Chapter 173. He hoped it could still have meaning. ...

Wang Ma Xiaoji was a little confused at first.

Because he had temporarily lost the ability to sort out the situation, he was just lying or floating in a void where nothing existed.

However, he still retained a sliver of consciousness, though not much, but enough for Wang Ma Xiaoji to vaguely and instinctively sense something was amiss and something seemed familiar.

It seems he had experienced a similar situation before.

When was that time...?

The purple-haired boy, with his eyes closed, used the last vestige of his sanity to think. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, he used his clever mind to come up with the answer to the question.

Ah, yes, he remembered.

That time... was when he had died. Back then, he existed almost unconsciously, unaware of where he was, and the situation was even worse than it is now, when he still has some capacity to think.

Then, in that half-awake, hazy state, he vaguely sensed the presence of something else. As he gradually regained consciousness and, with the help of another person, managed to piece together what had happened, Wang Ma Xiaoji realized that what he had encountered then was Aurora.

He was pulled from a game of killing and being killed into another game of constantly escaping from fear... But should he thank Aurora? Thank this doll for giving him a second chance to live, even though he was already dead.

Although it was in a strange world where he didn't even exist.

So now... now.

Wang Ma Xiaoji wondered to himself, why he had such a familiar feeling... was it because he was going to die again?

It's somewhat similar, but probably not quite right.

Is this how death should be? That previous encounter was caused by a doll from another world accidentally forming a connection with me. But now… that doll from another world should be dead, so how could a dead doll be resurrected?

"..."

No, unless.

Wang Ma Xiaoji suddenly thought of another possibility.

So he fell silent.

This might sound a little ridiculous, right? After all, there was absolutely no sound in his current environment, and he hadn't said a word at all. However, if he had wanted to, he could have said something. But now, having suddenly realized that possibility, Wang Ma Xiaoji seemed to have lost the ability to speak for a moment; even if he opened his mouth, he probably wouldn't be able to utter a sound.

But this is only "as if". In reality, at this very moment, Ouma Kokichi can still manage to feel his heart pounding in his chest in a state of bewilderment, while simultaneously forcing a flawless smile and calmly uttering nasty words... It's not the first time he's done something like this.

However, he was alone here now, and there was no need for him to do that. So Wangma Xiaoji simply followed his heart and remained silent.

Another possibility... is that Tsukino and Chiya are dead.

That's obvious, isn't it? One of him and Aurora was destined to die. If it wasn't Aurora who died, then it would naturally be Tsukino and Chiya. And if that's the case, then everything that's happening now can be explained.

Tsukino and Chiya failed to kill Aurora, so he was killed by her. Aurora didn't die, nor did she completely reclaim the power supporting the already deceased Ohma Kokichi, so Ohma Kokichi can continue to exist here in this strange way… As for what Aurora plans to do next, who knows? Anyway, facing that terrifyingly powerful puppet alone right now, wouldn't he be completely powerless to resist? Supernatural abilities are really like cheating…

Wang Ma Xiaoji had actually considered this possibility. He knew that not everything in this world goes as planned. Therefore, he always felt...but...

...Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it now.

Moreover, even if he really is dead... perhaps there is still hope.

Logically speaking, the dead cannot be brought back to life, but Ouma Kokichi himself was an accidental survivor who was reborn after death. Furthermore, Tsukino and Chiya had said things like "We won't let you die"... In truth, rather than meaningless assurances that were merely comforting words, Ouma Kokichi believed that Tsukino and Chiya truly had a way to keep him alive after killing Aurora.

Tsukino and Chiya didn't explicitly tell Ohma Kokichi what method it was, but having gained some understanding of calamities, Ohma Kokichi had some guesses. He also roughly understood why Tsukino and Chiya hadn't revealed the specifics. Calamities require consensus, and to prevent any deviations in this consensus, the fewer people who knew, the better.

So, following this line of thought... even if Tsukino and Chiya are dead, they might still have a chance to be resurrected?

Wang Ma Xiaoji then thought of the part of Tsukino and Chiya's past that he had seen under Aurora's manipulation. Tsukino and Chiya's parents were no ordinary people; they wouldn't stand idly by if their children were in trouble. Thinking about it this way, did the probability of Tsukino and Chiya being unharmed increase a bit?

...Am I being too quick to convince myself like this?

Wang Ma Xiaoji opened his eyes and sighed softly, "Ah... this really is finished in every sense of the word."

Wang Ma Xiaoji could claim that he was merely rationally analyzing the current situation, but he knew perfectly well what the truth was. At this point, there was really no need to deceive himself.

A very interesting person.

A mysterious person.

A person who will firmly choose their own path.

To say that Wang Ma Xiaoji wasn't moved at all would be a lie. But now, is there any point in thinking about it anymore?

...Wang Ma Xiaoji hopes it can still be meaningful.

At this moment, when Wangma Xiaoji opened his eyes, all he saw was white. But this white was not dazzling; on the contrary, it was unexpectedly gentle.

Wang Ma Xiaoji suddenly wanted to just fall asleep. Death… Of course he was afraid of death. But when he was enveloped in an unknown gentleness and warmth at this moment, he suddenly felt that there was nothing to be afraid of. It was as if a strange voice was constantly telling him deep inside that he would be trapped here forever, so he might as well just fall asleep.

There was no pain, no darkness or cold; I simply drifted off to sleep peacefully in an unknown gentleness and warmth... Is death really this gentle?

Wang Ma Xiaoji still managed to stay conscious, letting the boundless weariness wash over him, but he still didn't completely give in to losing consciousness and indulging in this soft whiteness.

Why? Perhaps it's because he still harbors a sliver of hope, feeling things shouldn't have ended this way. Perhaps it's simply because someone made that promise, and deep down he truly believed it, so he's willing to wait a little longer. Or perhaps…

Then, while Wang Ma Xiaoji was forcing himself to endure this without even knowing if it was meaningful, he suddenly felt something wrap around his hand and seep through his skin into his flesh.

*******

"So, what's the situation?"

"..."

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? But it doesn't look like that."

“No, it’s just that,” Tsukino and Chiya shook their heads, “I thought that since it was you, Hinata, you could easily deduce the result.”

"What kind of image do you have of me right now?" Hajime Hinata habitually retorted. "I'm not omniscient or omnipotent, after all, there are supernatural and other supernatural phenomena... Speaking of which, since you're still in the mood to make jokes like this, it means that there really aren't any problems with Ohma?"

Tsukino and Chiya nodded: "Do you want to go see him?"

It's now the second day since they successfully killed Aurora. Tsukino and Chiya successfully met Hinata Hajime in the classroom, who had previously asked for leave. The two looked each other over and both felt that the other seemed to be doing the same thing on the surface. If they didn't know what important things the other was doing, they would hardly be able to tell anything from their appearance.

Hyuga Hajime smiled and said, "Well, I'm a little busy right now... But Tsukino and you should have plenty of time to take care of Ohma later."

Um……?

Tsukino and Chiya blinked, realizing that Hinata Hajime's words had a hidden meaning.

He didn't ask any further questions, but instead turned back to his seat. Higashigo Mimi had already entered the classroom and was walking towards the podium. Tsukino and Chiya had already asked her about her plans, and Higashigo Mimi said that until she had decided on her next destination, she planned to remain a teacher for a while.

Higashigo Miya started lecturing, while Tsukino and Chiya openly daydreamed below the podium.

Yesterday, Wang Ma...