Editing BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 1===

I woke up to the scent of sunlight. 

My vision, still clouded with sleep, took in the familiar sight of my room. A western-style room surrounded by white walls, and blue curtains draped over the east-facing window.

Yawning, I stretched and pressed his face into the worn pillow, curling up in the warm blanket. 

I wanted to go back to sleep. I was still so sleepy.

Wait, what time is it?

“...Wait, what time is it!?” Jumping up in a hurry, Naoto snatched the alarm clock from the nightstand. Somehow, it felt like the sun was already high in the sky, far past the usual alarm time. Maybe Haruka had gone to school early on an errand. If so, I might be late. 

Having come to this realization in a flash, Naoto also suddenly noticed many other things.

“So, that’s it… today’s a holiday?” The hour and minute hands of the clock he was holding pointed to around nine-thirty. But on the calendar section that was displayed along with the time, it read ‘SUN’ in red letters. His relief was fleeting and hollow. More importantly, there were many other things he needed to pay attention to.

First, his clothes. Usually, when Naoto went to bed, he would change into a T-shirt and sweatpants. Unless there was a very special reason, he would never go to bed in his school uniform. It made him feel uneasy and like he hadn’t really slept. And yet, on this day, Naoto was wearing his uniform. Not only the pants but also the jacket. The uniform was terribly dirty and torn in many places, and it was in no condition to be worn to school. The right sleeve was especially bad. It was torn just below the shoulder, leaving it in a pitiful half-sleeved state.

Naoto furrowed his brow. He looked at the clock in his hand again. It was his beloved clock that always woke him up from his dreams with its noisy sound. He was holding the clock with his right hand.

“…I wonder if this is a dream or reality.” He muttered this question to no one, as there was no one else in the room. His memory was surprisingly clear. He remembered it perfectly. Yesterday he had seen a girl running away and a man chasing her on his way home from school, and he had chased after them. The events that followed, which were like the climax of an action movie, were so unreal that he couldn’t believe they were real. But he couldn’t believe it was a dream either. The taste of the air he had breathed then, the unpleasant atmosphere he had felt. The tension that ran down his spine and the way it grazed his cheeks.

(The pressure of the rubble, too. I can still remember it all. The horrifying, god-defying pain when the creature that emerged from the man instantly tore my arm off, and the terror that surpassed it.)

Gently placing the watch on the bed, Naoto stared at his empty hand. It was a normal, flesh-colored arm. Five fingers. He could flex his fingers and make a fist.

(What… is going on?)

His right arm was definitely there. So was it a dream? It’s ridiculous to think he had my arm torn off by a strange monster. If that wasn’t the case, he’d gladly accept that explanation. But the state of his uniform denied that. The tattered uniform clearly told the tale of a violent encounter. The stains weren’t just dirt or dust. There were traces of dried blood as well. And above all, the sleeve was torn in the same place where his arm had been torn off. 

(Then why do I still have my arm...? No, how did I even get back? Why was I still in my uniform when I went to bed? What about Haruka? What about that girl?)

Countless questions swirled around in his head without any answers. But there was no one to answer any of them. 

“…Well, I guess I’ll get something to drink.” Letting his arm fall limply, Naoto let out a deep sigh. Despite having just woken up, he felt incredibly tired. Whether it was a dream or not, he decided it didn't matter for now. He would wash his face and make some tea. If he didn't, his mind would be completely worn out. 

(Come to think of it, I haven't opened the summer-harvested tea leaves I bought earlier. Maybe I'll open them today.)

Trying to think of something pleasant, Naoto headed to the bathroom, thinking about the fine tea leaves he had been saving. He tossed the dirty jacket onto the washing machine and turned on the faucet. Remembering that he had been sleeping in a dirty state, he washed his hands thoroughly before splashing a handful of water on his face. His groggy head felt a little clearer. He pushed his wet bangs up with both hands and looked up. 

"…Eh?" Naoto stopped moving, staring at his reflection in the mirror. It was his usual face. The water he had just splashed was running down his forehead, cheeks, and chin. His slightly dusty hair was tousled. And above it, the number ‘0’ was floating. 

"One?"

It was ‘0’. Quickly rubbing his eyes with the hand that had been holding his bangs, he looked again. He glanced around at various unrelated places before looking again.
The number didn’t change. The number floating above Naot’s head was still ‘0’. 

The number above a person's head represents something like their life force. The higher the number, the more abundant their life force, and the lower the number, the weaker they are. In other words, ‘0’ means...

If the number of a dead person is '0', then that means they're not alive."

"What the... what?! What the hell is going on?!" Naoto slammed his hands on the sink, leaning forward sharply. He brought his face as close to the mirror as it would go.
No matter how many times he looked, it was the same. 

"Impossible..." A voice escaped him in shock. This couldn’t be real. He instinctively recalled the man he encountered yesterday, whose face had transformed like an insect. The number above his head had also been "0." A chill ran down his spine. He trembled at the thought that he had become a creature similar to that man. However, just then, that fear was unexpectedly snatched away from him.

"That's noisy. Could you please be a little quieter?" With a hint of irritation in her tone, a voice spoke as the door opened with a light creak. What door? The bathroom door.

In an instant, Naoto's thoughts froze. Was understanding really this rare? What even was common sense? Turning toward the sound like a spring-loaded mechanism, Naoto's eyes widened in fear at the sight that should not have been there. 

Come to think of it, he remembered hearing the sound of a shower when he entered the bathroom. Why hadn’t he found that strange? Of course! Why would he think someone was taking a shower while he was asleep?

There stood... a girl.

Her wet body and hair clung to her, droplets dripping from her fingertips as she stepped calmly from the bathroom into the changing area, steam enveloping her. Her long hair, golden in color, shimmered under the bathroom lights. She tucked a strand behind her ear and, after glancing left and right, asked, “Is there something to dry off with?”

With a tone reminiscent of asking a waiter for the daily special at a fancy restaurant, the girl arrogantly asked Naoto. She acted in a way that showcased her noble birth. She had the air of a princess from some small European kingdom, fitting for an ancient castle. But Naoto had no time to think about that now.

“Wha—...” It was as if his soul, which had flown away, had suddenly returned. In short, he was panicking. His facial muscles twitched as he was overwhelmed by the electrical signals racing around in his brain...

“Ahhh!” Naoto screamed like a girl and fled back to his room without looking back.