[There is a deserted town called Silent Hill. 】

Those shrouded in darkness will be drawn to this misty town, where they will fall into the abyss of inner illusion or be reborn in the trials of Infernal Hell. 】

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[Midnight Raven Theater Tonight's Repertoire: The Nightingale and the Rose.] 】

[The kind nightingale hears the lament of the poor student, who falls in love with the minister's daughter, but does not have a red rose that can control her to express his love.] Nightingale, wanting to help poor students, asks the rose tree for bright red roses. But there were only unripe white roses on the branches, and in order to fulfill the great love, the nightingale decided to dye this rose red with her own painstaking efforts. 】

――――――

Behind the door is a monitoring room.

In the small room with yellowed walls, there was a person sitting on a swivel chair, and from Lu Mengyao's perspective, he could only see his back. On the table are buckets of instant noodles and mountains of instant food bags. On the right-hand side is an ashtray full of cigarette butts. The smell is slightly stinky, but the ventilation ducts work very well.

A huge screen stands on the desk, divided into nine grids, each showing the perspective of each of the nine cameras. Three of the cameras are angled at a woman in white, Sadako Yamamura, who looks tired and walks down a spiral staircase.

The magician walked over to the swivel chair, and instead of a living man, he sat a dead corpse. She dragged the corpse off the chair, dragged it aside, and then stood in front of the control platform in the monitoring room.

There must be an input system. Lu Mengyao pulled out an old-fashioned mechanical keyboard from the drawer under the desk. There's a layer of dust on it, but the amount of dust that accumulates on different keys varies, and a few of the keys that look like common keys are noticeably cleaner. The letters on it have been worn out.

The phone vibrated again. She opened the text message interface, and there were two simple words on it:

[Sit down.] 】

All right. Lu Mengyao took off her coat and put it on the swivel chair. Sit down in a chair carefully. And at this moment, Sadako Yamamura on the screen finally walked the endless spiral steps. Came to the bottom and stopped in front of an iron door.

This is the end. Lu Mengyao's pupils reflected the girl in white on the screen, Sadako Yamamura, who usually pays great attention to her appearance, can no longer maintain her appearance, and sweat drips from her chin.

Good luck, Lu Mengyao subconsciously leaned back in the chair.

――――――

The tired girl pushed the door open, and the dazzling light shone on her face, making her unable to see for a moment. The floor under your feet is wooden, and there is a slight bouncing sensation when you walk on it. This felt familiar to her, this was ...... The feeling of the stage.

Torrential applause came from under the stage. She blocked the spotlight on the stage with her hand and squinted her eyes to sweep down the stage. The auditorium was huge, filled with thousands of people looking Asian, and some holding signs and glow sticks.

These people are......

Before she could figure it out, a cold hand was already holding her fingers. A familiar man's voice pierced through the stereo, and the crow stood beside her, holding a microphone in one hand, and raised his voice:

"Loud applause. You contemptible scum! A warm welcome to dear Miss Sadako Yamamura! Her beauty fills this filthy and bloody theater with a crisp air! Louder!! Okay, it's pretty much the same now. So, audience, are you ready to watch this stage play? Live action. Luxurious cast, immortal masterpiece, absolutely exciting. There are Sadako Yamamura, the cute little poisonous snake Lu, and the contemptible me - "The Nightingale and the Rose"! ”

The curtain behind Sadako Yamamura lifts, revealing a wooden chair entwined with thorns. Typical stage props. A gorgeous ball-party setting, a full white moon hanging high above the balcony, and a large tree. It's very simple, so simple that it's about the same as a stage play for elementary school students. But the audience didn't seem to care about these little things. They were just shouting and howling in the midst of the noise, and their eyes were like red sparks in the dark.

"Murderer!"

"Monster!"

"Maniac!"

"Kill her!"

"Kill her! Kill her! ”

"Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! ”

The cacophony finally converged into a homophonic beat, and thousands of people chanted "kill" together, and the surging hatred used the sound wave as the medium, hitting Sadako Yamamura unsteadily. Who are they? Why is this so done to me? The girl in white looked blankly at the audience, why did these people look like ...... Decedent? The closest spectator had only half of his head left, some of them had bullet marks on their chests, and some were dragging severed limbs...... Most of their faces were taken over by a large mouth, their eyes were sewn together with rough black stitches, and their scarlet tongues danced wildly with their cry signs, splattering dark red blood in all directions.

"Ignore them. It's just the Tokyo residents you killed. Remember? The time you came to save me, I am very touched when I think about it until now. The raven pressed her to a wooden chair, and the thorny branches wound up as if they were alive, and clasped her wrists, and the sharp thorns were embedded in her delicate flesh, and the blood stained the leaves of the plant red.

"It's a simple play. My dear little Sadako, you play the poor and great nightingale with extraordinary devotion in this story. And the question is: Will you bravely give your life for the love of others? ”

Raven dragged out a chair and sat down across from her.

The thorns began to suck her blood drop by drop, and the brown branches turned red as the blood soaked in.

"I promised not to hurt you, and I won't lie to you. Really, you are so beautiful, I really can't bear to hurt you even the slightest. But now it's not me who controls the bloodsucking thorns, but the female number two in this play - or the female number one? Dear little Viper, she's a ruthless character. The choice of this story is in the hands of the two of you. ”

Raven took a small black and white TV from under his chair and placed it on his lap, unscrewed the switch, and adjusted the antenna slightly. The screen covered in rustling snowflakes jumped a few times. Then he took the form of a magician. Lu Mengyao on the screen was also restrained by the thorns on the seat, and a bundle of branches with leaves was wrapped around the top of her head. There is also a snow-white rose on the forehead.

[Dear little viper, this game is very simple. The good nightingale will give blood. Come and dye your beautiful crown of thorns. I would like to remind you in advance that this "blood volume" is not like voluntary blood donation, only 400CC is enough. And your choice is to have a knob at hand, and you can use the knob guò to adjust the proportion of blood drawn from the thorns, and use your own blood to share the burden of blood loss on the nightingale. The conditions for the end of the game are also easy to meet...... As soon as the white roses are thoroughly dyed red, or either of the two of you is sucked dry by the thorns, the game ends instantly. 】

Su Jing's scattered voice came from the black-and-white TV. The black-clad crow propped his hand on the small TV and watched the expression on Sadako Yamamura's face from a distance of one meter with great interest. When he showed that expression. It's very similar to Su Jing.

"Don't look at me like that, I think this game is designed to be very interesting. But, Miss Sadako, you also have the right to decide whether she lives or dies, and that is to let her fall into Hell at any time. If she died, then the nightingale would not have to give her life for that man's love...... Just one word: 'no'. I immediately stopped sucking blood, and then the menacing little viper would 'snort' and fall into the coal mine hell that was still burning underground. Then, you're done. ”

Sadako Yamamura stared at him angrily, and the crow was unmoved.

"Or. Leave the decision to her. See if she'll be merciful enough to share a little blood to save you. Maybe both of you have been drained of blood, and her rose crown still won't be stained red, it's also possible. ”

The crow scratches the top panel of the television with its sharp nails, making an irritating noise. Black eyes stared at the woman opposite. Sadako Yamamura leaned back on a wooden chair and pursed her lips tightly.

"Hmm...... There's one thing I'm sure you've thought about many times. You and the little viper. In Su Jing's heart, the weight is different. The crow propped its chin on one hand and spat poisonous words out of its lips. He hasn't told you yet, he used to want to marry Lu Mengyao. I even secretly bought an engagement ring. Only a person like her can control such a flying man. It's just that those two people used to be too proud, and even ...... Can't coexist. But to be honest, in Su Jing's heart, except for a very cute girl, only Miss Lu's talent and temperament are the highest in the world. ”

"And at the end of the day, you're just a ...... Drama characters. You are fungible, do you understand? Even if something happens to you, Su Jing can re-enter a new world of midnight bells and re-save Sadako Yamamura, the heroine of the tragic story...... A new obedient woman, as tame, gentle, and beautiful as you are...... Oh my God, are you crying? ”

The crow's face slowly approached Sadako Yamamura, and a crystal tear slowly slid down her cheek. The corners of the man's mouth twitched slightly with the same face as Su Jing, and his eyes exuded excitement.

"You know what? For Su Jing and Lu Mengyao, a demon couple with no conscience, your bed toy is already very in the way. There is no combat effectiveness, there is no sense of zài, just things that are used to play with, and they are tired of being used and can be thrown away...... If you are really as kind as they think, then play the surplus value and obediently give way to drain your blood. After all, she is the one who wants to go to the end of time with Su Jing, let her go out alive, and your beloved Su Jing will live very happily...... And you will also be remembered by them, a tragic devotee, who came out of tragedy and also died tragically, fatalistic ending, sacrificing for the happiness of the beloved man. Perfect Happy-End. Right? ”

――――――

Perhaps the last enemy you want to face is me. 】

The hands-free function of the mobile phone was turned on, and Su Jing's voice echoed in the monitoring room. Lu Mengyao tried to break free of the thorns on her wrists, but they were wrapped tighter, and the needles that sucked the blood sank deeper into the veins.

"Don't talk big." The Magician's thin body trembled slightly, and she wore only a shirt and sleeveless jacket under her heavy coat. The place was already cold, and as the blood was pumped out drop by drop, the cold sensation in the body became more and more obvious.

[Seriously, I know your weaknesses. Although you used to work hard. But your congenital constitution is still very weak. Physical education is the only weakness in your grades, even in the drama club. You can't do the heavy lifting of things like moving things. Your strength is smaller than that of a normal girl, and your body is very weak. But it takes a lot of energy to spend on various things...... I was really afraid that you would die suddenly like Zhuge Liang at that time. 】

yes, he remembered it as soon as he said it. In the first period of time after dating him, the relationship between the two was still very-for-tat. One day this guy made a bet with himself, and he only had a little impression of what the bet was, which seemed to be a very interesting game. As a result, he lost, and his request was to let himself leave all his official duties and have a good weekend off. Later, when I went to investigate again, I found out that he had started to prepare three days in advance for the sure victory of the bet.

I thought at the time. If it were him, maybe he could become a ...... with himself

[A little reminder, your weight is forty-nine kilograms.] By ordinary standards, your blood is about 3.4 to 3.9 liters. And if you lose more than 20% of your blood, your life will be in danger, which is ......]

"Six hundred and eighty milliliters to seven hundred and eighty milliliters. Thanks, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division I'll do the math. The magician interrupted the rambling on the phone.

[Seeing that you are still so energetic, I am relieved...... After all, people with weak constitutions like you have blood loss symptoms that come on faster than ordinary people. 】

"You're bothered."

It is already felt, and the heat of the body is sucked away little by little. The hands and feet were cold, as if they had been sucked dry a little bit. The most terrible thing is not the loss of the amount of limbs, but the ability to think will become stiff and sluggish as the blood fails.

If I lose the ability to think here. Not only me, but even Sadako and Kiki could not be saved. If you want to make a rational choice, save as many people as possible. Then ...... Sacrifices have to be made.

Or is this what he wants?

[What is the reason for always being so strong? You're obviously a girl who is so afraid of pain and death. Why do you have to take on ten times more responsibilities than ordinary people? 】

It's cold.

The white roses on the head have turned light red. Even though he knew that he shouldn't think about it at such a time, Lu Mengyao's spirit still irrepressibly began to diverge. The weakening of the flesh begins to erode one's own spirit in turn.

Why be so strong? Because, of course......

Why? Cultivated as an elite since childhood? He has been indoctrinated with the truth of this world over and over again. In this world, if you show a little weakness, you will be attacked by a horde of jackals and hyenas. So be strong, smile at all times, be calm and calm, never let those who entrust your life to you find the wavering in your heart, and give your companions peace of mind. No matter what happens, you must be a subordinate, a friend, and a companion as the last safeguard.

This is the duty of the strong.

This is the model of the world controlled by capital, where the individuality of each person is erased and quantified into the value of ability and the value of storage. And he is a person who has been trained as a "hegemon's weapon" since he was a child, and he is destined to become a strong man above 10,000 people.

Maybe I want to pursue the joy of being a girl once in a while.

On the day he broke up with Su Jing, the moment the two turned their backs, he realized for the first time that he had become so cold and vicious.

Myself...... Want to be saved.

Isolate yourself from the crowd and place yourself one qiē above the world with cold calculations. Stand on the castle balcony at the top of the hill and look down on the ground. However, with so many obstacles in place, all I wanted was for someone to be able to cross the mountains, cut through the thorns, storm the castle, defeat the dragon, and save the princess from the dusty room.

I'm such a hopelessly stupid woman.

[You look cold, maybe the temperature in this place is too low.] There seemed to be a hint of cunning in Su Jing's voice.

The floor and walls of the surveillance room began to crack with a roar as he spoke, crushing like a walnut shell and falling into the crimson abyss, leaving only the screen in front of her and the chair she was sitting in were held up by barbed wire. The heat was steaming from the depths of the ground, and Lu Mengyao could see the fire burning hundreds of meters below his feet. The town's abandonment is said to have been caused by the ignition of a huge underground coal mine, which has been smoldering underground for decades and has never been extinguished, as a result of which the ashes in the sky have been created.

So beneath our feet is Hell Fire.

The slender wrist of the magician was pale from being sucked blood, and he felt dizzy just by looking at it, and he was dragged from a safe small room to the edge of the abyss in an instant, and he was worthy of being a demon incarnated by Su Jing, who knew his weaknesses well. What is afraid of in my heart, the hard shell I have created for myself, is calmly knocked open by others, exposing myself to my weakest side.

No.

The magician blinked, the heat of the outside world activating her stiff brain slightly.

Reasoning backwards. Turn your mind around.

Even if it's Su Jing...... Could he have known so much about himself?

Empathy.

After a few seconds, the short-haired girl smiled shallowly. Her thorn-wrapped fingers grasped the knob at hand and spun it all the way to the end. Her own blood was drained at an accelerated rate in an instant, and the rapid blood loss made her eyes blacken, and she briefly lost consciousness.

……

Woke up.

The magician flicked his wrist, and there was no more annoying thorns, but the crown on his head...... It's still there. She took off the crown of thorny branches, and the rose was as red as blood.

"I won."

She let out a mocking triumphant laugh from the flaming cliffs.

[Congratulations, you passed the first level.] (To be continued......)