Shun was lost.
For the first time since the mystery began, he couldn't even escape into his dreams anymore. Usually, when a situation became too complicated, he would imagine heroic scenarios, extraordinary adventures where the protagonist always found the solution at the crucial moment.
But this time...
Nothing came.
Only that question, spinning endlessly in his mind.
What should I do?
By reflex, almost instinctively, his hand slipped into his pocket. He pulled out his phone.
An absurd gesture, a holdover from his old life.
How many times had he taken refuge behind a screen when he didn't know what to do? How many times had he sought comfort in games, videos, or social media to forget his problems?
Except here…
Phones were useless. They were nothing but relics of a vanished world.
At least... that's what he thought.
A light suddenly appeared in his hand.
Shun jumped.
His phone had just changed; the familiar case was gone. In its place was a device that looked completely different.
An imposing, sturdy, almost futuristic object.
A thick bronze-colored metal frame surrounded the screen. The corners were reinforced with riveted plates, and small exposed screws ran along the edges of the device. The whole thing looked more like military equipment or a control terminal than a simple phone. Tiny mechanisms were visible on the sides, as if every part had been designed with a specific function in mind.
The object seemed solid, almost indestructible, and above all... Important.
The screen, larger than an ordinary phone, lit up with a soft glow that reflected in Shun's eyes.
For a few seconds, he stood frozen, staring at the device. He didn't understand what had just happened. He didn't know why this object had appeared; he didn't even know if he should be afraid. But deep inside him, a strange sensation had just taken hold. As if this device had always been meant to belong to him, as if something had finally answered his silent call.
Shun didn't know it yet.
But at that very moment... His Spotlight had just awakened.
Shun stared intently at the device in his hands.
His heart was still racing, but this time, it wasn't because of Raiden.
It was because of this object.
"What is... "
He turned the phone every which way, examining every detail of its metallic frame. The more he looked at it, the more unreal it seemed. This device was nothing like the phones he knew.
So why him?
Why now?
"A phone..."
His voice was nothing more than a whisper.
"Why would I receive a phone when I already have one?"
The question seemed logical.
In this world, most items obtained through quests had a specific purpose. Nothing was distributed at random.
If this device had appeared in his hands...
Then it must have a function, a reason for existing.
Shun took a deep breath before beginning to methodically examine the object.
To someone else, it might have been nothing more than a strange phone.
But for a geek like him, it was different.
His eyes scanned the screen.
The icons, the menus, the displayed information.
Then suddenly...
Something caught his attention.
His gaze froze.
"Huh?"
He immediately brought the screen closer to his face.
He had just noticed a detail that made absolutely no sense.
In the upper corner of the screen...
An icon was lit up.
The network symbol.
Shun blinked several times.
Then looked again.
The symbol was still there.
"That's strange…"
His breath caught slightly.
"Why does this phone show that it has a connection?"
In this world, networks no longer existed.
Since the apocalypse began, no phone had ever picked up a single signal.
So why was this one displaying several perfectly stable signal bars?
"Wait..."
Shun felt his heart race.
His fingers hovered over the screen as a hypothesis began to take shape in his mind.
"Does that mean I have access to the Internet?"
The idea seemed absurd.
Since the apocalypse, networks had vanished. No more antennas, no more servers, no way to communicate with the world as it was before. So what use would a connected phone be in a world where the Internet no longer existed?
Shun frowned.
Then a memory came back to him.
The riddle. Everything that was happening now was based on events that had actually taken place.
A thought then crossed his mind.
What if...
He placed his finger on the browser icon.
The screen responded immediately.
A few seconds later, a homepage appeared before him.
Shun's eyes widened.
Articles.
News stories.
Websites.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
As if the internet were still working.
He scrolled down the page.
Then again.
And again.
Every article seemed to come from the world before the apocalypse.
There were political topics, economic news, sporting events, scientific discoveries, even trivial news items.
One headline in particular caught his attention.
A strange phenomenon observed on the Oceanic continent.
The article was from before the apocalypse, just like all the others.
Shun continued to browse through the information, growing more and more fascinated.
This wasn't just a simple database or a limited archive. It was truly the Internet.
The one from their old world.
Slowly, he looked up from the screen and then looked again at the phone in his hands.
This time, he finally understood why this object had appeared.
His Spotlight hadn't given him a weapon; it had offered him something potentially far more powerful.
Access to knowledge.
Through this phone...
Shun had just gained direct access to the Internet.
Shun's mind was racing.
For the first time since the start of this mission, he felt like he had a real advantage.
If this phone gave him access to the Internet...
And since this puzzle was based on real historical events...
Then the conclusion was obvious.
He didn't need to be the strongest; he just had to look for the answers.
"Of course..."
His eyes were already scanning the various results appearing on the screen.
"All I have to do is research the Sengoku period."
A new excitement welled up inside him.
From the start, everyone had been trying to survive blindly. They were facing historical events without really understanding the scenario they were thrown into.
But he…
He might now possess the key to understanding what was going to happen before the others.
And if history really did repeat itself...
Then there had to be a way to anticipate future quests.
Perhaps even to discover how to solve the puzzle without continuing to pile up battles.
Meanwhile...
A few hundred meters away, Raiden was already putting his plan into action.
The discussions were over; the time to act had come.
The group members were gathered at the foot of Miki Castle while Raiden laid out his plan one last time.
As expected, he had divided the group into two categories.
The strong and the weak.
Simple, brutal words that, on their own, were enough to hurt some of them.
No one liked hearing that their worth was less than that of others. But under Raiden's authority, few dared to protest.
"The weak will leave first."
Just as the first group was about to depart, Shun suddenly stepped forward.
"I'm going with them."
Several eyes immediately turned to him.
Even Raiden seemed surprised by this statement.
Shun took a breath before adding:
"After all… I'm considered weak too, aren't I?"
A silence fell.
No one really knew how to respond.
From the start, few people had confidence in his abilities. Even he was aware of that. He was neither a great fighter, nor a renowned strategist, nor someone capable of naturally commanding respect.
So, in the eyes of the group...
Yes.
He was probably one of the weak ones.
Raiden watched him for a few seconds.
As if trying to understand what could possibly motivate such a decision.
Then he finally shrugged.
"As you wish."
The idea didn't seem to bother him particularly.
After all, the closer Shun was to the front lines, the easier it would be to hold him responsible for any potential losses.
"Very well. You're going with them."
The decision was immediately ratified.
A few minutes later, the group of the weak set off toward Miki Castle.
The journey was made in heavy silence. No one really spoke.
Even the sound of footsteps seemed muffled by the anxiety that reigned among them.
Shun discreetly observed the faces around him.
Some stared at the ground, others nervously gripped the hilt of their weapon. A few tried to hide their fear behind a determined expression.
But they all shared the same thought.
They knew they were considered expendable, like livestock sent first to the slaughterhouse.
Raiden's promise regarding his mysterious healing artifact had certainly reassured some of them...
But only on the surface. Because even if they'd been treated… they'd still be injured.
Shun finally decided to break the silence.
His voice, hesitant at first, grew slightly steadier as he addressed the group.
"Why are you all like this?"
Some barely looked up at him.
Others kept walking without answering.
But Shun already knew the answer before he even heard it.
One of the men finally sighed, in a weary voice:
"Because we know exactly what we're worth in Raiden's eyes. "
Silence fell immediately. No one added anything because there was nothing to add.
Shun clenched his teeth slightly.
This realization seemed increasingly unbearable to him as he walked on with them.
Then, after a few seconds of thought, he stopped short.
The others did the same, surprised by this sudden change.
Shun slowly raised his head.
"I have a plan."
A brief silence followed.
He took a deep breath, then added with greater determination:
"A plan so that no one dies."
That sentence, simple in appearance, immediately changed the atmosphere around him.
Some exchanged suspicious glances.
Others simply seemed lost.
But for the first time since they'd started walking, a tiny glimmer of attention had just fallen on Shun.
"If you have a plan, why didn't you tell us right away?"
The question came out sharply, carried by a mix of suspicion and poorly concealed hope.
Shun remained silent for a second, as if choosing his words carefully.
Then he replied calmly.
"Because if I'd said it in front of everyone, it wouldn't have worked."
A few glances exchanged.
He continued, more confidently:
"The two groups won't react the same way…"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"It's precisely because you're considered weak that it's easier to talk to you now."
A slight unease rippled through the group, but Shun didn't stop.
"You're already backed into a corner. So you might as well go all in."
He watched their reactions.
No one interrupted him.
"And in this state… you're also more likely to accept another solution. An alternative. Something that isn't dictated by Raiden. "
"However, if you want to continue believing in Raiden and his healing artifact, I won't stop you."
Shun let his words hang in the air like a final open door.
Then he fell silent. He made no further attempt to convince them. He simply waited.
The group stood motionless for a moment, torn between two conflicting paths. On one side, the figure of Raiden, his authority, his promises of protection, and that strange "artifact" that seemed to sustain an illusion of hope. On the other… Shun, a boy they had long perceived as hesitant, silent, almost incapable of asserting himself.
And now, it was he who was talking about choices.
Doubt set in.
Some lowered their eyes, as if to avoid having to decide too quickly. Others watched Shun with fresh attention, trying to determine if he was truly trustworthy, or simply losing his way as well.
A murmur ran through the group.
"Can we really trust him?"
The question went unanswered. Because deep down, no one knew.
Shun, who once didn't even dare speak without trembling, now stood before them, offering an alternative to the established plan.