Cyberpunk: Nirvana of Shoko Toyokawa

The heart goes from one side to the other.

"Interesting." Xin said in her smiling tone, "Tell me about it, let me hear it."

"who are you?"

"Where did you come from—"

"——What do you want?"

Chapter 40: Blood Oath ( Rewards and More)

Under the spotlight, Xiangzi held his heart, lowered his head slightly, and said:

"My name is Oblivionis."

Xiangzi was not saying the name in the play, but the name he used.

The forbidden name.

what?

Doubtful voices were heard from the audience, among which there were also some shock and sudden enlightenment - however, those who were shocked and suddenly enlightened were a minority after all, and were soon drowned out by the mainstream voice.

Xian Juanxin on the stage was neither confused nor shocked.

She just smiled.

In front of her, Xiangzi continued speaking.

"I come from the kingdom of puppets," she said. "I came here because I was bewitched by a demon and mistakenly entered here."

"I've heard what you've done." Xin chuckled, "But your excuses are not valid."

Xiangzi stretched his hand to his side.

She pulled out a small knife that flashed with cold light from the folds of her skirt.

"!"

Michelle Bear immediately stepped forward - he stretched out his huge bear hand -

Kokoro gave Michelle a look.

"..."

Michelle Bear paused.

Its huge bear hand was hanging behind Xiangzi.

"Qingya." Xiangzi looked at it and said, "What a great little knife. I used it to hunt the evil spirit and placed it outside your garden. You just need to look at his memory and everything will be clear."

My heart smiled gently again.

She neither agreed nor disagreed.

However, Xiangzi remained calm.

"Perhaps you can take a look at him," Xiangzi went on, "and then listen to my request."

"I beg you to ..."

Xiangzi looked at Xin.

Ask for forgiveness?

Ask for innocence?

Requesting a revocation of a deportation order?

however.

neither.

“This place is very beautiful.”

Xiangzi looked at his heart and said.

"I ask you to allow me to be your neighbor."

……

"—"

No matter how you think about what Xiangzi said, there is only one truth!

Without a doubt, it is [Reclamation New Land Phase 2]!

This undoubtedly constitutes a provocation!

Michelle really couldn’t wait any longer this time—the huge bear grabbed Xiangzi from behind—

But still just captured.

Because her heart stopped her again.

In the midst of Hatsuka, Hailing, and Meowmu who continued to play in silence, and in the midst of Ikumi, Kanon, and Kaoru who looked at them in surprise—

"Ha ha!"

I laughed out loud as if I had really heard something very interesting.

"Oblivionis! I didn't expect you to say something like this!" Xin smiled and said, "Openly declare that you are going to take action!"

"You think too highly of me."

Xiangzi said politely.

"I can only do this," she said. "If I don't do it, can I go back to my own country?"

"I was innocent. But I ignored the order to be expelled."

“This is already a sin.”

"I have offended you."

Xiangzi, who was grabbed by Michelle's shoulders, still held her hands up.

She said loudly:

"Offend! What a scary word! It can be big or small, it can be dispensable!"

"Once branded like this, you will never be able to shake off the perception of being a threat for the rest of your life! Even a moment of forgiveness cannot remove the shackles on your ankles. The more you struggle and the stronger you make yourself, the tighter the shackles will be, until they penetrate deep into your bones!"

"It's a small sin."

Xiangzi looked at Xin and said.

"It's a small crime, but it's the beginning of a long torture."

"Your fame will cast a shadow of fear over my head, and my future will be doomed to eternal damnation."

she says:

"I can't live in fear all the time. Fear of forgetting, fear of death, fear of fear, fear of sadness, fear of love—"

"Fear will consume me and take away everything I have."

"Fear is death."

"I can't be afraid - I can only not be afraid!"

Xiangzi stretched out his arms!

"So, I'm telling you that I'm a threat!"

She said loudly.

"There's no point in hiding anything in front of you! I'll show you everything about me - I have no way to hide, and I don't need to hide -"

"Then."

Xiangzi said to himself.

"I hope you will consider my request."

The notes fell.

"..."

No one on the stage spoke.

"..."

Below the stage, the audience also kept quiet.

Before we knew it, the noisy performance scene became quiet.

"Haha."

Only the heart smiled.

Her bell-like laughter now echoed pleasantly in the performance venue.

"Your performance should not be A Midsummer Night's Dream, but Hamlet!" Xin laughed.

"...!"

Hamlet. It's the revenge of a prince.

Xiangzi was shocked.

But Xin didn't continue talking about this topic.

"Tell me what you think, I have to ask a threat to be my neighbor." Xin said with a chuckle.

Xiangzi pressed his hand back to his chest again.

"The evil spirits are coveting your surroundings." Xiangzi said, "He is not a threat, but behind him are other stupid people. No one knows what they will do near your garden. So, I think you may need a neighbor other than them. Because at least you can know what the neighbor you find is doing."

The heart is always smiling.

"Why do you think you would be the best choice for me?" she asked.

Xiangzi raised her left hand.

There was a slight commotion under the stage.

It turned out that in the darkness, at the outermost edge of the crowd, a figure was slowly walking forward.

There were probably about a hundred people scattered around.

Those were the "believers" that Xiangzi called using the AI ​​of [Mujina Carnival].

"We still have so few people, sorry to make fun of you." Xiangzi said, "But I think that we can gather this many people right now... and there are not many bands that are interested in it."

"Excuse me for being so presumptuous." Xiangzi looked at Xin and continued, "I think I can save you a lot of time in screening, comparing and supporting."

Heart chuckled.

"That's right." She said lightly, "Michelle is tired too. Protecting the secret garden all the time is not a solution..."

"Heart!" Michelle shouted.

But she still obeyed her heart's command and did not move.

Xin smiled at Michelle and then looked back at Xiangzi.

"That's a good suggestion." Xin said to Xiangzi.

“……” Xiangzi remained silent.

Xin also smiled at Xiangzi.

"But," I thought, "what if I don't want to agree?"

She said horrible things.

However, she still smiled like that.

"Your proposal sounds very complete." I thought to myself, "That's why I'm even more curious about what will happen after the negotiations break down."

I have no idea what she is thinking.

Maybe, no one understands.