Chapter 362. [Roar Toward Tomorrow]
Surrounded by wild animals. Three or four, maybe.
Why didn’t I consider it? Those wild animals might call for reinforcements.
I assumed—when attacked—it would be one-on-one.
"Slow to react."
The chance to choose was only at that moment.
No help was coming. Should I abandon the Secret Service woman and save myself...?
"No, it’s the same either way."
I thought. No matter how many days passed, I couldn’t have left her behind.
Surely, it wasn’t that I postponed a decision...I had chosen not to abandon her.
At first, the Secret Service woman didn’t know much about VTubers.
But recently, thanks to me, she seems to have found a favorite.
"There’s no way I could abandon her, right? As a senior fan.
There’s so much joy ahead to discover... I can’t let her die without experiencing it."
Even if I survived alone here, I couldn’t face my favorite VTuber.
Even if we both died here... if I had to do this a hundred times over, I’d make the same choice.
The wild animals were closing in.
It was clear they meant to finish us off.
"Really, they could go a little easier on us."
A group, and at night.
For them, likely nocturnal, this was the perfect moment.
Unlike humans, they wouldn’t let their guard down.
They say lions hunt rabbits with full strength, and it seems to be true.
"Although, these aren’t lions."
The smartphone’s light briefly revealed them.
Yellow bodies with black spots.
Unfortunately, I don’t know of a VTuber inspired by this animal.
So I can only guess—the ones attacking us were jaguars.
"Hah... hah... slowly, move slowly."
I resolved to learn from earlier mistakes.
Without provoking them, I carefully reached for the handgun.
The jaguars were inching closer.
One large one, with three slightly smaller ones.
"Not yet... don’t come yet... not yet."
Once they attacked, it’d be too late.
I had to fire and scare them off before that.
But sudden movement could trigger their attack.
I suppressed my panicked hands with sheer willpower.
"------!"
My palm finally felt the cold metal of the gun. I grasped the grip.
Yes! In that moment of relief—
—a jaguar roared.
"~~~~!"
Terror shattered my composure in an instant.
Before I knew it, I’d drawn the handgun in haste.
That became the signal for battle. They kicked off the ground, leaping toward us.
But I could still make it! I pulled the trigger with determination.
—Click.
"!?"
The gun didn’t fire.
It seems I wasn’t calm at all.
Even after all that training at the shooting range.
Haha... I guess this stuff isn’t for me, big sis.
"Dammit!"
I scrambled to disengage the safety.
But panic and fear rendered my hands useless.
"Agh!?"
The one thing I relied on slipped from my hands, falling to the ground.
It vanished into the darkness by my feet.
"No, no! Where did it go!?"
Frantically, I shone the smartphone’s light—
—and illuminated a sea of yellow and black in front of me.
"...Ah."
The next moment, my body hit the ground, bouncing.
A tremendous impact knocked all the air from my lungs.
"Ka... ha...!?"
The smartphone fell from my hand, rolling away.
Its light illuminated above me like a spotlight.
A jaguar’s face loomed close.
I couldn’t move. My back hurt. My shoulder throbbed.
Its paw pinned my shoulder, claws digging in.
"Nggh... ggh...!?"
The jaguar’s head came closer.
Its rancid breath hit my face, fangs nearing my throat.
—Am I going to die here?
Only seconds of life left. My body wouldn’t obey me.
Not just me. At the edge of my vision, smaller jaguars swarmed the Secret Service woman.
At that moment, something snapped inside me.
The only action left to me was...
—Stop.
I growled softly.
The jaguar poised to tear out my throat flinched.
My last resort was words.
Their cries—night after night—I had come to understand them.
...Who are you?
It froze.
The jaguar looked at me, frightened.
Even the ones swarming the woman stopped and turned to me.
Why? They had the overwhelming advantage.
Perhaps the prey speaking their language confused them?
Wild animals—even more so—fear the unknown.
Or perhaps, if it wasn’t that...
"...Ah."
My fingers brushed against the cold metal of the gun. It was here.
The goddess of fortune smiled at us.
This was my one chance.
I pressed the barrel against the jaguar. At this range, I couldn’t miss.
"...I’m sorry."
For some reason, an apology escaped my lips.
This time, I disengaged the safety and... pulled the trigger.
—Bang!!!!
The gunshot echoed through the forest night—.
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