Story 4-12 『Ma.s.s Suicide』

Leaving the house, Katsuragi-kun and I immediately went somewhere.

I’m glad it’s just the two of us. I should be happy that he relied on me.

However, he was looking at me in a pained expression now.

“Hah…! Hah…! Aaaah!!”

How many times has it been with this? His death throes seared into my eyes. I stopped counting how many time I’ve seen this miserable appearance.

I don’t want to see it any more, I don’t want to hear it anymore.

But, since he decided to do this himself, I will do whatever it takes.

“Aah…. aah… aah…”

Katsuragi’s ability rise when he dies due to 『Revenge of the Resented』. It was a very appealing thing, most people would probably envy being able to get strong easily.

What it’s like to die once, you can’t imagine it if you haven’t died. How agonizing and painful it is. They would only say something like that since they haven’t embraced those horrible sensations.

I understand, since I’ve died once.

Even more profoundly… Katsuragi-kun’s state of mind is experiencing h.e.l.l.

The pain, he’s tasting the pain of dying countless times.

It’s not just that.

While his consciousness fades, he suddenly appears lonely.

Katsuragi-kun is doing it with his own hands.

The effect on his mind is unfathomable.

His yells aren’t at the point of language anymore.

He uses a dagger to madly stab himself in the heart.

Stabbing.

Stabbing.

With a splas.h.i.+ng sound, blood streamed out.

A pool of blood encroached across the floor. Repeatedly killing himself, Katsuragi-kun finally collapsed before committing this suicide.

“Katsuragi-kun!”

I hastily ran over to him and held him. The smell of blood choked me. It’s not good to stay in such a harsh environment.

“I have to get you out of here…!”

Just as I tried to lend my shoulder to get him outside, he grasped my arm strongly.

“… Shuri. I’m fine… so. I can still… do it…”

“Stop it, already! You collapsed since you’re at your limit you know!? You need to rest!”

“Not yet… I haven’t even died fifty times… One hundred times. At least… wait until I reach one hundred…”

“No, that’s no good! Please listen to me!”

I shook off his arm and tried to forcibly stop him from dying. However, I couldn’t attack him.

Due to the forced restrictions, I couldn’t take any more actions.

I’d been stopped like this many times.

I can’t save him yet again. I can’t save him.

That kind of feeling overflowed.

I hate how helpless I am.

And… I can only watch him from nearby like this.

“…”

I clenched my fists. My fingernails dug in. Even if my skin tore, I didn’t care.

Compared to what Katsuragi-kun was going through, it was nothing.

At least… if I can do nothing but watch, I’ll give it my all.

… I won’t avoid it. I won’t run away.

Telling myself that for the second time, I decided to accompany him in those acts of h.e.l.l.

—-She’s dead because you’re weak.

When Yuina was killed, that guy said that to the stupefied me.

—-In praise of her (gone)spirit, I will stop hunting your life. Though that decreases my enjoyment… I do have a reason. Instead–

My sight shook. The world crumbled. My hit cheek hurt.

I was shamefully blown away and rolled. I didn’t have neither the stamina nor the willpower to resist.

Terias glared and looked down at the mean that had become a shadow of my past self.

—-If you don’t like it, get stronger. Then, come and entertain me some more.

Gouging his toes into my abdomen, Terias kicked me and left. Following after him after glancing at me with somewhat lonely eyes, Sajima must have been disappointed by my miserable state.

Even though I saw that, my consciousness blacked out.

When I next woke up, Shuri and Arianne were in front of me. At appears that I had somehow or another slept the entire day.

It didn’t feel like it. Since that scene had been replaying the entire time.

It wasn’t a bad joke.

It wasn’t a nightmare.

Yuina died. That’s reality.

Then, what should I do?

While resting in my room, I thought about that the entire time.

I will save Yuina. That is my absolute priority.

However, the war between humans and demons will start before that.

Then I have to do something, too.

What do I need to protect what’s important?

Power. Such a stupidly huge power, that crus.h.i.+ng anything would be easy.

Fortunately, I already have an easy way to gain power.

I… won’t hesitate anymore.

The only concern I might have had was asking Shuri to see this.

“… Sorry, Shuri. For showing you something like this.”

“… It’s fine. Somebody has to watch… and besides, Katsuragi-kun is hurting the most.”

I returned a bitter smile towards the gentle words. I turned around to not show her my face distorted by filth.

Throwing away the knife dulled by blood, I took out a fresh dagger from its sheath. I put the point to the center of my chest–taking it to the location of my heart.

“… Fuu… haa… … fuu… … …”

I drove away my idle thoughts and breathed deeply. If I think about it I might miss.

If I have to die, taking the least amount of time would be good.

“… Alright.”

The trembling tip stilled.

If I’m going to do it, now’s the time.

I quickly stabbed the blade that was raised high into my heart.

“Open.”

Katsuragi Daichi Occupation: Hero Level 87

Stamina: 40378

Magic: 38520

Physical: 26200

Endurance: 36000

Agility: 10480

Special Abilities:

『Steel Heart』: During battle, Endurance doubles. Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, and Berserk have a 1/3 chance of failing.

『Persistent Soul』: Magic cannot be depleted below 100.

『Wight King』: Able to make contracts with living beings near death, to revive them and make them obey to your will. Every second time the user dies, increases the limit of the number of contracts. Currently, there are 53 slots.

『Absolute Command』: Appears when those bound by a contract are lower leveled than the Wight King. Any order will be accepted by the slave until cancelled.

『Magician of Slaughter』: Killed targets within a radius of ten meters will deal the same damage to all units of the same type.

『Cruel Mind』: When you kill three members of the same species, your physical attacks against that species gain a paralytic poison effect.

『Chant Omission』: When magic is invoked, the chant may be removed. However, the mana consumption increases by 50%.

Unique Ability:

『Revenge of the Resented』: No matter how many times you die, power stored in the abyss of death is taken for revival.

Current Number of Deaths → 114

Resting for the time being inside my house, I checked my status.

They probably increased differently due to the way I’ve been fighting up till now. Since my battle style has leaned towards magic. I noticed this after continually committing suicide, but the amount of time it took before reviving lowered after dying more and more.

Now when I die, my consciousness comes back almost immediately. To the point where I doubt if I really even died.

“… Still… it’s not enough.”

Checking my abilities, I read further down. Shuri and Leadred also gained experience, their values rose considerably.

Of course, the two words 『Tamaki Yuina』 weren’t there.

“Katsuragi-kun. Here, it’s coffee.”

“Aah, thanks, Fuuko.”

The black-haired girl brought me a drink and took a seat.

It’s Hayase Fuuko, whom I had made temporarily seek shelter.

There’s a reason she’s here.

Because she has troublesome news that concerns us.

Previously, I turned a knight into a spy at the royal palace when capturing the 【Labyrinth of the Dreamless Sleep】. The kingdom seems to also side with Claria’s religion in hunting demons. It dispatched a group of knights including the heroes(cla.s.smates) to a dungeon to destroy it.

I wouldn’t care about 【Rigal’s Den】【Labyrinth of the Dreamless Sleep】 and the like. The problem was that their target is the [Forest of the Demonic Dragon].

It was a small blessing that the slave knight is partic.i.p.ating as a member of the subjugation, quickly relaying the information.

Apparently, the world won’t give even give us free time.

As for why I stopped suiciding, it was to come up with a strategy for this crisis. When we perfect it, I want to immediately get back to it.

“That reminds me… is Arianne resting well?”

“Yeah. She left saying [If Katsuragi-sama sleeps with me, my stamina must be perfect…]”

“… That’s almost at the level of needing respect.”

Though I said that out loud, I was thankful Arianne didn’t lose her [personality].

Her perverse manners softened the dark mood.

Thanks to that, Shuri and Fuuko didn’t lose their morale either.

That why I want her to rest for now. She kept working the entire time. Fuuko and them have been running around and bringing things back till just now.

However, since we believe we can win, we will do it.

… Yeah, even Yuina.

I hope that we win. I believe that we will seize victory. That’s why I did something like that.

I won’t let her sacrifice be wasted.

And I’ll do whatever it needs to revive her.

“… I’ll win at all costs.”

I declared my determination and spread open the map of the area.

Seeing me like that, Fuuko unintentionally smiled. She understood my request and used her ability, 『Global Search』.