mygo, but Cthulhu

"Did Toyama Kasumi attack you first? She hasn't given up on revenge?"

"That's right, we all guessed wrong. She hasn't taken any action this whole time not because she thinks the remaining person is more important, but because she just can't get away."

Mashiro Kurata nodded silently and tiredly, and the atmosphere in the room fell silent for a moment. After a moment's silence, Toruko Kiritani forced a smile, trying to make her voice sound cheerful and try her best to dispel the depressing atmosphere.

"It's okay, Mashiro, Nanami, you don't need to worry. Although this city has become less safe, we still have some power and should be able to protect ourselves..."

"Mashiro and Nanami can indeed protect themselves, but I'm only proficient in using firearms and a few ordinary spells. As for Touko, you can say you have no fighting ability at all. You're the one we're most worried about."

At this moment, Yashiro Ruwei spoke softly and seriously, causing Toruko's voice to stop abruptly. She took a deep breath and tried to suppress her emotions, but her expression still became irritable. She pursed her lips and turned to look at Ruwei.

"Ruwei, I know I'm useless... but I don't need you to worry about me. I will try my best to protect myself."

"I'm afraid you won't achieve anything just by trying hard. And I don't think you're useless, Touzi. The use of magic relies heavily on talent, and marksmanship can't be mastered in a short period of time. I'm not blaming you, I'm just pointing out our current situation..."

"But your words sound like you're accusing me!"

Toruko Kiritani gritted her teeth and raised her voice sharply, which made Ruwei stunned for a moment. The blonde girl also came back to her senses at this time. When she realized her slip of the tongue, her face turned pale in an instant. She lowered her head tremblingly and apologized weakly in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, Ruwei, I didn't mean to yell at you. I just... I just can't forget the day Tsukushi died. The whole world was shaking, Mashiro and Nanami were struggling to hold on, and you killed the madman who was chasing you with your rifle... I was the only one who could do nothing but hold on to the rope tightly."

"After that, I was also the last one to wake up, and then you told me that Tsukushi was dead... I lost her just like that, and I was as painful as you were, but I also hated my own uselessness. Until now, I am still the most vulnerable one among you, which made you need to go to so much trouble to protect me... I'm sorry."

"Don't say that, Touko... We definitely didn't think that."

Mashiro shook her head vigorously in pain, then hugged Tohru directly, her voice full of self-blame.

"If it weren't for me, we wouldn't have to worry so much. It's all because of the hatred I attracted that our situation has become like this... If you are useless, then I am a disaster, but you still accept me as I am... because we are all part of Morfonica."

"So don't blame yourself, Touko. Ruwei was just habitually bringing up the reality. She didn't mean any harm."

"I know, I should be the one to apologize. I suddenly lost control of my emotions..."

Toruko Kiritani wiped her tears and shook her head vigorously, and after crying in each other's arms, their emotions calmed down a little. After a while, Ruwei sighed and spoke again.

"Well, let me continue. Toruko needs a safe environment. Not just her, but also my parents, Chikushi's family, and Toruko's parents... They were all middle-class or upper-class before, but this drastic change has changed so much. Now they are all anxious. We should at least give them a safe environment."

"Yeah, hiding like this forever isn't a solution. But now all the resources are in the hands of the company. Xian Juanxin has won over Roselia, so I'm afraid we can't go to her anymore... There aren't many options left."

Nanami continued softly, and the girls couldn't help but frown. While they were thinking, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out.

"It seems like you're also worried about where your families will go. Everyone at Morfonica, why don't you join my company?"

Kurata Mashiro subconsciously raised her hand to cast a spell, and Tamade Chiyuya, who had just been teleported over, was instantly tied up by the spell chains. However, she didn't care about it at all. She stared at them with an expectant expression, and her bright red left eye flashed slightly.

"Your family needs a safe place to live, a place to rest, and spiritual relaxation. I can provide all of these. And I need your strength. I can also help you fight your enemies. We can both get what we need. Isn't this wonderful?"

"First of all, you have to tell us how you found this place and who told you?"

Kurata Mashiro asked calmly, and Tamate Chiyu also laughed. Her face was slightly distorted with excitement and joy. She raised her finger with a little madness and pointed at her left eye, her voice trembling.

"Pareo told me that. She has always been helping me and has never left me... Through her eyes, I saw you, so I was able to come here."

"Her eyes? Were you infected at the same time those monsters crawled out of your body?"

"Infected? No, no, no, you're mistaken. I've already said this, this is Pareo's eye. She saved me, and then she left her eye to me... She's still alive, and she's not one of those monsters, do you understand?"

As Mashiro frowned and asked the question, Tamade Chiyuya responded without hesitation, her face twisted as she stared at them fiercely. As Mashiro became more alert, she suddenly laughed.

"Besides, I don't think you actually have a choice. Genmaki Kokoro has already reached a cooperation with Roselia, and Hikawa Sayo hasn't forgotten what you did. Kurata Mashiro, they will come after you."

"As for the Sanyuan Group, their current head, Charlotte, is also a friend of Xian Juanxin. If you want to cooperate with the company, I am your only choice, right?"

"...Yes, even though it's obvious that you're not mentally sound, we don't have a choice."

After a moment of silence, Kurata Mashiro sighed tiredly and nodded silently.

"Well, I hope we can work together happily. Zhu Shou Zhiyou, remember to tell us before you go completely crazy. I don't want to be accidentally hurt by you."

"Hahahaha... Of course, then, I wish us a happy cooperation."

Chapter 357: Fatigue and Weakness

"Good morning, Tokyo! Last night's death lottery ended with a full thirty! Thanks to those gangs that just showed up after being wiped out, ten of them were killed near the ruins of the Prime Minister's Office alone. But the scary thing is, someone actually dared to shoot at the black hyenas of Hanasaki River! I bet you all will have to pay, because they won't be able to swallow this."

"The power grid's down. Must be the work of hackers again. Meanwhile, Tamade Chiyu's trauma team is still collecting the bodies of cyberpsychosis victims from the streets... And elsewhere, well, there's nothing much else going on. At most, the bodies of the girls in the band are hanging. Playing music without power is dangerous these days. You can't be sure if you'll get killed."

"Well, congratulations on being able to live until now and spend this difficult time with me.

A new day in the City of Hope!"

"despair,"

Misaki Ozawa turned off the virtual screen in annoyance. She sighed and turned to look out the window, and a towering tower-shaped building came into her sight... That was the newly built headquarters of the Genmaki Group, and more people liked to call it the Genmaki Tower.

She stared at the building for a moment with a complicated expression, then silently stood up and walked out of the room. As soon as she left the room, she ran into her classmates who were happily chatting in low voices. Their bodies were covered in blood, indicating what a massacre they had committed.

Misaki Ozawa knew that their killing was aimed at the gang, but what made her sad was that, except for Duohui and Yuya, everyone else had regarded killing as a kind of honor and entertainment. Their original expressions were full of casualness, but after seeing her, they were stunned for a moment, and their eyes became complicated.

"..."

In silence, Ozawa Misaki just walked straight past them, but the next moment her hand was pulled hard, and she subconsciously turned around to meet the complicated eyes of Amaya Yujia.

"Misaki-senpai, it's been a while since you've been on a mission with us. Are you still mad at us?"

"I didn't. After all, you were just following orders. Who am I to blame you?"

Misaki responded softly, and Yuka couldn't help but frown.

"Then why are you always unwilling to get along with us? Every time you see us, you speed up and leave immediately. Are you still unwilling to forgive us? Because we deceived you?"

"...I don't care about your deception of me."

After a moment's silence, Misaki spoke softly. She stared into Yuka's eyes, and after confirming that she really didn't care about the tens of thousands of innocent people who died, she smiled weakly and bitterly, and shook her head silently.

"I'm just indulging in the ridiculous notions of the peaceful past and can't get rid of them at all. Don't mind me. You have your own things to do, don't you?"

"But……"

Before Yuka wanted to say something, Misaki had already shaken her hand away. When she was about to leave, a figure suddenly blocked her way, making her startled.

"Misaki-senpai, please wait a moment!"

"Youya, what are you doing?"

"I...I really can't stand it anymore, Misaki-senpai. I know you can't forgive what we did, but please, even if you want to curse us or hit me directly...please, can you please stop ignoring us like this? We all miss you so much. Every time you leave without saying anything, Misaki-senpai, everyone gets so sad!"

The girl looked at her pleadingly, her voice trembling with pain, and Misaki sighed deeply. She hesitated and wanted to say something but couldn't squeeze out a sound. The girl also held her hand tearfully.

"Misaki-senpai, even though we committed a crime, Shin-senpai's orders were necessary. Please don't be angry with her anymore, okay? If we hadn't eliminated the rebels, we wouldn't be able to build the control zone into what it is now."

As she spoke, she opened the window, and Misaki's eyes saw the highly developed world outside. The advanced technology made this area very different from the past, and most obviously, the people here were not the despair and numbness she was familiar with. Without exception, they were all supporters of the Genmaki Group, and they all had a look of genuine relaxation on their faces... But this uniqueness made Misaki even more painful.

"Look, Misaki-senpai, the controlled area is peaceful everywhere. No one is starving here, and there's no need to worry about cyberpsychopaths attacking. This is the safest place in the entire city. If we hadn't eliminated those rebels, how could we have built such a beautiful place?"

Yuya whispered anxiously, and even if Ozawa Misaki wanted to shake off her hand, she couldn't do it. She gritted her teeth, but ultimately couldn't suppress her annoyance, and with a slightly distorted face, she suddenly turned her head to look at her.

"Really? Then tell me, why is it like this only here? What about other places in this city? What are they like there?"

"other places……"

Yuya was stunned by her sudden question. She pursed her lips and didn't know what to say for a moment, while Misaki continued with a sneer.

"The rest of the world is filled with gangs and incompetent police forces co-funded by companies that barely maintain a semblance of order. The hatred against the girls in the band is intensifying. Every day, girls who can't bear to throw away their instruments are nailed to the wall or used as material for Black Mewtwo, dying screaming in agony."

"Outside the company's controlled areas, there's no such happiness as you speak of. People barely survive on synthetic starch and junk food, spending their hard-earned savings on low-quality prosthetics and firearms. Meanwhile, scavengers harvest innocent lives, satisfying themselves with all sorts of synthetic drugs... Tokyo right now is a mess. Is this what you call beauty?"

"At least, at least everything is fine within the controlled area, isn't it? Although other places are indeed terrible, there's nothing we can do about it..."

"What do you mean there's no way?! This is clearly a situation deliberately created by the company to maximize profits!"

Yuya stuttered and subconsciously wanted to defend herself, and Misaki raised her voice angrily. She stared at the girl's eyes fiercely. Although she knew rationally that Yuya was just an ordinary person who could not change anything, she couldn't help but vent all her suppressed anger on her.

"Where does cyberpsychosis come from?! Isn't it because companies mass-produce prosthetics without considering individual neurological differences, and then force them to install them due to increasingly harsh living conditions?! They have no inhibitors, and are tortured by the side effects of prosthetics. They struggle to survive in this damn city. If they go completely crazy one day, they will become cyberpsychopaths. Even if they die, they will be called crazy people. Have you considered the source of this phenomenon?!"

"I……"

"Also, this so-called controlled zone is simply a company effort to maintain a stable source of employees. Countless people fight tooth and nail to get in here, but in the end, few succeed. And those here, under the fanatical brainwashing, work like crazy for the company, only to be left with nothing in the end... Do you call this disgusting phenomenon beautiful?!"

"..."

Yuya fell into silence. She weakly let go of Misaki's hand and lowered her head with a tired and painful expression. Her eyes were replaced, but her tear glands were still intact, giving her the right to tremble and sob, and tears fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Misaki-senpai, but... I just don't want to see you so sad. If only I could do more. I'm sorry..."

"Ozawa Misaki, I know it's hard for you to accept everything that's going on right now, but even if you get angry at Yuya, what will that change?"

Yuka Amaya sighed, patting the girl's back soothingly as she looked up at Misaki expressionlessly and called her full name for the first time.

"We killed a lot of people, but we were just following orders. You beat Senior Xin like that before, but you still couldn't do anything, right? And you haven't chosen to leave the company yet. What's the point of venting your emotions on Youya here?"

"I……"

Ozawa Misaki was stunned by her words, and at the same time, the powerless pain swallowed up her anger, and her family, as well as the faces of Kanon and Kaoru, flashed before her eyes again. In the end, she could only lower her head dejectedly.

...Yes, even if she

There was no use yelling at Youya, as her family and friends were also in the controlled area. The irony was that although she hated everything Xin had done, she still felt at ease when she thought that the safety of the people she cared about would be guaranteed.

This is ridiculous, Ozawa Misaki. Look at you like this. Does your anger even have the slightest meaning? In the end, weren't you unable to abandon them? Since leaving the company wasn't an option, why are you still feeling pain? Why are you still hypocritically raging about injustice? Aren't you also a beneficiary of this horrific order?

"..."

Misaki Ozawa was no longer able to speak. She gave a miserable laugh filled with absurdity and pain, and staggered past the others. Yuya subconsciously wanted to catch up with her, but Youjia also grabbed her hand and shook her head slightly.

"Let her go. She needs to accept all this, otherwise she will always feel pain... This is something she can only solve on her own. We can't help her."

"But……"

While Yuya was hesitating, Misaki had already walked away. She silently watched everything in the control area, feeling the tranquility that was almost the same as before everything happened, and couldn't help but sigh helplessly.

...No, there is still a difference. The people here no longer have the freedom of the past. They always look fanatical when they mention the Xianjuan Group, and look at the Xianjuan Tower with awe. They also have great respect for the employees of the Xianjuan Group.

Yes, everything here belongs to the company, so it is normal for them to be full of longing for the company... Even if the working hours are always increasing, at least the company can give them security, so what does the atrocities committed by the company have to do with them?

Thinking of this, Ozawa Misaki felt her steps getting heavier. She smiled bitterly and stood there for a long time before taking another step and arriving in front of a school.

After passing the scan, she entered the school under the respectful gaze of the guards. The look of "actually a friend of Master Genjumaki" made her grit her teeth, and she only relaxed a little when the classroom appeared in her sight.

Her sister, brother and that girl are all in this school, and she doesn't want to suffer from this anymore. She hasn't seen her family for a long time, and she just wants to hug them now.

"Classmates, what are your dreams for the future?"

When she reached the classroom door, Ozawa Misaki just raised her hand when she heard the teacher's gentle voice from inside. She was stunned for a moment and then gave up the idea of ​​knocking on the door. Imagining the dreams of her younger brothers and sisters, she couldn't help but feel anticipation in her suppressed heart.

"My dream is to become an employee of the company and contribute my own strength to Master Xianjuan!"

At this moment, her brother's enthusiastic voice came out, causing Misaki's relaxed smile to suddenly freeze. After a long pause, she slowly opened her eyes, staring at the door in disbelief, and began to doubt what she had heard.

Her brother's dream... was to become a company employee? How could that be possible... She clearly remembered him saying he wanted to be a painter...

"Well, Xiuxing said it very well. Each of us should contribute our own strength to the company. So, what are the dreams of others?"

The teacher asked with a satisfied smile, and the other children rushed to repeat her brother's words. Some said they would kill all the company's enemies, and some said they would sacrifice their lives for Lord Genmaki... Misaki Ozawa had an illusion that they were not the innocent children they should have been, but had become fanatics like her classmates.

...But, they should have different dreams and their own lives, why... would they want to become consumables of the company?

Misaki Ozawa stood there blankly, listening to the passionate childish voices, but she felt her body being soaked in coldness bit by bit. She felt an indescribable nausea and panic. Her body began to tremble for some reason, and her face was distorted and she clenched her teeth.

"I...I want to be a ballerina."

At this moment, her sister's timid voice slowly sounded, which made Misaki come back to her senses suddenly. She felt much better because of this different answer. While she breathed a sigh of relief, she also worriedly found that Rin's tone was full of hesitation. Obviously, it was difficult for her to give such a different answer.

"Oh, a ballerina? Is that all?"

The teacher's voice was filled with a hint of dissatisfaction, and Ozawa Hideoki was the first to speak angrily.

"Rine, how can you put it so simply? You should emphasize that your dream is to become a ballet dancer who performs exclusively for Genmaki-sama."

"But, but I want to perform for more people..."

"What do you mean? Don't you want to perform for Master Xianjuan?!"

"If it weren't for Master Xianjuan, there would be no us! Are you being disloyal?!"

A noisy questioning voice suddenly rang out in the classroom, and Li Yin was stunned for a moment before responding tremblingly, sounding like she was about to cry out of fear.

"I'm sorry, my dream is to perform for Master Xianjuan..."

"enough!"

Just when Ozawa Misaki couldn't help but want to rush in, an angry and familiar voice suddenly sounded. She was stunned for a moment before she realized that it was the girl's voice. She continued to roar with gritted teeth, and her momentum was not like that of a child at all.

"You all sound nice, but you're of no use to the company right now. Who can't shout slogans? And you're assuming she's disloyal just because she gave a different answer? She's far more valuable than you!"

"What makes you say that?!"

"Just because her sister is Ozawa Misaki, a friend of Genmaki-sama."