I said you are all war criminals

The simulator replied emotionlessly: "Goto Ichiri remembers how many layers of spells he had set up at that time."

"what!"

Hakuno waved his arms vigorously.

"I told you she'd show her true colors!"

He is so happy.

129

Chapter 129 Goto Ichiri: I’m here to end the band!

The lead-colored rain hit the glass, splashing out wave after wave of water.

The pickup wires hung from the ceiling, swaying slowly. The electronic drumsticks lay on the floor, pressing against the wires connecting the electric guitar to the speakers, as if to emphasize their presence.

Goto Ichiri felt that her semicircular canals were malfunctioning, and the numbing tinnitus kept pressing out of her earlobes, making every nerve in her body creak.

But she stood.

As always, stand straight.

“I’m quitting the band.”

The cold wind howled.

"Tu, what are you saying all of a sudden?"

Ichichi Hongxia was panicked.

She has indeed been on business trips a lot recently, but she shouldn't have missed any developments... Why, why would Yili suddenly say something like this?

"I want to quit too!"

Liang's voice followed closely behind, but it was particularly clear at this moment.

The air in the practice room seemed to freeze. Hong Xia stared at Liang blankly, and the drumsticks in her hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

"W-why, Ryo?"

Hongxia's voice trembled. She felt as if her heart was being tightly grasped by an invisible big hand and she was almost suffocating.

Liang lowered his head, fiddling with his blue hair, not looking into Hongxia's eyes.

The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. The only sounds in the practice room were heavy breathing and the sound of rain hitting the glass outside the window.

Hongxia looked at Kita for help, but saw that Kita also turned his head away.

Kita's eyes flickered, her fingers twisting nervously around her guitar strap, but she ultimately said nothing. She glanced at Hongxia for help, then quickly looked away. Her eyes were filled with unease and... fear. Hongxia's heart sank, heavy as if filled with lead. Even Kita, always the optimist who could resolve everything with a smile, chose silence.

"Why……"

Hong Xia's voice was trembling, almost crying, "We...we agreed to be together..."

Hong Xia staggered back a step and managed to stand steady by holding onto the speakers behind her.

She has accepted that the world will end one day.

But why is the band also——

Liang still kept his head down, fingers tightly clenched around the edge of his clothes, and said nothing. Kita nervously plucked the strings of his guitar, his eyes wandering, not daring to meet Hongxia's gaze.

Only Goto Ichiri spoke in a tone completely different from what Hongxia remembered, almost harshly.

"You can't just do what you want your whole life, Hongxia. It's about time you woke up from your lukewarm dream and faced reality."

"I……"

Hong Xia wanted to say something, but found herself speechless. Her throat felt blocked, unable to utter a single sound. She opened her mouth, but ultimately only managed a few feeble, broken syllables. The band, their band, was actually... disbanding like this? This was harder for her to accept than the end of the world.

She turned abruptly and rushed out of the practice room, letting the torrential rain pour down on her. The rain blurred her vision and washed away the tears on her face. She didn't know where to go or what to do, so she just ran aimlessly, like a deer that had lost its way.

The cold wind, mixed with rain, mercilessly slapped her face and body, making her feel a piercing chill. But she seemed to no longer feel the cold, only a sense of emptiness and numbness in her heart.

Suddenly, a dizzying sensation struck Hong Xia, who stumbled a few steps and nearly fell. She grasped the railing, trying to steady herself. What was going on? She felt everything around her twisting and collapsing.

She raised her head and looked at the sky.

Something is falling from the sky... It fills the entire sky, blocking out the sunlight and casting a massive shadow. What is it? A satellite? A space station? Or... some kind of weapon?

Hongxia's mind went blank. She couldn't comprehend what was happening before her eyes. The whole world seemed to collapse at that moment. The cold luster of steel and machinery replaced the once blue sky and warm sunshine—it was a satellite. What had Xiangzi done?

She wanted to fly up and push the satellite back, but she found herself unable to move. She could only watch helplessly as the huge metal object got closer and closer...

Just then, a voice sounded in her ears.

"Hongxia."

That was her own voice.

"It's time to wake up from the dream."

The glaring sunlight pierced her eyelids, bringing a sharp pain. Hong Xia groaned and struggled to sit up from the floor. The practice room was filled with a faint musty smell, mixed with Liang's unique scent, like a mixture of alcohol and cheap cigarettes. A coat that was obviously too big was draped over her. It was the black hoodie that Liang had recently purchased.

Her head was splitting, as if someone was drilling holes in her brain with an electric drill. Hong Xia rubbed her temples and tried to recall what happened before she lost consciousness.

The band was going to disband, Goto Ichiri's cold tone, and the huge metal object falling from the sky... No, none of these things happened. She was dreaming. She had a nightmare that was so real that it seemed like a prophecy.

"you're awake?"

A deep voice sounded beside him.

Hong Xia looked in the direction of the voice and saw Liang sitting cross-legged in the corner, fiddling with his cell phone skillfully.

"How...how long have I slept?"

Hongxia's voice was very hoarse.

"Half a day."

Without even looking up, Liang replied, "You slept like a dead pig, talking in your sleep, talking about things like 'the end of the world' and 'satellites'."

She paused, then said, "Did you overdo that novel?"

The "novel" Ryo was referring to was "Half-Demon War Chronicle," written by Nijika. It was eventually published as a light novel and sold quite well—Nijika didn't use the fame of the band End to promote it, but everyone in the band knew about it. However, to them, it was simply a fantasy novel.

"I...had a nightmare."

Hongxia was slightly shaken.

Liang didn't ask her what she dreamed about, but just casually said it.

"It's unavoidable that you're having nightmares... After all, the band is over."

End of the band…it’s over.

Liang's tone was calm, as if he were saying the weather was nice today, but these words were like a sharp icicle, piercing Hongxia's brain and shattering her reality. The images from her dream and the fragments of her real memories collided in her mind like shattered glass, making a piercing noise... Hongxia finally remembered. The second half of the dream, the satellite falling from the sky, the distorted world, were all illusions, a nightmare woven from memories and reality. But the first half, Goto Ichiri's words...

“I’m quitting the band.”

That sentence.

That is true.

The band actually broke up.

"Why……"

Hong Xia fell to the floor in a daze, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes.

"Why did you leave me?"

friend.

Hongxia closed her eyes.

In the empty practice room, the only sound was the faint sound of Liang tapping on his phone keyboard.

130

Chapter 130: Meeting Xiangzi in a mile.

"Dong dong."

A knock on the door startled Xiangzi awake. She struggled to her feet from a pile of photos and empty beer cans, smoothing her disheveled hair. Xiangzi no longer lived in that shabby home, but in a nicer place, living alone. While not luxurious, it was definitely not as cramped as Xiangzi's initial life with his father. However, she wasn't living a refined life; instead, she was even more sloppy than before... Xiangzi hastily threw on a T-shirt and walked to the door in slippers.

Through the peephole, she saw a familiar face - Goto Ichiri.

...They hadn't seen each other for a long time since Nana Ohba's death.

Xiangzi hesitated for a moment and pushed the door open, but did not move away.

"What are you here for?"

Xiangzi asked.

"I'm here to laugh at you."

Ichiri answered in a clear voice.

"...Then you are really free."

Xiangzi said in a voice that was almost sarcastic.

An expressionless woman walked into Xiangzi's apartment, her eyes scanning the room like a scanner. Clothes were scattered on the floor, empty beer cans piled high, and leftover takeout boxes gave off a faint, sour stench, filling the air with a decadent atmosphere. Even Xiangzi himself didn't meticulously polish his makeup; to describe him as "natural" was a bit of an exaggeration.

"You've fallen, Xiangzi."

Yili's tone was flat, as if he was stating a very common fact.

Xiangzi laughed at himself and didn't refute. She turned and walked to the refrigerator, took out two cans of beer, and casually tossed one to Yili.

With a "bang", the beer can drew a parabola in the air and landed steadily in Yili's hands.

"I'm very busy."

"Are you busy finding the enemy who killed Nana Ohba?"

Xiangzi took a big gulp of beer. The spicy liquid slid down her throat like a line of fire, burning her stomach and making it churn.

Yili seemed to be completely unaware of Xiangzi's anger. He just opened the beer and took a big sip, then walked straight to the messy sofa and sat down, as casually as if he was at home.

"What was the result?"

Ask a question.

"... killed many people, but none of them were right."

Xiangzi sat down opposite Yili, suppressing her anger and talking to Yili.

"Killed a lot of people...ha."

Yili chuckled, beer foam running down the corners of his mouth, "Is this your job?"

Xiangzi suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of bloodshot, as if he would pounce and bite someone at any time.

"What do you know? This is all for revenge for Nana..."

"—Did you choose the wrong person for revenge?"

Goto Ichiri said coldly.

Xiangzi suddenly jumped up from the sofa, and the beer can fell to the ground, splashing foam everywhere. She grabbed Yili's collar, her knuckles white, as if she wanted to crush the fabric in her hands.

"What do you mean! Do you know who killed Nana?"

She growled through gritted teeth, and the breath of alcohol almost covered Yili's face.

Yili's expression didn't change at all, as if he was a marble sculpture.

"I know."

"who is it?!"

Xiangzi almost roared, his chest heaving violently, as if it would explode in the next second, "Name! Give me a name!"

Yili gently broke free from Xiangzi's hand, her strength so light it was unbelievable, as if she had exerted no effort at all, yet Xiangzi collapsed dejectedly. She walked to the window, looking out at the blurry night view of the city, and said in a terrifyingly calm tone: "It's you."

Then, Ichiri turned around and looked at Xiangzi, "Because you have kept this world in a state where half-demons cannot survive freely, you are the only one to blame for Nana's death."

"...Ha, I thought you were going to say something."

Xiangzi staggered to her feet and said in a voice that sounded as if her lips were about to break, "I, I didn't do anything wrong!"