Chapter 281 The Third Player
"Dazai Osamu" gave him a strange look, his expression was as calm as his.
He asked: "If I wish that this world is just an illusion, is there any chance that it will come true?"
His voice was very soft, and it disappeared into the air almost as soon as he spoke. His eyes were filled with a kind of emptiness, as if he was talking to himself: "How can I wake up from this world? Or is death the answer?"
He asked Saikai Haruto: "In your eyes, Mr. Mochizuki, is this world real?"
He paused for a second, and before he could answer, he shook his head and said, "Forget it, this answer is not that important to me."
The way he spoke looked like he was in some kind of disorderly chaos, but his eyes were calm, his voice was calm, and his expression was calm, as if everything was normal.
"Of course this world is real." Saikai Haruto said, "I am the one who finds it strange. Why do you think this world is just a game? Who is the 'bug' in your eyes, Dazai or me?"
He sighed, "I really thought you were the Dazai from another world, and I hesitated for a long time... Dazai's reaction was one thing, but your attitude was so obviously arrogant that I had to doubt it. Even if the appearance is similar, a person's core will not change. Unknown Dazai-kun, your attitude towards this world is really too contemptuous."
He sighed with great sincerity.
In fact, generally speaking, few "players" who travel through time and space recognize the nature of "travel through time" and regard this world as a real world. However, most of the blame should be placed on the world consciousness. I don't know whether it is the world consciousness of another world or this world. Xi Haiqing Dou doesn't know what it thinks, but every traveler will subconsciously deny the fact that they "traveled through time and space". Maybe it can be regarded as a kind of protection mechanism? Therefore, they simply and purely regard this world as a "game world" and subconsciously think that they can always go back after "clearing the game".
Although the player's conclusion cannot be said to be wrong, it is indeed possible to go back, but the prerequisite is that you do not die accidentally in this world - as long as you wait to be "killed" by Xi Hai Qing Dou, of course you can still go back, in a sense, it can be regarded as "completing the game", right?
Unless there are any special circumstances, such as what happened to Saikai Haruto just now, where the truth is made clear - almost no player would think that "this world is not a game but the real world".
The "Hanayamain Haruna" in the previous world almost died at the hands of Fushiguro Shigeki, which was a special case, but she only had doubts in her heart. Even though she knew that "time travel" might be the correct answer, she would still refute herself and convince herself subconsciously, and finally repeatedly jumped between doubt and denial, almost driving her crazy.
In fact, Saikai Haruto rarely takes the initiative to speak such straightforward words to "players". The uncertainty and instability are too high. He still believes in himself more and is more willing to put the decision-making power entirely in his own hands.
But on the other hand, there are Shibuzawa Ryuhiko and Dazai Osamu here this time, especially Dazai Osamu - Nishimi Haruto believes that he can completely see that something is wrong with "Dazai Osamu", although he is not sure how much Dazai Osamu knows, but it would be a bit fake for him to pretend that he can't see anything.
On the other hand, he has already made up his mind to take advantage of this moment to find a good opportunity to "take the player away" directly. Even if there is no opportunity, he will create one. Although it may cause a little impact on the player, as long as his speed is fast enough, there will be no problem - if he stays in this world any longer, Dazai Osamu, the player himself, and even himself, will probably be in trouble.
It is precisely based on these considerations that Xi Haiqing Dou chose to almost show his cards to the players at this time.
As he expected, Dazai Osamu did not show any unexpected reaction to his words - just as he guessed, with the "book" in hand, Dazai Osamu himself should be the first person to see through the players' sense of alienation and contempt, so this was not surprising.
It's not indifference, but arrogance that treats the world as a playground.
Even though he is wearing the shell of "Dazai Osamu", the "overlooking perspective" nature of "The Fourth Disaster", coupled with the brainpower of "Dazai Osamu" himself, and perhaps a bit of arrogance in the player's own personality, makes his detachment and indifference to this world appear like a grain of rice stuck to the body - although it is not eye-catching or important, it sticks to the body and cannot be wiped off, and once discovered, it immediately appears out of tune with the surroundings, which always makes people care.
But Saikai Haruto also doesn't think that Dazai Osamu himself is completely ignorant of this.
"Dazai Osamu" said "Ah", still smiling: "So, Mr. Mochizuki guessed that I am not Dazai Osamu because of my attitude and the difference in my so-called 'core'?"
He thought about it and decided to reflect on himself for a second: The arrogance of smart people is one of the most common mistakes made by smart people. However, most of those who commit this mistake are fake "smart people". Could it be that he has become one of them?
But this seems to be inevitable. After all, the intelligence is unequal, and he didn't know the truth about this world at first. It's not his fault.
“I can’t say that I treat this world as a game,” he said with a smile, “but it’s hard for me not to treat this world as a game. Maybe I am the ‘bug’.”
"Although the guess is interesting, and the testimony of the other Dazai seems to be very powerful, unfortunately, Mr. Mochizuki, you guessed a little wrong," he corrected calmly, "I am indeed 'Dazai Osamu', but not the Dazai Osamu you know, nor the 'Dazai Osamu' that the other Dazai knows."
"Ah, come to think of it, can I understand that you have seen another special Dazai Osamu in the 'book' who has also seen the 'book', right?"
After correcting Saikai Haruto, he did not say more about it. Instead, he turned to look at Dazai Osamu and said, "There is another Dazai Osamu who is similar to you but different from you. In the world where Kaoru Yokizuki does not exist, there is a Dazai Osamu who became the leader of the port mafia alone."
Because I had seen the appearance of the real leader in the "book", I was so sure that he was not that "Dazai Osamu".
Dazai Osamu said: "You are not him."
"Dazai Osamu" said: "I am 'Dazai Osamu' after I jumped from the rooftop of the Hong Kong Black Building."
Shibuzawa Ryuhiko couldn't help himself again: "So, you also want to say that you are also Dazai-kun's special ability, a special life form that is disqualified from the human world?"
Or has it been that these days supernatural beings have become as common as cabbages that are everywhere on the streets?
"Dazai Osamu" shook his head again: "No, this is the only thing that is absolutely certain. I am a real human being, not a supernatural being."
"How do we judge who a person is? Should we rely on the body or the soul?" He was confused. "But this body is indeed the body of 'Dazai Osamu', there is no doubt about that. And how do we judge the ethereal existence of the soul?"
Of course, "Dazai Osamu" had guessed that this world was real and not just a game world - after he met Dazai Osamu, after he met Shibuzawa Ryuhiko, after he met Mochizuki Kaoru... after he was "hunted down" when he came to this world.
Neither "Dazai Osamu" nor Dazai Osamu is a fool.
If I were to use games to explain it, there are simply too many "bugs" in this game world.
But if this world is not a game, how can he be "Dazai Osamu"?
The actor "Dazai Osamu" was genuinely confused.
He is certainly not "Dazai Osamu", but he is certainly also "Dazai Osamu".
He still couldn't be sure whether this world was a real world or an overly realistic game world.
"You and Dazai do have a lot of similarities, whether it's supernatural powers or some minor habits. It's not just Dr. Mori who finds it hard to identify, it's the same for me. It's not easy to tell you apart from Dazai. But if you yourself can't identify who you are, it's naturally even harder for others to identify you. Who a person is must first be based on himself." Saikai Haruto said, "So, is your goal still 'books'?"
This time, he neither called him "Dazai-kun" nor "Unknown-kun".
"Dazai Osamu" smiled faintly: "Yes, just like I said at the beginning, my goal has always been the 'book' of this world. If I want to verify whether this world really exists, 'book' is the most suitable choice, isn't it?"
"The book is not in my hand," Dazai said with a smile, "What a pity, you can't get the book."
"Speaking of which, I am really curious. In the plot you saw in the 'book', I once took the 'book' and did something to make you have such great malice towards me."
"Dazai Osamu" showed genuine confusion to Dazai Osamu: "Do you really want to kill me? Why? Is it related to Odasaku? Or is it Mr. Mochizuki?"
“總不可能是那個我拿了‘書’想要毀滅世界吧？”他開了個不大不小的玩笑，無奈地嘆了口氣：“真是讓人傷腦筋，現在的我可并沒有那種想法。”
不過，如果他拿到了“書”，卻沒有驗證猜想成功，或者說出現了什麽意外的話……啊，似乎連他自己現在也說不定那個時候的他會不會有“想要毀滅世界”的想法？
“太宰治”心中也開始不确定起來。
太宰治臉上的笑容隐去了。
“不，只是單純的我并不相信你罷了。你很擅長謊言，巧的是，我也一樣。”太宰治說：“而你所說的話，也并不值得讓我相信。”
太宰治從不做沒意義的賭博，也不會把決定權留到他人的手中——特殊情況下除外。
很顯然，現在并不屬于那個“特殊的情況”。
“真是讓人傷腦筋，我可是難得說的都是真話……”
“太宰治”苦惱地嘆氣，難得體驗了一把被自己坑到的感受——這年頭說真話都反而沒人信了。
真是世風日下人心不古。
他繼續猜測：“所以，是和織田作還有望月老師兩個人都有關。在你在‘書’中所看到的那個未來裏，有人出事了，和你、和我有關——”
“——為什麽？”
“……織田作？”
平淡的、低沉的熟悉聲音突兀響起，帶着明顯的驚愕和困惑，太宰治和西海晴鬥都是一怔，下意識轉過頭，向聲音傳來的方向看去——
空的？
沒有任何人出現。
“只是一個小把戲而已，是織田作的聲音，但他不在這裏，也并沒有出事。”
“太宰治”一只手從黑色大衣的口袋中拿了出來，一只造型小巧的手機便出現在了他的手中。他又按下了一個按鍵，織田作之助的聲音便又一次地在剛剛的地方響了起來，仔細聽的話還帶有極輕微的電流聲。
想了想，他又補充了一句：“……不過，我也不能保證，再過一段時間他會不會出現——畢竟如果他想要過來的話，我也沒有什麽辦法可以确保攔住他。”
他說這話說得倒是沒什麽故意威脅的意思，只是簡單的實話實說。
畢竟以織田作的性格，如果知道太宰治在這裏可能會有危險或者說可能因為他遇到什麽陷阱——這裏特指他這個“壞人”——的話，就算知道“龍彥之間”的效果，大概率也還是會進來。
“太宰治”由衷地希望織田作之助不會出現，或者說他能夠在織田作之助出現之前就将事情解決掉。
東西是他提前放在外面的，但織田作之助的聲音算不上是提前準備的，只能算是他之前布置的一點小小的應對不時之需的後手在剛剛終于準備好了——在到這裏來之前，他先是去找了芥川龍之介。
謝天謝地，他沒像是中島敦那樣被太宰治提前撿走，還是在帶着小銀在橫濱的貧民窟流浪，在他找到他的時候，芥川龍之介還是獨自一人。
接下來的事情就很簡單了，他讓芥川龍之介幫忙去找了織田作之助。
他倒是沒異想天開地讓芥川龍之介去對付織田作之助，想也知道百分百是打不過的，當然他也沒有想對織田作之助做點什麽事的想法……只是讓芥川利用了一些小把戲，錄到了織田作之助的聲音傳到了他手裏——一點小小的現代科技，這個他還是玩得很不錯的。
這樣一來事情就變得非常簡單了起來。
他想要的也只是太宰治和望月薰的一瞬間的失神而已。
趁着兩個人的注意力和防備被織田作之助的聲音轉移走的一瞬間，一把黑色的手槍便被他拿在了手上，抵在了望月薰的身上。
在場的幾個人中只有澀澤龍彥對那道突然響起的陌生聲音毫無反應，完全沒被轉移走注意力，也因而得以幸運地注視到了“太宰治”那一瞬快如閃電、又如行雲流水般熟練的動作。
“真是精彩的戲劇，相當讓人意想不到的一幕。”他忍不住說了一句，興致變得高昂起來：“我現在有點相信你的确是另一個世界的太宰君了。”
其他人幾乎同時朝澀澤龍彥投去了一個一言難盡的眼神。
這家夥真是……生怕沒人注意到他還在嗎？這是完全把自己當成觀衆、把他們當成表演的了吧？這是唯恐天下不亂啊？
“你想利用我來拿到太宰手上的‘書’麽？”西海晴鬥臉色帶着難言的古怪。
“我覺得你可能做了一個錯誤的決定。”
“或許是？”“太宰治”說。
他若有所思道：“啊，其實我也很想知道，如果用望月老師你的異能力，再加上能夠連通世界根源的‘書’的話，會出現什麽效果？能夠制造出更為特殊的特異點麽？”
望月薰的異能力能夠撕裂空間，這是很容易看出來的事實，但他的無效化能夠保證他的異能力在觸碰到他時便會失效，因此“太宰治”并不擔心他會用異能力逃脫。
他認識望月薰的時間不長，了解他的時間更短，有關他的資料在他那裏并不完整，但“太宰治”也能意識到，他對于太宰治來說非常重要。
對于太宰治來說，威脅他本人反而算不上什麽威脅，反而說不定他還會比他更期待。更何況他也沒有那個把握一定能在一瞬間制得住太宰治。
但望月薰就不一樣了——很奇怪的一點，不管是在之前的任一時刻，哪怕是在他說出他并不是“太宰治”的時候，他也沒有從望月薰身上看到一星半點對于他的防備。
更何況他的距離也離他更近，幾乎是觸手可及——字面意義。
雖然說他自稱是“推理小說家”，雖然也有殺手轉行寫小說的人在，但織田作屬于特例，“太宰治”也知道，望月薰之前是屬于幹情報工作一行的，再加上他都洗手上岸寫小說都快有十年了……“太宰治”覺着，以他現在的身手，應該也不至于打不過——首領宰雖然坐了四年的辦公室，但體術還是沒退步的。
事實證明他也的确沒出意外地順利制住了望月薰。
對面的太宰治的神情也同樣肉眼可見地緊張了起來。
“太宰治”覺得自己現在的形象一定很像是漫畫中的反派BOSS。
還是注定會被對面的主角打敗的那種。
但是算了，反派就反派吧……反正如果這是漫畫，那也一定是if中的if線，不會出現在正篇中的那種，萬一if線裏“反派”就勝了呢？
而且反派大多也都是敗在最後一步的，起碼前面是都成功了……至少也得讓他先把“書”給拿到手吧？
不然“太宰治”覺得自己死都不甘心。
“望月老師……”他聽到太宰治喊了一聲望月薰的名字，聲音聽上去有些急切，但是有點奇怪，那種急切的緊張似乎和他所想的有點微妙的不同。
很微妙的感覺。“太宰治”說不出來的奇怪。
他看了一眼自己的槍——保險栓是打開的，子彈是裝好的了，距離是緊貼的……沒什麽問題。
又看了一眼望月薰——他懷疑望月薰是不是只剩下了一個表情，直到現在他的表情依舊是平靜的，毫無波瀾的平靜，像是一切對他而言都不會有任何的意外。
西海晴鬥“唔”了一聲：“啊，其實就像他所說的，我也很想知道，太宰你在‘書’中所看到的‘我’究竟是什麽樣的結局？”
“因為‘書’和他的緣故，出現了異能特異點，我也是因此而死掉麽？感覺似乎有點奇怪……”他說，“其實有點難以想象呢，我會因為他人而死去的模樣。”
“不是死亡，望月老師。”太宰治堅持糾正他：“只是暫時的失蹤。”
“……望月老師，我沒有把‘書’帶出來，這句話并不是謊言。”太宰治說：“雖然之前一直都放在了港黑的大樓裏，但現在的話，它大概率已經到達異能特務科了吧。”
“你可以相信我。”他說。
潛臺詞也很明顯——不要自己亂來。
“那麽和我的猜測也差不多呢。”西海晴鬥笑道，唇邊的弧度擴大了一絲：“雖然森醫生說你和太宰很像，但是這一次的打賭，還是他輸了。”
這話是和“太宰治”說的，他平靜道：“為什麽，因為我利用了織田作之助，還有你，但你覺得‘太宰治’不會這麽做？”
其實都到這一步了，再說他到底是不是“太宰治”已經沒什麽意義了……但“太宰治”也并沒什麽非要澄清或者否認的打算。
“不。”出乎意料的，西海晴鬥說：“因為太宰他不會像你這樣，做這樣注定不會贏的事情，如果是他的話，他的計劃應該會更謹慎，更周密，也不會像你這樣，手軟。”
Before he even finished speaking, or even saying two sentences, in the blink of an eye, "Dazai Osamu" opened fire without hesitation, and Saikai Haruto was even quicker and turned around to grab his wrist, pulling it, twisting it, and tilting his head. After only a few seconds of fighting, the offensive and defensive momentum of the two men underwent a shocking reversal!
He took Dazai Osamu's gun in his hand, turned it around twice, tossed it back and forth in the air, then took the gun apart and threw it to the ground.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he once again stood between Dazai Osamu and "Dazai Osamu".
He looked at "Dazai Osamu" and said sincerely: "Perhaps you haven't found out yet, although I have been clean for a long time and my skills are a little rusty, but a long time ago, I was still a killer with good skills."
So threatening him is really the wrong target.
"Ah, I didn't do my homework well enough. I didn't expect such a big mistake to happen. What a pity."
"Dazai Osamu" remained calm: "So, Mr. Mochizuki, are you going to kill me now?"
He even had the heart to smile, "Although there is no one to die with me, it would be great if I died in your hands, Mr. Mochizuki... I wonder if death can allow me to leave this body?"
It even looks like there is some eagerness to try it.
"Mr. Mochizuki, don't believe him." Dazai Osamu decisively grabbed one of Saikai Haruto's arms, his eyes sharp: "He is not 'Dazai Osamu'."
"No, I'm not talking nonsense." "Dazai Osamu" couldn't help but refute him: "I've said that this body is indeed 'Dazai Osamu'...ah, although I think that whether it is this body or me, I have no regrets about 'death', it is better to say that I have always been looking forward to it...If death can send me back to the original world, it would be great. So Mr. Mochizuki doesn't have to bear any burden, but it would be better if there is no pain..."
He suddenly changed the subject: "So, Mr. Wangyue, you really don't want to consider the 'book'?"
"Ah, I know." Saikai Haruto said, "Although the soul and the like cannot be seen, but as far as the body is concerned, I have never doubted that you are not 'Dazai'."
"But you don't need the 'book'. I'm not sure if the 'book' can send you back to your original world, but I think I can do it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took "Dazai Osamu" and strode back quickly away from Dazai Osamu. At the same time, a silver-white blade light flashed by. The dagger that appeared from nowhere first slashed through the sleeve of Saikai Haruto, who was urgently grabbed by Dazai Osamu, and then pierced through "Dazai Osamu's" heart in an instant!
"Dazai Osamu" frowned and couldn't help coughing, and blood gushed out from his heart to the ground.
Nishimi Haruto held the dagger tightly in one hand, and smiled gently at Dazai Osamu and the others leisurely: "Don't worry, I applied a special potion on the dagger, which will stop the heart from beating and have the effect of suspended animation... But as long as you find a psychic named Yosano Akiko to treat it in time, you will be fine."
His palms were long and strong, with distinct joints. The veins on the back of his hand holding the dagger moved slightly. Because the movement just now was too fast, some of the bright red blood flowed along the dagger that pierced his heart and splashed onto his fingers, looking quite eerie.
Dazai Osamu blinked his eyes weakly, his face twisted in pain. If he hadn't been speechless, he would have really wanted to ask, "Is everything you said true?"
To be honest, he felt that his heart might have been completely pierced through. He suspected that the man in front of him with a seductive look and gentle eyes really wanted him to die... and couldn't wait to be with Xie Ye Akiko.
And it really, really, really hurt... so much so that he had no doubt that this world was real.
"Mr. Mochizuki!!"
Guessing what he was going to do next, Dazai Osamu's heart was beating rapidly with a strong sense of uneasiness. He strode forward without hesitation and tried to grab him.
However, Xi Haiqing Dou was faster than him.
"Don't come over here, Dazai."
He loosened his grip and took another step back. The invisible space around him twisted, tore, and collapsed.
"If it's special, there's no need for a 'book' at all. I can do it all by myself."
"The effect of the Mirror Man is to tear space apart, but if you infinitely stack superpowers in the same space, you can even create a special "special point" that can tear open space to other time and space. No one knows this better than me. Maybe this is the most special thing about space-based superpowers?"
He said: "So there is no need to use the 'book'. I can create a special point that can connect to another world by myself."
"I guess you, Dazai, already knew this." The pair of light grey eyes that always looked very cold without the glasses were now filled with an especially gentle apology: "I think the original 'me' should have used the same method, right?"
"Why... Mr. Mochizuki..."
Dazai Osamu's voice was trembling: "...Why do you do this?"
"It shouldn't be like this..."
"Why is this happening again?"
——Why is the result exactly the same as what he saw in the "book"?
Creating special abilities is not as simple as he said.
The special points that are equated with space are extremely dangerous, let alone stepping into them - if you are not careful, you will be left in the space, and even the owner of the special ability cannot distinguish the direction in those spaces.
Both "Mochizuki Kaoru" and Dazai Osamu are very clear about this.
"Don't come closer, Dazai." Saikai Haruto said gently, "Although it seems that I am beside you now, this is just a refraction projection of space. The process of creating anomalous points cannot be reversed. However, if I encounter your "Disqualification from the Human World" at this time, I have never tried it, and I can't be sure what will happen."
"He is not from this world, but in a way, he is indeed from another world... In a world without me, the life of the other you sounds very boring, and the relationship between him and Oda Saku seems very stiff... But in just a few years, he expanded the influence of the Port Mafia to the entire Kanto region, which is also very impressive, Dazai. Although he told a lot of lies, there are still many truths in these things, I can feel it."
"Although I didn't expect it at first, I now seem to understand why that 'me' would do such a thing. Although it's not something I would do in the past, I would do it now."
He said: "As long as I touch his heart at the moment when it stops beating, his ability will no longer work on me, and I can use this ability to bring him back to his world."
Dazai Osamu retracted his hand, clenched it into a fist and let it fall.
"…But Mr. Mochizuki, what are you going to do?"
Dazai Osamu's voice was dry, his breath was unsteady, and his shoulders seemed to be shaking slightly, like a fish that had suddenly come ashore and out of water: "Even if you are a superpowered life form, the consumption of your superpowers and the loss of space will make you disappear..."
"I remember you told me that even you, if the distance is too far and there are no coordinates, you will get lost in space when using your special abilities, and it will be difficult to find your way back... Why is it like this again?"
——Why did this happen? Why did it end up like this?
"Because this is what the other 'me' did, and it's a decision I made for myself. I think it's not bad. After all, if the other you stays in this world forever, it's not a good thing for this world, right?"
Saikai Haruto just looked at him gently and said, "I will not die. I am just missing temporarily. Just like you said, I will only be away for a short period of time. In the end, I will come back."
That enchantingly beautiful face seemed too calm at this moment, with a faint smile on the corners of his lips and eyes that showed the insight and comfort of an elder, as if he was just going on a spur of the moment trip.
"If I can't come back soon, I left a book for you and Oda Saku. You have seen it before. Don't peek at it alone."
Saikai Haruto thought for a moment and added: "Remember to take good care of Atsushi-kun and my flowers for me. I'll check them when I come back."
"Of course, you can also come back and tell me the stories about me that you have read in the 'book'. I am looking forward to that day."
The moment Dazai Osamu's heart stopped beating, Saikai Haruto took him and disappeared from Dazai Osamu's sight.