Challenge: The Fool with the Surname Okayamine

Chapter 62, Part 2: "Mourning Before Leaving Akihabara"

(This is the author's last post!)

[Wednesday, September 9, 2009]

At a cemetery outside a certain city~

Ming, who had given all the staff and writers at the publishing house a day off, knelt solemnly before a cenotaph that stood alone on a desolate meadow.

A few delicate flowers were placed on the grave, as if they had been there before Ming arrived.

Next to the cenotaph, there is a brand-new small mound of earth, still exuding the scent of fresh soil.

This small mound is the final resting place of Chestnut, who recently passed away due to old age.

Ming's eyes were empty and sorrowful. A gentle breeze ruffled his dark hair. Looking at the cenotaph before him, he spoke slowly with a touch of melancholy:

“Sawa… even Chestnut has left me now…” Mingyan said, but his tone was full of helplessness and sorrow for this man who dared to defy even the gods.

Time seemed to stand still. After a long wait, Ming finally seemed to break free from a deep vortex of thoughts. He slowly raised his hand and covered his face.

Immediately afterwards, a low chuckle escaped from his throat, starting as just a few soft sounds, gradually turning into a boisterous laugh:

"Ah...hahahahaha!" This laughter carried a hint of sorrow and self-mockery, making one feel pity.

"Yes! Life is so fragile and vulnerable. Whether it's you or Chestnut, we are nothing more than insignificant ants. Before those high and mighty beings, they can annihilate us as easily as crushing an ant with the slightest flick of their fingers."

"Time and fate? They must be the cruelest things in the world. They can destroy us with just a gentle touch..."

Ming's laughter stopped abruptly. He lowered his hand, his gaze returning to the two graves, the grief in his eyes gradually transforming into a resolute determination.

“But even so, I will not give in…” He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"Power? That's what I've been craving ever since I first met that [god]. It's something I want to usurp. So... compared to the [angel], the [demon king] I'm using now is the original thing. So killing her and seeing her again isn't a dream anymore."

Ming thought for a moment, then got up and walked out of the cemetery. Standing at the cemetery entrance, looking at the only shadowy spot and recalling the flower that Sha and Muqian had shared, he realized what was happening.

Ming then coldly said, "Ms. Tokisaki, please stop hiding."

As soon as she finished speaking, a girl named Kurumi Tokisaki slowly emerged from the shadows.

Kurumi appeared at this moment, dressed in a mysterious and alluring black Lolita dress. The dress seemed to be the embodiment of the night, with every pleat and lace meticulously designed, perfectly outlining her slender figure.

What's striking is that she wears a medical eye patch over her left eye that's exactly the same as Ming's. And look at her long, flowing hair that cascades down like a waterfall, smooth and silky, gently brushing against her fair skin, swaying softly in the breeze.

(Note: At this time, Kurumi is the original body. This spirit dress is the one she liked at a certain period of time. Kurumi's dark history clones all rely on the time she wore it to be cut off and become clones.)

Kurumi walked up to Ming, her face showing some worry, and said:

"Gangfeng, are you... alright?"

Ming didn't answer, but coldly asked her, "I'm asking you, how long were you eavesdropping?"

Kurumi paused for a moment after hearing this, then quickly waved her hand and said:

"Okamine-kun, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you. I was just here to pay my respects to Sawa. I didn't mean any harm. I just happened to see you walking by before I left and wanted to listen in!"

The girl looked flustered. Although she had undergone ten years of trials and tribulations and was known as the Sinful Elf, she was still just an ordinary little girl in front of Ming, who dealt with madmen every day in England.

Kurumi tried her best to explain, but Ming just stared at her intently.

Seeing this, Kurumi felt that Ming still didn't believe her, and panic gradually rose in her eyes. "Okayine-kun, I know you can't trust me, but what I said is true."

Ming was silent for a moment, then slowly asked, "Then why are you wearing the same eye patch as me?"

Kurumi subconsciously touched her blindfold.

"Huh?!" Kurumi's expression turned a little confused.

"Personally, I think what you're doing now would be more suitable as a mask than an eye patch," Ming commented, scanning Kurumi's bewildered expression.

Given Ming's all-encompassing and incredibly powerful intelligence network, how could he not know that Kurumi was waiting around to collect time?

However, these things don't really concern me, so I have no intention of getting involved in their management.

After all, everyone has their own choices and paths to follow. As long as it doesn't directly affect yourself or important people around you, why bother? Besides, Kurumi is Sawa's good friend, and there's no way I could do anything to harm her.

At most, I'll find a suitable opportunity to kindly remind her.

Kurumi blinked and forced a smile, explaining:

"Uh... Oh, speaking of which, I actually quite like this spirit outfit... And honestly, I can just change back into the original one when I get back. This eye patch isn't really that useful anyway."

Ming gently shook his head. "You don't need to be so nervous. I didn't mean anything by it."

Kurumi let out a long sigh of relief. "Okayine-kun, what brings you here to see me today?"

Ming crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, saying, "Actually, it's nothing much. I just haven't seen you in a long time and wanted to come see you."

Kurumi's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great! I thought you were here to confront me."

"..." After that, the two talked a lot, about everyday things.

"Okayamine-kun, so you're working at the publishing house now... Oh! That's amazing!" Kurumi's eyes suddenly lit up, then she seemed to remember something and became disappointed. "But... are you going to give up?"

Seeing Kurumi's expression, Ming frowned slightly. "Give up? How could that be? It's just a temporary setback." Kurumi breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Okamine-kun, I thought you'd given up on even Sawa, whom you were most worried about."

Ming shrugged helplessly, then slowly began to speak:

"Do you know what? Right now, I'm standing here quietly, waiting for a fire to break out. Don't be surprised, this fire isn't just any ordinary disaster; it's the key to my future success in entering the game!"

"Enough about me, what about you? How's the plan to collect time and go back in time coming?" Ming asked.

Kurumi could only manage a bitter smile, gently shaking her head as she said, "It's not that simple... It's just like that hypothetical scenario you presented to me back then—if there are two ships, one carrying two hundred people and the other carrying only ten."

When Kurumi raised this question, Ming's expression faltered slightly, as if he were thinking, 'You actually still remember!'

"How could there be a clear answer to such a dilemma? In the end, it is nothing more than making a choice: either to sacrifice the minority to benefit the majority, or to sacrifice the interests of the majority to save the minority. However, no matter what choice is made, it has nothing to do with so-called justice, because it is just a painful process of ruthlessly destroying and tormenting one's own spiritual world."

"Every time I take someone down, I feel incredibly tense, even though I want to experience that feeling, pretending to be a 'villain' but..."

Ming interrupted Kurumi, "I understand your pain, but we don't have much time to dwell on moral struggles right now." Ming's eyes hardened. "Perhaps we don't need a perfect answer, as long as we move towards our goal."

At this point, Ming paused slightly, as if suddenly remembering something, and then reached into his pocket without hesitation.

Ming took two Akihabara anime convention tickets out of his pocket, handed one to Kurumi, and said:

"If you feel tired, why don't you try relaxing with me as a friend who fought alongside Sawa?"

"Although I think petting cats is a good option, I don't want to see cats today. So how about we go to the comic convention? I heard from Sawa that you've read quite a few comics."

(By the way: This ticket was a gift from someone a few days ago when Hiroki Takashiro was discussing a collaboration. It's for a comic convention in Akihabara, the birthplace of anime.)

Kurumi took the ticket, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes. "A comic convention? That's not a bad idea."

After Kurumi responded, she pointed to the location of her mansion, which was half a city away. "Okay, then use your shadow ability to send me home to pack my things. We'll set off later."

"Okay," Kurumi replied, and then her shadow began to lengthen, engulfing Ming within it.