Dakara, Anata o Koko de Koroshimasu - Chapter 31 – Departure

6:00 a.m.

Karen woke up without a single thread on her body.

Next to her was the figure of Iris, also unclothed, breathing in her sleep and with her eyes closed.

Gently getting off the bed so as not to wake her up, she changed into simple clothes and headed to the bathroom.

As soon as she washed her face and looked at her face in the mirror, Karen’s expression froze.

“It was fun last night, wasn’t it?

What was reflected in the mirror was not her familiar face, but a blind girl with her eyes closed in a gray-haired short bob- Elena.

Even though her consciousness was not superficial, she seemed to have been watching yesterday night firmly, and had a fearless smile on her face.

Karen stared at the girl’s face in front of her and briefly spoke.

“You lascivious slut.”

『Now…!? What do you mean by slut!?』

Unusually, Elena raised her voice at Karen’s words and protested with her red eyes peeking through her open eyelids.

On the other hand, Karen grinned and replied in the most vulgar words she could think of.

“Why, you’re a ‘hedonist’, aren’t you? You would do anything for pleasure, right? That’s a lascivious slut, isn’t it?”

『…… that’s too much, Karen Dashwood. Indeed, I have chosen you, who are so faithful and capable to the point that you were feared as a ‘loyal dog,’ as a ‘vessel,’ but the actual fact is that you are a cunning person who aimed for the rank of Commander and played hypocrite.』

“I’m a human being, and I have one or two evil ambitions……. So, what can I do for you?”

Karen asked with a suspicious expression, erasing her previous smile.

Elena made a voice as if she had remembered and smiled again.

Then, she instantly cut off Karen’s trump card.

『Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot. …… I’ll show you how to kill the Undying.』

―――― The time is 10:00 a.m.

“Yes, Riko. It’s a gun for self-defense.”

Saying that, Karen gave Riko a single handgun.

Riko received it with serious eyes and stored it in a holster attached to her waist.

“Then everyone. You are all set.”

Exhaled heavily, Karen told us.

“We are off,”

※※※※

“You’re already going, aren’t you?”

A girl whispered with a lonely voice.

And then, carrying a Sub-machine gunS.M.G. on her back, a blonde blue-eyed girl, with a stuffed toy on her left hand,— Alice Westblood stood up and started walking.

―――― In her eyes, she had a quiet determination.

“…… Forgive me, Serra.”

※※※※

It takes almost three hours by train to reach “Rogen”.

Upon arrival, the battle with Sakura and her allies will begin.

“…………”

Tension was rising among us and the heavy silence continued.

Everyone was looking down, just waiting for the time to pass.

Gillian, who couldn’t stand such an awkward atmosphere, opened her mouth.

“………… Well, come to think of it, the bracelet that my senior is wearing is beautiful. Did you buy it yesterday?”

“Oh, yes. Riko…”

While stroking the bracelet on my right arm, I put my hands together and looked to Riko, who sat next to me.

After exposing and accepting each other’s secrets last night, the relationship between me and Riko was restored and became closer……. I think.

As Gillian pointed it out, Riko laughed and showed Gillian a bracelet on her right arm.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I bought a matching set.”

“Indeed it is pretty. Good!”

“…… Wa, waa. You’re really going out….”

Gillian glanced at Riko’s joyful look, and Olivia blushed with her hand on her mouth.

…… Yes, this bracelet is the gift that Riko bought before Sakura and the other people attacked.

It was only last night that I learned about it.

※※※※

After I had a new determination to ‘live’.

It was a time when I cried and finally calmed down.

“Oh, by the way!”

She clapped her hands as she remembered, and Riko stood up.

And brought a paper bag from the locker she had borrowed.

“This is…”

“Yes. The gift which I bought at lunch time. There were so many things that I forgot, but I still have to give them to you.”

In good spirits, Riko snorted and took out the contents from the paper bag.

“Ta-da! It’s a matching bracelet!”

Saying that, Riko showed off two bracelets to me.

Bracelets decorated with beautiful, translucent minerals.

High-quality gemstones such as rubies and diamonds may not be used for the jewels, but the feel was completely mineral, so maybe a fairly pure gem was used.

“Last year Serra was staring at a bracelet with jewels the same color as my eyes, right? That’s why I saved money and bought it at the jewelry shop here!”

Ahem, and Riko puffed out her chest (flat) with a smug face.

I was glad to remember it for a long time, and again I was almost filled with tears, but I was a little disappointed.

“Riko, I’m so happy, but… I’m sorry, I can’t see colors anymore, so that’s… I don’t know…”

“Ah…”

At my words, Riko opened her eyes and made a sad look.

I’m sorry, Riko. I didn’t mean to make you look like that.

“I’m sorry, I completely forgot that Serra couldn’t see the color! I made you feel uncomfortable…?”

“No, Riko shouldn’t apologize. I’m sorry to say something that would hurt Riko.”

Because I looked at it, my shoulders dropped and Riko looked down.

After all, Riko prepared a gift for me, but it’s ruined because of me. And is there a lover who wouldn’t be happy to hear the fact that she always remembered what I wanted and saved money to buy it? Moreover, it matches on purpose.

Pon, and I put my hand on Riko’s head and gently approached her face.

“But I’m really happy, Riko. Even if I don’t know the color, the fact that I chose the same color as Riko’s eyes won’t go away, and I’ll never forget it. So, shall we put it together?”

“……! Yeah!”

Riko regained her smile and nodded at my words.

She then took out another bracelet and put it on her right arm.

When I saw Riko’s bracelet, I realized something.

“Come to think of it, I think Riko’s wearing a lighter color than I am, but is it just my imagination?”

“No, it’s not your imagination. This is the same beautiful sky-blue jewel as Serra’s eyes.”

“Oh, that’s right!?”

In other words, are we wearing bracelets that match each other’s eyes colors?

Oh, something very lover-like.

I realized that my cheeks have loosened because I got carried away. If I looked in the mirror, I would now have an uncomfortable smile.

“Serra, you’re smiling so much.”

“Sorry, I’m so happy.”

“Ehehe. If you’re that satisfied, it makes all the hard work I’ve put into saving up worth it.”

Riko hugged me tightly with a smile.

Suddenly, our lips are on each other.

All of a sudden, I was surprised, but immediately accepted the kiss with her.

The time we touched was brief.

The warm and soft feel soon disappeared, and Riko, with her cheeks flushed, stared at me with her moist eyes and whispered a word.

” ―――― I love you.”

“Me too.”

Immediately after, the emotions that had been dampened overflowed.

I don’t know if it was from me or from Riko.

We exchanged deep, deep kisses.

※※※※

“What’s the meaning of this!!”

The girl’s angry roar echoed in the dark room.

Hazel, whose whole body was bound by a chain, strongly stared at Sakura standing in front of her and struggled to resist, shouting.

“This isn’t what you promised! Cecilia is going to fight Serra, and I’m supposed to just sit back and watch? It’s not funny! I didn’t become Undying for this!”

“Now now, calm down, Hazel dear. This is also necessary for you.”

Sakura patted Hazel’s cheeks and put her in a human-shaped box.

There were a lot of long needles on the inside of the door, and it was not hard to imagine what would happen to the person inside once they were closed.

“This is called the ‘Iron Maiden’.”

In good spirits, Sakura explained the nature of the box.

“As you can see, it’s a wonderful torture instrument that confines people and stabs them with needles from the front. You wouldn’t die if I did this, but it’s the perfect torture device to hurt you (LOL).”

“Why would you do that!”

“To make you go beyond the ‘critical point’.”

Sakura closed the door while saying so.

Just before the needle pierced her soft skin, she stopped and stared at Hazel’s face.

Even for the bad taste, there was no needle in the part which hit the eye, and the cavity was empty in the door itself, so it was possible to see the scene of the outside.

“I thought this would be the most effective way to do that. You simply can’t move on the spot, you can’t help but watch the hateful and irresistible Cessy being killed with the meaningless regeneration of flesh and blood in the agony of pain.”

“…… eh! Stop it!”

Cecilia killed by a hand other than her own.

It was the worst fear for Hazel.

Her only purpose was to kill Cecilia with her own hands. If it doesn’t come true, the meaning of her living while burning her body and soul will be lost.

“Ahahahahahahah! Yes, that face!! Sakura always wanted to see this, a face covered in despair!! After all, a hot-blooded fellow like you showing up with a broken heart is unbearable!!”

Sakura ridiculed, scorned and sneered Hazel, who was struck with such a sense of despair.

And, closing the distance with Hazel to the point where their lips were close, Sakura put her hand around her neck to prevent her from escaping, and stared at her eyes without turning away.

Sakura said, with cheeks flushing as she threw hot breaths while their lips touched each other.

“Hey, be more enchanting?”

“Oh.”

“Your despair is not like that. Your hatred isn’t like that. Your insanity doesn’t end there. More broken? Even crazier? Fascinate Sakura with an uglier figure!”

“eh, ah, it’s a joke.”

While being pressured by Sakura, who created a strange atmosphere that is likely to drive her crazy, she tried to regain her anger and refute Sakura.

Mercilessly, Sakura closed the door.

“Well, that’s why I’m going to say goodnight~ ✩ Rest assured that you can watch Cessy die ✩”

“Geh, gah, ii, hurts, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!????”

Immediately after, Hazel’s screams echoed from inside.

A viscous red-black liquid gradually overflowed through the door gap.

It’s about 30 minutes before Serra and the others arrived.

With the screams as background music, Sakura gracefully sat on a chair and drank a glass of wine.

“Oh…” Hey, Sakura. It’s the grandest stage, isn’t it?”

Thinking of a deceased girl who wasn’t here anymore, Sakura—No, Arte spoke to no one.

With a slightly melancholy expression on her face, she had such a terrifying and crazy smile that would immediately freeze anyone he saw it.

Without even noticing her own situation, Arte whispered to herself, not talking to anyone.

“…… Fufu. A magnificently fixed game for by me to me for my sake. I wonder who will be the piece that completes it ✩”