Chapter 226: Send a Love Bouquet to this Darkness ①

Light

Dark

I opened the messages. 

<<Can you stop enjoying the isekai after lying?>>

<<Use Create Undead on Nanami-chan too.>>

<<Running away to an isekai where no one can put a hand on you when you are a murderer. You are such a damn coward, you piss me off to no end. Why didn’t you die? Are you going to die later? Just drop dead already.>>

<<I think I would feel a bit refreshed if I killed your family. Maybe I should~.>>

<<Even though you have a face like that of someone who wouldn’t harm a fly. That pissess me off even more.>>

<<Even if you kill yourself after reading the messages, no one would feel guilty about it. That’s because this is the wish of the world.>>

<<Is this the message box of the boy Kurose Hikaru who killed the whole family of his childhood friend because of a stupid reason like wanting to go to an isekai?>>

“Kuro…are you okay?” (Jeanne)

“Y-Yeah…” (Hikaru)

The horrible messages continued.

Even if I don’t want to remember, I end up remembering my feelings of that time. 

My legs are trembling. If these two weren’t supporting me here, I would have crumbled to the ground already. 

There’s still messages.

Let’s continue. I have decided to face it.

<<It is Celica. I made a plan for society to misinterpret you as the culprit temporarily in order to have you escape the forest, Onii-chan. I am sorry I was this late in sending you a message. There must be horrible messages reaching you, right? I won’t be able to repent no matter how much I apologize. Please live on, Onii-chan.>>

“…Wa…? Eh…?” (Hikaru)

“What’s the matter?” (Jeanne)

“Are you okay? Your face is pale white.” (Rifreya)

<<It is Celica. I immediately found out who murdered Nanami-neesan, but I judged that Crystals would be absolutely necessary for you to get out from the forest. I am sure you would be able to understand, right, Onii-chan? I actually planned on sending this message sooner than the Antis once the message system was implemented, but it came at a bad timing and I ended up being late. I am sorry.>>

<<It is Karen. I am sorry, Onii. I was late in sending you a message. Even though it wasn’t my intention to make you suffer like that. I am sorry. I will pay you back with my body. Come back alive, okay?>>

<<It is Celica…so please open your messages, Onii-chan… Wait, writing this here would be pointless, huh. I am also panicking here… Anyways, there’s nothing for you to worry about. Live. Please live.>>

“Waa, Hikaru!” (Rifreya)

“Are you okay?!” (Jeanne)

Energy was drained out from my whole body and I couldn’t stay up anymore. 

I could only laugh.

There’s nothing I can do but laugh here.

The message of Celica made sense immediately.

Celica would do something like that.

The reality is that I had the most viewers amongst the Chosen within that forest. 

Even more than Jeanne who is by my side here. 

Number one within 1,000 people. I believed the reason behind this was because ‘I am being thought of as the culprit that killed Nanami’, and that’s how it was, but to think it was the plan cooked up by Celica.

That girl…the things she does are way too extreme…

“What should we do? Stop? I don’t know what kind of messages you saw, Kuro. You decide for yourself. I won’t stop you.” (Jeanne)

“Are you really okay, Hikaru? You were making a face I have never seen before, you know?” (Rifreya)

“Fufufu… Thanks, Jeanne, Rifreya. I am alright now.” (Hikaru)

I opened the next messages. 

What came after that was mostly on a completely different spectrum from the first ones.

<<Hikaru, do your best! Everyone believes that you wouldn’t be able to kill your childhood friend!>>

<<With the knife serving as the murder weapon not being around anywhere, all decent human beings know that you are not the culprit.>>

<<Your little sisters are cute. I am so jealous that you are being so loved!>>

<<Suddenly thrown to a foreign world with no preparations, losing your way in nature, you have my sympathies, Hikaru. Do your best, super do your best! Live!>>

<<Love love chu.>>

<<Your Dark Spirit Abilities were so damn cool, I fell in love! I am your fan!>>

<<The reason why you have a lot of viewers is because everyone is cheering for you! Plain and simple!>>

<<The true culprit is eventually going to be apprehended, so don’t worry about anything and enjoy your isekai life, Hikaru-kun. That’s our wish!>>

<<You got through that forest with blood curling effort. Even though you barely managed to keep hold of your life, this just ain’t cool. Hikaru, please open your messages. Let’s enjoy the isekai while having a nice exchange.>>

<<You are at the top of the popularity ranking on the regular, you know, Hikaru? Everyone loves you!>>

Tears were spilling out from my eyes all too naturally. 

Just like how words can hurt…you can also feel this much warmth from words, huh.

There were horrible messages every now and then too, but the more I approached the recent ones, the more frequent the positive ones got. 

“I was so…self-centered.” (Hikaru)

I am an idiot. 

I couldn’t believe in anyone…not even my little sisters, and was dragging this on the whole time. 

Doubting the possibility that I am loved. 

Not even believing the possibility that they might be cheering for me.

I am a bonafide idiot. 

A truly blessed individual. 

“That’s not fair…Kurose Hikaru.” 

The true culprit…no, Ozawa Yuichi was glaring at me. 

I was piecing up the messages regarding the details of the incident, and I can now see it clearly. 

Even when I know his name, it really doesn’t click. We were in the same school, but he is a stranger, so you could say that’s a matter of course though.

“That’s not fair. Why…Why is it you…? Why am I not the one standing there? Why wasn’t I chosen…?” (Ozawa)

“No, you were also chosen. You are here after all. Why were you so obsessed with killing me?” (Hikaru)

He killed Nanami in order to get chosen in the isekai transfer. 

That’s the conclusion you would arrive at when thinking about it normally, and that was actually his objective. I don’t know the circumstances that led to being transferred, but he could have enjoyed it now that he is in the isekai he wanted to be. 

Him wearing a mask must have been because the other Chosen know that he is the true culprit. But if that must is enough to live in this world, even more so the reason why there should be no need to risk it in this manner. 

“The name.” (Ozawa)

“Huh?” (Hikaru)

“You…didn’t know my name, right?” (Ozawa)

“We haven’t spoken even once after all.” (Hikaru)

“…I did know. I had a friend in your class, and I remember your name too. And yet, you don’t know my name? …Even though you are a loner…looking down on me.” (Ozawa)

“I did think there was a really noisy guy coming every now and then.” (Hikaru)

“Damn it, making fun of me. Every single one of you…” (Ozawa)

Is that the real reason why he wanted to kill me…? 

Because he didn’t like that I didn’t remember his name?

No, there’s no way such a stupid reason would exist. It must be a lie or something. 

“…It was also the same for that asshole Fer. All the plans he thought of were no good. Even though he was acting all high and mighty. Goddammit!” (Ozawa) 

Anyways, I have to settle matters with this guy too. 

There’s so many messages I obviously haven’t been able to open them all up, but I can do so once I have handled matters here. 

I won’t be bewildered by his lies anymore. 

“Kuro…are you going to do it? Want me to do it for you?” (Jeanne)

“Of course, I can also do it for you instead.” (Rifreya)

“…Thanks, but this is my revenge for Nanami, so I will be the one to do it.” (Hikaru)

I put a hand on my sword and stood up. 

People who die in the dungeon turn into small Spirit Stones without leaving a corpse. 

That might actually lessen the guilt. 

“Y-You are going to kill me?! Me, a Chosen like you?! Are you really going to do it?!” (Ozawa)

“Yeah, you killed Nanami…killed her parents. That’s unforgivable. Now that this world can’t bring the hammer of justice on you, I have no choice but to wield the scythe. You know, I got along quite well with the parents of Nanami. Especially in elementary school. I don’t know just how much those two gentle souls saved me. My parents weren’t really the type to take care for their children, you see.” (Hikaru)

“E-Even if you…O-Oi, stop this dude! He is not the type who can kill. It will traumatize him! A guilt even stronger than the messages!” (Ozawa)

“You are being pathetic. Weren’t you the one who tried to kill him first? Die obediently.” (Jeanne)

“If Hikaru is hurt, I will comfort him, so no problem~.” (Rifreya)

Whether I can kill someone or not…huh. 

We will most likely have to experience something like that if we are going to be traveling out there -that’s what I thought. 

You could say this is a good chance to gain some experience. 

All that’s left is to swing down this sword…that really is all, but…

“W-What…” 

That appeared all too sudden.

A massive bundle of Spirit Energy. 

It suddenly appeared inside the dungeon. 

It is…close! 

Around the entrance of the 1st Floor…

“Jeanne, Rifreya, a massive bundle of Spirit Energy is heading this way!” (Hikaru)

“What?! A Great Spirit? Weren’t they supposed to not be able to enter the dungeon?” (Jeanne)

“A Great Spirit-sama shouldn’t be able to! Or more like, if they did, this dungeon would have begun to crumble a long time ago!” (Rifreya)

“Then, it is a Demon Lord! This is bad! Jeanne, do you have a Barrier Stone? I don’t have any anymore. Fast! It is already extremely close!” (Hikaru)

“Hiyahahahaha! I don’t get it, but this is my chance!” 

The Dark Knight hit its summon time limit while our attention was shifted by this sudden intrusion. 

Ozawa opened the Status Board the moment he got free. 

He most likely wants to use Random Transfer to escape.

“As if I will let you!” (Hikaru)

I must not let this guy run away.

The moment I swung my sword…

“Ai-chan, do it.” 

I think I heard a nostalgic voice.

At the same time as this voice rang, a single beam was shot from the entrance, and the right arm of Ozawa trying to operate the Status Board…was cut off. 

His arm fell off and blood spurted out. 

“Hah? Giyaaaaaaaaaaah!” (Ozawa)

Ozawa writhed on the ground.

With that figure of his on the corner of our vision, Jeanne, Rifreya, and I had our eyes nailed on the one that appeared on the entrance. 

Putting it in simple terms, it is a giant eyeball. 

A giant eye was looking at me with a deep glint that reminded me of space.

A single-eyed monster that has a massive amount of Spirit Energy and is covered in disheveled purple fur all over its body. 

A number of tentacles were dangling down. 

It is a true to the word monster. 

Why did a monster like this show up in the 1st Floor? 

You would normally think that.

Rifreya and Jeanne naturally had their weapons ready and in battle stance.

That’s how formidable of a monster it is. 

Even though such a thing had shown up…my eyes were nailed at the person standing at the side of the monster. 

“Alright~ Alright~. Good job, Ai-chan. Now, wait here until I finish up, okay?” 

That voice of hers was the same as the one in my memories. 

Her kind gaze was the same as the one in my memories too. 

My feelings of disbelief that something like this could happen and my plain happiness were mixing, and I somehow managed to wring out a few words.

“Is that you…Nanami…?” (Hikaru)

There’s no way I would mistake her. 

—

Author: The Darkness was Comfortable for me.

Light Novel Version: Volume 1 to 3.

Manga Version: Volume 1.

On sale. I have finished adding more stories to them, so please do read them.