The Worldview Where Everyone is Destined to Die

Chapter 28: What happened at the Thanksgiving Festival (3)

His hair, which was always neat, was a bit messy, but there wouldn't be many people in the academy of this size and strength.

"Arthur."

I heard that the pain spread; then why did he come out here? I followed Arthur's lead and left the crowd, half surprised and half confused.

"Wait now; Theodore is--"

"..."

It was when I turned around to see Theodore, whom we had missed.

'...It hurts?'

Arthur grabbed my arm, not letting me go. It wasn't at the level of not letting go, but more like a warning grip.

"What is it?"

It is dangerous. This is dangerous. I kept thinking that way.

"..."

"Look now; it hurts."

Arthur supposedly complained about chest pain and a fever.

As long as he is human, he cannot be without a stable heart, so he might have a bit of a different situation from Theodore.

The physical defects of the people I killed in that strange dream are reflected in reality. However, the only cases that could be considered are those of Theodore and Judith because Arthur and Shirley had no changes.

There was one reason I could guess.

I pulled the trigger and killed two people, and the other two died by fighting amongst themselves. Could it be that this difference was caused by the fact that it was Shirley, not me, who caused the death of Arthur?

'So, of course, I thought they might be alright, but....'

I tried to find a way to escape from Arthur's grip, which was constantly tightening around my arm, but he relaxed his arms. As it became easier to pull, the grip around me turned weaker.

"We have to bring Theodore, too. I was talking just about you."

I continued to make excuses for Theodore and tried to avoid this situation as naturally as possible. Because somehow, it felt like I had to. Is this the survival instinct of a wild animal? For some reason, Arthur's gloomy eyes, which were odd, made me want to get away from this place right now.

"...Believe."

"Woahhh!"

"What?"

Arthur was mumbling something incoherently with excitement and fever, his eyes slightly dilated. Around the same time, the parade carriage carrying Shirley, the incarnation of Aegis, began to move.

Those unfamiliar with Shirley cheered at her majestic appearance, while those who knew her chuckled at the sight of her starving and looking sensitive. Arthur's words blended with the commotion.

However, I had a vague sense of what Arthur was trying to convey. This was being said from a close distance; there was no way I could misunderstand, right?nove(l)bi(n.)com

'Traitor? What does he mean...'

Taking one step forward, I could return to the noisy festival with everyone cheering. However, unlike the left half of my body in the light, the right half was tightly held by Arthur, almost being pulled into the shadows. How could such a completely different scene unfold with just one step?

Arthur avoided eye contact, looking at his toes and continuing to mumble something.

'Maybe I should have loaded it.'

Even if I reloaded the gun, I doubted Arthur would wait for me to act. I calmly followed Theodore, who had disappeared into the crowd. Theodore seemed to be swept away as well, looking troubled. Now, neither Enoch nor Theodore were close to me. The only people here were those who didn't care about me, Arthur, who had just called me a traitor.

"For now, Arthur, calm down. You seem to be speaking gibberish because you are sick."

"What are you up to again? No, here of all...."

"What do you even mean to say?"

Arthur shook his head, as if closing his eyes. He himself seemed confused. Then a thought occurred to me. Maybe this is the chance. If Arthur knew something that I didn't...

"I think you misunderstand something. I will not run, so tell me."

"Are you looking for a way out again?"

Every word and every little action displayed his anger.

The good news was that Arthur didn't make any moves as if he wanted to do something else, or maybe he just lost his reason.

To be accurate, it felt like a very angry Arthur and an angry Arthur were taking turns controlling the body.

"Calm down."

I took one step further into the darkness. As I entered the shadows of the bright street decorated with garlands, ribbons, and wreaths, the festive atmosphere instantly felt distant.

"...Yes, blessings."

The grumpy voice of Shirley could be heard, and the cadets smiled and cheered at the blessings she gave.

"Everyone, listen."

Shirley blessed them with an extremely condensed dialogue of 'I will bless you for the future' and 'never forget your origins.'

As the parade carriage made its way to the fountain, the crowd shifted direction, gradually moving away from us. It was then that Arthur seized the opportunity.

"Euk!"

Arthur headed toward the chapel, gripping me by the collar as if asserting his strength. I considered that my destination might change, but the reality remained the same.

"There might be cadets from the festival preparing for..."

The parade concluded with Aegis, who had blessed everyone at the central fountain, entering the chapel on the flower float. The colorful lights of the stained glass, emanating from the highest window of the chapel, illuminated the statue's head. The long black lily class choir, lined up on either side, sang. After the song, the incarnation of Aegis would light the first candle, transferring the flame to others, culminating in the extinguishing of the final torch in the parade.

"Bang!"

Betrayal struck. The entire chapel, which was expected to be lively, now stood silent and empty. Given the recent change in location, it was evident that the ceremony's venue had been changed. Unfortunately, I had no interest in the event and was unaware of the alteration, having been quarantined in the hospital wing before the festival began.

"Crack!"

Upon entering the chapel, Arthur swiftly grabbed my pistol from its holster.

I was immediately without weapons, so I raised both my hands to prevent the gun from being used on me.

"Now things are the worst."

Even the only final means to fight against Arthur got taken away. However, Arthur's condition when he took the holster was strange.

Although he had taken it with his own hands, he held it and released it like it wasn't his will.

"That..."

"...."

I was going to add a plea and reassure him, but I thought anything I did would only provoke him, and Arthur was already looking confused without me doing anything.

"Right, as long as he doesn't reload..."

But as if he read my thoughts, Arthur slowly pulled the gun from the holster. With those trembling hands, he found the bullets inside and began to reload them.

He turned the lever, opened the barrel, and put two bullets into the chamber.

"Shit...."

Since he had no reason to carry a gun, I hoped that he wouldn't know the details of it, but I guess not.

"You... cannot be... trusted."

Clack.

His hands moved in a clumsy way. It felt like he was following the actions of someone else, like copying them.

After he was done loading it, Arthur very carefully locked the barrel to prevent it from opening and then rubbed his finger over the lever.

Having watched the actions, I was sure that the Arthur in front of me was the 'different Arthur,' unlike when I doubted him.

"What do you know, Arthur? Where did you come from?"

The habit of rubbing the lever after fixing the barrel was something I did after I received my gun from my sister, Ruin Cruz.

The day I first got the gun as a gift, I was so nervous that I was holding the most deadly weapon in hand---one that could kill people, and that made me sweat.

After that, it turned into a habit to turn the lever to open the barrel and then wipe my fingers over it. And the fact that Arthur did it means...

"He saw me shoot a gun."

Although I was given the right to hold the gun, the academy didn't give me the right to use it until two days ago, when the beast attacked me. However, even if Arthur saw me do it, it would be difficult for him to notice this habit of wiping the lever.

The moment I reloaded, Arthur turned to me, and there was this demonic beast stuck there. For Arthur to see me that day, it is impossible unless he has some other supernatural power to look behind something.

"Well. I want to ask."

Clack.

Arthur slowly aimed the gun at me. Not just that, he even aimed it at my forehead.

'I wonder how many times he observed me firing the gun.'

My pistol had a short barrel with low accuracy. While I, as the owner, was aware of its limitations, it was unusual for Arthur, who primarily used a sword, to comprehend this. And then Arthur said,

"How did we return to the Aegis Academy?"

The mention of return' implied he had left. The notion caught me off guard. I hadn't entertained such thoughts. Despite our disparate origins, we all call the academy our home now. The imagery of flickering candles and tolling bells flashed through my mind.

"As expected... trying to figure out how to leave... No, this is sufficient."

"Just one."

The gun was drawn, ready to discharge at the squeeze of the trigger. Feeling helpless, I raised my hands and met Arthur's gaze.

"You labeled me a traitor. If I had done something betraying, does it mean we were in it together?"

Maintaining a composed demeanor meant showcasing courage. My heartbeat quickened as I observed Arthur, who showed no signs of relaxation.

"Haa."

Arthur cracked a semblance of a smile.

"Amusing. Arma Cruz, the <Traitor of Treason>."

Bang!

As Arthur uttered these words, fireworks erupted one after another, signaling the festival's conclusion.

"I will never forget its origins."

Shirley's voice echoed from a distance. The parade had evidently concluded. Strangely, it didn't feel real until her voice reached me. How can we describe this sensation of time elongating during moments of crisis? I witnessed remorse, regret, fear, and more on Arthur's face as he pulled the trigger.

'Fear...?'

Bang!

This marked the entirety of that fateful day's events. The reason I managed to recollect my memories, briefly overshadowed by shock, was the presence of Machina Christie right before me. Desperate to save me, she defied regulations, using divine power to intervene.