DISCLAIMER: This chapter is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
The room was just barely soundproofed enough to block all the noise from the club. The music, cheering, and everything else that could be recognized as a disturbance were kept at bay. That's how it was agreed upon.
6 men, all wearing black suits, and 11 bodyguards, standing behind them, were all watching with displeased faces, as one of their own, drunk and drugged, laughed together with a prostitute from the pleasure district.
Then the man became physical with her, groping her body with a creepy smile on his face.
"Don't worry princess. Just wait a little longer for me to finish some business here. I booked a very high class room at the love hotel."
The influence was getting the better of him, and his peers weren't having it.
He was escorted outside by two of the guards, big and strong, to a dark alley away from the eyes of the public. Even the lights from the vibrant nightlife of the pleasure district couldn't get to where they were.
"How many times do I have to tell you! Let go of me!"
He kicked himself off of their grip and stumbled on the ground.
"Sir Takahashi." One of them gave him his phone. "This is for you."
Still under the influence, he held the phone against his ear not expecting much.
"Hmm?"
He fell silent, still, listening to every word as it plagued his mind. Eyes widened in shock. It dawned on him.
"You may give me any messages. Be assured they will reach your family."
Sweating and shaking, he begged for mercy. With every word getting louder than the last, they had to keep him quiet. Just a second later, the darkness fell silent.
"And now to some breaking news this morning —
Police are investigating after a dead body was discovered early today in Kabukicho district, Tokyo. The discovery was made just a few minutes after sunrise, according to authorities.
Details remain limited at this hour, but investigators are on the scene, and the area has been secured. The identity of the person has not yet been released, and it's not clear yet if foul play is suspected.
We'll continue to follow this developing story and bring you updates as more info..."
The news was broadcasting over the radio at a manga store, mid morning. Otherwise, it was quiet and empty, except for one customer.
He had perused through most of the available ones, none of them were to his taste though.
Then he noticed a manga that was still in full stock with an unusual price tag of 400 yen.
Once he picked it up and looked through it, he knew that was the one.
"That'll be 400 yen please." The cashier, though visibly uncomfortable with something continued his work.
"Why does it cost 400? I've never heard of that."
"Well... I don't know if you could tell, but it doesn't quite appeal to majority of its potential audience. Its very... gruesome. Not to mention, its been on the shelf for months without a single copy being sold."
"I see."
"Are you sure that's the kind of manga you're looking for? It might be a little too much for one such as yourself."
"My age doesn't tell me what I should or should not do unless its against the law."
"A...Alright then. Come again, Takumi."
...
This was in spring 2024. A few weeks before I got to high school.
That manga didn't disappoint. Calling it a hidden gem was an understatement. I was able to read it throughout the whole day since I took a break from my part time job.
Airi was a little concerned about the cover page. It seemed, unsettling to her when she looked at it from the sit on the other side of the room.
"In other news —
Authorities were able to identify this morning's body to be Jiro Takahashi, a man who traveled to Kabukicho district from the small city of Nikko.
He was there on official business when he met an unfortunate end at the hands of an unknown suspect who could still be roaming around the city.
It is advised that people exercise caution when outdoors. Stay tuned for more news."
"Is it really that sad?" I asked her.
Her face was filled with sorrow and fear after hearing the news. But it didn't phase me.
"Of course it is. We're talking about someone's death here."
"Does that mean you should be pitying him?"
"You're so cruel!"
It makes sense that she'd say that. But there is no reason to grieve over someone you didn't know or get attached to.
A similar thing was happening in the manga I was reading.
The main character was considered cruel by the society. He'd killed so many, including his own blood relatives.
Now that I think about it, the manga was basically just the story of a serial killer in modern day Japan.
Others described him as a man who killed she who gave her life, he who provided for him, those who tried to help him, public servants or law enforcers, and so many many more. Whoever did make that manga?
When others hear news about him, they only register the fact that he killed many. Naturally, their first line of thought should be for him to be brought to justice. This is where the mistake is.
No one ever stopped to think why he would do that. No one wanted to hear his reasons. This is understandable. After all, when you hear someone like that exists, you only want to hear him being brought to justice.
What if he was told by some angel that the only way he could save humanity was by doing what he did? Would you take his side then? There was no way for him to refuse. If he were to do so, there would be great consequences.
When you hear that there is someone out there who killed someone you knew, do you grieve because you knew them, or because you were close to them?
When I killed my step father, I didn't grieve. No one did. Not even those who I'm telling this story to.
I was puzzled. A small child like myself, back then, committing murder. No remorse, no sadness. And then, my eyes opened.
When you hear a murderer killed the leader of a nation. Everyone will mourn their death. That is of course, if they were loved. If they weren't loved, they would only do it because they were a person well known. A person of great significance.
But when news of a serial killer who killed dozens spreads, everyone wants to know who that person is, if justice was brought to them or if they still roam around untouched by the natural law of karma.
No one's going to ask who the people that met an unfortunate end were. If there wasn't a person related to you, or a person of power among those affected, would you be bothered? No. You won't. Why?
Because they're insignificant to you.
Why bother to know them when you have no relations to them at all? This is something that most won't ever admit or will downright refuse. But it is the truth. Unless there really is a perfect human being.
...
Why would I ever have thoughts like this? They make me look like the bad guy. I don't want to be the villain. There's no way I would ever let anyone know my line of thinking.
Never.
Not even when they ask of me.
Never.
Not even when they try to force it out of me.
I'll hide it. I'll keep it in me. Throughout the days to come. Even in my afterlife.
Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never.
...
Why did they have to take Airi away from me?
Now I've become what I tried to avoid.
And it made me, a 17 year old, commit genocide.
I tried to make them look like they were insignificant. But no matter how hard I try to complicate things, they were all lives I took.
And why?
...
Airi.
...
...
I jolted up, sweat dripping off of my face, coughing loudly.
A fire next to me had burned out. I was under a big tree, and the sun was just coming up.
"Are you okay?"
I almost confused Uzzaran's voice for someone else.
"I'm fine."
She had returned to my body after the most recent events that took place. But that felt like so long ago. Now, I even have a daily routine.
When the sun rises, I make sure to put out the remaining fire, if there is one, for no particular reason. Then I go to a small pond nearby to wash off. I tried mending my clothes since the battle, but I wasn't very good at that to put it mildly.
Afterwards, I walk up a large hill and sit on its top, watching the darkness that never did anything.
It felt like I've been there for almost a year. At first, I didn't even know that time actually moved while we were there. That was until I made a small watch using the great power of magic.
When in the physical world, I realized that I'd never actually seen a clock from that world. Since the calendar looked different, I thought that the way of representing time might be different as well. But from what I could tell, time was the same as in my previous world.
Not here in heaven though. Take the current sunrise, for example. Its looked like that for almost a week, if you calculate in hours. It doesn't really make any sense. But I got used to it after a few months.
Black Death said that he had somewhere to be. But he hadn't returned in a very long time.
I've been patiently waiting, watching closely for any change. But alas, the dark clouds with flashy lightning had stayed like that for a long time.
I even tried going there, but there's some kind of world barrier which is actually pretty tough to break, or should I say impossible.
Its been very uneventful.
I even fell asleep a few hours ago. That was the first time since I got reincarnated that I actually slept pretty well.
But just because I slept doesn't mean that time was moving any faster. At that point, I even began to think about how I could build a house.
Bells.
Loud bells sounded throughout the whole realm. That was new.
"Master. Is it finally time?"
"You've been asking me that question everyday, Uzzaran. But this time, you might actually be right."
Both the horizon and the sky looked like a bending mirror. Then they shattered. It was the barrier, but it made all of reality look different.
From a lush green environment filled with trees, grass and water bodies, to a vast desert filled with rocks with no greenery anywhere.
The clouds in the sky changed from white to orange. It was like how I first saw the place when I ascended. Something was definitely happening.
The dark clouds had disappeared.
"Master. I fear we should prepare for battle."
It suddenly felt dangerous.
The trial must've started.
I was nervous. One of the trials to become a literal deity. What will it be like? I couldn't even guess.
However, this meant that the time was nearing.
I was about to become a god.