I would never have thought that I would be bestowed with an opportunity to become a transmigrated person.
It's something worth celebrating, but only if it were decent. The thing is… I traveled into my unfinished novel and became a mob character.
You might ask why I'm so certain.
Right now, I'm facing Ameguri Hayama… a character I dedicated myself to creating.
I wouldn't have noticed at first because, in this novel, I based the majority of things on real life, such as place. So when I opened the door to my house and saw something familiar come to life, I immediately realized it was no longer the world I used to live in.
"Do you need something? "
He asked me, staring blankly.
"My apologies," I said, lowering my head a bit and making an excuse. "I'm feeling drunk, so I must have mistaken your house for mine. I hope that didn't offend you."
"Is that so? " He blinked and said, "It's fine… But if you're feeling dizzy, do you want to rest for a bit? I wouldn't mind the company."
I met his gaze, looking at those innocent light blue eyes. I had mixed feelings. "He is truly a kind child," I inwardly mumbled.
I created him based on my younger days when I was naive. I hated that part of me. I wished for it to exist so that I could kill it myself, the main cause of my suffering.
Not good…
I took a deep breath, suppressing my killing intent. If it leaked even the slightest bit, he would have taken notice, and I would have been killed on the spot.
I designed him that way. No matter where you are, if you have malicious intent, he would instinctively feel it.
I'm not afraid of facing my own demon, but what lies beyond him is another matter.
"Thank you for your hospitality, but I have something to do, so I must politely decline," I said, turning my back on him. But before leaving, I posed a question. "By the way, can I ask you something? "
"Umm… sure, I don't mind," he replied.
"Do you consider a human who commits sin with awareness a sinner?
Or
Do you consider someone who commits a bad deed without knowledge innocent? "
I turned my head back, making sure our eyes met. With a sly smirk, I continued, "Are we innocent because we are ignorant of the sins we committed, or are we sinners just like those who do bad deeds with awareness?
If there's nothing that separates the two, then who do you think is the real evil?
The God who wanted us to be ignorant, or the demon who made us enlightened? "
"…"
There was only silence between us. But I knew for sure that he must have been thinking about it.
"You don't have to answer immediately… But one day, you will have to make a decision. I hope you choose the right path."
I walked away, leaving a trail of those words behind.
After transmigrating into this novel, I realized one more thing. Although the novel was unfinished and the antagonist remained unknown,
Every character here was suffering because of me. I created their stories and made them that way, all for the sake of creating a novel, which I failed to do.
I never thought my actions would lead to this.
For the sake of justice or perhaps my self-satisfaction to remove guilt and take responsibility in my own way.
I will take the role of the antagonist so that my children will have a chance to obtain the justice they wish for.
But as for whether they could succeed or not, that depends on them. I will give them a chance, so I hope they will succeed.
While moving, I started to think about the novel's details, sorting through my knowledge.
Even though I wrote this myself, it was before COVID hit, around seven years ago. So, I don't remember every detail. But this novel lives by the rule of "survival of the fittest."
I stopped walking when I arrived at the center of the town. There's a clock tower with the date being updated in real time.
Looking at the glowing numerical display, I took note and mumbled.
"It's already way past nine in the evening… Judging by the date, the first event should begin."
I took a deep breath to calm my panicked heart. It would be unwise to go without resolve because I'm going against criminals, and the slightest hesitation could kill me.
"Let's just hope things will proceed smoothly."
Third-person POV
Inside the house…
There was a group of high schoolers losing themselves at the party. Three girls and two boys were having the time of their lives, immersing themselves in loud music and a disco ball.
Although they were all drinking, only one girl was plastered. The rest were still acting normal, clearly able to hold their liquor. I observed the blonde girl swaying back and forth, about to fall asleep in the corner.
One boy raised his hand and spoke in a gentle manner. "Guys, it's getting late, and Melissa is drunk," he said, pointing at the blonde girl with a wry smile. "I have to take her home."
"Uh? " They frowned, but seeing her state, it was understandable. "Fair enough. The girl asked us for a drinking party yet couldn't hold herself."
"Haha…" The boy let out a dry laugh. "My apologies," he said, lifting her by the armpits.
"I wish I had a boyfriend like you…" she said, rolling her eyes, before giving the other boy a subtle glance.
"Why not find someone, then? " he replied, oblivious to her intention.
"What a dense guy…" she grumbled, arms crossed.
"Haha…" They let out a laugh.
"Anyway, be careful. I heard the number of missing persons has been increasing these days," she said firmly, giving him a warning.
"Do you think there's a serial killer on the loose? " the other boy asked.
"Probably… But they target random people at night. The report says about three people have already gone missing," she clarified. "So I'm guessing a killer might be wandering around."
"Heh! That's probably a hoax. I think those guys disappeared because of unpaid loans," he said, not believing them. Then he clutched the empty glass before shifting his gaze to him. "By the way, man, speaking of rumors, I just remembered something. I think you should hear this."
"What is it? " he asked.
"Apparently, some thugs said a group of delinquents was after your tail. While those rumors might not be true, you should be careful about them."
"I understand. I'll take that warning to heart," he replied while giving Melissa a piggyback.
"No problem. That's what friends are for! "
Giving each other a bro handshake, they bid farewell.
"See you guys tomorrow."
He carried Melissa on his back. Since the area was rural and it was already late, there were no taxis in service, and they had to walk.
Looking at his girlfriend sleeping peacefully, he felt a twinge in his heart.
"I don't want to take advantage of your naivety, but I'm simply doing it for myself. I'm hungry… No, rather, I'm starving, and it can't be filled by simply eating," he said while carefully navigating their way through the cemetery.
Compared to traditional Japanese graveyards, this place was different. Like a building, each casket was stacked. The housing was filled with moss, and there was a foul smell; clearly, this public graveyard wasn't being managed well.
After walking a bit while still carrying her, he finally arrived.
"You are here. We've been waiting for a year."
A fat man, alongside three others, was sitting on the grave frame.
"My apologies. It took a while to bring her here. After all, we were drinking with my classmates," he explained while putting her down. "Anyway, did you guys bring sleeping pills? It would be a problem if she wakes up mid-session."
The fat man smirked. Rummaging through his pocket, he pulled out a small bundle and threw it at him. "Here, catch this. Don't overdose her. It would be difficult to fabricate the evidence. Besides, leave some for you."
"I know. I don't want the cops labeling me as an accomplice to assault," he said, then fed her a sleeping pill. "It's going to take a while before it takes effect. So who's going to start? "