"Yo, Kira Yoshikage."
Early the next morning, Diego moved the back of his hand that had been resting in front of his eyes aside. His eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes and greeted the Kira lamp not far away.
After a long-awaited deep sleep, Diego slowly left the bed and took his clothes from the nearby rack to put on.
Reimi Sugimoto's appearance was a very good signal. With her existence, the Land of Slumbering Souls was no longer just a legend passed by word of mouth. Everything I, Dio, pursued now had meaning.
If souls could persist eternally, then revival was absolutely not impossible. There must exist magic capable of reversing time, or perhaps, the little spirit of time...
Resurrecting the dead... huh...
Such a wonderful and reassuring phrase.
"Just, all of a sudden, it's really empty."
In the past, Serie had used the existence of the Land of Slumbering Souls to awaken Diego's will to survive.
But as everyone knew, could Serie raise children? Could she raise children? It was fine if you let her play with magic, but as for taking care of children?
She couldn't!
She didn't understand how to raise children at all. She could only watch her disciples go astray like an incompetent master.
Clearly students who had hand-crafted and researched nuclear bombs, yet one by one they went off to sell pancakes on the street. What could she do?
She couldn't!
She had finally encountered an excellent seedling full of ambition, extraordinary courage and insight, and a fondness for struggle—completely in line with her own preferences for a disciple.
But he was not a talent in this field at all. Even if Serie had the heart to change things and wanted Diego to learn magic, could she do it?
She couldn't!
Same as above—Diego's subsequent life had never appreciated the scenery along the way. He had been running around for the sake of the Land of Slumbering Souls and had never given more meaning to the rest of his life.
It had completely deviated from Serie's expected development path: as long as there was a desire to live, the emotional wounds would eventually heal.
And just yesterday, this matter had finally shown signs of progress.
Ding!
Diego's eyes were empty, surrounded by a sense of confusion. He held a small piece of bread that had just come out of the toaster in his mouth, his thoughts still immersed in brainstorming.
Even if I really found a means of revival, with Mother's temperament and that dignity of hers, would she truly be willing to revive?
Reimi Sugimoto's revival was necessary. Takanashi's father's revival was also necessary. I had to use them to observe their reactions and decide on the next plan. If reviving Mother would cause her pain, then I...
Even though Reimi Sugimoto had shown me kindness, I would still go against her wishes. She had to revive, regardless of whether it would cause pain or whether she would come to hate me.
But I, but Diego Brando would not feel sorry because of this, nor would I change because of it. I would only meticulously complete the advancement plan.
Unknowingly, the dry toasted bread in his mouth had already disappeared. Chewed carefully and swallowed by Diego, he muttered softly.
"Hoo—— I really hate this kind of feeling. I should clearly be happy..."
Subsequently, Diego sat down on the chair, leaned back, took off the hat on his head, and covered his face with it. His arms hung down powerlessly.
At this moment, the sound of traffic outside the window seemed completely isolated, echoing the restless throbbing in Diego's heart.
Before long, 『Crossing Worlds』 and this world's 『most impossible revival』 would be exchanged into reality by my, Dio's, own hands.
What peaceful life? It was impossible for it to continue permanently. How long could this kind of day last?
Sooner or later I would have to return to that world I loathed.
Seizing the human nations—that had meaning.
Traveling together with Sui and the others to kill the Demon King as the endpoint—that also had meaning.
But was what I was doing now still meaningful?
The past life of fighting and fleeing, the long period of peaceful life—there had been pain, there had been joy. Multiple emotions colliding with each other had formed this contradictory state of mind.
That had been fifteen years, and also a wait and pursuit spanning more than half a century.
Sniff...
It was unknown how much time had passed before a familiar body scent mixed with the smell of perfume entered Diego's nasal cavity.
This scent—it was Kitagawa.
Diego subconsciously prepared to open the door, but his body suddenly stiffened. After pausing for a while, he gave up on the idea of getting up and continued slumping in the chair.
My mood is very bad today. Better not meet.
Bad mood was something like a virus. It would infect every person who approached, one after another.
Dozens of seconds passed. The familiar scent grew stronger and stronger. Finally the doorbell was pressed, and a lively voice came through.
"Dio-kun♡, I came to play with you!"
"..."
Diego chose to play dead.
The World suddenly appeared and flew straight toward the door.
[Get back here, The World. When did I say I wanted you to open the door?]
The World floated back with a wronged expression: "Muda muda."
(Star Platinum enthusiastically translates: Really wants to open the door)
[I said, I, Dio, don't want to see anyone at all..]
"Muda da muda!"
(The World seems to be cursing very dirty)
The World twisted its head and slowly disappeared.
[The World this guy is acting like a child. When I was little, I wasn't this childish.]
"Eh? Strange. On a rest day Dio-kun is actually not home? Xiao Ai clearly said he had already come back to live..."
Kitagawa Marin's voice gradually turned into confusion. The footsteps at the door kept circling around, just like an ant colony that had lost its leader, in complete disarray.
"Could it be that Dio-kun went to STARRY? Hmm... I'll go look for him!"
Finally, the footsteps at the door gradually diminished until they disappeared.
Diego secretly let out a breath of relief.
Ding dong...
The phone received a text message.
But Diego still kept his eyes tightly closed, not moving at all.
Not long after, The World appeared with a face full of resentment. It took the phone out from the pocket and opened LINE.
Through The World's shared vision, Diego clearly saw the message from Kitagawa Marin.
Kitagawa: Dio-kun! Let me tell you, in the new serialization chapter of Rohan-sensei's masterpiece "Red-Black Boy", the new character looks especially like you!
Kitagawa: Blond hair + hat elements, especially reliable and powerful, with a mysterious aura, and the face is drawn especially similarly. It's basically you in person!
Kitagawa: I brought the manga and wanted to read it together with you again. It's a pity you're not home. I pressed the doorbell several times but there was no response.
Once she had an idea she immediately put it into practice. This action power... was really amazing.
It's just that that kid Rohan Kishibe infringed on my portrait rights. I don't know if he'll share some small money with me.
...!!
Boom!!
Even though it was The World looking at the message, on the screen the displayed unread information turned into read.
Diego's heart skipped a beat. Which bastard came up with this function?!
Kitagawa: Eeh eeh, Dio-kun you're home, right?! You actually ignored me just now. I'm angry!!
The World had an innocent face. It placed the lit-screen phone on the table and once again escaped into the void and dissipated, throwing the problem back to Diego.
"..."
Things had come to this. Continue slumping.
A relationship that could be abandoned at any time and would disappear sooner or later. It didn't matter if I didn't maintain it, right?
Not long after, that perfume scent returned.
Kitagawa Marin had a troubled expression. She held a spare key in her hand, hesitating between inserting it and not inserting it.
"Should I go in or not..."
Although the message was read but not replied to, what if Dio-kun isn't home? If I sneak in, will I be mistaken for a stalker girl?!
But Dio-kun's feeling today is really strange. In the past messages were always replied to in seconds. It's just like he can stop time to read messages. The next second after sending, he receives a reply.
Situations like not being able to find someone are really rare...
Hmm————. Just confirming whether he's home should be fine, right?
Kitagawa Marin made mental preparations.
"Dio-kun, I'm coming in, okay!" Kitagawa Marin drew out her tone, twisted the key in her hand, opened the door, poked out her little head, and asked softly: "You're home, right? I greeted you so it doesn't count as breaking and entering, and I absolutely have no intention of doing anything bad~"
"Wow!! No, wait... What situation is this crime scene?!"
"Are you kidding me? Dio-kun was killed by the forget-me-not killer?!"
The living room was filled with forget-me-not flowers. Diego was lying on the chair without moving. His face was still covered by a hat. It was a living "crime scene", just like described in novels and manga.
Kitagawa Marin lifted her foot and carefully stepped over the flower pots on the ground, arriving in front of the "corpse".
The chest gently rising and falling due to breathing proved that Diego was not dead. There was also no forget-me-not killer.
!
The weak fluorescence emitted by the lit phone screen attracted Kitagawa Marin's attention. She curiously shifted her gaze over, saw the chat box in LINE, and instantly understood in her heart. She reached out and turned off the screen.
"So it was because the screen wasn't turned off, that's why it immediately showed as read. By the way, was Dio-kun staring at the chat box with me before sleeping? So happy~" Kitagawa Marin squinted her eyes and smiled. In a daze she felt a bit itchy-handed again. "However, sleeping with a hat covering the whole face will definitely give you nightmares, right?"
It's absolutely not because I want to see Dio-kun's sleeping face!
Suppressing the urge to do bad things, she silently pinched the hat brim and moved it away.
Diego was just like that, staring with dead fish eyes, a face full of "I have no will to live" appearance, appearing vividly in front of her.
"Wah ah! You're still awake?!"
"Uh... Good morning? Is that the phrase I should say?"
"Dio-kun, did you just wake up? The sun is just setting now. A vampire's schedule is bad for the body, you know." Kitagawa Marin subconsciously frowned tightly.
Diego sighed and reluctantly stood up.
Perhaps it was time. Time to say goodbye.
His gaze was downcast. He put on a cold face: "It doesn't matter, right? What did you come to find me for?"
Eeh——♡♡♡
So... so handsome! ♡♡♡
Usually always a sloppy appearance. After changing personality, the low and deep feeling Dio-kun is the world's number one handsome——!
Kitagawa Marin stared at Diego with hearts in her eyes. Her red lips slightly parted, cheeks flushed. Through the snow-white scarf, her hand pressed tightly on her increasingly intensely beating heart.
Ah————, I can't anymore ♡♡♡ So handsome it's simply indescribable ♡♡♡ Seriously, I should stop already. I'm completely a perverted fangirl.
Thanks to the forget-me-not killer, I was able to see this scene. My heart is filled with gratitude ♡♡♡. I really want to keep this forever ♡♡♡
This fangirl appearance made Diego very uncomfortable, even slightly painful.
Damn it. With her like this, how am I supposed to speak up!
By the way, due to Kitagawa Marin's blond hair and temperament, Diego's initial impression of her was: suspected to be a gender-swapped counterpart from another world.
In other words, this situation for Diego was just like another self asking oneself: Is it high-level or not? Do you want to use a smelly place to earn fragrant money?
"Kitagawa, let's play a game. How about it?" Emerging from the strange fantasy, Diego became serious. He used his hand to support Kitagawa Marin's chin. "Let's play cosplay. I remember this is called role-playing. But unlike before, this time we don't need any clothes as decoration. We only need to perform a segment of unscripted, free-flowing plot."
"Eh, ooh ooh! Sure!" Kitagawa Marin blushed. She hadn't recovered from the shyness of having her chin touched yet. She just responded blankly.
"Then please remember. No matter what I, Dio, say next, it is all role-playing. You can listen to my words in reverse. Don't take it seriously." After pausing for a while, Diego withdrew his hand. His head tilted slightly. His voice was pressed extremely low. "You are still you, and my identity is a vile criminal who has been using you all along, ultimately achieving his goal and leaving."
Kitagawa Marin nodded very quickly, full of excitement. She made a peace sign: "Mm hm!"
"Don't take it seriously. Also, don't... hate me."
The volume of this latter sentence was controlled very well by Diego. It did not reach Kitagawa Marin's ears.
Once a viewpoint took precedence, the field of vision would become narrow. Things that could originally be noticed would also become undetectable.
Tap tap tap...
Diego retreated a few steps. His boots knocked on the wooden floor, emitting a dull "thud thud" sound.
After pulling away the distance, the two stood facing each other.
"Hmm... I'll get straight to the point." Diego made eye contact with Kitagawa Marin. His gaze changed to be extremely aggressive, without any emotion. His words were also not polite at all. "I have always disliked you very much, Kitagawa!"
"Wh... why?!" Kitagawa Marin was stunned for a moment, then instantly entered the role. "Could it be that I did something wrong?!"
"..."
Diego kept moving away step by step.
"Wait a minute! Don't go. Stop your footsteps!" Kitagawa Marin rushed over from behind. Both hands gripped Diego's left hand. Her eyes were full of hope. "This kind of thing, you have to ask clearly. You have to communicate properly.."
"..."
Diego still did not reply. He shook Kitagawa off with one motion. After leaving a warning glance, he pressed his hat down and lifted his leg to leave again.
"Dio-kun, at least tell me why you're angry?" Cold sweat seeped from Kitagawa's forehead. She pulled out a forced smile. Her voice trembled as she pleaded, "Hey, okay?"
"I don't know. Why are you asking me?"
"Because you're angry, aren't you? If you have any thoughts of your own, you must say them out for yourself. Our relationship before was so good..."
"Fake."
Diego stopped his footsteps, interrupting Kitagawa Marin's words. He tried his best to make his next tone become calm.
"That was just something I pretended to pass the time and have fun. What makes you think you have the qualifications to approach me, Dio?"
Perhaps because the dialogue was too natural, or perhaps because these words had already exceeded the ordinary scope of role-playing.
Kitagawa Marin completely entered the "role". It could also be said that she completely forgot that this was a "role".
Her pupils disappeared. Her brain went blank. Her fingertips stabbed into her palms. She could not speak.
I...
Almost forgot...
How we first met...
What Kitagawa Marin recalled was the beginning of everything.
[Such a burly figure! He's simply the male protagonist who walked out of a manga!]
Yes. Back then, I only approached Dio-kun with this kind of thought.
Kitagawa Marin covered her head.
Then, I coincidentally ran into Dio-kun with little Kita. He said:
[The price is to be my personal dresser doll]
Then, like an idiot, I took all of this for granted and enjoyed it.
At this moment, Diego's cold words came again.
"Now that things have come to this, I don't need to pretend to be garlic, nor do I need to explain too much..." Diego turned around. He struggled to choose his words. His body leaned forward slightly. "From the very beginning, I was just using you all for amusement. You are so weak. To me, you have no use at all. After I finish understanding this world, you can already disappear."
"Making cosplay outfits was only because I'm very good at sewing clothes. After all, there's an idiot in the team who keeps breaking clothes for no reason. It was just a topic I went along with."
"After that, I needed to expand my interpersonal relationships. Only then would I not seem so much like an otherworld visitor, or rather, a local black household..."
Kitagawa Marin was frozen in place. Her complexion grew paler and paler. She wanted to say something to retain him, but could not spit out any words.
"We,"
"..."
"will not meet again in the future."