It's over?

Suddenly, the game was over.

'Yes, that's right. I dared to take the format of a match, but it was not really a match. Didn't I tell you that?

'Did I mention that?　But is this how it's supposed to be done?　I haven't even worked my magic yet.　Let me do it, and we can make it more interesting.

I have only broken the guardian wards. On my authority, this match is over!

Oswald won't change his opinion.
It's written on his face.

Do you think I'm going to kill Saeki?
If that's the case, it's funny.
To these guys, the students are just an offering to their benefactors.

--They're cattle, so to speak.

"Don't kill them"?

Speaking of which, we have one more game to play...

That's enough, isn't it?　We all know very well that you are strong.

Don't push me, all right? Do you want to get yourself killed?

Saeki must be relieved that this guy is here now.
But this guy is the most dangerous.
How many sins are hidden underneath this righteous face?

Saeki glares at me, and then Oswald glares at me too.

So I'm the bad guy........

But that's okay.
I don't care what they think of me.

That's enough for now. It's getting noisy in the audience.

Then Oswald walked up to Saeki.

"Don't be ashamed of yourself. It's as if you've won.

Is it a concern for Saeki, or is it a guess at me?

'Nonsense........'

I choked back my anger and left the hall.
At that point, the cheers I should have heard at first were no longer audible.
Instead, what I heard was disgust from the crowd.
I could feel them swelling up.


As I left the hall, I caught a glimpse of Toa's face for a moment.
I tried not to look at it, but I couldn't help but look for it.

Why did I look for him?

But when our eyes met, I didn't know what it meant, but I felt a little pain in my chest.
I don't know if Toa was looking at me or not.
Maybe I was just being one-sided and thought our eyes met.

Then this feeling is one-sided or........

I wonder if the pain is in my head...

Why did I think I was in pain in the first place?

Even walking down this road with a cool, chilly breeze flowing through it didn't cool my fever.
The fact that it was dark was a relief, at least.

'Shit!'

Pounding on the wall won't change anything.

Frustrating....

Not at Oswald.

So what in the world are you angry about?

No, this is not that easy.
It's not a momentary thing.
It's not temporary.

It's depression and loneliness. And when I look up at the sky, it's always there, gray.
A view that I should have seen one day, but I can't see it anymore.
The cause that created them.

The anger at it.

I could have killed...I could have killed it. I could have killed it.........

Well I could have killed it.

I could have done it, and I didn't.

I know ... you shouldn't do this.

I can't do this now. You can only wait for the right moment.
And I'm not alone anymore.
Toa, Nem, Sufilia they all have me.
They have all been there for me all this time.
You cannot betray them now.

I can't just betray them.

"There's no need to rush...I've got the power. I'm already ... well, I have it all. There's no need to rush.

Yes, there's no need to rush.
It's all happening in the palm of my hand, you know.

Huh....

But I couldn't suppress a sigh.

'I wish I could have killed you...'

Emotions can be controlled.
It's all about the will.
You have to be willing to do it all.
That's what we agreed upon at the time....

I put a number of words together in my mind.
That's how I reason, I tell myself, not now.
Otherwise, I'm going to kill that guy right now.

'Think ... my will ...'

Don't doubt the abyss....





o





　--Passing in front of the players' waiting room, we exit to the public corridor.
Is it because there will be additional matches going on?
The place was so quiet that you couldn't hear a single sound.
It would have been nice to have a crowd of people, but there was no sign of anyone there.

Even though it's called a general passage, it's a back road facing the outdoors.
There are not many people on the street to begin with.
In front of me is a little garden, perhaps because it was built directly above a grassy field?
It was overgrown with plants and trees.

After crossing the "No Unauthorized Entry" fence, a passage led straight to the right. To the left is a dead end.

And at the end of the passageway, there are several evenly distributed turns, each leading to the entrance room and seating area.

Masamune looked depressingly at the sunshine.

Then, after walking for a while and coming to a suitable place where he could settle in, he took off his mask and looked up at the sky for some reason.
Even though it didn't feel like a good fit, it would still feel uncomfortable in its own way when he was wearing it.

He took a deep breath and seemed to be calming himself down.

(I'm the only one here right now. That was oddly reassuring.)

Masamune deliberately opened his dark, downcast expression and dead fish-like eyes wide.
By doing so, he wanted to change his mood.

''Huh ... that's tiring...''

(I can't help it, just the spirit, even though the level is up. Somehow, I'm a little tired. Maybe I was a little overpowered, but it takes faith to pull through, and something to reinforce it if your mind feels like it's about to collapse.)

It's not going to be perfect.
That's why we aim for the best we can do through repeated trial and error.
For Masamune, that was what this game was all about.

Even if you can't kill him, there is something you can do.
Humiliate Saeki's pride.
Eliminate him from society.
But.........

Hahaha....

(Maybe I'm the one who's been socially obliterated.)

A weakened mind.

Masamune was weakening now.

As he left the hall, what Masamune felt from his surroundings was disgust.
But it was not unreasonable.

(People don't know what kind of guy Saeki is.......I'm the only one who knows. I'm the only one who was mistreated by him. The rest of the world has nothing to do with it. So I don't know. So, I'm the only one who's been tortured and I'm the only one who....

Masamune understood.
But understanding is sometimes unnecessary.
Perhaps people would be happier if they couldn't read the other person's emotions.

(I know, I know. I know.........they just don't know. If we knew, we'd all understand. But I'm not looking for you to understand. Even if they did, they're still strangers. (People can't really understand each other.

There is no one who understands.
The only person who can understand you is you.
Others can only delude themselves about the feelings of others.
That delusion is also structured according to what is convenient for you.
You are not the one to understand the other person.

(It's to satisfy the desire to understand. So I don't ask for it. I know.)

No amount of words or logic will make you feel better.
The sky will not regain its color.
But Masamune couldn't help but think about it.
That's how he had lived his life so far.
Philosophy was his salvation.

(Because he felt like if he followed it, he could justify himself in any way he wanted.)

But now, Masamune, too, has stopped thinking.
He stops thinking, lets his mind go blank, and just repeats his breathing.
Suddenly, he begins to have questions about his being in another world that he doesn't know the details of.

'Why... why am I in another world?　Why........am I here....

Masamune was weak.

.........

Then I heard a noise beside me.

'Lies ... right? .....

The next thing he heard was a voice.
At that point, Masamune realized that the first thing he heard was the sound of shoes.

Masamune reflexively opened his eyes and moved his gaze towards the voice.
Then he looked at the owner of that voice.



----.



The first thing Masamune felt was disappointment in himself for having let his guard down.
Regret as to why he took off his mask.
And after those feelings, he collided with the question of how to put this situation away.

'Hidaka........is it?　You ... are you alive? .....

Why are ... these people here?

Masamune's pulse quickened.

(He was distracted. If it was magic, he could have sensed it. He should have had a hint...

But I was caught off guard.
He had been completely distracted.
Masamune had turned off the switch.
That's how weak he was.
That's why he needed to switch it off.

That's why.......he couldn't see it.

''And... and the way you're dressed...''

I'm pretty sure that red dress is...

Nito? .....

Three people appeared there.

The three of them were so surprised that they were at a loss for words.
And like Masamune, they were not up to speed with their understanding of the current situation.



----.



(My identity.........has been discovered. I've been exposed. I've been found out that I'm alive. (This... this... this is why I screwed up and why I've kept it all secret for so long.

Masamune was confused.
His head was already so full that his processing of the information was not up to par.

(They'll find out. If this was the case, they would find out.

My head was full of it.


.........


(No ... it won't. It's not going to happen. No. (This is not how it ends.)

It's been a while. Guys ... and ...

Masamune smiled and turned his attention to the three faces.

(This is just the beginning.)

Hidaka, you're alive, aren't you?

The boy is surprised to see her again, but he seems somewhat embarrassed and for some reason smiles bitterly.

(My life is--)

Actually, I just wanted to apologize to you... goodbye...

At that moment, the boy was about to say something.
But Masamune interrupted him.
No, Masamune does not realize that he interrupted.
He didn't listen to the other party's words.

(--I won't end it.)

"[Riddick Lost]

(Reluctantly.)

Without hesitation, Masamune exercised his magic on the three men.

All they knew was that Masamune had said something.
But they didn't realize it.
They were completely unaware of what they had just been made to do.



This is what Masamune chose to do.

'Hidaka? ....What is this...?　Gahaha!

Coughing up blood.

Gough!

Vomiting blood.

Buh-ha!

Vomiting blood.

(And the three hearts in my right hand. It's still warm and pulsing.)

'Ugh ... gohhh!

It was then that the three of them noticed.
Three organs that seemed to fill Masamune's palm, moving in small increments.
The three of them slowly understood that they were organs.

'Sorry Koizumi, we didn't mean to kill you like this. We intended for you guys to suffer. And yet.........

Akira Koizumi, Takeshi Tachibana, and Teppei Tadokoro.
It was the three of them who saw Nito's true face.

'A lot of things go wrong in this world. If I had been able to use the magic of oblivion, maybe this wouldn't have happened to me too.......I should have learned then......

'At that time' ... what does this mean when and what did Masamune learn at that time?
Only Masamune can understand that.

Then Koizumi fell off his feet.
And Masamune looked at each of the three men kneeling there.

Tachibana?　Still the same, huh?　It's been so long since you came to this world, and you're still getting fat... On the other hand, Tadokoro, you're still as skinny as ever, aren't you?　I guess he wasn't that keen on learning magic, since he wasn't even able to play against the school.

Hidaka we are....

Koizumi's pallid expression seemed to be trying to tell him something.

'I can see how hard you guys didn't have to work to get it right. What do you think happened to me after that?　Hmm?

What does Masamune enjoy doing?
He just laughed and talked about it.

When I came to, I found myself in a dungeon shrouded in darkness. I wandered along the walls, nauseated with despair and sadness, but I managed to stay alive. A mimic was going to cut out my arm!　He tried to cut my guts out!　I am! Hahahahahaha!　You know why?　Koizumi?

Emotional instability.
Loud voices, small whispers, and sudden bursts of laughter.
Masamune's behavior was clearly abnormal.

''Gahaha!

Just then, Tadokoro collapsed and didn't move.

'Hmm?　What is it?

It was Tadokoro who died first.
But Masamune's reaction was incredibly simple.

With Tadokoro's corpse at his side, Masamune speaks to the dying Koizumi, "Tadokoro is dead, isn't he?

'It seems Tadokoro is dead, isn't it?'

Masamune stared at him with eyes that seemed devoid of life.
It was as if he didn't feel death.

Koizumi no longer had the strength left to care for his friend.
Next to him, Tachibana was breathing raggedly while his throat sounded like a whistle.

'Koizumi?　I crawled out of that dark place to kill you, and for that reason alone. I lived for it. It was all I could think about at the time. It's why I'm alive. That's why!　I could have lived until now!

Hidaka........listen to me........

Do you understand?　Koizumi?　And you, that old fool!　With the king and Aries!　We're going to the same place, okay?

'Gophers! .........Hidaka, I don't think......you.......you......Aries.

'Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!　"You, Aries?"

Masamune mimicked Koizumi's words in a mischievous way, then laughed madly.

'Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!　Yes!　I'm the one who killed him!　Stomp on his head!　And to make an example of him, we blew up the whole castle!　Isn't magic great?　All you need is the will, and you can have your way.　What do you think, Koizumi!　My magic!　I condescended to think you guys were incompetent!　How about some healer magic!

It was then that Tachibana drew his last breath without saying a word.
He didn't even have the strength left to speak anymore.

But Masamune no longer reacted to each and every one of those deaths.
He didn't even give her a sideways glance.

''Hey Koizumi?!　You can't do that!　You can't do the same thing to me.　You can do this, right?　Because you're the best of the best.　You're a brave man who has been blessed, right?　Ahahahahaha!

Takeshi....Teppei....

Koizumi turns his attention to the two dead bodies lying there.
There was sadness, and a sense of apology.
And tears spilled from Koizumi's eyes.

The moment he saw those tears, Masamune's eyes turned cold again, like a dead fish.

''Huh?　What is it?　Why are you crying?

....

I'm the one who needs to cry!

Masamune shouted angrily.

'You made fun of me, made fun of me, day after day ... despised me, even made fun of me for killing myself ... and abandoned me. Not that I care. Whatever grief or anger I felt at your abandonment of me is long gone. I don't feel anything now. The spirit doesn't grow by moving up a level, but that means I've grown up too. For now...for now...for now?　You know what I'd like to see you guys get rid of this world?　It's my world, you know.

'Oh, gosh!

You're more stubborn than Saeki, aren't you? You're more stubborn than Saeki, aren't you?　He wasn't much of a talker, though, was he?　Come to think of it, you guys were watching, right?　That one!　The incompetent form?

Then Masamune kicked Koizumi, who was falling, toward the wall.

''Gosh! .....

'You took your heart out... hahaha!　This is a boon to you?　Hahahahaha!　If so, that's pretty funny, huh?　Wouldn't it be funny if it was a boon to have your heart removed and live for a while?　I mean, when are we going to use it?　Hahahaha!

Koizumi crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, but he was still not dead.

''Gofu!　Oof!　Kaha! .....

How stubborn can you be?　Fat and skinny are dead and you know it. And you can't save yourself, either.　Your life ends here. That's for mistreating me, and I have the right to judge you. So why don't you just die quickly?　I still have a game to play after this. And I'd like to get this over with before someone gets here. Right?　Why don't you just die quickly?

Koizumi no longer had the energy to speak.
His mouth wet with blood and his pale face.
Koizumi stared into Masamune's eyes.

''Hi........Taka.....''

d*mn can you still talk?

Masamune was fed up with the way things were.

Koizumi seemed to be trying to tell Masamune something.
But Masamune did not notice it.

Then Masamune put on his mask and took out the 'Executioner's Axe'.

''It's the perfect weapon to kill you guys, right?　It's called the Executioner's Axe, right?　Isn't it like they're just there to kill you guys?　Hahahahaha!

Then Masamune raised his axe.

'I understand I was too quick to kill you. Reluctantly, I have no choice but to kill you now that you've seen me.'

Hidaka.........everyone.....

Don't talk anymore, scum...

Masamune's eyes widened and he looked at her angrily.
And......

-- Masamune swung his axe down.





　What was Koizumi trying to tell him?

All of you... "Please"?　"Don't kill"?
There would be a few possibilities if he thought about it, but he didn't even know the answer to that question now.

But Koizumi had apologized. He had tried to apologize more than once.

But Masamune interrupted his words.
It was unconscious.
Masamune did not expect that Koizumi had intended to apologize to him.
So Masamune did not hesitate. That's not to say that he didn't.

Koizumi was filled with apologies for the two people lying there.
He felt that he was responsible for bringing them into this.
Koizumi had been tormenting Masamune by taking the lead and encouraging the two men.
He was the one who was pulling the two of them along at all times, and they followed him like that.
The one who made the decision was himself. Koizumi knew that.

Of course, whether it was Tachibana or Tadokoro, he was the one who chose to follow Koizumi.
It's not just Koizumi's fault.
However, just as everyone has their own ideas, Koizumi had those feelings as well.
But that was none of Masamune's business.





　The swinging axe dug into Koizumi's scalp, shattering his skull and then spilling blood, flesh and brains.
Blood splattered onto the surrounding walls, the ground, and the weeds.
Pieces of flesh and brains mingled together, no longer knowing which one was the one that fell there.

''Tch!　It's so sticky...

There was Masamune, unconcerned, staring at the corpse, pieces of flesh, and a puddle of blood.

(We could leave them alone, but that would cause a bit of a ruckus when they were found. If we can erase the corpse, we can fool ourselves into thinking it's a disappearance, can't we?　Besides, they won't think I'm involved now. And even if they do, if we get rid of the body, it won't even be a case... yes!　There was no incident!　(That's fine!)

"A wave of corrosive aura!

Then Masamune used the erosion and began cleaning the three corpses.

''Annihilation (delite)!

The flesh and blood breaks down to the molecular level and disappears.
He then expands the wave of erosion, cleaning up all the pieces of flesh, bone and blood that have been scattered around.
He activates the skill "Wash" and washes his surroundings and himself.
He washes the blood that was splattered on the robe and mask.

Then there was a nondescript passageway before Koizumi and the others appeared.
Perhaps because of the use of washing, it was rather cleaner than before.

''We're back to normal ... everything ...''

Then Masamune let out a sigh of relief and stood there for a moment, pausing.
He didn't look around, didn't talk to himself as usual, didn't make the slightest movement, but simply stood still, staring at the one point where Koizumi had been lying just now.

Then, suddenly, things got worse again.

''Ha!　There you are, commoner!　Dad, it's him!　He's the one who embarrassed me!

Oh, so this is the guy. Well, Richard, you can leave this to me.

There appeared to be the Goynes of the Dines family who had tried to seduce Toa at a dinner party earlier.
His name is Richard Dines.
Next to him is apparently his father.
In other words, this guy is the duke.

And around him were six ninja-like people who carried daggers in their hands and completely covered their faces with black cloth.

''Don't leave me now get lost.

Masamune remained staring at a point.
Even though he had a blade pointed at him, he didn't look at it.

I see. This is something I need to educate myself on. You are a commoner and yet you have taunted us!　Do you want me to pay for it here?

'Didn't you hear that? ...I told him to get lost.

Masamune speaks in hushed tones, as if talking to himself.
After all, Masamune doesn't even look at him.

Then the Duke of Dines gave him instructions without hesitation.

''You guys, I'll leave the rest to you.''

At the same time as his voice, six people surround Masamune.
Their expressions are not visible.
Just the two daggers of each one reflect and glow in the light.

The Daines' boy is waiting for the scene to happen now and then.

'Come on, Richard!　Enjoy!

Then the six men in black jumped on Masamune in unison.

But that was the time.


...


For a moment, something reddish-black flew out of Masamune's body, and it turned the six of them into a tide of blood at the same time.

''Heh? .....

Richard and his father were frozen open-mouthed, unable to sort out what had happened in time.

It was a momentary event.
There was no longer a piece of flesh there.
There were no more pieces of flesh there, only blood splatter flying all over the walls and floor.
The only thing around it was a fearless scene, dyed bright red.

The father and son gradually understand the situation and begin to tremble.

But.........and yet, Masamune is still not looking at them.

After a while, Masamune slowly, step by step, moved closer to the father and son.
However, the way he looked at it, rather than getting closer, he seemed to just be moving his feet.
It's just that it results in them getting closer.

In other words, it's as if there was no intention in sight.

It was like a doll in a mask.
The awkward, clumsy movements of his feet made him look like a doll.

There was a sense of tension in the air that made it difficult to even let out a sound.
The father and son were naturally silent.
And they were terrified that if they said a single word, they would be the next to be killed.

Then Masamune walked slowly, passing between the father and son standing there as if nothing had happened.
Then, as if relieved, the two men let their shoulders relax.

Then suddenly, their heads were blown off.
Without warning, the two heads of the father and son disappeared.

And then, a splatter of blood erupted from the severed surface.
The headless bodies of the father and son were there, like a little fountain.

And the sound of the collapse that came later.

Masamune, for some reason, didn't even clean it up and just walked past it.

And the last thing I heard was the sound of Masamune's shoes.
It gradually stopped, and what remained was a road that was dyed red all over.
And two headless corpses lying on the ground.



　The sun's rays create a sun and a shade, dividing the blood into two colors.
A gentle breeze that dances in the meadow invades and reverberates through the building.

The sound of the cool breeze dominates the space and creates a sense of loneliness.
But the blood splattered all over the surface and two headless corpses create stimulation and alleviate this loneliness.

There was ... just a novel landscape.



　On this day, a brave man was summoned by Greeberg's summoning of a brave man.

Takeshi Tachibana
Akira Koizumi
Teppei Tadokoro

Three of them lost their lives at the hands of Masamune.