Chapter 134: Defeat and Unexpected Present (1/2)

“…In the end…this is what you would call fate, huh.” (Hikaru)

—Everything feels silly now.

Being branded with the stigma of a childhood friend killer.

With my family not even being worried about me.

And I am about to be judged in place of the viewers by a Chosen from Earth like me.

(Rifreya, I couldn’t live.) (Hikaru)

If she were to know that, I am sure she would be sad.

In the first place, she doesn’t have any means of knowing I died, huh. I am an illegal immigrant that has no place to go in this world. Me dying would be the end of it.

I would just die without anyone knowing about it.

…No, it would be a different story if someone were to deliver my ID on my chest to the guild, huh.

“…Once you kill me, please at least deliver my ID to the explorer guild.” (Hikaru)

“Hmmm… You give up quite nicely.” (Jeanne)

“I…am tired already. If you are going to be bringing down the hammer on me, that’s fine by me.” (Hikaru)

I don’t want to think of anything.

I can’t think of anything.

A void was ruling my whole body.

Once I die, the viewers will cheer and will be partying about it.

I am going to be dying at the corner of the street like trash.

That would be my everything in the series of my isekai transfer.

For this justice bringer wannabe gorilla woman, I am simply a passageway to get herself drunk in the achievement of justice.

No one is worrying about me.

“Do it.” (Hikaru)

I closed my eyes.

I would like to at least ask for a painless death.

Will my afterlife be from this world?

If so, then the chances are low that I would be able to reunite with Nanami.

“…Men who give up quickly are honestly not my taste, but fine. You are okay with me being the winner of this duel, right?” (Jeanne)

“Winner, you ask… I can’t do anything anyways.” (Hikaru)

“Alright.” (Jeanne)

By the time I noticed, the weight on my body was gone.

When I opened my eyes, Jeanne had stood up and was looking down at me.

“Kurose Hikaru, you…apparently don’t open your messages. Why?” (Jeanne)

“Why…? Because I am being hated by the viewers. Do you think I would open the messages?” (Hikaru)

“I don’t know. It varies between people after all. There’s no right answer.” (Jeanne)

Saying this, Jeanne looked at me while simply standing there.

The dangerous air around her had completely disappeared.

“…You are not killing me?” (Hikaru)

“I didn’t say a word about killing you. I did say I would test you out.” (Jeanne)

“Test, you say… What’s with that.” (Hikaru)

“This… You wanted it, right? Here.” (Jeanne)

Jeanne took out something from her duffel bag, and she threw it to me as if nothing.

It is a fist sized jewel, and different from the present of the Divine Beast, there was a complex brilliance inside of it.

It was visibly an expensive item.

“A jewel…? Why something like this?” (Hikaru)

“I was asked by your little sister.” (Jeanne)

“Little sister…? What do you mean by that?” (Hikaru)

I don’t understand.

What is she saying?

“The girl called Celica is your little sister, right? I was asked by her to give you this. I then gave her a request of my own thinking it wouldn’t amount to anything, but she managed to fulfill it. I don’t know how she did it, but your little sister…Celica is one passionate person.” (Jeanne)

“Celica did…?” (Hikaru)

She asked her to give me this…?

She came all the way here to give me this? Is that what it means?

But she said she would test me, and went as far as having a fight that looked like it would be to the death… The pieces just don’t fit.

“We were trying to kill each other just now, you know…? Do you think I can believe that? You are even bringing out the name of my little sister… Just what are you scheming?!” (Hikaru)

“Nothing. Having a fight between Chosen isn’t something that can be experienced often. It was actually fun.” (Jeanne)

“Fun?! You could have died there, you know? Are you messing with me here?!” (Hikaru)

“If I died, that’s just how much I amounted to. It isn’t that big of a deal. Even if it hadn’t been today…we are in a world like this. There’s no knowing when we could die. If you don’t put death right by your side, you can’t become stronger.” (Jeanne)

She said that without a single giggle in between. I can’t feel she was saying this jokingly.

She really fought because she thought it would be interesting. She was fine with losing and dying.

If I were to take her words at face value, then that’s what it would mean.

“What do you mean by testing me?” (Hikaru)

“Even if you ask me that… I could tell from talking for a bit, and I already got it. That it turned into a fight was…just the flow of things. You were just so serious. Also, wasn’t I cool?” (Jeanne)

“What’s with that…?” (Hikaru)

What a weirdo.

It is as if she can be reasoned with, and at the same time, she can’t be reasoned with. That’s how off it feels.

If I were to compare it to someone, I would say she is a similar type to Karen. It might be pointless trying to understand her.

“And so, what’s this…?” (Hikaru)

I look at the shining jewel in my hand, and it looks like an expensive item.

“The Resurrection Gem. The prize from the something-race of before. You were putting your life on the line to get that, right?” (Jeanne)

“…Eh?” (Hikaru)

I look at the shining jewel on my hand.

This is…the Resurrection Gem…?