Chapter 16: "A Few Hours of ‘Life’s Grace Period’"
"G-g-g… g-g-g… it won’t stop…"
My front teeth were beating to a rhythm I had never heard in my life. It was no longer a drumbeat. It was a subzero DJ event. My exhaled breath had passed white and was about to hit the floor as “ice shards.”
This was an office building where salarymen once fought. But now the main actor was the cold wind blowing through the broken windows‚ like a “polar assassin.” Papers‚ chairs‚ desks—all were quietly trembling as if on the verge of freezing to death.
(I’m supposed to get out of here within three hours… At this cold‚ I can’t even walk for thirty minutes‚ let alone three hours… The moment I step outside‚ I’ll be displayed as an “ice sculpture”…)
That’s why Rin-chan was first trying to get the heater working. Taking warmth to escape—kind of contradictory‚ but the right strategy.
“Rin-chan‚ look… my fingers are so beautiful… like the ice treats the Buddha offers…”
“…Stop saying stupid things and cover yourself with a blanket.”
Rin-chan’s voice was lower than usual‚ completely at zero degrees. She was glued to an old iron box in the corner—the storage heater.
Click‚ click. Immediately after‚ a small spark popped. Then‚ the cold metal creaked: gigi… 
(Eek… the sound of it trying to “come back to life” is mixed with the sound of it “dying”…!Is it fixed? Is it broken? Which is it…!?)
That sound was unusually cold‚ unusually lonely‚ yet somewhere it seemed to say‚ “There might still be time.”
“Hey‚ Rin-chan. Isn’t now the time for your usual little lectures‚ like ‘Don’t do anything reckless’ or ‘Hide behind me’?”
I tried saying it with a light laugh. But Rin-chan didn’t turn around.
Only the sounds click → pop → gigi… resounded‚ like a tug-of-war with the Grim Reaper.
(Huh… Rin-chan? Where’s the usual “Nagisa Stop Machine”…)
In past adventures‚ she would have desperately said‚ “Danger‚” “The numbers are bad‚” “Stop it‚” leaving no word unused.
But now Rin-chan— was just moving her hands like a machine.
That silence chilled my heart more than the cold wind outside.
(Rin-chan… what’s wrong…? I wish the cold was only outside…)
“…The circuit board is dead. I’ll directly connect the wiring and forcibly heat the bricks.”
Rin-chan’s voice was colder than subzero air. Not a trace of emotion‚ just a plain “status report.” Her fingertips were past purple‚ almost white‚ yet her movements showed no hesitation.
(Wait… those hands aren’t “human color” anymore…? Rin-chan… are you a robot…?)
“…Rin-chan‚ your hands are shaking. Shall I warm them for you?”
I offered my trembling hands. But Rin-chan ignored them as if they were “air ripples.”
“…Don’t speak. It’s a waste of oxygen and body heat. …In thirty minutes‚ this place will be completely below freezing.”
Her voice didn’t even sound concerned about me. It just calmly recited the survival conditions.
(Rin-chan’s warning… has “deteriorated”… Even the energy to yell has frozen…? No… so this is what quiet despair sounds like…)
Click‚ click. Immediately after‚ a small spark pops. Cold metal creaks: gigi…
(Eek… is it fixed? Or broken? I can hear the “trying to live” and “dying” sounds at the same time…!?)
I searched for my role. If Rin-chan fixed the “internal parts‚” I had to deal with this extreme “environment.”
In a corner of the floor‚ scattered were flashy vinyl flags and dusty heavy curtains‚ telling of past glory: “Grand Reopening!” “Big Sale!”
(Ugh… this vinyl is definitely weak against cold… But right now‚ “just having material” is a win…!)
The moment I tried grabbing a flag— my fingertips were numb‚ and just pinching the fabric was a struggle. I was shaking so much that the vinyl made a pitiful rustling sound.
(Oh no… my HP is almost zero…! At this rate‚ before becoming a “Barrier Mage‚” I’ll class change into an “ice sculpture”…!)
“All right… my turn. If Rin-chan is the priest of machines‚ I’ll be the ‘Barrier Mage’!”
(*No actual mage qualifications. But feelings matter now!)
Before my life’s HP was completely drained by “freeze damage‚” I decided to squeeze out every ounce of creativity I had.
(I’ll make it warm no matter what…! So Rin-chan’s silence doesn’t get any colder…!)
“I dub it‚ the Nagisa-style ‘Absolute Zero Rejection Fluffy Fortress‚’ construction start!”
I ran around the floor on trembling legs. Each step made my knees wobble‚ like “being remote-controlled by an ice spirit.”
(Oh no… my leg HP is in the red…! But if I don’t move‚ I’ll really freeze to death…!)
I gathered usable fabrics: thick blackout curtains‚ vinyl banners‚ and tape excavated from old office drawers.
“This ‘Big Sale!’ flag is surprisingly windproof‚ so it’s excellent.”
My hands shook so much that the vinyl made a pathetic rustle. Fingertips had almost no sensation. Just grabbing fabric was hard.
(My HP is basically “near death”…! But for Rin-chan… I’ll hold on…!)
I hung fabric around the heater like a square enclosure.
The moment I tried taping it to the ceiling pipe— my hands were numb‚ and the tape stuck to my sleeve.
“Whaaa!? Why stick there!? That’s not where I want it!”
I tried to peel it off in a panic‚ but my fingers wouldn’t move. Resorting to biting the tape with my teeth—a last-ditch‚ end-of-civilization move.
(Ugh… I definitely don’t want anyone to see this… But now it’s ‘survival over shame’…!)
I finally peeled the tape from my sleeve and secured it to the pipe. The gaps were stuffed with vinyl‚ but the shaking made it flap wildly‚ as if protesting‚ “It’s not my fault you’re cold!”
The tearing of tape echoed loudly in the silent floor.
(Ugh… this sound feels like “civilization’s last resistance”…)
“Rin-chan‚ look! This space alone is a ‘secret greenhouse’ cut off from the outside world by my magic!”
I made a bad joke I didn’t even find funny myself and closed the last curtain.
An awkward‚ sooty‚ overly-advertised insulation curtain.
But just having it— the piercing wind stopped‚ just for a moment.
(It… stopped…! Yes…! I can do it when I try…!)
“…Sealing is sufficient. Watch the CO2 levels.”
From beyond the curtain came Rin-chan’s short‚ but definite instruction. She was still repairing.
(Rin-chan… she’s actually making a “living voice”… thank goodness…)
“Geez‚ Rin-chan‚ at least you could say ‘amazing’ at times like this‚ you know?”
I peeked at her profile through the curtain gap.
Rin-chan glanced once at the awkward “fortress” I made— and I thought she slightly lifted the corners of her mouth…
(Huh‚ did she just… smile…? No‚ my imagination…? But Rin-chan’s “barely-there smile” is basically a reward…)
But soon‚ she returned to being the mechanical “parts for survival.”
What we were making wasn’t the future. It was only a few hours’ worth of “grace period for life.”
(But… those few hours are so important now…)
“…It’s in. …Here it comes.”
Rin-chan pressed the old switch deep inside the heater. A few seconds of silence. Then—
Gooo…!
The iron box trembled with a low growl. Inside the insulation curtain I had desperately built‚ orange warmth slowly seeped out.
(Wow… this color… tastes like civilization…! I think I finally understand how a microwave feels…!)
“…Waaaarm…”
I hugged the heater instinctively.My frozen body screamed at the sudden heat.Yet even that pain felt good.
“…Nagisa. Move. You’ll burn yourself.”
Rin-chan’s voice remained low. She slumped next to the heater. Even under the heat‚ she somehow looked pale.
I gently held Rin-chan’s pure white hand.
Not only was it ice-cold‚ it trembled faintly.Her breathing was shallow‚ like she was searching for “missing air” with every rise and fall of her chest.
(…This isn’t just fatigue… Rin-chan‚ are you really okay…?)
“Rin-chan‚ you did great… Why aren’t you yelling today? Say ‘It’s dangerous!’ like usual.”
She stayed silent for a moment‚ then looked up at the sooty ceiling.
“…I just stopped knowing if warnings had meaning. No matter what I say‚ you smile and get through it. And the world sinks according to my calculations.”
(…)
Those words pierced my chest more than any harsh lecture.
“…That’s not true. Without Rin-chan’s words‚ I wouldn’t know how far I can push myself…”
My voice trembled‚ but not from cold.
At that moment—
Rattatatata!!
The iron box roared violently‚ and the heat inside exploded with a booming sound. Heat and vibration surged into the insulation curtain all at once.
My voice was completely swallowed by the roar.
(…It didn’t reach… Not Rin-chan… I lost to the world itself…)
My body was saved. But my heart didn’t warm.
The orange light filling the curtain instead deepened our shadows.
(…Hey‚ Rin-chan.What should I do…?)
“…Phew. My stomach isn’t full‚ but my body heat is maxed.”
I curled up inside the curtain‚ ready to sleep. The heater continued to emit steady warmth‚ barely keeping the blizzard outside at bay.
(Ah… this warmth… the lingering scent of civilization… I wish I could have seconds‚ but probably impossible…)
But if we step outside the curtain‚ death still waits.
“Rin-chan… are you awake?”
“…Awake… Tomorrow‚ the water level rises more. We’ll leave early.”
Rin-chan answered with her eyes closed. Her voice read “tomorrow” not as the future‚ but merely as updated survival conditions.
(Rin-chan’s “tomorrow” is always so cold… My “tomorrow”… I want pancakes‚ rainbows… stuff like that…)
We succeeded. We gained the heat to survive the night.
But— deep in my chest‚ a premonition spread: what if morning never comes?
This eerie silence. Endless “hourly life-saving tasks.” The reality of patching holes in a sinking ship at the last possible second.
(Hey… how long will we keep doing this…?)
I tightly grabbed the edge of Rin-chan’s clothes. The fabric was slightly warm‚ yet somehow fragile.
Then—
“…Huh?”
Amid the sound of the blizzard in the distance— I thought I heard something.
I held my breath and strained to hear into the darkness outside the curtain.
“…U…uaa…aahn…”
It wasn’t the wind‚ nor the creaking of the building.
(Huh… this… a human voice…? No‚ not a human… smaller…)
“…Rin-chan‚ do you hear it? …A child… crying?”
I asked‚ and Rin-chan slowly opened her eyes.
In them was a depth of resignation I had never seen before.
The eerie crying kept repeating‚ over and over‚ from the dark office beyond.
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