a matter of whether I wish it or not. It's something that only Senpai can determine."
"I know, I'm just asking your opinion… In your opinion, will it be a good thing or a bad thing if I become an Awakened?" Miyabi asked softly.
"I… don't have any particular opinion." Seiji paused for a moment. "But no matter if you become an Awakened or not, I believe that Senpai will still be Senpai."
Miyabi fell silent for a moment as something flashed in her eyes.
"Harano-san, what type of person do you think I am?"
"Ishiharsenpai… the way I see it is that you are a beautiful and resolute girl," Seiji smiled and spoke with sincerity, "I think that if anyone should have been thanked for helping to resolve this incident, it should have been you, Senpai. You were the one who did her best to maintain things until the very end and protect everyone."
"…I merely did what I should."
Miyabi borrowed Seiji's words from earlier and averted her gaze.
Seiji was no longer able to see her current expression.
Even Miyabi herself didn't know what expression she had at such a moment.