The last thing Jin expected on a sweltering afternoon in Shibuya was to watch his best friend collapse, screaming, after tapping a mysterious snake emblem on his phone. But when Jin opens the same app in desperation, he awakens into a world that looks like Shibuya—yet is utterly empty. No people. No sound. And on his wrist, a snake biting its own tail, impossible to remove.
A status screen appears before his eyes: *Player Name: Kanzaki Jin. Ranking: 1,847th. Ability: Delay Collector.* A power s
Darwin's Game: Beyond the Game Over - Awakening of Delayed Collection — The Reversal Strike Grasped from Beneath the Rubble
The weight of the rubble made his spine creak.
His mouth was full of the taste of blood. The smell of rust and dust clung to the back of his nose. Kanzaki Jin finally understood that he was still alive—only because of that unpleasant sensation.
"...Jin...kun..."
A faint voice came from just below him.
Kashiwagi Suzune—Rain. He was still covering her with his body, pinned beneath the debris. He could feel her warmth against his chest. That was the only proof she was still breathing.
"Rain... it's okay. I'll... figure something out."
It was a lie. Jin couldn't move a single finger. A massive slab of concrete pressed down on him from his back to his hips. If he so much as shifted, the entire pile would collapse and crush them both. He was sure of it.
The wound on Rain's stomach. The gash that Kanahira's clone had carved—Jin's weight was pressing against it, and somehow the bleeding seemed to have stopped. But her breathing was shallow, and every so often a thin, whistling sound escaped from the back of her throat.
"...I'm... sorry. If I could have... moved faster..."
Again. She was apologizing again.
No. The one who should be apologizing was him.
Jin stared at the dark ceiling visible through a gap in the rubble. He couldn't see anything. Darkness filled his entire field of vision.
If only I were stronger.
Delay Collection. A power that only delayed the time of whatever he touched by a few seconds. All he could do was nudge Kanahira's clone's movements by the slightest margin. He couldn't block an attack, couldn't defeat an enemy. He couldn't even protect Rain.
"...If I... if I were just stronger..."
Tears rolled down his cheeks and fell into Rain's black hair.
That was when it happened.
Suddenly, his mother's voice echoed in the back of his mind.
"Don't stop it—shift it. That way, you can always make up for the delay, right?"
Words he'd heard countless times as a child. Whenever Jin failed at something and cried, his mother would always say it with a smile.
Don't stop it—shift it.
You can always make up for the delay.
Jin's heart gave a great, heavy throb.
No. Delay Collection wasn't just a power that slowed time.
Within the delayed time, he could create an opening in the opponent's attack. His allies could strike through that opening. Even without the power to defeat an enemy alone, he could be the starting point that ensured his comrades' attacks landed.
I see.
So that's what it means.
In the darkness, Jin felt something click into place.
"...Not yet. It's not over yet."
Jin muttered.
Just then, a pale blue-white light shone through from beyond the rubble.
A wall of ice.
A thick ice wall was holding back the collapsing debris. Beyond it, he could see Sui. Cold air rose from both her hands. No—that wasn't right. That presence wasn't Sui.
"...Take care of my sister."
A low, male voice. The soul of Sui's brother Souta, manifesting through her body. His ability, the Unopening Ice Chamber, had completely halted the collapse.
"...Souta...san..."
"I'm not Sui. I'm Souta. ...You, you said your name's Jin, right? ...Take care of my sister. She's strong, but she still can't stand on her own. ...You support her."
"...Yeah. I promise."
"...I see. ...Then that's fine. ...I'll leave the rest to you."
The ice wall grew thicker still.
The collapse was completely stopped.
And then Souta's presence vanished.
Sui's body returned to normal.
"...Big brother... big brother...!"
The outer Sui cried out.
"...Big brother, thank you... I'll do my best... I'll protect everyone..."
Beneath the rubble, Jin clenched his fist.
You don't fight alone.
You coordinate with your comrades.
"...Sui!"
Jin shouted with all the strength he could muster through the gap in the debris.
"Y-yes! Jin-san, are you okay!?"
"Yeah, somehow. ...More importantly, can you use your water ability to move this rubble even a little? The big concrete slab on top of me—just a tiny bit. Shift it sideways for me."
"B-but... I'm not sure I can control it well enough... I might end up hurting you too, Jin-san..."
"It's fine. You can do it. ...Trust me."
Sui seemed to hesitate for a moment.
But then she gave a small nod.
"...Understood. ...I'll do my best."
Sui held both hands out toward the rubble.
From her palms, light like flowing water overflowed. The Undrying Water Jar. A superhuman-class ability that controlled water and blood.
The water slipped smoothly into the gaps in the debris.
And beneath the massive concrete slab pressing on Jin's back, a film of water slowly spread.
"...Here I go...!"
Sui poured her power into it.
The water film expanded.
With a creaking groan, the concrete slab lifted.
Just a few centimeters.
But through that gap, Jin managed to drag himself out, still holding Rain.
"Jin! Rain!"
Kaname's voice rang out.
"Kaname-san...! Rain's badly hurt! Hurry!"
"Yeah, I know! Ryuuji, cover Sui! Jin, get Rain to safety!"
"Got it!"
Jin ran down the mountain of rubble, Rain cradled in his arms.
The Mutual Building—the explosive demolition had completely collapsed the third floor and above. The ground-floor reception lobby had lost its ceiling too, the night sky exposed overhead.
Jin laid Rain gently against a relatively stable wall.
"Rain, stay with me. I'll treat you right away."
Rain's face was drained of all color, pure white. Her dull green eyes were half-open, but unfocused.
"...Jin...kun... um, listen..."
"Don't talk. Save your strength."
"...I just... need to say... this one thing..."
Rain weakly grabbed the hem of Jin's shirt.
"...I used my... World Function... to predict... where that man Kanahira's... real body is..."
"What...?"
"...During that explosion... just for an instant... I could see... all the movements... Kanahira's real body is... still in this building... The top floor... near the elevator hall... There's a... safe place... there..."
The strength drained from Rain's hand.
She lost consciousness.
"...Rain..."
Jin gripped her hand.
Cold.
But there was still a pulse.
"...Thank you, Rain. ...I won't waste your prediction."
Jin stood up.
"Kaname-san! Ryuuji! Sui!"
The three of them gathered around Jin.
"How's Rain?"
"Unconscious. But alive. ...More importantly, Rain predicted where Kanahira's real body is. Top floor, near the elevator hall. He's still in this building."
"Huh. That little shrimp actually pulled it off. ...So, what's the plan? Don't tell me you're gonna say we charge in head-on."
Ryuuji twisted his mouth beneath his skull mask.
"No. I have a plan."
Jin looked around at the three of them.
"My Delay Collection isn't just a power that slows time. In the delayed time, I create openings in the enemy's movements. You all strike through those openings. ...I can't beat him alone. But with four of us, we can."
"...Specifically?"
"First, Ryuuji. Use your lie detector to pick apart Kanahira's clones' words. The clones say the same things as the real body. But there should be a slight time lag between the real body and the clones. Find the contradiction."
"I see. ...And Sui?"
"Sui. Use your Undrying Water Jar to spread a film of water. Cover the entire elevator hall in a thin layer of water. Kanahira's clones have physical form. When they pass through the water film, their movements will inevitably slow. I'll use Delay Collection to shift that slight delay even further."
"I-I... over such a wide area..."
"It's fine. You can do it. ...Kaname-san."
Jin looked at Kaname.
"Your Fire God Hammer has one-hit-kill power. But you can't use it consecutively. So I want you to save it for the final blow. The three of us will pin down Kanahira's real body. In that opening, Kaname-san, you deliver the surefinishing strike."
Kaname stared steadily into Jin's eyes.
"...When did you come up with all this?"
"Under the rubble. I was thinking the whole time. ...My ability is weak. But depending on how I use it, it can be the power that lets my comrades win. ...That's what I realized."
"...I see."
Kaname smiled faintly.
"Good plan. ...Let's do it."
"Roger!"
"Well, sounds like fun. ...I'm in, Jin."
"...I'll do my best too."
The four of them raced up the crumbling staircase toward the top floor.
On the way up, more of Kanahira's clones appeared.
But Jin and the others weren't afraid anymore.
Ryuuji listened closely to the clones' words.
"You're the fake one."
Ryuuji's lie detector reacted to the clone's words. A red haze.
"Sui!"
Sui unleashed a blade of water.
The clone was cut in two.
Water sprayed everywhere.
"That's the way! Let's go!"
The top floor.
The elevator hall.
Kanahira Hideaki stood there.
In his suit, he looked like an ordinary salaryman at first glance. But his eyes were the eyes of a beast hunting its prey.
"Hoh. So you survived. ...You should have just died quietly under the rubble."
Kanahira waved his hand.
Five clones appeared.
All of them identical to Kanahira.
"Ryuuji!"
"Yeah, leave it to me."
Ryuuji listened closely to the clones' words.
"I'm right here."
One of the clones said that.
In that instant, a red haze streaked across Ryuuji's vision.
"...That one just lied!"
"What!?"
Kanahira's expression changed.
"That's him! That clone is the real body!"
Ryuuji pointed at one of the clones.
"Sui! The water film!"
"Yes!"
Sui spread both hands.
A thin film of water stretched across the entire elevator hall.
"Damn you! Cheap tricks!"
Kanahira's real body tried to swap places with a clone.
But the water film blocked his movement.
"Now!"
Jin lunged at Kanahira's real body.
His right hand touched Kanahira's arm.
Delay Collection, activate.
Kanahira's body time slowed by several seconds.
"W-what... my body won't move...!"
Kanahira's movements became like slow motion.
"Kaname-san! Now!"
Kaname moved.
Ultra-high heat gathered in his right fist.
Fire God Hammer. A mythic-class ability.
"This is the end, Kanahira Hideaki."
Kaname's fist drove deep into Kanahira's chest.
ZUDOOOOOON!!!
An explosive surge of heat pierced through Kanahira's body.
"Guaaaaaaah!?"
Kanahira's body slammed into the wall.
His suit burned, his skin blistered.
Kanahira crumpled to the floor.
"...Im...possible... me, of all people..."
Kanahira coughed up blood.
His clones dissolved into water, one after another.
"...You've lost, Kanahira."
Kaname said quietly.
Even dying, Kanahira twisted his lips into a grin.
"...F-fufu... Lost, you say...? ...You don't understand... anything..."
"...What?"
"...Your battle... has only just begun... Behind me... there's someone far more terrifying... pulling the strings... You will... eventually... despair at... the truth..."
Kanahira's voice cut off.
Particles of light rose from his body.
Transfer.
The death penalty enforced on players whose points went negative.
Kanahira Hideaki dissolved into particles of light and vanished.
"...The mastermind..."
Jin repeated Kanahira's final words in his mind.
The mystery of how Shinodzuka fell unconscious.
The true purpose of this game.
Everything was connected to that mastermind.
"...Jin, you okay?"
"...Yeah. ...But there's something bothering me."
"Kanahira's words?"
"Yeah. ...The mastermind. Something even more terrifying is behind him. ...Probably the one who did that to Shinodzuka, too..."
Jin clenched his fist.
That was when it happened.
Kaname's expression froze.
"...Kaname-san?"
"...I just... heard a voice..."
"A voice?"
"..."Well done, Sunset Ravens. But your battle has only just begun." ...That's what I heard."
The color drained from Kaname's face.
"...I didn't hear... anything..."
"...Neither did I."
"...Only Kaname-san heard it..."
Jin looked out over the dark Shibuya night.
Beyond the collapsed buildings, the stars shone coldly.
A premonition of a new threat spread quietly among the four of them.
—The battle wasn't over yet.
Jin ran back to where Rain was.
She was stil
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