He is special.
When Vili arrived here, the world consciousness thought this for the first time when it saw those eyes.
He will be a variable in this world.
He was right in his prediction, but the course of events and the outcome were quite different from what He had expected.
The non-existent thirteenth person, late summer cherry blossoms, the echoing ghost, the ghost in the old school building... The tragedy of reincarnation unfolds around him one after another, but because of his existence, they all meet different ends.
Despite claiming to be a spectator, he stole everyone's attention, standing in the center of the spotlight as if he were a born protagonist.
Even He was momentarily lost in delusion.
"You saved so many people." Kanzaki spoke softly, almost in a murmur, "Yukimura Masashi, Hasegawa Teru, Yoshida Yuta, Asami Haruki..."
He knew these names by heart, but when he read them aloud, he showed no expression, his fingertips leaving marks on his palms.
“I am not a transcendent god, but a suffering being.”
He faced Vili, whose inhuman body was now trembling slightly in the cold wind.
"Vili—"
"Can you save me?"
How absurd, how bizarre, how illusory—
A god bowed his head before humanity, humbly begging for his salvation.
After a long silence from Willy, a strange ticking sound suddenly came from the quiet alley.
The body belonging to Kanzaki Mari was gradually melting away, as if it were in a furnace with extremely high temperature, breaking and collapsing bit by bit. Even the surrounding air was scorched and distorted, becoming blurry.
"Host!"
The system's urgent voice sounded, accompanied by a shrill warning siren.
"An anomaly detected in this world. Access will be closed shortly! Repeat... Anomaly detected in this world. Access will be closed shortly! Repeat..."
"Emergency procedures activated. You are about to be transported to a new world. Please prepare yourself—"
*Smack*
Like the sound of an old-fashioned television being abruptly switched off, Willy's figure vanished into thin air.
The rose petals that had been clinging to him fluttered down and fell into the dirty rainwater, obscuring their original color.
After a long while, a faint sigh echoed through the empty alley.
"It wasn't in time again."
"next time……"
"I won't let you escape so easily again."
“Vili”.
-
The sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the ancient castle. The upside-down bat opened its scarlet eyes and stared intently at the newcomer. He ran on, seemingly oblivious, until a whirlwind of black mist blocked his path, transforming into human form.
The moment their eyes met, the man froze, his knees slamming against the cold, hard marble floor with a loud thud.
“Mr. De... Mr. Deville!”
“Blake.” The old man, dressed in a well-tailored butler’s suit, looked cold, a sarcastic smile playing on his tightly pursed lips. “This castle is much older than you; it can’t withstand your antics.”
"You'd better have a legitimate reason for deliberately choosing the late hour when His Highness is awake to run around like a rabbit in heat without any manners."
Deville's narrow eyes narrowed slightly, flashing red light.
"Otherwise, I may have to regretfully inform you that you are about to be fired."
"Of course, you know that. This castle doesn't allow any secrets to be revealed."
Blake, the servant, trembled violently, knelt on the ground, and lowered his voice.
"Sir..." he said in an as flattering tone, "Please forgive my rudeness."
"I am in such a hurry because I have received orders to report an important message to Your Highness—"
"During yesterday's operation against the courthouse, a small team located the remaining bloodline of the Hughes family."
"As one of the last remaining descendants of a noble pure-blood family, only His Highness the Prince has the right to decide his fate... Therefore, they sent him here, and he is now outside the castle."
Upon hearing this news, Deville's expression suddenly turned serious, and he decisively said:
“This news is indeed very important. I will personally report it to His Highness.”
"As for you," he said, his tone turning stern again, "this is a one-time exception."
Upon hearing this, Blake felt his heart sink. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, scrambled to his feet, and bowed his head in agreement.
"Oh, right."
Before leaving, Deville suddenly remembered something and turned back to call the servant again.
"What's that young master's name?"
"—Vili."
"Villie Hughes".
A man with an air of nobility leaned back lazily in his study chair, the moonlight shining like water on his long, silver hair, which resembled silk, reflecting a breathtaking splendor.
His voice was as deep and elegant as a cello, and even the names he casually uttered sounded like confessions to a lover.
"Has an investigation been conducted?"
Deville stood respectfully to the side, his eyes filled with fervor for the master he served, but his tone remained as serious and calm as ever.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"According to intelligence, young master Vili is the youngest son of Lady Celia and Lady Rez, and he is only six years old this year."
"On the day the court raided the Hughes family, causing the massacre, he was hidden by his personal butler using a secret technique, and was not discovered until yesterday by a vampire squad."
“They have confirmed his identity and lineage, and there are no problems.”
"..."
He lowered his head and waited for a long time, but did not hear a reply from his master. He then cautiously spoke:
"...Your Highness?"
"Your Highness Thun?"
The sound of fabric rustling filled the air, and Zephyr Thun seemed to be startled awake, slowly opening his dark red eyes, his expression weary.
“Celia and Rez’s child…that would be Elian’s brother.”
He seemed lost in thought, yet he knew everything Deville said.
The butler lowered his head even further.
"Two children... I never imagined that two members of the main branch would survive such a disaster. If the mastermind behind this were aware of this, they would probably be furious about such an oversight."
He propped his head up and gazed at the roses in the garden.
Upon hearing his words, Deville was stunned as if struck by lightning, his voice trembling as he spoke: "Your Highness, you mean—"
Could the tragedy of the Hughes family extend beyond the courtroom...?
Zephyr raised his hand, interrupting him before he could finish speaking.
"They won't let this go."
He stood up and walked to the window. The dim light of the night outlined his handsome features, and his pale skin, like snow under the moonlight, left no trace.
"The team dispatched to the scene is..."
He suddenly asked.
"Your personal guard, Your Highness."
"So, presumably the Senate is unaware of this news yet."
"...Yes, Your Highness."
"Bring that child into the castle."
The cloak drew an arc in the air as Zephyr walked out of the study, leaving behind only one sentence.
“From tomorrow onwards, his name will be Vili Thun.”
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