The Final Volume: A Tiny World in the Dust - Ye the Criminal (Part One)

"Whew... whew... honestly..."

I panted heavily and straightened up.

I was exhausted.

Back in the other world, it had all been so easy. Sure enough, it was because I'd been too strong over there, while I was too weak here.

Uh... weak? My physique was average for a college student, so it wasn't like I was weak. And going by the results, I was actually a little stronger. After all, the winner was king.

"..."

What bothered me was that my hand was trembling slightly. I didn't know whether it was from excitement or fear.

I took a deep breath, and the trembling immediately eased. I grabbed the chair leg, but my hand slipped on the red-and-white stuff smeared over it. The chair I'd only managed to lift halfway fell again, thumping onto that pile of meat with a wet "splat."

"Eek!"

Had that "splat" brought her back to reality? Huddled off to the side, her eyes as wide as plates, she seemed to snap out of a dream. She scrambled to her feet—oops, she failed and fell back down. Her legs were shaking like a leaf, so she probably wasn't going to have an easy time standing.

This was the sort of moment when I ought to act like a gentleman.

"Can't you get up? Would you like me to...?"

I did my best to put on a kind smile and held out my hand. She stared blankly at me, then—

"Don't... don't come closer... don't..."

"Huh? Um..."

"Stay away from me!!!!!!!"

She let out a piercing scream, her face twisted beyond recognition. Desperately wriggling away from me, she tried to inch toward the door. With a trembling hand, she struggled to grab the doorknob, then hauled herself upright as frantically as a drowning landlubber clutching a lifebuoy. She