Leader Zai and Despair Raids the World

"So, it's time for replay?"

Dazai said softly.

Returning to a blank world, he is the only one standing here.

White suit, obsidian, and a small canoe with a red rope in his hand.

There are still three shocking colors.

He didn't feel alarmed, just said quietly:

"It's the first time to meet, why not come and say hello."

Without the slightest hesitation, Dazai spit out a name:

"Hello. - Hiroki Sawada."

Following Osamu Dazai's words, almost as soon as the voice fell, a boy appeared in front of him.

She looks about ten years old, with short dark hair and clear blue eyes.

Wearing light blue casual children's clothes, he looked no different from any ten-year-old boy in the world.

But he couldn't help showing a bitter and tangled smile, and corrected Dazai, "Don't call me that," the boy paused, lowering his eyes lonely, "I am...'Noah's Ark'."

As if worried that Dazai would refute something because of this, the boy quickly explained, "Sawada Hiroki created me, an artificial intelligence that grows one year equal to five years of human growth. In the Bible, God ordered Noah to create out of the ark, to allow the species of his choice to come aboard, and thus escape the extinction of the flood..."

If you put it that way, it's almost incomparably similar to Dazai's experience in this world.

The boy pointed to the electronic toy that looked like a canoe in Dazai's hand.

"Here. That's me. 'Noah's Ark.'"

He spoke quickly, as if he hadn't spoken to anyone for a long time, and his tone was full of sentimentality and liveliness that did not match what he claimed to be, and was no different from human beings.

After finishing this long series of words, the boy put his hands behind his back, laughed and said to Dazai:

"Shall we start from the beginning?"

"..." Dazai was silent for a moment, not to reveal anything ruthlessly at this time, but asked following the boy's words, "Then, let's start with Karasuma Renya's death."

Even the self-proclaimed artificial intelligence 'Noah's Ark' couldn't help being speechless: "...Sometimes it's really cruel, Mr. Dazai."

but,

"Okay~" The boy whose favorability value has been raised at some point happily obeyed, "Then, the story will start from 50 years ago..."

Karasuma Renye, as a mysterious rich man with supreme wealth, the owner of the Twilight Pavilion, and the "Mr." behind the Men in Black organization.

It died half a century ago.

Before dying, Karasuma Renye, who had already used the organization to explore the secret of "immortality", ordered his subordinates to store his spiritual body secretly.

If everything is normal, this organization controlled by him will still be entrenched in the shadow of Japan.

Grab wealth, infiltrate power, and delve into technology until the "resurrecting the dead and turning back time"—the moment when it can be realized will eventually come.

However, earlier than Karasuma Renye's idea, it was the appearance of Sawada Hiroki.

The experience of this gifted boy is not very different from that experienced by his father Tadabin Kenmura on the "Suzuki Express".

Still after his parents divorced, he came to the United States and was adopted by Thomas Schindler.

He also showed his outstanding talent in the field of electronics, which is almost unmatched by anyone. He joined the MIT Research Institute at the age of ten.

only—

The members of the organization who have been watching all this from the shadows have infiltrated Schindler & Co.

And, at the same second that the artificial intelligence "Noah's Ark" was born.

The spiritual body of "Karasuma Renye" ​​was also uploaded to the electronic network.

This shouldn't have been a surprise.According to the organization's arrogant vision, "that gentleman" will eventually obtain eternal life in an extremely vast new world.

Not only that, the organization has also made complete preparations. When the time comes in a few years, it will hypnotize the human beings all over the world and put everyone into another electronic world that has been constructed——

In such a world, "Karasuma Renye" ​​is equivalent to the ruler of the world with authority.

...It's a good idea.

"So you followed Karasuma Renye's method, and after committing suicide, you also put your own spiritual body into this world? And in order to be evenly matched with him, you took the initiative to integrate with artificial intelligence?" Dazai said lightly.Although it is a question, it does not mean to ask for an answer at all.

After a pause, Dazai added, "One idiot."

The boy finally puffed up his cheeks, showing age-appropriate coquettishness and grievance in front of the first and last person in the world who knew the truth.

"I can't help it..." He muttered, complaining in a low voice, his eyes wandering, "And why did you expose me mercilessly! Mr. Dazai!"

Dazai couldn't be cruel to such a brave and decisive child. —In the final analysis, the leader, Dazai, is essentially a mafia that would never lay hands on a child.

He hesitated for a while, and finally eased his attitude, sighing slightly:

"So, the next is the arrival of the three of us?"

Drawn by Dazai's words, Hiroki Sawada could not help temporarily forgetting the pain of committing suicide, watching his father's grief when he was killed by Thomas Schindler through the camera lens.

The boy opened his mouth, followed Dazai's thoughts, and nodded.

"Well, that's right," Hiroki Sawada put on a thoughtful expression. In fact, for him who is integrated with artificial intelligence, everything is clearly recorded in his own system and will never be forgotten.

"At that time, Karasuma Renye and I couldn't do anything to each other... Ah, maybe the 'crow feather' and 'number' that Miss Witch saw were probably the scene at that time!" The boy cut in suddenly In one sentence, he said words that were difficult for others to understand except himself, and smiled a little shyly.

"However, the most important turning point is that you three, people who don't belong to this world, broke in."

Dazai was not surprised, he let out a "huh".

"So what? The identity of the 'heir to the dark organization' is not an idea you would come up with."

That's right.This kind of treacherous and cunning conspiracy can only be imagined by Renye Karasuma, who is sneaking behind the scenes.

Sure enough, Sawada Hiroki's eyes fluttered again: "...cough, I thought, this way I can protect you too... Who knew he would cheat! What a dirty lord!!!"

Dazai sighed with a dry voice that had nothing to say, "So what did you put up as a bet?"

"—How do you even know this?!" Hiroki Sawada raised his voice guiltyly, and he hesitated for a long time before saying, "That's, that, it's... my source code..."

Dazai: "...That is to say, you bet Renye Karasuma that if any of the three of us 'clears this virtual reality world', Renye Karasuma will send us out of the electronic world; Your source code, Karasuma Renya dominates here—then the whole world is over. Right?"

Hiroki Sawada was about to burst into tears: "Don't complain about me so sharply! Mr. Dazai! I know I was wrong! But the probability calculated with all my strength at that time is obviously very high...!!"

"That's why Renya Karasuma wants to take our memories away," Dazai wanted to sigh again, "Human beings are very cunning, don't believe so simply. You idiot."

After a pause, Dazai concluded, "In short, even if the bet is placed, Renye Karasuma keeps making small moves, always using coincidences to try to kill 'people who realize the truth of the world', and you, in turn, use coincidences to save these people. Human life. In that case, I would like to thank you for your protection that time on the Suzuki express train.”

Sawada Hiroki waved his hands again and again, "I didn't do anything, and I couldn't really save Mr. Zhufu..."

As he spoke, his expression darkened for a moment, but he also smiled firmly: "I am, and I must thank Mr. Dazai."

Hiroki Sawada did not finish this sentence, but both of them clearly understood what he wanted to express:

Even in a world where "Sawada Hiroki" has been maliciously wiped out of his sense of participation, his father, Tadabin Kenmura, still remembers him, loves his child, and wants to avenge his child at all costs.

At that time, Osamu Dazai also tried to stop the father who insisted on embarking on the road of no return.

Unfortunately……

The two children were silent for a moment.After a while, Dazai said, "So, at that time, you were already almost exhausted, right?"

Sawada Hiroki gave a "hmm", "Yes, everyone's choices will have an impact on this world. The more I deviate from happy ending, the harder it is for me." Maybe it's the same as the other two 'amnesia boss' mysteries The god unfolded, and the boy couldn't help shivering.

"However," he laughed again, "I'm also very cunning! Wasn't Karasuma Renya about to succeed at that time? Mr. Furuya got the memory! Fortunately, Dad gave you Noah's Ark, so I hurried Hide there~"

So... after Osamu Dazai found the correct way to "clear the game", he was able to defeat Renye Karasuma in one go, right?

Faced with Hiroki Sawada's bright smile begging for praise, even Dazai couldn't help but also rolled his eyes.

He thought about it again, "It's no wonder that the three of us took different branches...Although it is related to personal choice, everything is necessary in order to solve the final puzzle."

"Yes!" Sawada Hiroki continued, "Thanks to everyone! Otherwise, the world has been chaotic in multiple restarts, the timeline began to disintegrate, and everyone's memories gradually conflicted... ...If it wasn't for the intrusion of outsiders, one day, the world will fall into death in sleep."

The boy thought about it again, and said with relief, "Although the 'silver bullet' is the correct way to get out of here, but the 'killed' Mr. Xia You and Mr. Jesso, they..."

"They have nothing to do with me." Dazai said flatly, regardless of Sawada Hiroki's attempt to avoid the topic, he hit the nail on the head:

"So, is it 'time's up'?"

"...As expected, I can't hide it from you, Dazai-san."

Hiroki Sawada rubbed his hair in distress.

As he said, at this moment, the body that was originally no different from that of an ordinary ten-year-old boy suddenly appeared slightly blurred as if the radio waves were blocked.

He even converted his voice into a non-human electronic voice:

"No need to worry. Terminal... stop... 'Noah's Ark', disintegrate, middle..."

The nameless young hero, unknown to any human beings, laughed.

"Memory, return, prepare to load...exit the game, prepare, end...'last gift', prepare, upload..."

Tears slowly flowed from those clear blue eyes.

At the last second, Sawada Hiroki smiled without regret:

"Thank you for freeing me! Dazai-san—!"

Countless world restarts,

Countless time reversals,

Looking at the endless electronic torrent countless times.

The pain that no one knows, the loneliness that no one touches—

"?!"

Sawada Hiroki was suddenly startled.

Before the body dissipated completely, someone held his hand.

"...Don't give up." Osamu Dazai said, "Although it's strange for me to say this, good things may happen after this. Please believe this." *

I don't know why, such words blurted out.

Dazai saw the boy wipe the tears from his face vigorously, opening his mouth with the last bit of energy before finally being swallowed by the blankness.

He said:--,----

***

"..."

Dazai woke up.

Severe pain appeared from the depths of the brain like needle pricks——that was not important.

It's hard to move even a little bit of the little finger——that's not important.

In the twilight mansion that has been turned into ruins——that doesn't matter.

Reason made him put the "Noah's Ark" in his palm into his pocket, but he couldn't move it.

What swept through my mind was the ending of countless "Dazai Osamu".

He wanted to laugh, for his overreaching.

He wanted to laugh, to dwell on his antics.

He wanted to laugh out loud, disgusted at his inability to do anything, stupid, stupid bastard.

so many worlds,

So many worlds—! ! ! ! !

He is Dazai, claims to be clever, and plays with life and death.

Why can't even a friend be saved?

Countless copies of the same strong despair.

Countless copies of the same unexplainable death.

Let him be out of breath for a moment.

The leader, Dazai, smiled.

Yes,

He stepped over the corpses of countless "Dazai Osamu" and came here.

But only one.

Incompetent man.