Broken Innocence

KIRIYA

Emu. What is the nature of the lie you’ve told?

As a medical examiner, I have a tendency to read people’s backstories.

A coroner deals only with bodies whose cause of death is not yet known. Our job is to determine the cause of death by performing an administrative autopsy.

Of course, the corpses do not speak to us.

“Actually, he died of poisoning.“

It would be easier if the dead body confessed, but this is not the case. There is no miracle like in a movie or a drama where the spirit of a deceased person comes out of the body and tells the story.

We have to examine every inch of the body, sometimes even to the genetic level, to solve the mystery of the cause of death. In other words, we see through the lies hidden in the dead bodies.

Of course, in the case of a living person, things are a little different.

Eye movement. Tone of voice. The habits of each person’s hands and feet. The content of the conversation. All kinds of clues are combined to determine whether a person is being honest or not.

Well, unless it’s a very well prepared lie, most people’s lies show on their faces immediately.

This was also the case when Emu was asked to talk about his family.

“My father and mother were ordinary people.”

Were. Past tense.

As for his mother, we already found out why. She had died before he could remember, so she was in the past tense.

But he even put his father, who was supposed to still be alive, in the past tense. A sign of lying.

Oh, just so you know, I don’t force myself to pursue lies that don’t need to be exposed. This is also my policy.

Lies about privacy that don’t bother anyone, or gentle lies about someone, should be left alone.

But in the case of Emu, I can’t just leave him alone.

I feel sorry for forcibly exploring his private life, but right now I can’t choose any other means to attack Mighty Novel X.

Well. That’s why I went to the office of the first district of Seito City.

In the midst of a cluster of buildings where many large corporations are concentrated in the center of the city, a particularly large building reigns supreme.

It is Medictric, one of the largest medical equipment manufacturers in Japan.

That’s right. That’s the company that Emu’s father works for.

Without a doubt, most of the hospitals in the country are under the care of medical equipment made by Medictric. It’s a company that has had a huge impact on the medical industry.

I found a feature article on Emu’s father when I went through a medical journal. It seems that Hojo Kiyonaga-san has been on a very successful career path in the past ten years or so. He went from a developer in the Development Department to a chief engineer, and then to a general manager of the Development Department. Then he became an executive director. He seems to be quite a talented person.

In the meantime, I staked out the entrance of the Medictric building in order to make contact.

I could have lied to him and made an appointment, but I didn’t want him to be unnecessarily alarmed, so I just had to be patient.

As the sun was about to set, Emu’s father came out of the entrance.

A pale gray suit and a dark red tie. Shiny black leather shoes and a black leather bag. He has a neat face with a gray beard that looks good on him. My first impression of him was that he was a stylish and successful man.

I immediately ran over to block Emu’s father’s path.

“You’re Hojo Kiyonaga-san, right?”

“Who are you?”

He looked down at me with a straight gaze. Like the guys at CR, all the people I’m involved with are always tall and slightly annoying.

Emu’s father had a calm appearance with a low center of gravity, but he looked alarmed in his own way. It was only natural since he was suddenly called by a stranger.

“My name is Kujou Kiriya. I’m a doctor working in the CR department at Seito University Hospital.”

The first thing I did was give him a shot. I wondered what kind of reaction he would have when he heard that I was working with Emu.

“What can I do for you?”

Surprisingly, he did not show any signs of upset. He seemed to be saying that it had nothing to do with him at all.

“Actually, I’d like to talk to you about a patient I’m treating.”

“Why me?”

“The patient is your son. It’s Emu.”

Emu’s father glanced at his watch. He seemed to be checking how much time he had left until his next appointment.

To be honest, it didn’t seem like a very pleasant attitude. I guess he cares more about the time than his son.

“I haven’t seen him in a long time. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can tell you.”

“You haven’t seen him?”

“You haven’t heard from him? He left home when he graduated from high school and started living alone.”

His tone was objective, as if he was explaining someone else’s situation.

This guy was starting to get on my nerves.

“Aren’t you worried about your son’s health?”

“It’s a bit of an exaggeration to say we’ve cut ties, but my son and I have made a rule. We don’t interfere in each other’s affairs.”

“Even though you’re blood-related?”

“That’s what he wanted, too.”

Yeah, that’s right. In other words, that’s what you wanted, isn’t it?

“I don’t know what happened between you two, but that guy… Emu is doing his best.”

“Of course I know. Was it Kamen Rider? I know that you are engaged in CR game disease treatment and take care of the lives of many patients. I work for a medical equipment manufacturer, so I’ve heard a lot about his activities, and I even watched the press conference he gave. I was impressed by how much he has grown.”

“Emu has had a really hard time. Even now.”

When I was about to say more, the old man interrupted me.

“I’m sorry, but I have another appointment.”

Then he walked past me and turned to leave quickly.

“Wait a minute. Please answer just one question.”

He stopped and half turned his head back to me.

“What is it?”

“…When was the last time you saw Emu?”

“What does this have to do with my son’s treatment?”

“Please. It’s important.”

There was a short pause before he answered. I couldn’t tell if he was thinking about whether or not to answer the question, or if he was searching his memory.

After a short silence, when I was about to give up on his reply, the old man opened his mouth.

“I once had pneumonia and was hospitalized at Seito University Hospital. It was right around the time my son started attending the medical school of Seito University. He came to visit me once. That was the last time we saw each other.”

That’s all he said, and he disappeared into the darkening streets of the city.

All or nothing. I had no choice but to gamble.

I immediately thought of the location of Seito University Hospital in my mind.

Warp to the hospital!~

But for some reason, my body didn’t move an inch.

Oh, yeah, right. I’m not a bugster anymore.

If I was a bugster, I would have been able to instantly move some distance away.

Ahhhh, it’s so inconvenient to be in the flesh at times like this.

I had no choice but to bend over a couple of times and start running towards the station.

By the time I reached Seito University Hospital, a round moon was hovering in the darkening sky.

With the help of the hospital director, I checked Emu’s father’s medical records and hospitalization treatment records from those days.

As the old man had said, he had indeed been in this hospital for about a week with pneumonia.

The general ward of the respiratory medicine department. Room 201.

This was the place where Emu and his father met for the last time.

Although I didn’t have any proof, there is no doubt that an event that changed Emu’s fate could have happened at the place where the father and son of the same blood met for the last time.

What kind of feelings did Emu have when he went to visit his father, even though they had made a rule not to interfere with each other?

What kind of story lies here?

I walked past the nurse’s station and arrived at my destination, the room at the far end of the general ward.

It was a private room with only one bed. It is a room where the privacy of the patient is protected at the cost of an extra hospitalization fee and the living space closest to home is provided.

As I excused myself inside the hospital room, I came across a scene where an old man who looked like a dried up menma was hitting on a young nurse. Thanks to the private room with no eyes around, Menmajii was on a roll.

“How much pocket money do you want?” “I’ll buy you a condo,” he said, apparently having nothing but money to offer.

It looked like it would be worth tinkering with in its own way, but for now, I was through.

I attached the Gamer Driver to my waist and the conditions for participating in the game were met.

“Mighty Novel X! Event Start!”

My guess was correct, and the game’s sound system echoed.

Menmajii and the young nurse were startled by the sudden sound. They seemed to have noticed the intrusion by looking around the room.

“Excuse me, I’m busy.”

The whole scene in the hospital room was distorted into a mosaic.

The old man and the young nurse were also distorted into a mosaic.

The obscenity increased as if it was a scene I wasn’t supposed to see.

…No, I don’t care about obscenity right now. Focus, focus.

This is where the real race begins.

Special space in Mighty Novel X. Room 201.

As I stood at the starting line of the race, the first thing that jumped out at me was the sight of Hojo Kiyonaga, Emu’s father, sitting up in bed, operating a laptop on the bed table.

He was wearing a light blue hospital gown and had an IV drip in his arm.

He seemed to be recovering from the pneumonia and was making up for lost time.

“Hello. I see you’re carrying out your job even while resting at the hospital,” I said to him.

However, Emu’s father completely ignored me.

I’m sure he heard my words, but judging from the lack of response, it seems that he was too busy being a character in the game to hear my voice.

Just then, I heard the door to the hospital room open.

I turned around and saw Emu standing there in his casual clothes.

He was wearing a yellow patterned t-shirt and red pants, perhaps a remnant of his gamer days, but the colors were as flashy as ever. I can’t believe he’s a medical student.

Emu’s gaze was aimed straight at his father, but he was so focused on his work that he didn’t notice.

It lasted about ten seconds.

I could see the hesitation on his face.

“Why don’t you come in?” I said to him.

“…But, he seems fine.”

I was able to have a conversation with Emu. It seems that the rules of the game allow you to communicate only with the protagonist, Emu.

Then it’s a quick story. All you have to do is get Emu to do something good to advance the story.

“You should see him. He’s your father.”

“…He’s not my father.”

“What are you saying, after coming all the way down here? Come on.”

I walked behind him and pushed him hard.

The old man’s gaze shifted to Emu, as if he had finally noticed Emu’s presence.

A short silence passed.

To be honest, it was a pause that I would not have been able to bear.

It was Emu who broke the silence first.

“…I heard you had pneumonia.”

“…I made a mistake in coming to this hospital. The doctor here is exaggerating about hospitalization.”

As if he was offended by his words, Emu’s tone became a little stronger.

“…That’s how good the doctor here is.”

“…What’s this? You feel like one of them now?”

“….”

“I still can’t believe it. I still can’t believe you got into medical school when all you did was play video games.”

“…You should think about your age a little bit. If you break your body, you won’t be able to work anymore.”

“…Don’t worry about me.”

“….”

“…Needless to say, you don’t have to come visit me anymore.”

It didn’t seem like a conversation between father and son.

Neither Emu nor his old man had any feelings of familiarity in their words.

I felt as if there was a fatal gap between them.

What was the nature of this gap?

“…I’m not like you. That’s why I came to visit you.”

I could see a kind of repulsion on Emu’s face when he said that.

He didn’t say anything more about the essence of his words, but his father seemed to understand.

“You never came to visit me that time. I don’t mean to say that I was lonely or anything silly like that. I knew you were busy with work, and it was easier for you if you didn’t come.”

I knew right away that the phrase “that time” meant when Emu was hospitalized in a traffic accident as a child.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind, though.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I just don’t want to be like you. I don’t want people to think I have the same blood as you.”

“You’re obsessed with trivial things like winning and losing.”

“I’m surprised. You’re aware you’re losing.”

Their tone of voice seemed to be getting a little more venomous.

No matter how much of a game this world was, I couldn’t listen to any more of it.

That’s enough, Emu.

Just as I was about to call out to him, his father said something I hadn’t expected.

“What are you saying, when you should have lost your life.”

I could feel the bizarre weight of his words.

It was something different from the disrespect they had shown each other up to this point.

Emu was also clearly upset and completely at a loss for words.

The two of them seemed to have turned the tables on each other with that one word.

“Why are you still alive? Why didn’t you die back then!” The old man yelled.

My mind went completely blank. I found myself reflexively screaming.

“You can’t be serious!”

I knew there was no point in saying that. The rules of the game don’t allow you to interfere with characters other than Emu.

But. I couldn’t help but shout.

There are all kinds of parents and children. There are all kinds of circumstances. There are things that other people shouldn’t have a say in.

But still. I couldn’t keep quiet.

“You’re not a father!”

My body reflexively moved. I tried to grab the man on the bed. I had to punch him once to make myself feel better.

But Emu stopped me. Not by force. He just controlled me with his eyes.

For some reason, I couldn’t feel any anger or disappointment towards his father in his eyes.

I couldn’t see Emu’s true intentions hidden in those eyes.

Emu took one look at the man on the bed and told him in a calm tone.

“I’m alive today because… a hero saved me.”

“A hero…?” The man on the bed was slightly confused.

“The hero who keeps us alive in this world. The doctor.”

Suddenly, the man in the bed began to shake. He was upset by Emu’s words.

“What’s this about doctors… do you really think you’re one of those heroes? Do you really think you’re qualified to save people’s lives? On that rainy day! You betrayed me!”

My own heart skipped a beat and I was frightened.

The angry shouts of the man in the bed filled this space, making every hair on my body stand on end.

…I am now approaching the heart of the Mighty Novel X story.

…If you step beyond that point, you’ll find an abyss from which there’s no turning back.

Should I… get out of this place immediately?

…Such a thought crossed my mind.

…For the first time in my life, I was afraid to know what a lie was.

…I was afraid to know the true nature of Emu’s lies.

I found myself putting my right hand on the Gamer Driver belt attached to my waist. If I unlocked it, I would lose my eligibility to participate in the game and could escape from this space.

But I didn’t have to make a decision.

Suddenly, someone pushed me from behind and I was blown into the window of the hospital room.

I crashed into the wall of the hospital room and felt a dull pain in my body.

When I looked up, I saw another Emu standing in the room, not the Emu of his medical student days.

This is the same Emu who wore a white coat and a Gamer Driver on his waist. This is the Emu who was brainwashed after he got a game over in Mighty Novel X.

“Emu. Please go easy on me. I want to take good care of my body now that I’m alive again.”

Emu did not listen to me.

He approached me, grabbed me by the chest and slammed me against the window of the hospital room.

I fell from the second floor along with the shards of broken window glass. I bent down and twisted to minimize the damage and hit the ground with my left shoulder.

“Come on…”

Emu jumped from the broken window of the hospital room and landed right in front of me. He stepped on the shards of the window glass scattered on the ground and approached me step by step.

I stood up, enduring the pain in my aching body.

“Emu, what have you done? What do you mean you betrayed your father?”

“…I will not let you attack Mighty Novel X any longer.”

I see. So you’re the guardian who won’t let me get close to the heart of the story.

Emu took out the Maximum Mighty X Gashat and the Hyper Muteki Gashat and activated them at the same time.

“Maximum Mighty X! Hyper Muteki!”

Seriously, he’s in full-on serious mode!

“Hyper Dai Henshin!”

“Pow, pow, pow, pow! Shine like a meteor! The strongest golden gamer! Hyper Muteki Ex-Aid~!”

With a dazzling glow, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Hyper Muteki Gamer has descended.

…This is not the time to be complacent. I know that he is in a state where he cannot be persuaded. The first thing I should do is to protect myself.

I also took out my Bakusouku Bike Gashat and activated it.

“Blast off on your bike!”

“Gear Zero, Henshin!”

When the gashat was loaded into the Gamer Driver, the character select screen started to rotate around me.

Aimed at the Lazer screen… a spinning kick with all my might!

I transformed into Kamen Rider Lazer Turbo Bike Gamer Level 0.

“I’m not in the mood, but I’m going.”

Muteki attacked with blinding speed. This is not a metaphor or anything. It is literally unnoticeable. It’s almost the speed of light. The phrase “shine like a meteor” is not an exaggeration.

You can’t help but try to survive the attacks and seek life in death, but even if you try to defend yourself, you’re relying on your intuition. I was only able to defend myself with one shot against Muteki’s ten lightning speed blasts. I was blown away in the blink of an eye.

I took out my Gashacon Sparrow and fired countless arrows in bow mode.

It was not even a check. Muteki was only slightly knocked back despite taking countless arrows all over his body without protection.

It’s reassuring when you’re on his side, but when you’re against him, there’s no one else that’s as scary. After all, he is literally invincible. He can’t be attacked at all. It’s a bit of a cheat.

Muteki stretched out the hyper-ride hair from his head toward me.

I quickly tried to avoid it, but my right leg was caught and lifted into the air, and I was swung around in a circle.

Wait, wait, wait, stop, stop, stop, I’m getting dizzy!

He threw me with all his might and my whole body was smashed against the white wall of the hospital.

I looked at the rider gauge and saw that it was down to one bar remaining.

That’s not good. I don’t think I can escape from the lightning speed of Muteki. If I take one more hit, it’ll be game over.

I can’t believe you’re doing this. You’re getting too carried away, Emu.

I’ve just returned to flesh and blood, but if I lose here, I’ll disappear again.

Muteki pressed the switch for the Hyper Muteki Gashat.

“Finisher!”

Muteki’s iridescent eyes were fixed on me.

Emu. I can only imagine what you look like behind that mask.

“You still don’t know how to take it easy, do you, Emu? …It’s the same as that time.”

I was resurrected as a bugster and went toe-to-toe with Emu.

I’ll never forget that day. On that beach.

I couldn’t get Dan Masamune to play along with my half-hearted theatrics. I was determined to push Emu as hard as I could.

The last words I whispered in Emu’s ear.

You noticed what I was trying to do, and you… punched me as hard as you could.

To be honest, that was unexpected even for me. I thought, “Are you really going to go that far?” I can’t speak for others, though.

When I think about it, Emu has been that way since the first time we met.

Once he believes in a path, he goes straight down it with all his might. There is no play, in a good way or a bad way. There is no margin for error.

But I was attracted to his straightforward purity. I thought that Emu was the only one who would be suitable as a partner to ride Lazer Level 2 in motorcycle form.

…It had to be you.

…Now I’m about to be put to death by Emu’s hand.

…Who could have imagined a future like this?

…What kind of end could be this unbearable?

The time of destiny has come.

Muteki pressed the switch for the Hyper Muteki Gashat again.

“Hyper Critical Sparking!”

Muteki jumped high into the sky. He’s going to kick at light speed towards me.

I can no longer escape.

Realizing that the game was over, I closed my eyes.

The next moment, I was blown away by a strong impact.

The sound of a deafening explosion roared out.

“Are you still breathing? Lazer.”

I found myself deviating from the path of Muteki’s lightning speed kick.

At my side stood Kamen Rider Snipe Simulation Gamer Level 50 wearing a Commander Guard Cap and equipped with ten artillery units all over his body.

“Looks like I made it in time. Coroner.”

Appearing alongside Snipe was a warrior dressed in white armor and a white cloak – Kamen Rider Brave Legacy Gamer Level 100.

Brave held out his hand towards me and generated a white aura.

He activated his recovery magic, and my rider gauge quickly recovered.

“Aren’t you a little too cool for your own good? Both of you. Thanks for the help.”

I stood up and lined up between the two of them.

In front of me, I could see the figure of Muteki, who had landed on the ground with an unsuccessful light speed kick.

“But what are you doing here?”

“My father told me the coroner was headed for the respiratory ward.”

“We both cleared the Mighty Novel X event.”

“Oh, really~? You must be in high spirits.”

“We’ll talk more later. Let’s get out of here first.”

Brave held up his Gashacon Sword and pressed A to change it to ice mode.

“Three seconds until we take off. This will give us three seconds.”

Snipe readied the main gun units on both arms.

Okay. I know what you guys are up to.

“Emu. If it’s a lie you want to hide, I’d rather leave it alone. But the game is over, and I have to conquer Mighty Novel X to get you back. I have to confront your mind. It’s going to be rough treatment, but please forgive me, okay?”

I took out my Proto Jet Combat Gashat and activated it.

“Jet Combat!”

“Bakusoku. Henshin.”

I loaded the gashat into the second slot of the Gamer Driver and pulled the lever.

I leveled up to Proto Jet Combat Bike Gamer Level 0.

I flew into the sky with the flight unit attached to my back, and used Gatling Combat to fire a series of bursting light bombs at Muteki.

Needless to say, it’s not working on Muteki. But this will do.

Taking advantage of the gap in the barrage, Brave thrust his Gashacon Sword into the ground. The ground quickly froze, creating a series of ridiculously large icicles around Muteki.

Snipe stored energy in the main gun unit and fired at Muteki.

It hit Muteki, who had lost his escape route due to the ice pillar, and blew him backwards.

Even with such a direct hit, it couldn’t do any damage to Muteki.

But it was enough to knock him back for three seconds.

“All right! No more fighting, no thank you!” Brave shouted.

I landed on the ground from the sky and immediately untransformed.

Brave and Snipe both deactivated their transformations in the same breath.

The three of us simultaneously removed the Gamer Drivers from our waists and left the scene.

Before I knew it, the moon had disappeared from the night sky.

It seemed that clouds had begun to appear and the moon had gone into hiding. Without the moonlight, the area seemed to be even darker. The streetlights along the road were the only thing that lit our way.

Suddenly, I felt something cold against my cheek, which sent a shiver down my spine.

It was raining. The rain began to fall in sheets, drenching the surrounding grass and concrete streets. A peculiar smell coming up from the ground hazed my nose. I heard that some scholar named the smell Petrichor. In Greek, it means “essence of stone.”

Petrichor makes my heart flutter. It’s almost a conditioned reflex.

Rain. It’s raining again.

Something bad is going to happen. It rains only at such times. It’s been like that for the past few years. I’ve never felt so much like a rain man. I even suspect that it’s a trick of the wicked Lord of the Sun.

It is well said that fact is stranger than fiction. No matter how many fatalistic tales of Mighty Novel X God prepares, this rain that drenches us seems to be much more fatalistic, narrative, and dramatic.

Of course, I don’t want that kind of rain at all…

…Oops, I’m talking to myself a lot, aren’t I?

You’re probably wondering why we’re now on a rainy street, surrounded by a smell with a charming name like Petrichor.

After leaving the battle with Muteki, myself, the genius surgeon and Mr. White Hair met up with Nico-chan, who was waiting for us in the corridor in front of Room 201, and we headed to the next novel spot.

The fourth district of Seito City. It’s a street in the town where Emu used to live when he was a child.

It’s really cold. I should have brought an umbrella.

The four of us, drenched by the rain, looked at the street we had just visited for the first time.

“Coroner. Don’t tell me this is where… Poppy Pipopapo was headed.”

“I see. So this is where Ex-Aid got into his traffic accident.”

That’s great. It seems that both the genius surgeon and Mr. White Hair have noticed. Then we’ll talk soon.

“Let’s go. To that rainy day that changed Emu’s fate.”

We all put the Gamer Drivers on our waists at the same time. The conditions for participation in the game are now in place.

“Mighty Novel X! Event Start!”

The sound of the Mighty Novel X system echoed through the air.

It’s the last corner of the race.

The checkered flag is almost here.

Emu, wait for me. We’ll treat you with our own hands.

I’m going to save you.

The special space of Mighty Novel X.

The scene in front of me was almost indistinguishable from the real world, except for the different growth of the surrounding plants and trees.

Greenery. Roads. Streetlights. Rain.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps on the wet ground.

I turned around and saw a child with a yellow umbrella walking towards me at the end of the sidewalk along the road. Yellow T-shirt. Navy blue shorts. Blue boots. A black leather school bag.

“That’s the pediatrician’s child self.” The genuis surgeon said. He had met him once, so he recognized him right away.

Emu walked up to us and stopped.

“An umbrella. You don’t have one?”

“No. Oh, we’re so careless.” I answered.

“Won’t you catch a cold?”

“Don’t worry, I’m a doctor… Where are you going now?”

“…I’m going to school.”

Emu’s voice seemed to tremble slightly.

That’s strange. Emu is lying. But why? Why would he need to lie?

At that moment, the genius surgeon interrupted the conversation.

“No, you’re not. This is not the path to school.”

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“The place where the accident occurred is a completely different location, directly opposite the elementary school that the pediatrician attended. It’s not the pediatrician’s route to school. I heard the pediatrician and Dr. Kyotaro talking about it in the event that I cleared.”

…What do you mean?

…If that’s true, where was Emu going?

“Taiga! What Emu said that time!” Nico-chan reacted this time.

“Yeah. There’s something that’s been bothering me about some of the events we’ve completed. When we met him in high school, Ex-Aid said, ‘I didn’t understand the value of life.’ It might be a clue.”

Did that Emu say such a thing?

Then, what was the meaning of those words that Emu’s father said when Emu came to visit him?

…A road that is not a school route …A person who did not understand the value of life.

The next moment, the seemingly disparate pieces of the story began to fit together.

I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to think it was just a passing thought.

“…I also met ….Emu’s father. At that time, he said to Emu… ‘Are you really qualified to save people’s lives?’… ‘You betrayed me on that rainy day.'”

No one seemed to be able to hide their surprise.

Even though it was raining, everyone forgot to blink.

It wasn’t because of the coldness of the rain.

It was never the cold of the rain.

At that moment, young Emu suffered from game disease and screamed in pain.

He stepped out into the roadway with his yellow umbrella.

Then a passenger car approached rapidly. It was too far to brake in time.

A loud horn blared. A yellow umbrella flew in the sky with a strong impact sound. A passerby nearby called out, “Ambulance!”

I immediately rushed to the young Emu and supported his small body.

Blood was flowing from his head, and his eyes were unfocused.

His body was trembling.

“…Was my fate meant to be like this?”

“Emu…”

“Did I get a game over because I’m an unwanted person?”

At that moment, Emu’s body, which had been trembling, came to a complete stop.

It stopped moving like a stalled motorcycle.

A holographic monitor appeared in front of me, displaying three choices.

《Yes》 《No》 《Others》

My chest was in pain. It was painful, painful, and it felt like my heart was being twisted and crushed.

I found myself with warm tears pouring out of my eyes.

Emu. What a lie you’ve been telling.

It is probably the saddest lie in this world.

And I have to expose that lie.

I told myself the answer to his fate…

…Yes.

I hugged little Emu as hard as I could.

“Maybe… this was destined… to happen.”

The words wouldn’t come out right away.

“If you… wanted to do that… to yourself.”

That was all I could say.

I felt that if I said anything more, if I said anything more definite, it would all become an established fact.

I didn’t want to believe it until the last minute, and I didn’t want to admit it.

“…I really didn’t want to go to school…so I took a detour…even if I disappeared from this world…no one would be bothered…so I decided to reset. In games, you can reset when you run out of strategy…so I decided to reset my life…”

I heard a sobbing voice behind me.

It seemed that the genius surgeon, Mr. White Hair, and Nico-chan couldn’t stand it.

What was saddest of all was not only that Emu had tried to take his own life. It was that he thought it was like hitting the reset button on a video game, without realizing how serious it was. He tried to choose death as if it would reduce his life by one.

And. It was also the fault of the father who failed to make his child realize the happiness and gratitude of living only one life. Of the school. Of society.

“But, Emu… your life is not over yet. You can’t reset it.”

“…Why?”

“Because in this world… there is a hero who will save you.”

“…A hero?”

“The doctor.”

These are your words, Emu.

They’re the words you yourself said to your father.

Even if you try to end your own life, the doctor won’t let you lose it.

And you’ll find out. You don’t need anyone to tell you that, you will realize it on your own.

That we have the power to change our destiny, no matter what it is.

That people can live life with a smile.

That is the power that all people have to change their destiny.

You can’t resist the power that life tries to give you.

The game called “life” will carry on with no continues.

From now on. Forever.

“Game Clear!”

⇦ BROKEN INNOCENCE (TAIGA) | CHAPTER INDEX | BROKEN INNOCENCE (PARAD) ⇨