Kiyotaka's eyes had bags under them from the stress his mind was being put through. He got up out of bed from sheer willpower. He sat down at the desk, writing up the letter, and hid it in his pocket. He got up, standing, looking at the door in front of him, emotionlessly.
Kiyotaka: (I...)
Kiyotaka screamed out in frustration as tears fell from his face.
Kiyotaka: (Why is this happening to me? Why am I trapped like this? In the end, there was no chance for me to be free. How could I forget that truth?)
Kiyotaka fell to his knees, holding his hands to his face.
Kiyotaka: (There's always some kind of chain wrapped around my neck...)
Emilia opened the door as Ram was behind her.
Emilia: [Are you okay? I heard a scream... are you... crying?]
Kiyotaka looked at her dejectedly.
Ram: [What happened to you, Ayanotaka?]
Kiyotaka: [...]
Ram: [There's something wrong with him. I've never seen him like this before.]
Kiyotaka: (You have. It's just all of those memories are gone because they never happened.)
Emilia sat down next to him, guiding his head onto her lap.
Emilia: [You don't have to tell me, but I'm here if you want to.]
Kiyotaka: [I...]
Kiyotaka sighed.
Kiyotaka: [It looks like my sins are catching up to me.]
Ram: [Your sins?]
Kiyotaka: [For all the things that I did in the past. Everything...]
Emilia: [Kiyotaka...]
Kiyotaka got up.
Kiyotaka: [It's alright.]
He wiped his face.
Kiyotaka: [All that's left for me is to just keep moving forward.]
Ram stopped him.
Ram: [Not so fast. Explain yourself, Ayanotaka.]
Kiyotaka: [I already told you. I'm just going to move forward. I'll make Emilia queen and live quietly and peacefully.]
Emilia grabbed his wrist.
Emilia: [What? You shouldn't ignore your feelings! Something is wrong, so talk to us!]
Kiyotaka: [It'll be better for you if you just leave me be. If I can just tread forward thinking of myself as a tool, I'll guarantee that you'll make it to the throne.]
Kiyotaka: (I'm a vessel for victory. That's all I am. It was about time I accepted that. By abandoning my desire for anything else, I can get through this even if I have to die 39, 880, 800 times. If I can move forward with this mindset, I can do it.)
Emilia: [And if I don't want you to tread forward like this?]
Kiyotaka: [Then... there's a less than 30% chance.]
Emilia: [Alright then. I'll take that 30% chance.]
Kiyotaka looked at her.
Kiyotaka: [Are you that stupid?]
Ram: [Ayanotaka!]
Kiyotaka: [If you just use me, you can reach the top. In return, I can use you to live a peaceful life! So let go of my arm.]
Emilia didn't loosen her grip.
Emilia: [I don't want a future like that, where I use you like that. I'm not that kind of person. No one should be.]
Kiyotaka: [Well, I am so it should be fine, right? If I'm used as punishment for using other people in the way that you despise.]
Emilia shook her head.
Kiyotaka: [Don't you see? Everything that I have done has been for a purpose. I'm not your friend. People are not my friends. They are just tools. I'm not excluded from that either. My only purpose is victory. Without success, my existence is a bad joke at best and an atrocity at worst.]
Emilia: [I've heard people say that my existence is an atrocity as well, so I understand how you feel, but how other people think shouldn't...]
Kiyotaka: [No. I couldn't care less what other people think. I was raised in an environment where, unless you succeeded, you would die. Do you think I would care about what other people think about me or my methods? Success is something I need. I'm always chasing a goal. I'm always trying to succeed in that goal, as if, if I stop chasing after a goal, I'll drown in the depths of my desire to win. I'm a slave to that need. Even if I direct it at something noble, it doesn't change that fact.]
Ram: [Ayanotaka...]
Emilia: [Then it's those people that made you that way.]
Kiyotaka: [At the beginning, you could excuse my actions as necessary ruthlessness, but after a while, I was outperforming everyone around me. I could afford to be kind, yet I wasn't.]
Ram: [That's a mindset that was drilled into your head. There's no reason to...]
Kiyotaka: [You think I'm so simple? That I can't change? I can. I know I can. I've always been able to, but I never did because this is my nature.]
Emilia: [Then why did you refuse Pricilla? You should have known she stood a better chance at becoming the Ruler.]
Kiyotaka: [No matter what, it is only success that can satisfy me. The journey matters. Difficult things are the only way I can entertain myself. Unless I feel the possibility that I might lose, it won't mean anything to me.]
Emilia: [Is that really everything?]
Kiyotaka: [It is.]
Emilia: [I'm sorry. I'm not very good at talking to other people. I misunderstand things a lot, so if there's something you don't mention, I won't completely understand.]
Kiyotaka: [The reason I went to you was because I thought that if I was finally free, I could take a chance at being a『Good Person』.]
Ram: [Then you've changed. Being a good person doesn't mean you can succeed, yet you still chose this path.]
Kiyotaka: (She's wrong. With my capabilities and this ability that resets time whenever I die, I can be as kind as I want and still win in the end, but... I'm done with chasing that ideal...)
Ram: [Ayanotaka. You're more than a tool.]
Kiyotaka: [That's something coming from you.]
Ram: [What?]
Kiyotaka: [You think I haven't noticed the relationship between you and Roswaal? You're the last person I want to hear something like that from!]
Ram: [Ayanotaka... Ram is willing to be a tool because... because Ram loves Roswaal-Sama.]
Emilia looked surprised but stayed silent out of politeness.
Ram: [Ram will do what is needed to make Roswaal-Sama's dreams come true. If he needs Ram to be a tool, then Ram will fulfil that requirement.
Kiyotaka: [Even if he tosses you aside?]
Ram: [Ram isn't sure what you're implying, but yes.]
Kiyotaka: [Why? Why would anyone go so far as to sacrifice themselves for someone else? I've never felt like I could do that for anyone!]
Ram: [That is because Ram loves him.]
Kiyotaka: [Then love isn't something I'm capable of.]
Kiyotaka: (What I did to Horikita. Betraying her like that. It's not love. At least from what I know about love. Who was I kidding? Saying I love you? Wasn't it cruel to say that? In the end, I was just being selfish like I've always been. It's more proof that I'm not capable of love.)
Ram: [Would you say that to your younger sister?]
Kiyotaka: [That's not the same kind of love. She's my sister. Of course I would.]
Ram: [Even if it was different... how do I explain?]
Ram pondered it.
Ram: [Ram wouldn't be able to love anyone if Ram didn't learn to love Ram's parents and her sister first. Even if you didn't know before, you're on the way, Ayanotaka.]
Kiyotaka: [You act like such genuine love is in your heart while harbouring romantic feelings for me as well.]
Emilia looked a bit bothered by this.
Ram: [Ram is a special girl. Ram is allowed to have more than one man to love. After all, it makes sense that Ram's charms could ensnare more than one man.]
Kiyotaka sighed, his eyes still fixed on the exit that these two girls were blocking him from reaching.
Emilia: [Kiyotaka. Please... I want to be your friend. A true friend.]
Kiyotaka: [You're asking me to go against my nature. The only reason my life was deemed acceptable. The way I've been since I was born.]
Emilia: [Then with us... You can be Re: Born.]
Kiyotaka's eyes widened before he sighed, his face taking a softer expression.
Kiyotaka: (Being Re: Born... Is that why the Witch trapped me in this loop? Because she wanted me to feel like I could be Re: Born? This ability... Re: Birth by Death sounds fitting for it.)
Kiyotaka shook his head at his own childish thoughts and sat down.
Kiyotaka: [There are some things you need to know.]
The two sat down beside him.
Emilia: [We're here.]
Ram nodded.
Kiyotaka: [I'm from a different world. I was brought to this world somehow.]
Their eyes widened.
Kiyotaka: [My world was peaceful for the most part... unfortunately, I wasn't part of that "most part". My father was looking for a way to create people of equal superiority. The method he took to create that future was training children from birth and pushing them using extreme situations.]
Ram: [That's disgusting.]
Emilia: [That's... horrifying.]
Kiyotaka: [If you succeeded, then you had made it through one day. If you failed, you were severely punished. Physically. Many died from ages as early as 4 years old. There was some time. 3 years were I was able to get away. A competitive place, but peaceful. But I knew it was only 3 years. I wanted to guide people to be smart enough to beat me. Even if they had to work together, I thought that if they managed it, I'd have proved my father wrong and then a path could be carved, but... I won. If I had held back, it wouldn't have been a true loss, so I didn't, and so I won.]
Emilia: [Kiyotaka...]
Kiyotaka: [When I was about to return to my father, I was brought to this world.]
Emilia: [So it was good timing?]
Kiyotaka: [It was... one other thing.]
Kiyotaka: (I'm willing to take this chance now.)
Kiyotaka: [After coming to this world, I found out that when I d...]
Kiyotaka then felt a presence of darkness around him as it formed a hand and reached for his heart, holding it in its hand.
Kiyotaka: (This... this is it! If I try to tell Petelguese. If I force it, it's likely he'll be attacked by this force.)
Emilia: [Kiyotaka?]
Kiyotaka: [When I came to this world, I found out that when I didn't leave you on your own, when I helped you instead. When you told me your name, it... felt nice.]
Kiyotaka smiled as Emilia blushed.
Kiyotaka: [Even still, I don't think I had completely committed to it becoming a『Good Person』. From here on, I think I can truly become a good person.]
Emilia smiled.
Kiyotaka: (I'm sorry for lying to you again, Emilia.)
Kiyotaka then thought about something.
Kiyotaka: (Hold on. This entire time, why did I never once consider abandoning Emilia?)
Kiyotaka shook away the thought.
Kiyotaka: (Now is not the time to think about that.)
Kiyotaka stood up. His legs shook, but he steadied himself.
Kiyotaka: (Just one more time. I'll do it one more time and I'll succeed.)
Kiyotaka repeated his letter strategy.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Kiyotaka opened a door as Beatrice's library showed up.
Beatrice: [What do you want now, I supp... eh?]
A crowd of villagers entered the library.
Kiyotaka: [Don't read the books and listen to Lady Beatrice.]
Beatrice: [Wait! I never agreed to this, I suppose!]
Kiyotaka closed the door. The able-bodied men joined Kiyotaka, Emilia, Ram and Rem in the fight against the Witch Cult, staying in the bushes waiting. Kiyotaka came face to face with Petelguese.
Petelguese: [Oh? And who might you be?]
Kiyotaka: [You must be a member of the Witch's Cult. I would like to join you.]
Kiyotaka: (First, I gather them all up.)
Petelguese: [Oh? You are loved. You are diligent! How could I fail to find such a promising person as you?
He started to scratch his face.
Petelguese: [I'm slothful! I'm slothful! So slothful!]
Kiyotaka: [Please friend. Do not harm yourself. Let us gather together and discuss how we will move forward with our plans to do with the half-elf.]
Petelguese: [You are right. We must practice diligence. I shall summon the『Fingers』right away.]
Petelguse gathered his『Fingers』as Kiyotaka raised his hand.
Kiyotaka: [Ul Dona!]
Petelguse: [Huh?]
Kiyotaka: [You're a slothful fool, Petelguese.]
The giant boulder fell on Petelguese and all his fingers simultaneously, killing them at the exact same time.
Kiyotaka: (Now...)
Kiyotaka felt himself being possessed.
Kiyotaka: [A perfect vessel. Oh, how I am loved!!!]
Kiyotaka confronted him inside his own mind.
Kiyotaka: [Petelgeuse. When I die...]
The『Witch Of Envy』appeared.
Petelgeuese: [The Witch. Oh, my love.]
Kiyotaka: [Sorry, Petelgeuse, but she doesn't love you.]
Petelgeuese: [What? Foolish!]
He looked at her.
Petelgeuese: [I've waited so long for your love. Your...]
The witch's hand outstretched towards Petelguese, but then it passed through him.
『Witch Of Envy』: [No. You're not the one.]
She attacked him, forcing him out of Kiyotaka's body. Kiyotaka then pointed his hand towards Petelguese.
Kiyotaka: [Goa!]
Kiyotaka set the body on fire, burning the corpse until nothing was left. Then the attack began as everyone fought with the remaining cultists. With their leaders gone, they didn't stand a chance. Then the sun rose, and Puck came out.
Puck: [What happened while I was gone?]
Kiyotaka sighed.
Puck: [Hey, your face is softer than before.]
Kiyotaka : [It is?]
Puck: [It is.]
Emilia: [I have to agree with Puck.]
I said my next words with a completely straight face.
Kiyotaka: [Perhaps the lap pillow that you gave me lightened my mood to this extent.]
Emilia blushed profusely as Puck laughed hysterically.
Puck: [He got you there, Lia.]
Emilia: [Puck!!!]
Kiyotaka : [Well, I am glad that this is all over.]
Kiyotaka smiled.
Kiyotaka: [Thank you for helping me, Emilia. Ram.]
They nodded as Kiyotaka sighed.
Kiyotaka: (I guess it's time to be Re: Born.)
—————————————————————————————————————
To Be Continued
—————————————————————————————————————
Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
—————————————————————————————————————