IASDG 10

Chapter 10

A person who becomes a loner first complains about other people.
Because deep down, they’re wishing someone would come to them.
Of course, not everyone is like that, but anyone could end up that way.

A coat and a hat?

Apparently, Ray thought pointing with his finger wasn’t enough. He asked to borrow my three-color pen, then marked it in red like that.

“Bro, isn’t this just a coincidence?”
“…I don’t think it is. It was hidden in the part that mentioned the 87th floor—disguised as some kind of tip to help us clear it.”

In games or novels of this type, there are often cryptic lines that sound vague but secretly hold hidden meaning.

A kind of gimmick, maybe?

“Ray, thanks for pointing it out.”

Ray’s expression brightened. Yeah. Kids look best when they’re smiling.

“So, if what you’re saying is right, and this is the hint… then what’s next? A coat and a hat—what are we supposed to do with that?”

Yeah, that was the problem.

If a coat and a hat were supposed to be the hint, then what exactly were we supposed to do with them?

“A coat and a hat are things you wear, right? Maybe it has something to do with stopping the Runner?”

The young Western woman’s suggestion left me without an answer. I didn’t feel any real connection between the two.
Kenta and Ray also stayed quiet, probably because they couldn’t think of anything either.

“…If anything, the only relevant thing is that you happen to be wearing a hooded padded coat.”
“It’s Kiira. Sorry—I was so flustered earlier I didn’t even introduce myself.”
“I’m Jin-Young. This is Mr. Kenta, and this kid’s Ray. Speaking of the coat, aren’t you hot wearing that?”

The place was cool, but not so cold you’d need a padded coat. That’s why I had one with me but hadn’t put it on.

“I get cold easily. So the moment I got here, I picked out one I liked from the store and wore it. Funny, isn’t it? Out of the five of us, I was the only one in padding, and I ended up the only survivor.”
“Padding is thick, after all. Maybe it absorbed the impact and saved you?”
“If that’s true, then I guess I really was lucky.”

Lucky? Could anyone survive that by luck?

She’d been hit head-on by a charging train. No way a coat saved her.

‘Even that giant got hit by the Runner and blew apart like fireworks.’

She was much smaller, softer. No way she’d survive with just a coat.

‘Unless…?’

I pulled out the padded coat with a hood I had stashed in my backpack and put it on, hood and all.

“Mr. Kenta. Hit me as hard as you can with the golf club.”
“Bro, what are you saying? You’re not giving up just ‘cause we can’t find the answer, right?”
“It’s not that. Just do it. As long as I don’t die, I can handle it, so don’t worry.”
“Damn… fine. But don’t complain later.”

Kenta raised the club and smacked me square across the back.

Thwack!

For all my dramatics, he didn’t hold back.

So he really was part of a loan shark’s collection team. That swing wasn’t his first.

“…What the—bro, I hit you with a golf club. Why do you look so calm?”
“Because it didn’t hurt.”
“But it sounded like a solid hit.”
“Yeah, but all I felt was the impact. No pain at all.”

The coat’s function—
It was clearly acting like armor, protecting me from external shock.

‘After seeing home in a dawn dream… put on a coat, wear a helmet, and feel renewed…’

Helmet or hat, it didn’t matter. That crow chick hadn’t been singing for nothing back at the party.

Learning about the coat’s protective effect was a huge relief.
We didn’t know how long we had to stop the Runner, but clearly, this was the key item.

“Damn. Even if padding keeps me from exploding, it’ll still hurt like hell.”

Kenta muttered as he stood in the middle of the corridor, golf club in hand.

“Don’t worry. If you’re braced for impact, you won’t die.”

Even Kiira, who’d been blindsided from behind, survived.

And Kenta was a man with a special ability that reduced incoming damage from marked targets—Forced Collection.

He was obviously the best fit for the vanguard.

“Bro, are you trying to comfort me?”
“Not comfort. Just facts. And with Ray’s Arcana materialization, your strength went up too. You can handle it.”

According to Kenta, his Strength level had risen from 4 to 5.
Since mine was only 3, that meant almost double the power.

“I can smash store displays with my bare hands now. If that monster doesn’t feel it, something’s wrong…”

So now, padded up (hood included for head protection), it was just me and Kenta waiting in the corridor for the Runner.

Kiira offered to help as thanks for saving her, but I refused. She was still a patient, trauma included. I couldn’t put her in the ring again.

“Still, I revealed the strategy for everyone else hiding, and no one joined us? Just cowards left.”

I had spoken loud enough for the other four survivors hiding out somewhere to hear, inviting them to join.

No one came.

“Honestly, if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t come out either.”

Why? Because I was terrified myself.

We’d confirmed the coat worked.
But my mind kept replaying the image of people bursting apart in one hit.

“More people would mean better odds. Damn. But I can’t drag a patient and a little girl into this.”

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

The Runner’s footsteps echoed from afar.

Kenta and I nodded to each other. I shone my band’s flashlight toward the sound.

“Did you bring them? Did you bring them?”

The monster twisted its head at an unnatural angle and asked in a playful, high-pitched voice.
The mismatch between its grotesque body and childlike voice made it even more horrifying.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heartbeat spiked on its own.

God, how did Kiira face this thing head-on earlier…?

“Heeheehee! Did you bring them?”
“Yeah. Someone to help send you to hell.”

At my words, Kenta licked the handle of his golf club, spun it a few times, then leveled it at the monster.

So much for his earlier doubts—now he looked fired up.

Was he the type who thrived in real fights?

“No-no-no-no-no… no!”

Its eyes turned gray, and suddenly it accelerated without warning.

“I’ll kill you I’ll kill you I’ll kill you! Heeheehee!”

“It’s coming! Bro! Grit your teeth and brace!”

Red aura burst from Kenta, part of it wrapping the Runner.

That must’ve been the Forced Collection effect!

“Come on, you bastard!”

Like a rollercoaster, its long blond hair whipped back as the club smashed into its head.

Crack!

Blood and flesh exploded from its skull, the club head breaking off and flying away.

It worked!

The Runner slowed from the damage—
but it didn’t stop. It plowed into Kenta.

“Guh!”

He was hurled sideways, rolling across the ground.

“Not so fast!”

I threw myself at the monster, adding momentum and body weight.

Boom!

“Argh!”

I got shoved back.

The impact rattled my whole body, pain exploding everywhere. Like hitting a steel block bare-chested.

‘And this is with its speed reduced?’

If I’d taken it head-on at full speed, I’d be broken to pieces.

Still, unlike before, no one had exploded. The Runner was hurt. I had stopped its feet, even if only barely.

‘I can do this!’

“Yaaah!”

Kenta sprang up and kicked the Runner’s thigh hard.
The thing’s stance broke. It dropped to one knee.

“I, Sasaki Kenta, will send you to hell!”

I stepped aside, and Kenta pummeled it with his broken golf club.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere as he beat it senseless.
It had felt as solid as iron before, but his ability was clearly devastating.

“You bastard! Do you know how many people you killed?!”

Wham! Wham! Wham!

Every time it tried to rise, he smashed its legs back down.

“Ha! Ha! Damn! Even after all this, it won’t die!?”

The bent, useless club clattered to the ground.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

The Runner laughed, even while being beaten.

That laugh—it was mocking us.

“Bro, it’s still alive, but it’s not moving except for its mouth. Does this count as stopping it?”

“…”

We’d stopped it—but no clear message.

Maybe not enough time had passed?
How long then? Ten minutes? Fifteen? Thirty?
Or maybe it had to die for the stage to clear?

Uncertainty gnawed at me.

And then—

[The Runner has stopped.]
[The stopped location is the Field of Nothingness (無).]
[The Runner moves to that field. It will return to the track next turn.]

A new pattern?!

Suddenly, it sprang up and bolted at normal speed.

“Ugh!”

I was standing in its way. It slammed into me, knocking me to the floor.

“Bro! You okay?!”
“Ugh… it hurts like hell, but I’m fine.”
“We have to catch it! If we lose it now, we may never get another chance!”

No time to wallow in pain. I scrambled up, chasing with Kenta.

The Runner sprinted grotesquely, blood dripping from its mangled body.

‘Field of Nothingness? Could that mean the store without stripes?’

That was most likely. No way it meant a sinkhole.

“Take this!”

Kenta punched it in the back, but it barely flinched.

‘Yeah… it’s heading for the unstriped store.’

The only one I remembered was near the KX store.

And sure enough, it was going straight there.

Then, it stopped.

“What the—? Why did it stop suddenly?”

Kenta halted too, glancing at me for an answer.
I shrugged and kept watching.

It twisted its grotesque neck… and stared fixedly at one spot.

What the hell is it looking at… wait?