Part 227: Scream

The streets of Akihabara were illuminated with a brilliance so intense it hurt the eyes.

The asphalt had melted into a viscous, flowing mass, emitting a powerful, acrid odor.

I barely managed to escape the range of the spell, yet I couldn't tear my gaze away from the terrifying sight.

A silhouette resembling Mr. Ryoma stood in the midst of flames, arms outstretched—

『HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!』

Laughing hysterically.

The flames burned for perhaps ten or fifteen seconds.

Staring at it, frozen in place, I watched as the fire pillar vanished completely—as if it had never existed from the beginning.

All that remained was the ground melted into a crater shape.

Choking on the steam, thick with a smell a hundred times stronger than freshly laid asphalt, I finally managed to stand up.

At the center of the gaping crater remained what appeared to have once been Ryo, a humanoid figure charred black.

His entire body had been burned away, his upper and lower halves separated, lying in a posture reminiscent of a fetus, with only bones remaining.

In the end, I still didn’t understand the nature of our relationship.

Was this really for the best?

Feeling slightly downcast,

"Hey! Level 85!"

A voice that seemed utterly shallow called out.

Looking up, I saw a bulky, bearded man clad in ragged, foul-smelling clothes, sporting a greasy, unkempt hairstyle as he appeared.

"Ah, uh... hi..."

"Whoa, whoa, what’s up? You really at level 85, or is that just a show? You look like you’ve been struggling."

"Huh... yeah..."

I acted the part of a visibly exhausted high school girl, letting out a deep sigh.

We should keep our stories consistent, right?

"Sorry... I'm not feeling well."

"What? Is it that time of the month?"

Ah, so this guy's one of those thoughtless, boorish types?

"Wow, you really managed to get to that level, huh?"

"Let's just say I've been lucky."

"Lucky, huh?...Really? Just luck?"

The man looked slightly doubtful, but eventually decided I wasn't a threat.

"So, about the reward..."

"Reward?"

Could he be some medieval European painter or something?

"Yeah... Our power is limited. Using magic makes you hungry. You can't help people for free unless you're incredibly kind-hearted. It should be obvious, really."

Ah, I see.

Well, that's a reasonable point.

I sighed.

"Let's discuss that kind of arrangement with my companions first."

"Hey, hey! Decide right now! I'm your lifesaver here. I could just force you into submission if I wanted to!"

Oh no, that's not good. Looks like I'm being played.

Anyone who's lived alone in Tokyo has probably had a bad experience with a newspaper salesperson at least once. I remembered that moment,

"I've changed my mind. I refuse any form of repayment. After all, it was you who took him down on your own initiative."

"What? That's not reasonable at all, is it? You'd think a normal person would see that."

I made my displeasure clear, speaking plainly,

"Look, if you keep fussing around like this, I'll just kill you."

I added a sense of intimidation to my voice, consciously channeling a bit of Freeza's demeanor.

Still, I knew I wasn’t good at this kind of negotiation. Probably because of my usual apathy, I couldn’t seem to project much intimidation, even when I tried to get angry.

"Hahaha." Violence is strictly forbidden under the 'King's' jurisdiction. Even if that fatso is weak, if you go around killing openly, you never know what kind of trouble you might stir up."

"We're friends."

As I said it, I thought, *Oops, maybe I picked the wrong argument here.* This wasn’t really the right moment to emphasize that.

As I'd feared, the man burst into loud laughter.

"Come on, saying 'I'll kill you' isn't exactly normal, now is it? Think about it logically."

"Well, yeah, I guess you're right..."

At that moment, people began gathering around us, slowly forming a circle.

Probably the players who had just simultaneously cast Fire Magic.

Their outfits all had a fairly similar look. After the "End," fashion favored ragged burlap clothes, scruffy beards, and short hair—short hair being the trend.

Both men and women alike wore clothing that seemed to have been meticulously designed for survival.

Aware that we were being surrounded, I glanced around cautiously.

"The food of these people here—let's say at least a year's worth. Or, you know, all future 'achievement' reward items you can obtain."

Damn. If I refuse this, will I be labeled ungrateful? It felt like I was witnessing the moment when twisted justice was born.

"Mr. Yoshida!"

Suddenly, one of the "players" from Akihabara shouted out.

"What is it?"

It seems this person, who came to speak on everyone's behalf, is named Yoshida.

What should we do with this guy's body?

Leave it alone, the cremation's already done.

That's not how it works. Chūdō En is being annoying again.

And that was the moment.

Right into my mind, which had completely let its guard down,

Cut off my head.

The words came back to life.

But surely not... something like that.

At this moment, Ryouma's body is like a pile of broken, withered wood.

Parts of the flesh were burned, leaving only bones behind.

The internal organs were completely charred, even the hairs on the head having all evaporated.

"Get away from it! Now! Immediately!"

Let them laugh later—I couldn't help but shout out.

"—Huh?"

The person standing beside Ryouma’s body frowned, clearly puzzled.

That was the next moment.

The face of Ryouma, darkened and scorched. The area around his eyelids had collapsed, exposing his eyeballs.

Two round eyes stared out from his burned face, rolling wildly.

‘——?’

His damaged vocal cords seemed to have produced some sound.

I could sense, vaguely, what he had tried to say.

‘Have you… been… warned…?’

His upper body, springing up like a spring, lunged forward and sank his sharp fangs into the neck of the "player" standing nearby—something everyone present witnessed firsthand.

In the quiet of the night, a scream echoed through the streets.