Chapter 81 It'S A Bit Disappointing, But...
"Return by Death" and "Dark Magic" define Nick's identity. It's a special skill that makes him unique and irreplaceable. If this offer had come before, Nick would have rejected it with a smile.
But now, there's no hesitation. For someone who couldn't do anything for decades, if [Return by Death] is the reason why he can't do anything for decades and spend his time in a pool of elixir, there's no reason to hold onto the past. Still, Nick finds it tough to give up on living, and making that decision isn't easy. If he's going to offer his soul (identity), he at least wants to survive.
"Okay, I'll transfer the skill. B-but please, at least spare my life...! I have a daughter, and I need to be there for her!"
In response to the desperate plea of a man mentioning his beloved daughter, Higashimura, after a moment of thought, let out a reluctant sigh and said, "Well..."
"I might not be able to promise, but I'll give you hope."
"...Hope?"
Higashimura opened the [Item Box] and put his empty left arm inside. Then, she threw the hands and legs she had taken from Nick into the pool.
"After I confirm the [Transfer] of skills, I'll drop you into this pool. If you manage to connect your hands and feet, you might survive. Is that okay? I won't interfere, and I promise not to directly kill you with my own hands."
"R-really...?"
"Well, if you have doubts, it's up to you. If you don't give me the skills, I'll take back your limbs and submerge them in the pool. That's the agreement."
"I trust you! Th-that's alright, please, anything like that!"
"I won't assist you in any way. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes!"
There's no other option but to believe here. Higashimura has done many terrible things until now. But there's one thing to hold on to. Despite having many phrases that could be misunderstood, this person has not told a single lie so far.
There might be something hidden in this suggestion. However, it's still a good idea to agree.
Swimming with only his upper body would be challenging. But, by using [Body Enhancement] and moving like crawling, it should be possible to regain the limbs over a long time. Once the limbs are recovered, they will connect through the elixir-filled pool.
"Look, then give it to me."
"Yes, as you say."
Following the instructions, Nick hands over [Return by Death] and [Dark Magic]. Higashimura nods in approval and then smiles.
"Oh, by the way, the liquid in this pool is not an elixir. It's just water."
"..................Huh?"
Water? So, if he falls into it like this...
"I don't know how you plan to connect your limbs, but well, good luck."
"Did you deceive me!?"
"No, I clearly said the 'right to soak in the pool for a hundred years,' right? Well, it's just a right, so if you want to do that, go ahead. But, I never mentioned that this is an elixir."
After looking closely, Higashimura was just talking about the idea of "Return by Death" and how elixirs don't really work to extend life. It was his mistake to think it meant "being completely absorbed in elixirs until death." But...
"In this situation, anyone would..."
When Nick protested, Higashimura responded with a bit of frustration.
"Well, even I can't make so many elixirs. It would need a lot of money, you know? Think about it properly, okay?"
"W-wait..."
"Well, even if you reset in this situation, you'll just come back here again. Either way, you're stuck. So, don't get angry."
In the end, he guided by this man. He made him imagine a sad future, then pretended to give him hope and convinced him to give up his skills... He gave in to fear and easily gave up his own identity.
A man who manipulates words and takes advantage of people's hope... Yes, it's not the current situation that's hopeless. It's probably the moment he became his target...
"Wait, wait..."
"Goodbye!"
As Higashimura said goodbye, he threw Nick into the pool.
The sound of water splashing echoed as Nick, without arms or legs, sank.
A strange feeling, different from the feeling of suffocation in the elixir tank.
Yes, a certain feeling of suffocation.
"G-glug, glug, glug, glug..."
Water entered his lungs.
Without limbs, there was nothing he could do but sink.
Nick's consciousness faded to black, and then—.
* * *
When Nick regained consciousness, he found himself back in that room.
The room with the tank of elixir.
His limbs were attached.
However, he couldn't move his body as he wanted.
But still, he was alive, and that alone was a relief.
In the end, was it Higashimura Tadayuki who saved him?
No, it must be.
Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense.
As Nick thought about why his life was not taken away...
The door opened, and a man entered. He was a big man.
"Oh, there's a good man here, just like that guy said!"
Somehow, Nick knew about the man. The other person was a well-known criminal who should be in jail.
——In a crime that was reported in the news, he only targeted white men.
"Hehe, it seems like you can't move. Hehehe..."
The man licked his lips and took out a small container from his pocket.
"According to that guy, this is a dangerous drug that even dragons would find irresistible. Hehehe, let's have some fun, shall we?"
Nick started to understand the situation he was in.
"P-please stop."
Even though he couldn't move, Nick managed to resist verbally. However, the man ignored Nick's pleas and injected the drug into his arm.
"Hehe, don't worry. I'm good at this. Even if you're straight, I'll make you feel amazing."
"P-please, stop."
After a while, Nick's body began to feel hot. Despite the situation being far from arousing, he couldn't control it. The man looked at Nick's lower body with eager eyes.
"Oh? It seems like you have found some motivation, huh? That's good. But I am the one who does the stabbing, not getting stabbed. I apologize for that."
He tries to resist the man who is approaching and wiggling, and he pushes away his hand. However, it seems to only please the other person.
"Hehehe, hurry up and give up, turn around, you white pig bastard. Is this your first time? Relax your muscles."
His resistance is useless, as the belt is removed and his body is turned face down. The man puts his hand on his pants. In this tense situation, Nick shouts.
"T-that's right! I'll pay, I'll pay! Please spare me! I have as much money as you want..."
"Nope."
"Noooooo! Ahhhhh!"
* * *
"Hey, Nada-san. What kind of illusion are you showing to that guy Nick using the [hypnosis]?"
I ask Nada-san, who is using the [hypnosis] skill to create illusions for that guy. In my field of vision, Nick is making strange noises while shaking his hips, and it looks somewhat unpleasant.
"BL... is that what it's called?"
She replied with a smirk. Nada-san's [hypnosis] seems to have been used to change the memories of students who saw Kurusu-kun and others returnee, but it seems it can be used in this way too. Being able to freely show memories and hallucinations is quite a powerful skill. I want it too.
"BL... huh? It's a bit out of my expertise."
As I watched a man moving his hips against the ground, groaning and muttering "Ah! Ah! Ah!" alone, I felt a wry smile on my face.
"Well, if he was to die now, it would be troublesome for the SACA Japan Branch Director..."
Yeah. Nick recently contacted Shibuya-san. And on the SACA side, information about Tanabe-sensei is undoubtedly shared. If Nick were to go missing in this situation, involvement of the Special Forces would undoubtedly be suspected.
It's not something I know, but that's not to say I'm unaware. So, recalling the story of Nada-san manipulating the memories of students before, I asked for cooperation. Even if she's not aware of it herself, Nada-san is Nick's victim.
When talking about what he did to her during the loop, it wouldn't be truthful to say there was no hesitation. But I was somewhat convinced that it would be fine to tell her. That is...
"So, should we make Nick forget everything that happened here and everything he did to Nada-san, and make Nada-san forget that anything was done to her... something like that?"
"Yes..."
Yes, I thought that Nada-san's skill [Hypnosis] could also be used on herself. I came to this conclusion based on her behavior that I observed during [Reliving].
Even after being humiliated by Nick, Nada-san didn't show any signs of uncertainty. That is probably because of her mental strength, but above all, I believed that with [self-hypnosis], she could quickly erase unpleasant memories.
In other words, she is someone who can completely separate herself from things. That is Nada Kyouko.
So, before explaining the situation, I confirmed this with her. Once everything is over, she can erase the unpleasant memories herself.
...But can she make herself forget that I took pictures of her underwear?
Anyway, with this, let Nick forget about me and what he did to Nada-san, and only remember the 'BL' thing. If he gets 'BLed,' [Return by Death] and [Dark Magic] disappear. It must be difficult for him. For me, it's a bit annoying to forget about the severed head life here, but maybe it's better as if it never happened. I don't want to be resented for no reason. Let's just cut ties and say it was to take away [Return by Death] and [Dark Magic] from him. There were various benefits for me. With this, everything should be resolved—so I thought.
"I will make Nick forget what he did to me. However... I won't forget."
Nada-san shook her head and rejected my proposal.
"Why?"
"To be honest, I don't feel much about it. Right now, it's just a story like 'Oh, that happened.' Besides..."
"Besides?"
While looking at me, Nada-san blushed a little and said.
"Forgetting what Nick did to me means forgetting that Higashimura-san helped me. That's... a bit wasteful."
Nada-san continued to look at me without turning away. To avoid her gaze, I turned my face away and made a casual comment.
"Oh, are you thanking me? Or have you developed feelings for me? Then, how about marrying me once your little brother becomes independent?"
I planned to continue with a response after a short pause. However, before I could say the next words, Nada-san lowered her head and said.
"Yes. I may be awkward, but please take care of me for a long time."
...Huh?
We have a new work with genre second life. The story is about a former s*x worker who didn't want to be a loner again, and fulfilling his second life. It has a life conflict and the protagonist will solve it one by one. You can find out in => [Link]
We also have a new work with genre returned from isekai. The story is punishing someone who troll in SNS, someone who cheat and many more. You can find out in => [Link]
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