Chapter 110: Happy Ending Trigger

Leaving for the final exam, I was allowed to go shopping in the nearby town, and I let that partner go with the Flame Soldier; it was only with their help that I managed to get the money the Flame Soldier had tricked me out of, so I could complete my shopping.

(... I'm fine. Although it was a bit dangerous, thanks to the Flame Soldier, I held it together. My eye color didn't change either...)

As Kurapika bought what the Ground Runner was slightly sitting on the train, I recalled what happened after I arrived in town over and over again, confirmed it once, and then told myself.

There are no problems. There were some problems, but they were all resolved peacefully.

Afterwards, I told him over and over again that all I had to do was return to the village.

"... Hey, Kurapika. What's wrong?"

"!?... What's wrong, what?"

Asked by the Flame Soldier, Kurapika was somewhat flustered, looking at himself with curiosity, and even more worried about the Flame Soldier.

Kurapika himself also noticed his recent suspicious behavior, scratched his head awkwardly, and apologized: "I'm sorry."

I apologized, but I didn't know what I was apologizing for.

I just felt that I had to apologize.

If it were true, it wouldn't be this light, so I had to kneel on the ground and apologize over and over again. For some reason, Kurapika felt that even apologizing this much shouldn't be forgiven.

But of course I wouldn't, because I knew doing so would only annoy the Flame Soldier. So Kurapika held back the urge to cry, ready to hug him and apologize at any time.

"... I'm sorry. I was a bit off just now.

I don't know what to say... Everything I've done up until now will become such a mess that I don't even care about passing or failing the exam to go outside... I feel like something bad is about to happen. I'm worried."

Seeing Kurapika's answer, the Flame Soldier widened his eyes and said: "This is a rare kind of negative emotion for Kurapika."

For a moment, Kurapika felt uncomfortable with the Flame Soldier's reaction.

"... Rare?"

"Hmm? Because it's rare. Kurapika, you are always positive and optimistic; you believe you are right and head straight forward, so this is the first time I've seen you so worried."

Kurapika didn't know what he was saying after the Flame Soldier's counter.

I know I am just as the Flame Soldier said, positive and firm, for better or worse. That is why I remember being here.

Just as the Flame Soldier said, Kurapika's anxiety is not normal for Kurapika. If it were the usual him, even if he were entangled by thugs and solved it, he wouldn't feel uneasy. On the contrary, people around me helped me, D. Dino, it's like a Hunter street, Flame Soldier!! Someone will help you no matter what!! I would have been elated.

I know you are doing and thinking things differently from you.

I know my worries are groundless.

However, it will never disappear.

I can't help but feel that the earth I walk on is like walking on thin ice.

I can't help but feel a terrible sense of incongruity regarding the "normal Kurapika" the Flame Soldier spoke of.

Although he was clearly aware that this was his personality, Kurapika still felt a creepy sense of incongruity, even though he called himself a "positive self."

"... Well, it's no use thinking about it this way, because the trouble has already happened.

We still have time, but let's go home. I can't wait to go back as soon as possible."

Kurapika was confused by many things he could not explain.

Kurapika heard this suggestion and felt relieved, as if his wanting to go out so much was a lie.

For some reason, I wanted to cry just because I could return to the village. That feeling of nostalgia made me want to cry, and I felt confused, but I couldn't explain it; my confusion was that my heart was filled with irrational joy.

"... Yes. To... but I'm sorry, Pyro. If I had time, I would have had time to see what Pyro wanted to buy."

"Don't worry, all my money is one Jenny Coin, so I can't guarantee I can buy what I want.

Besides, I'm a bit relieved. I like and respect Kurapika, who is always proactive, but Kurapika has a reckless side where you don't see the people around you, and you don't see the bad possibilities that you could understand if you thought about it a little because you are too positive. There are, so is it okay for you to go out like this? Actually, I was thinking it's safer for you to be a little more negative."

"What! You say this!!"

In response to the Flame Soldier's Suggestion, Kurapika apologized for the date with the Flame Soldier because of his groundless anxiety.

Even with such playfulness, I would miss the feeling that tears would fall.

Kurapika told himself again: "It's okay."

Okay. No problem. There were some problems, but they were all resolved peacefully. It doesn't have scarlet eyes. I haven't shown my scarlet eyes to anyone. Now all that's left is to return to the village.

While telling myself this, the Ground Runner walked while talking to the Flame Soldier.

While savoring the leisurely, idle, precious time.

Knowing that such time would be ruthlessly trampled without warning, Kurapika cherished this moment.

"!"

In the middle of the forest road closest to the town, three thugs entangled by the Department Store blocked the path of Kurapika and the Flame Soldier.

The moment he saw them, Kurapika's heart felt as cold as if it were gripped by an icy hand, and his heart beat violently.

I am not afraid of them. Even if he didn't turn into red eyes, Kurapika had a chance to win in a one-on-one situation, and if he wasn't good enough, even the Flame Soldier with bad legs and eyes could win if he turned into red eyes.

You can only be strong against opponents you are definitely weaker than, and even then you have to be in a pack, but you can't accurately measure the opponent's ability, so "a frog in a well" is more suitable for you than yourself. I know, that is an opponent who has only seen a dwarf world and hasn't lived.

But I am afraid.

I can't help but be afraid of the growing things, not the opponents themselves, but what they cause.

"? Kurapika?"

Seeing this group of thugs, Kurapika's face suddenly turned pale, and the Flame Soldier called Kurapika in confusion, shaking his shoulders.

The Flame Soldier's action freed Kurapika from sleep paralysis, and ignoring those who approached him with smirks, thinking they were terrified, Kurapika stood in front of the Flame Soldier as if to protect him. The Ground Runner then walked away.

But, of course, the men would not let Kurapika and the others be ignored.

"Ouch~~~. Stop~~~!!" Standing in front of Kurapika and the others, speaking in a ridiculously annoyed tone, he said, "Don't give me a toll."

I ignored this and suggested to the Flame Soldier that we should cut across the sidewalk in the Yokote field, but the man with the Mohawk nose, who seemed to be the leader, laughed and repeated: "Boya."

"You said you needed money to leave this town, you hick!!"

"I have never heard of such a law."

Kurapika responded coldly to the thug's words, but the man interrupted Kurapika's reasoning: "You're just ignorant, aren't you?"

Given Kurapika's insight, even the adults in the village could not compare or offer guidance, and there was still plenty of room for opposition, but he knew from his interactions at the Department Store that doing so was useless. He did not deny the other party's words, simply answering "I have no more money," and did not submit to the other party.

"Then put down your luggage and that bird."

Of course, the other party was more interested in Harassment than in money, so he would not back down.

Thus, Kurapika suppressed the unease welling up inside him while deep in thought.

I am very hungry, but if I am certain that handing over the luggage is the most peaceful solution, putting the bird aside as a means of transport, I would hand it over.

Having the necessities of life stolen is quite painful for the Kurta, and raising money outside is difficult; it is possible to fail the exam, but if the Elder and other fellow clansmen have connections with Kurapika and the others, they could manage it. I know I won't complain about giving away all my money; if I didn't have the Red Eyes, I could take the exam again, so if I have to find money, that is fine.

But their main goal is to harass him. There is no room for negotiation. They are trying to forcibly take what they say cannot be given, and even if they obediently hand over everything as requested, it will absolutely not end there.

It is clear that they do not find Kurapika's honesty amusing; they either intend to use violence to hurt them or are trying to steal more by testing them.

Although Kurapika knows this much, the humiliation and anger of being disturbed by these people, as well as an inexplicable anxiety, make his heart pound, and he cannot think of what to do.

So the Flame Soldier took action.

I have already begun to act.

"I am going to call the police to ask if it is really necessary to pay the fee," the Flame Soldier said, taking out the Mobile Phone left by the Elder, which shocked the other party greatly. Of course. If this were done, the police would come to arrest the person extorting them on the spot.

The man reached out to snatch the Mobile Phone from the Flame Soldier's hand, but before he could move, another person from the town—an old woman who had clearly seen Kurapika and the others Together at the Department Store and was attacking Kurapika—shouted when she realized they were making a connection: "What are you doing, you guys!"

Cowards who can do nothing without a team; if the numbers exceed them, they can do nothing.

The man finally stopped blocking the road and said a piece of nonsense: "Damn it... get lost!"

However, the unease in Kurapika's chest did not disappear.

Although he should be fine now, his whole body was still cold, as if his heart had been frozen, yet he still had the violent movements of a desperate sprint.

"... Kurapika, are you really okay!?"

"!? Flame Soldier!!"

The problem should have been solved smoothly, but the Flame Soldier was very worried that his good friend was still standing motionless, and just as he wanted to approach him, he fell.

The Flame Soldier's legs are not good, and he can barely run, but he is very aware of this, so he walks carefully and rarely falls. So I understood. I knew from the beginning.

From the beginning, they knew that the thug had made the Flame Soldier fall to retaliate for their failure to get rid of the sorrow.

Knowing it clearly but being unable to stop it, my anxiety turned into anger.

"Oops, I didn't do anything?"

Kurapika clenched his fists and glared at the man who said "It was me who made him fall," which was almost a confession, but the Flame Soldier insisted that he had fallen himself.

To appease his good friend with a low boiling point and resolve this matter peacefully, the Flame Soldier knew he was enduring frustration for Kurapika's sake, so he tried every way to suppress his own anger.

Kurapika suppressed the anger in his heart and begged the thugs in his mind: "Please, don't say anything!" This man, who knew nothing of their identity or situation, only knew that if one of them got angry, something important to them would be destroyed.

"... You are in trouble too."

A mocking word filled with sympathy.

To protect Kurapika, he took the injury that Kurapika should have suffered... but the man laughed at the strong and intelligent good friend who was still smiling.

"Are you happy to be alive?"

In an instant, Kurapika's head, blood, and eyeballs began Burning.

I don't know if this was said to Kurapika or the Flame Soldier.

Either way, this is a sentence Kurapika cannot forgive.

I know this is a provocation and a mockery because I understand that they are important to each other, but I also know the meaning of life for a precious friend who can throw himself into danger for someone. Whether it is certain that Kurapika is worthless, or that Kurapika is truly angry about living with his best friend, both are insults to a degree where the word humiliation is not enough. Staining your vision red.

The Flame Soldier shouted "Kurapika!" to stop him, but Kurapika could not even hear his best friend's voice.

It ended up being the situation his best friend wanted least and had avoided. Kurapika did not realize that his actions were trampling on his best friend's efforts, his Red Eyes staring at him.

"Wha...!? Hey!?"

Facing the instantly changing Red Eyes, vivid as the Fire of hell, and facing a bloodthirst that even a foolish frog could not imagine, realizing he had no chance of winning, the man finally found himself.

When I was a child, I listened to an old story over and over again. Unknowingly, I had forgotten that this was just a made-up story found everywhere, and the youth before me was the "Red Eyes Demon living deep in the forest."

This reminded me of the fear I felt when I believed the old legend that "bad boys are torn apart and eaten by the Red Eyes Demon."

Kurapika could not see.

I could not see that the smile on the man's face had given way to surprise, confusion, and fear.

Kurapika's vision was filled with red, and the opponent before him was nothing more than the unpleasant sound of trash screaming.

It was not just the man; the surrounding people who should have come to help them were the same.

I don't think of it as trash, but it looks like nothing more than a red lump.

Everything was dyed red, as if exposed to a sea of blood.

... Even with that gaze, even with those eyes of scarlet anger, even so————

"--One..."

Turning to look up at the sky extending from the background of the thug trash, it was so deep, so deep, it accepted everything on the ground, swallowed it, and mixed it together, becoming gloomy... yet so beautiful that one could only see the crystal clarity.

I could only see the beautiful blue.

Even the scarlet eyeballs burning with anger could not stain the azure of the sky. It cannot change.

It is right there.

《Kurapika》

Just like her

"You are really..."

Even if you are not there, even if you remember nothing, it is not empty, empty, empty—

"Can you really be happy about this?"

You are definitely there

＊＊＊

She did not stop Kurapika from doing what he wanted to do, nor did she scold him for not doing it, but instead asked softly.

Will your actions make you happy? When?

Even if I was stopped, I did not stop.

When I was told this was bad, I only felt repulsion.

Because someone told me, I cannot forgive that much.

To that extent, everything about my most precious good friend was tarnished.

I had no choice but to refuse.

However, although I cannot forgive you, and cannot forgive you, and want to kill you, still...

"…………Tsk!!"

Kurapika stopped his leg that was about to take a step forward, pressed his left hand against the fist raised by his right arm, and bit his back teeth hard, almost crushing them.

Cannot forgive.

I have no reason to forgive you.

... But even if I killed these people, it could not erase the fact that they insulted the Flame Soldier, and Kurapika could not forgive himself for being unable to stop it.

That is why I thought that no matter what, I could not forgive him for killing him, so I stopped.

If I killed you, if I hurt you, I would regret it even more.

Because I knew from the beginning that this action of mine would not make anyone happy.

So I stopped.

I panted heavily, clutching my chest, forcibly suppressing the anger in my heart, as those thugs knelt on the ground begging me for forgiveness.

Somehow, they made excuses that the reason they harassed Kurapika and the others was because they were asked by an old man with a bull-horn hairstyle... someone who looked like a Kurta Elder, but for Kurapika, I no longer care about that kind of talk.

Kurapika wanted one thing from those he could not forgive, just as much as he wanted to kill them.

"……Apologize to the Flame Soldier!! Apologize to the Flame Soldier you insulted and correct it!!"

Hearing Kurapika's words, those thugs who were in complete awe of his power turned to the Flame Soldier one after another: "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!!" The Flame Soldier rolled his eyes slightly.

The Flame Soldier had not expected anything from the beginning; he might not have cared to the point of indifference.

Of course, I do not apologize because I feel I said something terrible, but because I cherish my life, and I think this is a Magic that can save me.

That is why I am still unwilling to forgive.

Nevertheless, this is much cleaner than letting their blood stain my fists and carrying their "death" on my back.

I thought this was a happy ending.

I feel I can say it with confidence.

If you tell her in your heart, "I can do it," she will only smile and say nothing.

Even in a world of scarlet, it is still a smile as bright as the sun, just like the blue sky, unchanging.

Yes, this should be a perfect ending.

Even if those who tried to help us and later protected us at the department store threw Stone at us.

"Stay away from those children..."

Absolutely doing nothing now is not over-defensive; it is just that the other party was merely frightened, yet the old woman looked at Kurapika with anger and awe, and threw a Stone at her.

"Red Eyes monster!!!"

Even if they did nothing, even if they knew what Kurapika and the others had done to them, to the old woman, Kurapika and the others were evil, were evildoers, were monsters, and were the thugs who usually bullied their fellow countrymen and beloved children who needed protection.

... Kurapika no longer wondered, "Why?"

Indeed, he felt lonely and helpless, but Kurapika knew.

The world is, Dino, I know there is no clear distinction between bad people and good people like there is for a Hunter, and evil is not always judged by good.

Everything in this world, evil is black but good is white, no, I know it is gray.

The old woman and those who looked at them with awe were not "villains full of discrimination and prejudice."

Instead, they might be victims of their own Kurta brothers, who disguised themselves as victims, using the prejudice that "the outside world is full of discrimination and prejudice" as a shield.

They might not be the directly affected people, but the ancestors of the perpetrators and victims from long ago. Of course, the Kurta Tribe was not wrong; they might be one-sided victims.

The truth is, I do not know what happened. Because the truth is, even if you look at the same thing, it changes in all sorts of ways depending on who sees it.

"Get out of this town!!! Messenger of the Demon!!!"

"No, stop! Grandma, please stop!!"

"Get out!! Get out!!"

That is why Kurapika once bowed to the old woman, bowed to the people who tried to protect them, and tried to protect the Flame Soldier. The Ground Runner slightly and left the scene.

"Stop!! What is wrong, Grandma! Why do you say such terrible things!?"

While listening to the voice of the woman who seemed to be the granddaughter of the old woman protecting them.

The woman was scolded by the old woman, "What did you say!?"

"Indeed, there is something strange in his eyes, but he did nothing! Although he was angry and did things beneficial to himself, he kept enduring it!!

Of course I have heard of the Red Eyes monster, but no matter how you look at it, it is completely different! I am not an ordinary girl, just because her eyes are a bit strange, so I only think of her friends!!"

In the eyes of the younger generation, the story of the "Red Eyes Demon" is presumably just an ordinary old story used to discipline children.

Even if someone with different eye colors really appeared, the old woman and her granddaughter had already seen and lived in a completely different world, making it difficult to view them as "monsters."

A person with changeable eye colors must be very rare to her, but that is all. He is nothing more than a rare human.

Perhaps it is because of my ignorance that I do not know the damage that is happening.

Even if they really knew that the Kurta were some kind of perpetrators, there is no guarantee they could say the same thing, and Kurapika and the others would not be willing either.

That is why this alone is enough.

"I'm sorry! Grandma, I'm truly sorry!!"

Even if only for a short time, they viewed us as "human," denied that we were "monsters," protected us, and apologized for rejecting us.

"……Kurapika. I'm sorry."

"This is not the fault of the Flame Soldier."

"Yes…… Hey, Kurapika."

"Hm?"

"……It would be good to be able to go outside."

"…………Yes."

This seemed to be a happy ending.

＊＊＊

"Kurapika, I grant you permission to go outside indefinitely!"

The sudden words caused a stir among the surrounding fellow clansmen, but Kurapika himself, who had the verdict delivered to him, was the most unable to understand it.

Because Kurapika had honestly reported everything that happened during the final exam, I thought she would fail.

If he had remained silent, he might have passed.

Because Kurapika and the Flame Soldier were supposed to have used eye drops for the test; if their eyes turned Scarlet within 24 hours after activation, the color would not return. These were the Flame Soldier's own eye drops, so if he had kept quiet, Kurapika would not have discovered that his eyes had turned Scarlet.

However, Kurapika chose to confess honestly.

This was not a matter of common sense, but a kind of unknown anxiety.

Kurapika thought that the Scarlet Eyes in the town were visible, and that it was visible where he was going; the "humans full of discrimination and prejudice" that the elders feared might come to the village. If possible, it would be best to move the village.

After the Elder received the report, he consulted with other adults and decided to migrate, while telling Kurapika that he had passed the exam and allowing him to go out indefinitely; Kurapika could not understand it either.

"Wait a minute! Could it be a nice-looking exile!? I'm not joking! Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes were originally caused by Elder Gisama—this isn't because I tried to fix it!!"

It was not Kurapika who was dumbfounded, but the hot-blooded mother who lashed out at the Elder.

The father finally managed to calm the mother, who was about to hit the Great Elder with Red Eyes, but he also glared at the Elder with Scarlet Eyes and asked: "What does this mean!?"

As parents, their behavior was natural.

The reason was of course Kurapika, but the reason Kurapika couldn't stand it was that the Elder used despicable means to try to disqualify him; no matter how worried he was, he couldn't forgive it. I cannot forgive the punishment of exiling myself with beautiful words.

"It is not unreasonable to think so, but this was not my intention. As you said, the one who was wrong was not Kurapika, but me, for using despicable means to persuade him to give up when I could not persuade him with words.

However, even if they knew that the fist of anger that made them abandon the land was not aimed at me, but at me, there might be some people who would try to strike at Kurapika, a child who is easier to shake than me. In that case, not only Kurapika, but even the person holding the grudge would not be saved.

It was Kurapika who decided that it would be more convenient for the two of us to go out for a while, so that Kurapika would not be able to vent his dissatisfaction.

I am sorry, this is no different from expulsion, but I am not telling you never to return to the village. I will tell you where to move, and if I buy you a Mobile Phone, you won't have to worry about not knowing where your new village is.

……While I am alive, I will bear all the grievances of making you give up this land, and I will not be beaten by you, so you go out for a while, can you give me that?"

The Elder fully accepted the anger of Kurapika's parents and spoke the true meaning of the indefinite leave.

Admittedly, the final result was close to expulsion, but Kurapika not only confessed to Kurapika's family but also to other fellow clansmen that he had used despicable means to disqualify Kurapika. Lip service.

The parents were convinced of this and put down their spears, but Kurapika was unconvinced and said: "Elder Gisama, is this really okay?" he asked.

"Because my eyes are Scarlet……"

"……The reason we Kurta are feared is not only because of our eyes, but also because if we lose our minds due to anger, we can release power many times stronger than outsiders, and we have a belligerent personality. Many."

Even if your eyes turn Scarlet, rather than succumbing to anger and rage, if you can suppress your anger, as long as you wear colored contact lenses, there will be no problem in the outside world."

To Kurapika's words, the Elder answered sullenly, as if very reluctantly.

Kurapika remembered that answer.

It was on the way home, the Ground Runner talking slightly to the Flame Soldier on top.

If he hadn't passed this exam, he would have had to say he didn't want to go out anymore. They were waiting for me there.

That was not a word of encouragement.

This was the Flame Soldier's true intention; Kurapika's failure was absolutely unacceptable, so the Flame Soldier must have negotiated directly with the Elder after Kurapika's report.

If the Elder hadn't become Kurapika's partner, and together with the adults and thugs in the town, tried to unfairly disqualify Kurapika, he would have been disqualified at the last minute and only received a down payment; such things could not be avoided, but the more he endured, the more he encountered unreasonable trouble, the Scarlet Eyes that should have been avoided.

It was precisely because Kurapika endured the Scarlet Eyes, and precisely because he did not use violence, that some even said: "Those children are not bad!" Because of this, honestly, he didn't want to let go. The fellow clansmen resented it because he didn't know what was going on, gave up, and this was the result.

Realizing this, he could actually go out, or rather, he was in a situation where he could not return to his home or village for the time being, but even so, Kurapika accepted that the dream of being able to go out was a reality……

"Flame Soldier!!"

I have the same dream, it is the huge power of my dream, protecting me again and again.

The overjoyed Flame Soldier forgot that his legs were broken and hugged him, and the two of them rolled over on the spot, but both realized they had fallen and were covered in grass and mud.

"Well done, Kurapika!"

"Yeah…… Yeah!! Thank you, Flame Soldier! It's all because of you!!"

Seeing the children laughing so happily, their parents, and other fellow clansmen who were dissatisfied with the Elder's decision, even the Elder couldn't help but smile.

The two looked very happy.

So dazzling, letting them head straight for their dreams.

Kurapika had already forgotten his troubles in that small town.

I forgot why I was so afraid of those thugs, why I was happy to be able to return to the village, and my nostalgia and guilt for the Flame Soldier.

I only remembered the blue of the sky and a smiling person, similar to that kind of beauty.

Although I don't know who he is, I will never forget him.

Forever, never forget.

＊＊＊

A few days later, while the preparations for the entire village's migration were completed, the preparations for Kurapika's departure were also completed.

They were people who had been persecuted by the Ida for hundreds of years and continued to survive by running and hiding. Completed during that period.

Kurapika did not go to the new village as he is now, but instead began his journey; however, I had of course correctly told Kurapika where to move, and I had also bought a Mobile Phone, so I would not be unable to return to a new village whose location I did not know.

It is very lonely to abandon the land where one was born and raised, and Kurapika also felt guilty for his own reasons; I am looking forward to it."

I do not think my mother's personality means she cares, but I think she is quite ordinary, yet her sense of guilt vanished, and I said, "I hope this is a good place," to see me off.

"Kurapika"

"Flame Soldier!"

Kurapika ran to his good friend who had come to see him off and exchanged a few words.

This is not goodbye. This is a promise to continue dreaming the same dream.

"Flame Soldier!!"

"Then let's travel together next time!!"

Hearing Kurapika's words, Flame Soldier seemed speechless.

"... Yes!!"

"I promise."

Flame Soldier does not remember what caused his eye and leg problems, but judging from Kurapika and his surrounding environment, it is very likely that Kurapika's eye and leg problems were related long ago.

However, since Kurapika is his best friend, he certainly would not think that Kurapika hurt him out of mischief or carelessness. If the cause were so direct, then guilt would make this serious good friend even more servile toward Flame Soldier.

Perhaps it is because he was protecting Kurapika or something similar, so Flame Soldier almost arrived at the correct answer.

So Kurapika's words made me very happy.

"Kurapika... I am glad you are looking for a doctor. I am truly glad, but... the reason we want to head out into the world is... D. Dino, you have read Hunter, right?"

If Kurapika looking for a doctor were merely a sense of guilt, I would not let him heal his eyes and legs and go on a trip with him.

You should say, "Find a doctor and bring him along."

First of all, if the friendship between Kurapika and Flame Soldier were based on guilt, he would not have chosen Flame Soldier as his partner for the final exam. Even if you do not feel this is an Obstacle, you should worry about what would happen if Flame Soldier's eyes and legs became worse because of you.

"Because we want to have that kind of adventure, we want to enjoy the outside world to the fullest, right?"

"... Yeah. Yeah!! That's right!!"

However, Kurapika did not have the thought of becoming a stumbling block; he showed Flame Soldier the "outside world" for a while.

He told me that even if he failed the exam, he would not regret it.

"So Kurapika, promise me."

This is not a sense of guilt. He protected me. He relies on me. Flame Soldier made a promise to Kurapika because he shares the same dream.

"When Kurapika returns, I will only ask one question."

"Was it fun? I will ask you that, so you can answer 'yes' from the bottom of your heart!"

He said that from now on, he wants to live happily and not be bound by the guilt he feels toward himself.

"Oh, I promise!"

Kurapika responded to his best friend's wish with a smile that made him want to cry.

Satisfied with that smile, Flame Soldier also nodded with the same smile.

Even Kurapika did not know if Flame Soldier's extra words were to cover up the awkwardness of being unable to see his best friend for a while, or simply out of curiosity, wanting to see a side of his best friend for the first time.

"Ah, right, Kurapika. Almost forgot."

"? What?"

Ground Runner slightly Flame Soldier stopped Kurapika from getting on Flame Soldier, then ran to Kurapika's side and whispered in his ear.

"Kurapika. If you find me, let me get to know you well. I will fall in love with Kurapika, fall in love with someone as beautiful as the blue sky."

"!!? No, no! Flame Soldier! What are you saying!?"

Kurapika's eyes suddenly turned bright red, the black and white of his eyes distinct for no reason.

"Hm? Right? Kurapika, I have never seen you, but you are as beautiful as the blue sky; if you shape happiness into that form, no matter what you think, you will definitely become that person. Regarding this, you can only think that you like that person—"

"Wow!! Wow wow wow wow!! Flame Soldier! No matter how you say this to others, I will not forgive you!!"

As expected, I knew he was embarrassed, so I said it in a voice only Kurapika could hear, but even so, I raised my voice so that his parents, especially his mother who has a strong sense of humor, could not hear. Kurapika was teary-eyed and angry.

Perhaps feeling he had gone too far, although he apologized with "sorry, sorry," Flame Soldier was laughing very happily, so it was not convincing, and Kurapika glared at him with a gloomy face.

I really feel sad about this, but I cannot help but see Flame Soldier laughing happily.

Is this best friend stoic, and in some way, is he more childish than others of his generation?

Flame Soldier is similar, so I thought I was not qualified to say, but I got it from Sheila. D. Dino, even as a Hunter, has no interest in love stories, so I was actually a bit suspicious; the curiosity about it piqued my interest, and I feel like a parent wanting to support him.

However, no matter how much I calm down and think about it, that "person like the blue sky" is not an opponent that can be supported.

That is because Kurapika himself claims he has never seen that "person like the blue sky," and it is very likely an imaginary person.

Even Kurapika probably knows he is saying something that can only be considered crazy.

Despite the fear that Flame Soldier would ask him: "Kurapika, are you okay?"

When Flame Soldier was insulted, it was also thanks to that "person like the blue sky"; although his eyes were scarlet, he did not resort to violence.

He did not stop, nor did he reproach, nor did he blame; he just asked calmly and sadly: "Would that make you happy?"

"... I think what I said is a bit strange. But... I cannot believe that person is a fictional character I created myself."

"I want to see that person."

Because Kurapika said it so sadly.

So Flame Soldier believed it.

That person exists.

I will definitely meet Kurapika.

This is reason enough.

"Sorry, sorry, Kurapika, sorry."

Even Kurapika knows.

No matter what you think, they are saying crazy things, but because they believe in that person's existence and think they can meet, they say, "If you find me, let me see you." Know.

This is also the reason why Kurapika usually wants to pester him more, but pestering him to go on a trip is really too much, so he pulled himself together and decided to forgive him.

"... If you talk to someone else, I will absolutely not let you see me."

"Haha, yeah, I understand. This is a secret between me and Kurapika."

However, I did not forget to remind myself.

The Flame Soldier responded to the reminder, mocking his best friend, who felt embarrassed by such a topic, even though he had never met the other party and he likely did not exist.

Perhaps finally feeling relieved, Kurapika greeted his family and other close friends before packing his luggage. The Ground Runner moved slightly.

He announced in a loud voice that the whole forest could hear while he ran.

"I'm coming!!"

I will definitely come back.

She yearned for the outside world, but even if the place she should return to was not this forest, but where the Kurta people lived.

Kurapika left, declaring the land where the Kurta people lived as the home he should return to.

The only thing my heart was filled with was hope for the future.

Everything seemed bright and shining.

I had no doubt that this happiness would last.

I had no worries.

Even with the scarlet eyes, I could control my own anger.

Even as one person, one could get rid of the prejudice against the Kurta Tribe.

My compatriots would migrate and would not fall into danger because of their own faults.

The desperate future of losing and being deprived of everything I worried about was avoided.

So I believe I will be happy from now on.

Even if you don't have a life with big highlights and excitement like a story, you can obtain an irreplaceable gem of happiness because it is small.

Compatriots, family, and friends.

—And her...

"I don't think so."

"Hm?"

A person stood at the end of the road, and I hurriedly pulled the reins. The Ground Runner stopped slightly.

I don't know him.

He was wearing traditional Kurta clothing, but he was a completely strange opponent.

... I don't remember. Even though I shouldn't... Kurapika felt he knew who he was.

Another person with the same blonde hair as me, with chains wrapped around his right hand, lowered his head and said Kurapika, expressionless.

"I wish I didn't remember anything. If I were just uncomfortable with the blank, the emptiness, and the void, that would be better.

If I could stop it with my own power, I could have forgiven him. If you could hear the Flame Soldier's voice, if you stopped because you remembered your parents, then I would understand."

That person approached Kurapika while muttering incomprehensible things.

I don't know what you are talking about. I don't understand what you mean.

Kurapika knew nothing, even though he shouldn't understand nothing.

I don't know what that means. I don't understand. But this is what I know.

I only know that he is condemning himself, Kurapika.

"If I didn't remember anything, I wish I didn't remember. If I didn't know, I could have forgiven and convinced myself that I had no choice but to give up!!"

The stranger with chains reached out to condemn Kurapika.

He placed both hands on Kurapika's neck.

"Ah... ugh..."

I cannot Escape. This is inevitable.

Pushed by the opponent's spirit, Kurapika Ground Runner slightly you can also run Ground Runner slightly I couldn't even get rid of it, and I was strangled just like that.

Kurapika's neck was gripped by a member of the Kurta Tribe, who was staring with deep red eyes that were about to turn into blood and tears, reproaching Kurapika.

"You are! Because of her, I was happy!! I didn't lose anything!!

So there's no need to pull the trigger again!! The hammer won't fall!! You... you used her to please yourself, but because of that... this is the reason for her!!"

I still don't understand what you are talking about.

But I knew who you were talking about from the beginning.

Never lose, never forget the blue sky of happiness itself.

This person thought of her and reproached Kurapika for it.

Decided on the punishment for Kurapika and executed it.

"... Hey, if tragedy is the opening line of a happy ending... if you must pull the trigger called tragedy to drop the hammer leading to happiness..."

The arbitrator and executioner cried and asked the sinner.

"Her tragedy, unable to find salvation, will it one day end happily?"

"!?"

Kurapika jumped up and grabbed his neck.

Of course, there were no hands strangling my neck.

However, breathing is difficult.

Kurapika still feels as if someone is strangling him, his breathing obstructed, but what truly unsettles Kurapika is something else entirely.

"... Is that... me?"

A strange compatriot who suddenly appeared in a dream five years ago.

That was absolutely the current Kurapika.

Except for the Chain on his right hand, he appeared in what could be called his current form, condemning and criticizing his childhood self, preparing to hang him with his own hands... It was less hatred, and more, a profound remorse. I clearly remember being filled with

"... What was that dream?"

Baffled by an incomprehensible confusion, Kurapika got out of bed and took a plastic bottle of water from the built-in mini-fridge to quench his thirst.

While drinking, he remembered.

I want to find someone in the outside world who has almost vanished from my memory.

For the first time in a long while, Kurapika thought of a person whose smile was as beautiful as the blue sky, a person he considered the very source of his happiness.

I remember, and realize that this is an incomprehensible dream.

(... Why would I blame her former self?

It would be fine to just blame him for forgetting her completely... But why would he pay so much to "remember" her...)

That dream wasn't after I went out, but when I look back at that time, in those wind-tossed and rain-beaten days where I had nowhere to turn, I had almost forgotten that person... the results of the exam to go outside. If it is because of guilt for forgetting the benefactor who I think triggered the most correct and best result, then there is almost nothing strange, only that dream. I, Kurapika, did not forget her; rather, my original self remembered her... blaming myself for being able to control my own anger thanks to her.

Come to think of it, if the current me feels guilt for having forgotten something, naturally I would be scolded by my old self, so everything in that dream is strange.

"... This is stupid. Dreams are usually contradictory and meaningless."

Thinking of this, Kurapika shook his head to forget his dream.

This makes no sense. However, I was told this was a dream I saw because the fragments of memory my brain tucked away to organize my memories just happened to connect together.

Kurapika pretended not to notice; the more he thought about it, the more he suffocated, feeling an inexplicable yet profound anxiety on the day of the exam.

I told myself to go to sleep now.

I went out and discovered that the eyes and feet of the Flame Soldier were not difficult to treat, but I also learned that treating them would cost a lot of money.

So I resolved to become a Professional Hunter to get the medical expenses, where I met two children who were like me before and a student with a similar motive for applying, all of whom passed the exam and became friends.

I plan to meet them at the airport tomorrow and invite them to Kurta Village. Kurapika had a strange dream, told himself he was sorry for the lack of sleep, and returned to bed.

... Recalling the memories of the five years I was allowed to go out only amplified my inexplicable anxiety.

Not just anxiety, but a pain that makes you want to cry emerged as well.

Kurapika does not know what anger and self-reproach made him want to strangle himself, just as he did in that dream.

Even if she, his Conscience, forgives him, he himself will not.

Until now, I have been trying to look away from the contradiction, trying my best not to notice, but I will not let this world turn into a lucid dream where everything can be rewritten at will.

I tell you, this is absolutely a reality for you, and for me.

I will show you the world that could have existed.

A world where the trigger was not pulled, the hammer was not dropped, the trigger was not pulled.

"!?... What!?"

I was about to roll up the sheets and go back to sleep.

A small Spider was crawling around on my bed.

It was a tiny spider. Even including its leg length, it was not much longer than Kurapika's small fingernail, and it didn't even count as a poisonous spider. On the contrary, they are common little spiders that can be found anywhere, classified as beneficial insects.

However, Kurapika's vision was dyed a bright red.

Heat gathered in my eyes, and a Burning, Burning hatred emerged in my mind.

I suddenly had the urge to smash this spider and burn it, to wipe it from my sight, but at the same time, I didn't even want to touch it with a Finger, feeling it was too disgusting, so I stood up.

Kurapika could not understand this impulse, disgust, and hatred, fearing the spider and himself, and backed away.

Kurapika grew up in the forest, so he generally doesn't mind insects. I am used to dealing with deadly poisonous insects, as long as I am not stung by them, and they gather in large groups where there is nowhere to escape, so I do not lose my cool.

Of course, there are spiders in the forest of the Kurta settlement. It is also a normal-sized spider, looking about ten times larger than this little spider, and it preys on poisonous insects, so unless it is in a very annoying place, it is left to coexist outside the nest.

So, although it is strange to feel such disgust, I cannot understand why I harbor hatred toward a spider.

To the incomprehensible Kurapika, the adjudicator Kurapika tells you.

"Although I remember her, Spider, do you think it is acceptable to pretend it is convenient to forget?"

The me reflected in the hotel window told the startled Kurapika that I was going to vomit.

Without a doubt, it is yourself. Not the me of five years ago, but the me of now.

The only difference is that the right hand is wrapped with multiple Chains to bind oneself.

"You have no reason to hate Spiders, no reason to hate them. But without this, you could not have avoided making a mistake that day.

Your happiness was obtained because of the tragedy of that day, but you... you used the happiness you shouldn't have obtained, and didn't lose anything!

... So, she bore so much tragedy all alone!!"

Forced by the words in the mirror, Kurapika took another step back.

Condemnation, he stepped across the window glass.

Kurapika let out a short scream and rushed out of the room, while the other person, the adjudicator and executioner, Materialized.

Although he had not yet developed his own ability, since he had completed the Training of "Nen", Kurapika thought he was the result of someone's Nen Ability.

Of course, in the middle of the night, he and the Flame Soldier should know about her, and he did not know who would attack him with nonsense.

Kurapika rushed out of the hotel, not knowing that the dream had not ended, as if for atonement.

Even though I was running on a well-maintained, ordinary city road, my legs were as Heavy as if in mud, and I could not run well. Kurapika fell into a nightmarish situation, not realizing it was a dream, and he fled from the self who was not running, but only walking slowly.

I don't even know why I am fleeing from myself.

I did not realize that I was looking for you instead of running away.

Kurapika did not realize that he was currently searching for the person he should have met four years ago.

I did not notice it, clutching it tightly.

If the tragedy of that day was the trigger that dropped the hammer to gain happiness... then I think I can become the hammer now too.

He gritted his teeth, lifted his Heavy legs, struggled to avoid drowning, and fell again and again before climbing back up.

"!? "

In front of such a Kurapika, I appeared holding chains, whether by passing through it at some point, or just appearing here.

As usual, he was glaring at Kurapika, his deep red eyes filled with hatred and remorse, making him shed tears of blood, but this time, he silently raised his shackled right hand and pointed...

He pointed to a narrow, filthy alley.

I could see the person standing behind it.

Pure white hair hung down his back like an old man whose hair had grown to his chest.

Under the moonlight, a thin man and a tall woman's physique stood alone.

Just like waiting for someone.

"A..."

Kurapika unconsciously looked back to ask if that "someone" was the girl he was looking for, but there was no one there.

What puzzled Kurapika was that the person chasing him, the person who had been chasing him, was gone.!" started running.

His feet no longer had the weight of sinking into the mud.

Gently go find the person you are looking for, sinner Kurapika, he muttered to himself, the chains behind him making a faint clicking sound.

"It's impossible for me"

Kurapika did not notice.

Because of her white hair, I could not see her.

I did not notice what was wrapped around its head.

"Wait..."

I cannot call out a name I should not know but have never forgotten.

The moment Kurapika ran past the alley and stepped into the plaza where she stood, he heard the sound of a puddle being stepped on.

Looking back, she was as beautiful as I remembered.

She said, beautiful and innocent.

"...... Who?"

The innocent child asked curiously with a unique voice that both boys and girls could hear.

Under the moonlight, in the center of the open space behind the alley, many human organs were scattered, as if swimming in a sea of blood, eyes tightly closed by bandages————

She smiled.

Her face wore an innocent, naive, broken smile.

"Despair is the name of the hammer that dropped the trigger of your tragedy."

Some were men, some were women.

Some remains looked like old people, while others looked like they belonged to young children.

Although they were disjointed, they retained their strange human archetypes.

The severed heads were so beautiful it was as if they hadn't been chopped up like dolls, but were remains cleared away like that from the start, floating in a pool of blood as if the entire plaza had turned into a pond.

Standing in the center of this hellish scene, the woman with her eyes tightly closed and bandages wrapped around her body... only her feet were stained with blood; from the side, it looked as if she had nothing to do with these remains.

He was empty-handed, no weapons could be seen, and both eyes were bandaged.

Kurapika knew it was impossible for them to have no connection.

I knew that no one but her could have created this hell.

But at the same time, I knew it was impossible for her to do such a thing.

Because she... she...

"What's wrong? It's dangerous to go out alone at night like this."

Kurapika was speechless after stepping into the pool of blood.

Being treated like a small child was annoying, but the voice Kurapika was familiar with was truly worried about us, making her approach and wave her hand.

"!? "

In a state of paralysis, Kurapika desperately tried to escape his hand.

Having been avoided, she tilted her head again, wearing another innocent smile, looking very happy.

"Aha! You're amazing, this is the first time for me, a child who has been so cautious from the very beginning."

I wish it were a lie. Although my heart was screaming impossible, I simply affirmed the reason my survival instinct moved my body and laughed.

Kurapika did not want to believe it.

This scene, her every move, she... how could she have become like this?

"... You... are you?"

I did not want to believe it, but I could not take my eyes off it. Kurapika could not do it, so Kurapika felt as if his heart were being stabbed by a knife just saying a word, and asked.

"... You... killed him?"

"? These things? Yes, yes. I killed them."

Suddenly, she replied that she was the creator of these remains, seemingly reaching out to show off.

Kurapika asked another question, suppressing the desire to cry upon hearing this answer.

"... Why... did you kill me?"

"Why... yes... why?"

Trying to answer the second question as nonchalantly as before, she tilted her head again and asked Kurapika.

"... Why... I don't know why?... I feel there is a reason I must kill you... but I don't know. But... I must kill you, so I must kill you, but why do you want to kill me?"

While muttering to herself and trying to answer Kurapika's question, this connection was severed even before and after my own story; I had no idea what he was saying or what he meant to say.

In a sense, he showed a reaction like a madman who could be understood well enough to be serious, but he stopped trying to answer Kurapika's question and was more like he was asking himself.

Even in the face of a reaction Kurapika did not see, Kurapika did not run away.

However, as soon as possible, that body... he wanted to hold her, looking down blankly, as if frightened by something, as if regretting something. Asking again.

"... Why do you want to kill me?"

I could have been killed.

If it were her, I could commit suicide. I think I should have been killed.

It is impossible to be forgiven, everything is my fault, so if suicide could save her even a little, that would be fine.

But her answer was...

"Because I am still alive."

Unlike the previous question that even he could not understand, he answered this question nonchalantly in today's weather, not blaming Kurapika's mistake, but saying it as a matter of course, and then waved his hand again.

I pointed my empty hand at Kurapika.

They were not using their eyes and throats, but their hands to pierce their shoulders and abdomens, not even putting on "Goo" or "Hard," so they tried to pierce them while completely defenseless. Not. Even if one does not know "Hatsu," it is an attack that would usually hurt the other's fingers.

But Kurapika knew.

This hand was absolutely normal. Just an ordinary... soft, warm, weak, and delicate hand that had become smaller than mine.

But what I tried to pierce with my hand, what I saw from behind those bandages, was inevitable death.

It is natural to be Together with you, but you cannot accept it, everyone is running away.

I knew that was "Death" itself, which took away the future of heaven, hell, reincarnation, etc., and plunged headlong into the beginning and the end.

Precisely because of this, the same primitive survival instinct scolded those legs that had given up due to primitive fear, and only then did I barely dodge this completely unpredictable thrust.

Dodging, not an instinct for survival, but ignoring the command to "run away."

Reach out, grab it hard, tear it off and remove it.

Just like the person I hated most that day.

Just like my nemesis, I just asked.

It could be the beautiful color of the sky, or the color of the night sky, it must be shining somewhere, not Pitch Darkness.

I looked into her eyes and removed the bandages.

... I thought if I had that, I would still be in time.

I believe I can recreate the encounter and redemption that should have happened four years ago.

............ But what is there—

".............. Why............"

What fell from Kurapika's mouth was nothing but a struggle.

The truth is, I know without asking anyone.

There, the blue sky where I saw the faces of my kin, the night sky that would not give up no matter how much despair I faced... Kurapika, who sincerely hoped for Kurapika's happiness, hope, belief, looking into her eyes......... nothing.

There were only two Imaginary Uro, Pitch Darkness so deep it made you feel it was bottomless, opening their mouths.

Even though Kurapika forcibly tore the bandages off her, she did not react, grabbing Kurapika's shoulder and pulling her down.

Not until she pulled the prey down, pinned it, and kept it from escaping, did she realize her bandages had been removed; she touched her own face, touched her empty eye sockets, and muttered.

"--Ah, is that so?"

Although I knew it from the beginning, those eyes were a barrier, and crushing them was meaningless. Even though she knew things would get worse, she still held onto a glimmer of hope.

Because I am sane, I cannot bear it. No encounter can be the Root of redemption and madness. Nevertheless, she still could not give up.

"... I thought if I killed them all... if there were no living things... this time... I wouldn't see anything... so I killed them."

So, even in this world, she could only collapse.

I had no purpose, no reason, no meaning, but I could not let go of my primary wish, "I don't want to die."

Knowing everyone was by her side, knowing she could not escape, she struggled to get away from her, even a little more, wanting to live for her, everything was logical, every living thing was a stumbling block.

The "life" that showed her the "end" had already destroyed her... but the thing that should have been destroyed most, the thing that could be relieved as long as it was broken, did not break.

This is the only thing she has always Stick to, whether here or anywhere else.

"... Ah, you are an idiot... I... have already... no meaning... but..."

Kurapika's question made her release the emptiness she had Seal in her struggle, so she remembered.

Even if I forget, I must protect, even if I am broken, I must protect, remembering what led me to destruction, she looked at Kurapika, tears could not even flow from her empty eyes, smiling and looking at Kurapika as if she were about to cry.

"... I who killed people can no longer kill me, I died long ago."

Smiling, she prepared a piercing hand more cruel than the Death God's scythe.

Not for Kurapika, but for myself.

"! What!?"

Kurapika twisted and crawled up.

"What?" It sounds silly. I know very well what you want to do.

I remembered something I could not let go of even if it were broken. If you have already sobered up, then it is over.

Because she is Kurapika's "Conscience," she will not agree to Kurapika's spoiled wish.

At this rate, I cannot prove what I have done and everything I have lived. It is broken again, and will not do what it has not seen.

Endless cruelty, innocence, and the path Kurapika chose, somewhere in a different world, whether in front of Kurapika or in a place he does not know, she will always have an unchanging "end," "end."

To make things easier, do not end it because you give up, but rather to punish yourself for being unforgivable, do not kill anyone else. I understand what you want to do.

I have no choice but to do this. Otherwise, she would only kill the whole world, or even kill a god, and I can only continue to commit crimes... So I know that for her, I have no choice but to end it all.

Even so... it is still Kurapika...

"Stop!! Sora!!"

Even if I hadn't seen him, I couldn't forget him, couldn't let him go.

Because I wish for him to live, no matter what sins he carries.

And so I reached out and grabbed it.

＊＊＊

"? Kurapika?"

Blue eyes reflected me.

In his eyes, I was completely exhausted.

In my own hands, my wrists were held firmly, as if they would break at a single grasp.

There were no pools of blood, no human remains.

It was not a Death God with hollow eye sockets staring at him, nor was it he himself, the arbiter and executioner, but an anxious, familiar peer.

"Kurapika, are you okay? Do you want some water?"

"I am confused, but are you alright?"

I knew Senritsu and Leorio were worried about me and were watching the situation, but I couldn't answer anything.

The only one whose thoughts still blurred the line between dream and reality was her, the person she had been looking for, the person she could not find, the person who should have borne all the tragedy because she could not meet her. I am watching.

Likewise, that person also wanted to keep staring blankly at Kurapika, but after a few seconds of eye contact, she... Sora started to smile.

She said to Kurapika that Kurapika looked like a lost child, and the smile was as bright as the blue sky; it was pure happiness.

"... Welcome back, Kurapika."

Leorio and Senritsu couldn't help but widen their eyes this time, looking at the person who said "Welcome home" instead of "Good morning."

Leorio was startled by these out-of-place words and was about to say, "Were you asleep?"

"... I'm home."

In my mind, I still did not know the difference between dream and reality.

This is why Kurapika spoke. I did not answer out of a conditioned reflex because I was half-asleep and did not understand what the other person was saying, but clearly and explicitly said "I'm home," it was voluntary.

This is the world you should return to.

Even if this were a dream, Kurapika still chose it.

The world where the tragedy known as the Kurta Massacre occurred.

The world where I met Sora.

For this reason, I pull the trigger, the hammer falls, and I strike the final blow.

The dream of "if the Kurta Tribe had not been massacred," he killed it with his own hands.

Because of that tragedy, I obtained happiness.

And happily ended the future dream choice with her.

People are always looking for tragedy.

The story is, of course, the same as a real story.

I lived a happy life without any misfortune.

No one asks for such a story.

I am always looking for someone's misfortune, sadness, and despair.

I believe in looking for unhappiness, sadness, and despair,

and then standing up from there to continue moving forward.

I believe tragedy is the prelude to a happy ending.

I believe nightmares will always wake you up. No one wants

an ordinary, ordinary, ordinary happy life, but I have always dreamed of an ordinary, ordinary, ordinary happy ending. This is why I am wiping my feet. In a world that will one day come to an end, even when facing countless tragedies, misfortunes, sorrows, and despair, I believe I will strive to get through it, survive, and finally reach it. Everyone dreams of it.