Chapter 409: Smile

Terrible... My mind was overwhelmed, filled with fog and confusion.

My thoughts spun aimlessly, as if part of my brain had gone numb.

"But..."

"Stop babbling. Hurry up."

Rika stared at me impatiently, her expression sharp.

Then, like an arrogant master commanding a maid:

"Cut off my head."

"U-um... could there maybe be another way to solve this...?"

"Another solution? What exactly are you suggesting?"

"Like... getting the 'dokukeshi'?"

"Hmm. Do you have that on you right now?"

"...No."

"Then it's pointless. I can't bear the thought of being someone else's puppet. Just finish this quickly."

"But... can't you do something? Please, there has to be another way!"

"Me? You're asking me to come up with a solution?"

"Eh, yeah..."

Even looking back on it now, my attitude at that time was truly unreliable.

How it appeared to her, standing on the edge of death.

It seems Ryuka became suddenly annoyed from that moment onward.

Hey... cut it out. I'm on the verge of dying here. Don't show me that dull expression before you kick the bucket.

"U"

She gave him a sharp scolding,

"Damn it... Is this really how it ends? I thought today was a bad one from the start. My legs hurt more than usual, and... my internal organs feel off..."

"Reika-san"

By now, there's no room for conspiracy or schemes in someone about to die.

As my mind clears just a bit, I quickly propose a deal.

"If I ever discover a new way to revive the dead, I'll include you as a candidate for resurrection."

"Stop pretending. I don't care about resurrection anymore. I don't care about this rotten world treating me any differently. Just get on with dying already."

"Don't say that—let's bet on hope instead."

"Hope... Ah! The one word I hate most! Especially when it comes from someone else's mouth."

Though I understood, deep down, the despair driving her to give up, I kept pleading desperately.

"If there's any useful information, I'll surely make good use of it. I'll even manage the 'kingdom' you've left behind properly."

Then she lets out a faint, mocking laugh.

"Oh, well... sorry, but you won't be able to do that."

"Wha—?"

As a backup plan, just in case you turn hostile. I've prepared a certain video—intended as my last will. The video will automatically be uploaded to the internet as well.

What?

What is this person saying?

Honestly, to someone like me... it's hard to comprehend.

"Probably, if they saw that, nine out of ten people would think it was you who killed me."

"How do I stop uploading a video?"

"Well, I could do it if I knew your PC password. Want to try? It's a random 20-character alphanumeric code."

"Then please tell me the password."

"Absolutely, never..."

"………………"

That was when it happened.

In my heart, clearly... a murderous intent born from disgust arose.

—That guy’s strange, you know. His ideals in life and his inner nature are contradictory. He wishes for others’ happiness more than anyone else, yet secretly delights in watching people quarrel—more than anything else.

Nanami’s analysis was spot on.

This person is indeed evil.

"Aha, hahaha, hahaha. Well, since I’ll get to see your final expression—your (・) last (・) look (・) of (・) despair—before I go, I’ll consider it worth it."

She was exactly like the wicked witch attraction I'd seen countless times on the "Mystery Tour."

"Don't pretend to be good. You're no different—you're thinking only of yourself deep down. You couldn't care less about others, after all.

Desire, hunger, the need for sleep—

You can only understand the world through these basic, simple cravings."

I can only live by measuring happiness based on myself and those around me.

Understand this? Miss I don’t even know your name.

You’ll never be able to achieve it.

You absolutely can’t accomplish something like that.

There’s a limit to what a sane person like you can do!」

That… I can’t express it well, but it felt like her final words, in her own way.

—All the great ones are mad, after all.

She said.

"Reika-san…………"

"By the way, I just had an amazing idea."

"?"

"Look at this."

Reika pulls something out of her pocket—a pen-like object.

It takes me a few seconds to realize it's a small switch.

"…Wait?"

That eerie smile again.

With a bloody thumb, dark with blood, she clicks it.

In that instant—

Boom! A loud noise echoed.

When I turned around, I saw that the "Soul Restoration Machine" had a large hole in it.

From inside, a thick, foul-smelling liquid oozed out, spreading across the dusty floor.

A moment later, I understood everything.

The remote control device—so obviously fake—was just a decoy.

The real bomb had been planted inside the furnace, on the inner side.

With a dull thud, something humanoid tumbled onto the floor.

Whatever it was, soaked in the liquid inside the furnace, it was hard to tell if it was human or something else.

I couldn’t possibly tell.

“Bwah…”

I widened my eyes as much as I could—then—

“Idiot! That’s impossible! Why?! Why would you do something like that?!”

Reika’s face twisted into a grimace, her cheeks pale and slack.

‘Oh, wonderful! So perfect! I’ve been waiting forever to see that idiotic expression!’

In the next instant.

It was almost automatic.

My right hand drew the blade and severed her neck.

Her final expression was the most contented smile I had ever seen.