53 Jinjiang Exclusive
◎"It was just a draw"◎
55
Anyone present who knew even a little about Fyodor's ways knew that he was capable of deliberately lying about a non-existent bomb in the clinic, but he was also capable of actually installing something to get everyone to play along with his game.
There's a 50% chance no one would dare take that risk.
In the end, even little Alice received the two pieces of paper, one red and one blue, with a long face. Seeing the little girl's tearful face, Mori Ougai could only pat her head to comfort her.
The one who finally received the card was Kawakami Wakai.
"You're ruthless," she whispered in Fyodor's ear.
"If you only want to see my answer, why involve so many other people?"
Fyodor didn't seem to hear him; he simply maintained his enigmatic smile.
Clutching the two cards tightly, Ruoyi felt her palms were almost soaked with sweat. But her gaze was fixed on Ivan.
Ivan seemed still reeling from being used as a pawn in his boss's new game, glancing at the cards now and then, incredulously, stealing glances at Fyodor.
"..."
Indeed, to break this deadlock, perhaps we must start with him.
"that--"
Dazai Osamu's sudden voice interrupted Wakana's train of thought.
“‘Demon’,” he looked up, his voice somewhat nonchalant, not at all like someone in a life-or-death game, “the rules you just described didn’t mention that none of us can tell everyone which color we prefer before making our final choice.”
“Indeed, no.” Fyodor did not choose to add any more rules, but simply smiled and studied Dazai Osamu, seemingly waiting to see what he would do next.
“Well then, I’ll tell you.” Dazai Osamu fiddled with the two cards. “I’m not an altruist. Everything is based on probability.”
“Statistically speaking, it’s obviously more advantageous for me to choose red than to choose blue, isn’t it? After all, even if everyone turns red, you might still choose me as one of the few who survive.”
"So, I'll definitely choose red later."
“…!” Dazai Osamu’s words shocked Nakajima Atsushi so much that he almost dropped what he was holding.
But he soon felt Kawakami Wakana gently pat his back.
When Dazai Osamu said those words, Kawakami Wakai immediately understood. His specific mention of his chosen color was a subtle hint that everyone should choose red. Even though Fyodor understood Dazai's intentions, he clearly preferred to see everyone's choice rather than detonating the bomb directly.
So, she decided to try red.
However, the most difficult thing is that Nakajima Atsushi's personality is more inclined to choose blue. So, Wakana gently patted him and mouthed "red".
Atsushi Nakajima seemed to understand, but he was still a little hesitant until he saw Kyoka Izumi gently squeeze the red card in her hand.
Mori Ōgai, Alice, and the young woman wearing a mask simply nodded in agreement, seeing Dazai Osamu's confident expression.
The game has officially begun.
As expected, in less than a minute, everyone, including Atsushi Nakajima and Alice, picked up the red card.
Fyodor's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as the others moved. Yet, his tone remained calm and composed.
"What, do you really intend to leave your lives to me to decide?"
“I don’t object. Although I might prefer to be killed by you rather than be killed by you.” Dazai Osamu raised his hand again. “However, I have one condition.”
“What?” Fyodor raised an eyebrow.
“The conditions are simple,” Dazai Osamu said lazily. “Anyone else is fine. But you can only, and must, let one of Kawakami Wakana and your subordinate live.”
"...?!"
For a moment, the air in the entire venue seemed to freeze.
Atsushi Nakajima, in particular, trembled involuntarily upon hearing Osamu Dazai's words, as if his Parkinson's disease act in front of Blackjack had been genuine. It was only after Kyoka Izumi gently squeezed his hand that he calmed down.
But Kawakami Wakana seemed to understand Dazai's meaning.
Dazai-san also realized that the solution was to start with Ivan.
He wanted to put Fedia in a dilemma as well.
only--
“An interesting proposal.” As expected, Fyodor raised Ruoyi’s doubts, “But what makes you, who have no bargaining chips, have the right to demand that I make a choice?”
“Who said I have no bargaining chips?” Dazai Osamu chuckled. “Come out.”
A person slowly walked over from the direction of the ward.
Fyodor's smile vanished when he saw that person.
Akiko Yosano, the medical officer of the Armed Detective Agency.
The superpower "Please Don't Die" can restore a person on the verge of death to full health and bring them back to life.
“Dr. Yosano—!” Akiko Yosano’s appearance seemed to give Atsushi Nakajima courage, and he immediately shouted, “You know, in the Armed Detective Agency, being seriously injured is the same as not being injured at all.”
"..."
“That’s brilliant.” Fyodor clapped his hands. “So, Dazai-kun, you knew all along that my so-called bomb, whether it exists or not, wouldn’t pose a threat? The reason you didn’t just bring her out was to make me make a choice?”
“Yes,” Dazai Osamu said matter-of-factly, “it’s just a matter of reciprocity.”
“But,” Fyodor said, “if you ask her to come out, I can choose not to and leave this place.”
Just as he was about to turn around, the giant stone man suddenly blocked the doorway.
Dazai Osamu: "Oh, it seems your subordinates are very curious about your choice."
"..."
“However, this might be harder for you than for us.” He squinted at Ruoyi and Ivan. “After all, we all know that choosing red increases the chances of survival, but as for you—”
“You told me before,” he pulled Kawakami Wakana forward, “that she was your new source of amusement. So, would you rather kill her, or kill a believer who is loyal to you but brings you unequal pleasure in your life?”
When Dazai Osamu said those words, Kawakami Wakana clearly noticed that although Ivan's expression remained calm on the surface, a kind of emotion called "self-doubt" could still be faintly read.
In other words...
Now all we need to do is break down his last psychological defenses.
So, Ruoyi took her hand away and stepped forward. "Feijia, actually, even I'm a little curious to see what you'll choose between me and Ivan."
“Of course,” she smiled, but there was a hidden meaning in her smile, “Even if you really choose Ivansan, I won’t be angry.”
"After all, if I hadn't met Fei Jia, I probably would have disappeared in my first year of high school."
"And what's more, I was killed by you while wearing the dress you gave me."
Fyodor: !
Although she seemed to be saying she was willing to be killed by him, her later statements, such as "I would disappear if it weren't for you" and "the dress you gave me," combined with Dazai Osamu's "Wakai is a new pleasure," made Ivan feel that the speaker had something in mind and the listener had something in mind as well.
So he only has—
“Dazai-kun,” Fyodor said frankly, “it seems you haven’t grasped the rules of the game. I never said that when everyone chooses red, I can’t let everyone survive.”
“Let’s go, Ivan. You and this young lady are both people I want to live, so I won’t make a choice lightly.”
Upon hearing this, the stone man quietly moved away. Fyodor, with Ivan in tow, slowly left the clinic.
"By the way, the bomb I was talking about doesn't exist. After all, if you, Dazai-kun, discover it beforehand, we'll have no leverage."
"—However, my game has only just begun."
"call--"
Only after Fyodor and Ivan disappeared from the clinic did Atsushi Nakajima collapse onto the ground, utterly exhausted.
"Finally...did we win?"
"It was just a draw," Kawakami Wakana said calmly.
"His test of our humanity failed, but Dazai-san's scheme to undermine Ivan's loyalty through rhetoric also failed completely, so it can only be considered a draw."
As Fyodor said, the game is not over yet.
Feda...
What will you do next?
Just then, the indicator light above the operating room door suddenly went out, and little Pinoko peeked out slightly, seemingly to check if it was safe.
"Come out, Pinocchio-chan." Ruoyi waved with a grin. "The danger is over."
Pinocchio looked around and, seeing that Fyodor was nowhere to be seen, ran back into the operating room. A short while later, she and Black Jack pushed Ryunosuke Akutagawa out.
"The surgery was a success."
The girl, who had been silent and wearing a mask, finally caught a glimpse of a smile in the corner of her eye.
Kawakami Wakai remembered that just now, Mori Ougai said that the girl's name was "Gin".
Watching Black Jack pushing Ryunosuke Akutagawa towards the ward, she stepped forward and, as if possessed, asked:
"doctor……"
"If Fedia...Fyodor needs your treatment again next time, would you still be willing?"
She didn't know why she asked such a question, or even what she wanted to confirm from Blackjack's answer. She just wanted to know.
"...?" Blackjack glanced at Ruoyi expressionlessly.
"By that time, all I saw was him as a patient."
"..."
“Wakai-chan—” At this moment, Dazai Osamu stepped forward, “The ‘demon’ is gone, and the surgery was a success. Shall we go get something to eat?”
"It's all in the whirlpool, on Kunikida-kun's tab."
Dazai-san...
Atsushi Nakajima was speechless for a moment.
You're here again.
[Author's Note]
Ivan began to waver.
Fedia: Wait a minute? So my cat wants me to be all alone?!
Small Theater
Fyodor's summer: It's no different from winter.
Kawakami Wakana's Summer: Not Watching Fyodor
Fyodor: ? Why?
Ruoyi: Because just seeing your clothes makes me feel hot, whether it's in an air-conditioned room or with ice cream and cold drinks.
"..."
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