Belvoir Inn, Room 2434

"Tick, tick, tick......"

The hands of the clock turned calmly a few times, and there was not a single sound in the quiet room.

Until, a third knock on the door disturbed the peace of the room.

"Knock knock."

An abrupt voice woke Arthur from his slumber.

He frowned slightly, dazed, and woke up from his dream.

"Knock knock."

The sound of the knock on the door cleared his chaotic mind a little, and he sat up, glanced at the wall clock, and saw that it was half past eleven midnight.

(Luckily, I didn't miss 12 o'clock...... ）

He rubbed his head and shook his head to sober himself up.

"Knock knock."

The knock on the door was a little impatient.

It seems that the visitors can't wait.

Despite his doubts, Arthur got up and walked to the wooden door—

"Who is it?"

“……”

The other party did not answer, which made him suspicious.

But the thought that the game hadn't started yet made him a little relieved.

Perhaps, what are the clues related to the game?

Thinking so, he grasped the doorknob in his hand and opened it, and a familiar figure came into view - she was standing in the dim corridor, the light brushed Arthur's shoulder, casting a long bright light in the corridor outside the door, and she was standing in Arthur's shadow, wearing a beige plaid skirt, in her left hand, holding a goat doll, and in her right hand, she was carrying an axe, as if taken from the armored soldiers on both sides of the corridor, the sharp axe reflected the cold light slightly, just as the little girl looked up at him, A chill in the depths of those dark red eyes.

Arthur was stunned.

"Good evening, Sergeant Arthur." The little girl said hello lightly.

(Hell!) ）

Arthur's heart went cold, and almost instinctively, he hurriedly turned around and closed the door, his back against the door, his head still blank.

(How did she know he was here?!) ）

"Beauty told me."

Behind the door, the voice of a little girl was heard.

She seemed to see through his thoughts, and through the wooden door, her voice was no longer so crisp, but a little blurred.

”……“

Arthur bit his lower lip, lowered his head, and silently locked the door.

There was a "click", and the sound of the door lock made him feel at ease for a moment.

Guess who he least wants to see at the moment?

That's right, it's the little girl who is full of gloom.

I'm really afraid of something.

It's even more terrifying than the ghosts in horror movies with teeth and claws, and capes.

And the sound of the door locking, to the young visitor, was not a sign of friendliness.

The owner of the room refused to be thousands of miles away, which made her a little unhappy.

"Arthur, I have an axe in my hand."

“……”

"Are you sure you want me to 'open the door' by myself?"

Although it was a declarative sentence, her tail tone sank, and there was a threat in her tone.

Arthur swallowed.

He was familiar with that tone, and he had spoken to him the last time she had shot—

……

【I came, I saw, I conquered.】

……

These words remained in his mind like a death spell, those narrowed dark red eyes concealed killing intent, and the slightly raised corners of her mouth revealed the excitement of killing, she enjoyed the sense of control over other people's lives.

Her threats are more than simple threats.

It was a precursor to her killing.

"Arthur, I'll give you three seconds. Three ......"

Damn, he's fed up with the countdown.

"Two ......"

“……”

"One."

When the last number fell, Arthur turned and opened the door. And the axe swung straight down, with a small gust of wind, and stopped just in time before it slashed at his skull, and the blade of the axe ripped a few strands of hair from his forehead and stopped above the bridge of his nose, the gauze of his cheek only a few millimeters away.

Arthur was startled, instinctively staggered back, and almost stumbled to the ground.

"It wouldn't have been like this sooner." The little girl smiled faintly, walked past him, and entered the room on her own.

Arthur looked at the little girl who walked past him, she was holding the Aries doll in one hand and the axe in the other, which perfectly matched the impression she had given him—a little girl who was harmless to humans and animals on the surface, but in fact her hands were covered in blood and slaughtered.

Tonight, there will be a massacre.

And she's ready to go.

So, who will be the winner?

The little girl turned around, sat down on the soft mattress, placed the axe on the white sheet, and looked up at Arthur.

“…… Is there something wrong with you coming to me? Arthur sat down on the floor, lifted his foot, and kicked the door shut.

"I want to think about it." The little girl rolled her eyes, "Oh, I remember, I'm here to return the favor." ”

"Favors? Little girl, just a few seconds ago, you almost split me in half with an axe. Arthur rolled his eyes.

“…… It was an accident. The little girl explained lightly, "You protected me in the last game, so in this game, I will protect you." ”

"You already know the rules of the game?"

"I don't know."

"What if this game is another game where players are slaughtering each other?"

"Then I'll kill you."

“…… Wait, aren't you here to protect me?! ”

"We'll talk about the next game."

“……”

I don't know why, he had a feeling that he was being tricked.

Arthur walked to the small round table at the other end of the room, sat down on the single sofa, and looked up at the little girl. She was sitting obediently on the edge of the bed, her body shrouded in a pale yellow light, her brown hair hanging down softly behind her, not as embarrassed as when he first saw her, and the little girl who was slightly dressed looked much more energetic.

Outside the window, there was a faint sound of thunder.

Through the thick clouds, it seems to be approaching this castle little by little.

The air before the rainstorm is always viscous, a little oppressive, and uncomfortable.

In the room, there was a deathly silence for a while.

After a few minutes, the little girl spoke, breaking the silence—

"Arthur."

"Hmm."

"Have you ever thought about removing the gauze off your face?"

“…… No. ”

"Why? Don't you wonder what you look like. ”

"But I don't want to see a face full of festers."

Outside the window, the thunder came a little closer.

In addition to the thunder, the sound of raindrops falling on the window lattices could be faintly heard.

Outside the window, it's raining.

"So...... Is your face really cut? ”

"I don't know. But my cheeks still hurt occasionally, and I just thought it would be better to keep the gauze wrapped. I don't really want to scare people. ”

"Fearing your opponent may be a way to win."

“…… Thanks for the reminder, but I still want to interact with others as a normal person. ”

"There are no normal people here."

“…… yes, you've proven it to me. ”

The thunder is getting louder.

The thunder seemed to be in the clouds above the castle.

Lightning pierced the sky, and the blinding light shone through the room.

Arthur paused, he leaned slightly to look at the little girl, maintaining a serious conversation posture, elbows resting on his legs, looking at the little girl a few steps away.

"Little girl, what did you mean by saying, 'I came, I saw, I conquered.'"

"Gallic Wars."

"What?"

"I was told that this quote is from the Gallic Wars, from Gaius Julius Caesar, the great dictator of ancient Rome."

A bolt of lightning pierced the sky, and a white light instantly illuminated the room.

The lightning illuminated half of the little girl's cheeks, she opened her lips lightly, her dark red eyes were like the boundless night outside the window, and the sound penetrated the sound of the rain, which was exceptionally clear—

"Caesar is my code name."

"I am the uncrowned emperor in the [Minghe System]."