Fourth Loop, Chapter 18 : 約束の再誕 (The Rebirth of a Promise)

The sharp sound of gravel crunching beneath his body jolted Daichi awake. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing a dull gray sky framed by the tops of buildings he didn't recognize. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of rain on asphalt. Groaning, Daichi slowly sat up, his muscles sore and his mind foggy.

"Where… am I?" he mumbled, glancing around.

His surroundings were surprisingly ordinary—a quiet street lined with buildings, streetlights humming softly as a few cars passed in the distance. In his right hand, he clutched a plastic grocery bag. He blinked at it, confused. Inside were a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, and a bag of rice.

"What the hell…?"

Panic began to bubble in his chest as the memories of what had happened flooded back. The light. The Vanishing. His sacrifice. The world collapsing into nothingness. Izumi's desperate screams echoing in his ears.

Daichi's breathing quickened, and he instinctively patted his body. His clothes felt different—clean, unscathed, ordinary. He wasn't in the tattered remnants of his last fight anymore.

Shaking, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and turned it on. The screen lit up with a soft glow, and his eyes widened at the date displayed.

July 15, 2028.

He froze.

"Seven years…?" Daichi whispered, his voice trembling. "I'm seven years in the past?"

His heart pounded as he looked at his reflection in a nearby shop window. His face stared back at him, but it wasn't the face he remembered. His features were softer, his skin smoother. Gone were the scars that had marked years of survival. He looked younger—like a man in his early twenties.

"This… this doesn't make sense…"

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his stupor. A man walked past him, muttering something about being late for work. Daichi turned and watched as people moved along the sidewalks, their lives continuing as if nothing was wrong.

But for Daichi, everything was wrong.

"This can't be real…" he whispered, clutching his head. "Did I die? Am I dreaming? Or… is this time travel?"

Suddenly, a sharp voice echoed in his mind, cold and detached.

"Your job is not done. Save humanity at all costs."

Daichi gasped, nearly dropping the grocery bag. He spun around, but there was no one there. The street was alive with people, but none of them seemed to notice him or the voice.

"What was that? Who's there?" he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

The voice didn't respond, leaving only silence in its wake. Daichi's hands trembled as he clenched his fists.

"This isn't real," he muttered to himself. "It can't be…"

Yet, as he looked around, the vibrant city before him told a different story. Everything felt too vivid to be a dream—the smell of food wafting from a nearby café, the chatter of people, the distant sound of a child laughing. It was all so alive.

Daichi stumbled forward, his legs shaky. He walked aimlessly, his mind racing with questions.

"How did I get here?" he muttered. "Why now? Why this year?"

He stopped in front of a large electronic billboard. Bright letters scrolled across the screen, advertising a new phone model. Beneath it, the date flashed again—2028.

Daichi's breath hitched. He clenched his jaw, his mind spinning.

"This is… before it all happened. Before the Vanishing," he realized aloud.

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. If he was here, in the past, then that meant the future wasn't set in stone. He had a chance—a chance to stop it before it ever began.

But how?

Before he could dwell further, the voice returned, softer this time, yet no less commanding.

"It's all a loop. Break the loop. Save humanity."

The words sent a chill down Daichi's spine. A loop? Did that mean everything he had done before was destined to repeat itself?

"No," Daichi muttered, shaking his head. "I won't let that happen. I can't."

His hands balled into fists as a spark of determination ignited in his chest. If he had been given another chance, then he would use it. He wouldn't let history repeat itself.

"This time," he whispered, staring up at the clear sky, "I'll find a way to change everything. I won't let anyone else suffer. I won't lose them… I won't lose her again."

The image of Izumi flashed in his mind—her tears, her desperate pleas for him to stay. Daichi's heart ached at the memory, but he used the pain to steel himself.

Looking down at the grocery bag in his hand, he let out a soft, bitter chuckle.

"Guess I'm starting this new timeline with bread and milk," he muttered. "Fine. Let's see where this takes me."

Daichi took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and began walking down the street. The city stretched out before him, alive with possibilities. Somewhere in this world lay the answers he needed—answers that could save humanity and break the loop.

As he disappeared into the crowd, his resolve burned brighter than ever.