Vol 1 Chapter 6 (1/2)

Chapter 6 - Kaito's Decision

Even if given the chance to repeat his life, Kaito still considered his life absolutely terrible

Being called an innocent soul did not feel real to Kaito at all He even ended up as a murderer in this world

Although he had indirectly assisted in murder before and helped dispose of bodies, he had never killed someone directly with a blade

His new life was downright awful Witnessing uniinably horrific scenes frequently, beaten and tortured unreasonably at whi up in situations where he had no choice but to sever his own arm or carved deep wounds on his stoettable memories

He had received benevolent wishes from others He had been protected by others

These ords that he had received by plunging his ar his skin repeatedly with razor blades

Originally, this sort of war more than snippets of happiness easily obtainable in normal life However, Kaito had to risk his life in order to hold such warmth hin his hand

Precisely because of that, a certain e root in Kaito's heart

He was absolutely not some kind of innocent soul The scene before his eyes was tantamount to hell Yet even so

This utterly unreasonable second life was not all bad

His being reborn like a bug was not completely pointless, perhaps

However, to this day, he had yet to tell anyone about these feelings of his

Kaito woke up to find hi in a luxurious chair His vieas quite diraduallythe intricately carved armrest, he looked around him

(Where the heck is this place? Why am I here?)

Before hiht ahead of him Placed on it were silver tableware and food that was as colorful as waxen artwork

The appetizers included translucent oyster jelly, bright orangeroasted to a golden color Vegetable quiche and fragrant shrimp soup Honeyed fruits Cake covered with crushed al decorated with berries on top

Giving off great aromas, the dishes covered the entire table Fla the table of lovely food that seerand feast of delicacies

There was only one host at the table A man in black

He was dressed in a silk shi+rt with a tie and coat embroidered with silver thread Instead of the dishes on the table, he was eating so on his pure white plate

On the porcelain plate was a red-black piece ofwhat looked like raw liver that had not even been seasoned, thehis fork

Aht, the faint sound of tableware colliding echoed

Those red eyes, lustrous black hair, handsoynous beauty were all impressed deeply in Kaito's memory

This man Vlad, was very similar to Elisabeth in appearance

(What the heck Of all people, as I the one who's been dragged to face the final boss?)

Kaito exah the pain in his abdos could move freely He was not tied up and neither did there seeical restraints

Kaito looked for Vlad's openings Vlad was eating quietly, looking like he was single- Kaito wondered if this counted as an opening Next, he turned his head to check the room's situation However, even the interior of the rooht from the candles faded the farther away froiant room melded into one with the darkness

(If I can't even find the entrance, this is bad)

Kaito suppressed the anxiety in his heart and adjusted his breathing, trying his best to cal over frouided by that s with hellfire

(Oh right, Elisabeth and Hina I hope they're alright)

”Eh? Are you worried?”

Startled, Kaito looked up, only to see a surprised expression on Vlad who had stopped eating Both his tone and vocal quality sounded younger than expected Not knowing how to answer, Kaito chose silence

”Ah yes,as you were invited here so suddenly Excuse me”

Vlad nodded on his own and snapped his fingers Darkness and blue petals swirled in a vortex before Kaito to produce a silver basin filled ater Shown on the water's surface, calm as a mirror, was an outside scene

Kaito leaned forward to look and widened his eyes in surprise

Elisabeth and Hina were advancing along the sloped path leading to the castle while fighting a gigantic black dog

Hina swung the halberd, striking the black dog's leg but the blade was unable to pierce the muscle under the thick fur Elisabeth su's back but they were all deflected Confronted with the approaching jaws, she suh she , a decisive blow seemed beyond her

'damn it, instruments of torture and execution are not effective at all Should I say as expected of The Emperor?'

Elisabeth spat blood at the ground but her acute intent to kill did not weaken However, in those blood-red eyes of hers, the color of impatience could not be hidden

Supporting himself with two hands on the table, Kaito yelled:

”Elisabeth!”

”My, don't you find that her personality is a bit too impatient? In my view, Elisabeth's flaw is that her flash point is even lower than dynaantly think that she could overwhel The Eht him is in itself already a mistake”

Vlad shrugged He sounded very cordial, like talking about a willful child He elegantly delivered the last piece of meat into his mouth, licked blood from his lips, and used his fork to point at the silver basin that Kaito atching

”The Ehest ranked of all the demons we summoned, the extreme of all demons summoned by mankind Even the famous 'Torturchen' Elisabeth cannot kill him so easily Were he so easy to kill, The E in himself as a top-quality hound, he stands at the pinnacle of the fourteen, on a completely different level compared to the rest under him”

Kaito clenched his fist at the thought of Elisabeth and Hina fighting against such an enemy, but at that moment, he spontaneously found a point of doubt

”W-Wait a sec The demon is over there Yet you are here Does that e together?”

”Indeed Elisabeth should have told you that the The E me as the medium In a certain way, the two of us are two entities in one Logically speaking, out of safety concerns for the body, ether is more appropriate However, I have no wish to abandon the pleasures afforded to the human body, to transforly to the point of ree?”

Vlad chuckled Despite his cold appearance, he candidly mocked his dehed at a demon's devotee and what she had said

Shaking his head, Kaito continued:

”In other words, you are currently using your original body of flesh? If you're killed, The Emperor dies too?”

”Precisely! However, isn't it utterly foolish for you to confirnorant of the situation, allow hten you—You cannot kill me”

Vlad asserted cal blood off his lips with a napkin then proceeded:

”On the other hand, it would be possible for Elisabeth Because neither she nor I are ordinary people”

Blue petals and darkness gathered at his fingertip The napkin he released fro a spiral in the air and suddenly burned Next, the white ashes drifted onto the dining table

Watching the way Vlad controlled darkness and blue petals, Kaito realized that this man was precisely the hu a contract with a demon”

”Why bring e?”

”My apologies, I a to mock you, but I feel that you truly fail to understand Do you actually believe you have value as a hostage?”

”Not really I don't contribute to coth and Elisabeth probably doesn't care if I live or die either”

”Indeed, that is correct I have a proposal for you personally, which is why I had you brought here”

Once again exhibiting candidness that could be described as innocence, he nodded However, Vlad suddenly turned soleht at Kaito

”I wish to adopt you as my son, to make you a second Elisabeth”

”I refuse”

What did he , Kaito already declined on reflex

Despite his mental confusion, he replied without hesitation With The E to adopt him, Kaito had no choice but to refuse However, Vlad made a surprised look for some reason and continued:

”Elisabeth is reatest rowth outstripped my expectations but in the end, she broke ties with me I wish for a replacement and for the sake of what I have obtained so far and everything I shall accumulate in the future, I need a successor”

”Even so, why pick et it”

”I see potential in you, equal to hers or even higher According to Krulus' report, you are an innocent soul, killed in an undeserved death through cruelyet can stare at wounds cal reaction towards hatred There is a proud side to you”

”And nothing ap between the real me and your opinion”

”Is that so? I do not believe there is such a great difference I see great pro to fulfill airowth in the negative side”

Vlad snapped his fingers The two blondetheir cracked violet eyes, they curtsied elegantly Surprised, Kaito glared at them

Kaito did not know if Vlad noticed the hostility in Kaito's eyes, but Vlad continued like singing a song

”Most importantly, you have been killed You have been deprived of everything Those who have been deprived gain the right to be plunderers At least, you have the disposition to entrench the notion of 'the right to plunder' into yourhu, an essential desire Because half-baked thirst will only cause one to be devoured by one's desires 'Qualification'—The 'qualification' enabling one to become a tyrant matter-of-factly is essential”

Vladlike a scholar

Kaito desperately resisted to avoid getting sed up by his words Listening to that voice that seeht, Kaito felt like his consciousness was about to be taken away by Vlad Refusing to lose himself, Kaito did not wish to, nor did he think he could, become Elisabeth

What themore than the words of a madman

”Since childhood, Elisabeth had been plagued by the fear of tyrannical death That pain and terror forged her to becoreatest work of art I want to make yousaid, wanting a son after losing s What do you say?”

”I refuse Shut your babblingme off”

”A very energetic answer! However, you should still listen to ”

Vlad did not make a move He narrowed his eyes like abreeder's, scrutinizing a puppy and hearing the puppy giving off a good bark

”I will not despise you as Krulus did, nor will I seek to exact any price fro so would be co that, doesn't it see with you?”

”What are the terms you intend to offer? The safety of Elisabeth and Hina?”

”Certainly not! How could hter be decided by the choice of so, foolish, contemptible Elisabeth's fate shall be determined by myself and the The Emperor This is love Know your place, lad—She is the beloved daughter of mine, Vlad Le Fanu's”

Instantly, Vlad's red eyes were filled with cold light He stood up and walked over to Kaito, tracing his black fingernail across the surface of the water in the silver basin Elisabeth's ie shook for a moment

”My relationshi+p with her will not permit any interference from the likes of you”

After delivering such a viscous gaze, he sain

”Indeed! The ter extreic surpasses that of Elisabeth, allowing me to secure a link with another world quite effortlessly”

Vlad puffed out his chest with pride His expression of delight was like a child inviting a friend over to play a game He said he wanted to adopt Kaito as his son, yet he was showing such innocent childishness But suddenly, Vlad's lips began to curl deeply to reveal an evil grin Seeing that look, Kaito understood unavoidably

Despite forgoing a e, this man himself was unmistakably a demon

Des in human hearts

”Just a few days ago, your father sank into the ocean due to a bit of trouble he got hi him here to serve as your toy?”

The instant he heard these words, Kaito's heart stopped for an instant

”Don't tell uy He died?”

By the time he came to his senses, Kaito had already stood up The chair erated noise and fell over backwards The silver basin shook and the ie on the water surface disappeared However, Kaito was too preoccupied to care about any of that

Kaito felt a shock as though his head had been struck violently by a hae sense of emptiness He felt like his chest had become hollow, like his heart had been crushed

Vlad's words was this unexpected for Kaito That hy Kaito felt such a great shock

Dead That ht would live on forever no matter what happened, was dead

”Yes, indeed He died Congratulations! Or rather, he got what he deserved Hh I considerlike that be a contradiction? Whatever, let the contradiction continue! An ending that feels great! Come, what is your decision?”

”Decision? What can I do My old man is dead”

”Did I not mention just now? I could resurrect hie your own death, I suggest you should agree to my terms Don't worry, you have no need to feel shy or to hide anything”

Vlad kept nodding to show understanding and cordiality, s innocently at Kaito

With an expression like inviting soame, he continued:

”Rip his intestines, crush his lungs, strangle his neck It will be very fun, right?”

I must not listen to Vlad's sords, those are words of a de that, Kaito could not resist theviolently from the bottom of his cracked open heart

He yearned to tear out that ed for ood inside If he actually did that, how exhilarating it would be

By doing so, the fear and hatred restraining him like shackles all this time would surely all disappear

Surely, it would be worth abandoning all his values as a human for the rest of his life

”At least——————————————————Let me think for a while”

In the end, Kaito squeezed these feords fro blood Under the e fear, his body was trehtly Vlad nodded deeply

”Of course, time is in abundant supply At least for you”

Hearing Vlad say that to hiaze towards the water surface A sharp flash of silver flew across his view

'——Take that!'

A giant scythe of execution descended on the black dog's neck but the dog caught it with its mouth and crushed it between its jaws Hina's maid uniform was tattered all over and covered in holes while she inging her halberd

'Lord _____! Lord _____! Lord _____! Lord _____! Where are you!?'

Taking danored her own body and desperately called someone's name

(That's—me)

Witnessing that kind of scene, Kaito thought he should be feeling so the necessity, he did not kno to react After the intense shock to his mind, he could not process the scene in front of him

Right now, everything happening before his eyes seemed like it was in another world away from him It felt like his soul had returned alone to that rooled to death

Not knohat to do, Kaito reached for the water surface like a child

His treers entered the water with a splash

Thenothing after that

”This will be your room, Lord Kaito Please use it as you please until you reach a conclusion”

Another maid, different fro a lantern in one hand

When she lifted her face, Kaito saw crooked pearls glinting in the center of her eyes Probably created a long ti Kaito nodded and she turned around, leaving the room to disappear into the darkness of the corridor Her slow footsteps as well as the rattling froradually faded into the distance

Left alone, Kaito aze around this filthy room in a circle

”Isn't this that room?”

Kaito was visiting the first time but he felt a sense of deja vu

The room's layout approached a cube and there was yelloallpaper with a floral pattern on the walls The cute plaster decorations on the sill had a thick layer of dust accuinally pure white, the furniture had turned filthy, but the golden handles reht What should have been dolls and plushi+es on top of the dresser were now replaced by rifles and wooden horsea boy Covered with cobwebs, the bed surrounded by four posts was covered by a collapsed mattress On top of it, several blankets were placed in a criss-cross manner

Dried bloodstains re all this out, Kaito nodded

”As suspected, this was the child's room where Elisabeth used to live”

Kaito had accidentally trespassed an illusory roo

The door Kaito had found in the treasure vault was probably made of the ical dimension Compared to the illusion he had seen back then, the real room was far dirtier, but the interior decoration was virtually the same It looked like Vlad had replenished so the roo it to a close approxi from this fact, Kaito could also see his exceptional obsession with Elisabeth Possibly in consideration for Kaito, soed to suit a boy, it felt rather ludicrous

”Hoh”

Suddenly, Kaito lost his sanity co hi his hed to his fill

”Hahahaha, hahahahaha, hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

His muscles convulsed, his tears ca becaone crazy, insane beyond cohtly death or the current situation, everything was nothing more than a ridiculous farce

Also, these were all lies

——————Bam!

Suddenly, Kaito's laughter stopped and he sainst the wall His bones fractured, stinging sharply, but he still swung his fist again Leaving blood on the wall, breaking his fingers, Kaito still showed no intention to stop, punching the wall like :

”Dead huh! That guy's dead huh! Killing others on whiht! But But how could I let go of ive you!? I ain, by my own hand!”

Kaito puhtly held fist, his little finger snapped Even though hatred and anger filled his ain his calm at all Like a child in a tantru After panting heavily, he sainst the wall and muttered emptily:

”But Letting a murdered victim kill soet it”

With self-deprecation, Kaito revealed his thoughts then shtly away fros as though seeking help from someone

Unintentionally, his gaze stopped at the bed

”Elisabeth”

In his weary eyes, a vague iirl surfaced

That sickly looking beautiful girl, half her body buried in the sea of blankets, sitting on the bed Her completely lifeless and hollow eyes also reflected Kaito Her beautiful face was the one thing that had not changed, not then, not now

Like a child, Kaito's face went distorted as he asked the young Elisabeth:

”Hey, tell me, what exactly did you experience? Why did you end up like that?”

The illusion did not answer Even so, Kaito continued to question, screa desperately

”Tell me, Elisabeth! Why did you choose to become Torturchen!”

This was the question that had been buried deep in his heart, the question he had agonized over all this time

Why did she become Torturchen? What reasons were behind it, what kind of hatred? Or perhaps, there was nothing at all? However, the illusory girl did not answer, of course

The Elisabeth in front of hi more than a delusion created by Kaito's e of a breakdown Kaito are of that hiirl before his eyes Soon after that, the girl's ie slowly dissolved and disappeared

”Ho, hahahahaha, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Kaito began to laugh again He laughed loudly, explosively, ain His bloody fingersnoises then he withdrew his hand from the wall and wiped his tears away

Suddenly, his confusion finally subsided Suddenly, nothing flowed from his eyes anymore His wild emotions vanished with abnormal speed With a mind as calm and clear as the surface of a lake, Kaito quietly reached his conclusion

No hed, this hatred probably would not ever reach an end

Kaito had been cruelly and tragically killed

That was the truth And nothing more

Theready outside the child's room

”Please co for you”

Led by her, Kaito went to the dining hall again In the darkness, Vlad was the sa at the host seat Unlike Elisabeth, he did not seem to require dessert and had finished hishis wine now Kaito looked at his profile while he irling his wine glass and said:

”I've decided Let ive even when he's dead”

Vlad put down his glass and said in a gentle voice as though erasing Kaito's guilt for him

”An excellent decision Revenge is your deserved right There is no reason not to exercise it”

There was no surprise on his face It looked like he had expected this answer from Kaito That was only natural Since he hoped to adopt Kaito, naturally, he understood the true nature of the hatred binding Kaito

Kaito clenched his aching fist and pleaded while hesitating

”Before that, even if only once I won't ask you to let hter Elisabeth, but at least, can I see Hina Let oodbye to her?”

”Hina? Oh, youactivated? To think you like it sohouse with dolls' by any chance? In that case, I could fine-tune a doll similar to her No, a doll even more suited to your tastes That would be no problem at all”

”Hina is her own person, my one and only irreplaceable Hina, not a puppet”

Kaito closed his eyes and recalled the warainst her bosom Her adorable face, framed by silver hair, reappeared under his eyelids However, Kaito opened his eyes to dispel the ie

”Despite our short ti When I' It's too ht it alone”

”Deriving the feeling of 'looked after' from a doll, how incomprehensible What a selfish hen you have already decided on betrayal Whatever, I shall make a special exception and consider it your first and last act of willfulness as my successor”

Vlad nodded and issued so the watch, they silently walked out Watching them depart side by side, Vlad explained proudly:

”That ti so as they lack resistance againstspace seemed to stop from your perspective, yes? But in actual fact, you alone had been separated from the normal flow of time As users of enchanted tools, that pair of maids could easily kill you in that space while Elisabeth outside could not even touch you Ultined to take care of sh it usually does not take effect, itfrolass of hile you are waiting?”

”No thanks”

”How boring Into appreciate ould make life more enjoyable”

Kaito refused Vlad's suggestion and found a randonored the food in front of hied lightly and took another sip of wine

After an unco hall door opened with the sound of approaching footsteps and soed Kaito looked in that direction and widened his eyes in surprise

”Hina!”

”No need to be subdued, it was already lying in the rubble”

”It appears that Elisabeth left it behind, finding it a hindrance”

”So Elisabeth did it, perhaps not wanting it to fight until its destruction As always, my Elisabeth is so kind-hearted when she shows kindness Looks like there is no way for you to have the puppet pass along a ether”

Listening to the report frolanced at Kaito and mocked him Kaito hastily rose up from his chair

Hina was supported at the shoulders by the two e to her sih she looked like she had trouble even walking, she still kept the halberd cradled in her arms

”Lord, Kaito Ah Lord, Kaito, where are, you”

Mur like dream talk, she shook her messy silver hair and looked up Her hollow e towards her At that ht of joy returned to her turbid eyes

”Lord Kaito!”

Hina broke free from thetightly, spreading her arotten her pain and wounds Kaito paused Although it was no longer possible to achieve his goal of having Hina pass along a ether with Elisabeth, his coht to be hugged by her

”Lord Kaito! Ahh, thank goodness you are alright!”

”Farewell, Hina Return to the castle on your own”

Hearing Kaito, Hina also halted in her steps in theat hih a stake had been driven into her heart Several seconds later, Hina righted her posture and stared straight at Kaito

She brought her hand lightly to her abdo then said:

”Lord Kaito, did I do so inadequate?”

”Hina, you did nothing”

”In that case, I am terribly sorry, but could you point out the error inI am stupid and even failed to notice ive reater happiness for me Please be merciful”

”No, it's not like that You didn't do anything wrong at all”

Kaito hastily refuted Hina's unexpected speech With a troubled look, Hina said:

”Then Then have you tired of ain? Do you not want me by your side? In that case, I shall plead with Lady Elisabeth for her assistance, to modify this face as much as possible to what you prefer, Lord Kaito”

”No, Hina, you did nothing wrong It's just that I've decided to follow this guy”

”Lord Kaito You are going to follow Vlad?”

Looking at the person Kaito indicated, Hina looked troubled Kaito nodded hesitantly

”I actually don't want to go with hi I must do no matter what, even if it uy is the only one who has the method”

Saying that, Kaito looked away from Hina's face that resembled an abandoned puppy's