The Absolutely Neutral Nation

The gods tore the world apart, and the disordered time divided the world into different fragments, leaving only a dilapidated ruin hidden in the territory ruled by the gods.

Under the protection of lamplight, the surviving humans sat huddled among the ruins, exploring ways to assassinate the gods by employing ancient incantations and praying to the outer gods.

--O Morning Star with your lantern, even if your light has gone out, please still light the way for the world.

Zhang Niuzhuang: "That's what's up ahead, let's just stop there and see what the basket Breath of Tides — Noita, stop praying! And you! This mission is very important, don't be so extreme in the face of trouble!"

Ji Duan: "I just want to see rivers of blood, how is that extreme? Why don't you look at this abnormal guy next to me... Hey, what are you doing now?"

Zheng Chang: "Let me tell you, this secret-recipe stir-fried octopus legs is absolutely the best I've ever eaten... How am I not Zheng Chang? I'm more than Zheng Chang, okay?"

--Alright, you guys do your best.

A Souls-like world view + a type of elemental combat + a tiny bit of supernatural tales.

Chen Lao's new book—he's a long-time author of Shu Ke's. I started reading his books when I first joined the site; his quality and character are guaranteed. If you're interested, you can check it out.

Chapter 293: Absolutely Neutral Country

After bidding farewell to the mysterious Sakayanagi Arisu, Kitagawa Ryo left the teaching building without stopping and headed straight for a certain location. Ryuen Kakeru had sent him the location three minutes earlier; it was a rather secluded grove of trees.

When Kitagawa Ryo subconsciously slowed his pace and reached his destination, Ryuen Kakeru, who was already waiting there, didn't greet him. Instead, he simply raised his finger to make a shushing gesture and slightly raised his chin in a certain direction deep inside, indicating that Kitagawa Ryo look in that direction.

Through the gaps between the tree trunk and branches, Kitagawa Ryo quickly spotted two figures facing each other. Facing him was Manabe Shiho from Class 1-C, while the girl with her back to him, though her face was obscured by the angle, had long, flowing silver hair and a familiar silhouette that Kitagawa Ryo recognized immediately—it was Shiina Hiyori herself.

A short while later, Kitagawa Ryo heard the two talking.

The first to speak was Manabe Shiho, a girl who would be considered one of the top delinquents even in Class C. She clicked her tongue Shiina Hiyori:

"Hey Shiina, are you really in cahoots with someone like Ryuen? The way he acted so arrogantly in class today, if you had just taken the lead, everyone could have kicked him out like they did in the Gymnasium."

"Ryuen and I are not accomplices. I only refrained from stopping him today because I judged that what he did was beneficial to the class."

Shiina Hiyori remained as calm and aloof as ever. If her tone was like a soft, sweet cotton candy when she was with Kitagawa Ryo, it was now closer to pure frost and snow, giving off a feeling that strangers should stay away.

"That's true, but asking us to show our Private Points balance is a complete invasion of privacy. Does Shiina really think this is a measure that benefits the class?"

In response to Shiina Hiyori's reply, Manabe Shiho became even more agitated, her tone escalating to almost an interrogation.

"Of course, and Manabe, you still haven't explained to the whole class why you have so many Private Points, have you?"

"Why should I explain? Has Ryuen ever explained to us where he got the four million Private Points he bet on that second-year student, Nagumo?"

"But I know for sure that he didn't get those points by betraying the class's interests."

Seeing Manabe Shiho venting her dissatisfaction in front of her, Shiina Hiyori still answered the question objectively.

"Are you saying that the Private Points I have were obtained by betraying the class's interests? And what makes you think you can speak well of Ryuen? Even just looking at his performance in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, that guy doesn't deserve to Leader of Class C at all."

"It's quite humorous to hear this from Manabe, who gave up on the exam the day after the incident at Ryuen on the Uninhabited Island and ended up third from Manabe bottom in his group."

Shiina Hiyori sighed somewhat helplessly, but the true damage effect of this strike was still quite significant, leaving Manabe Shiho on the other side speechless for quite a while before she recovered.

"That's why we've always wanted Shiina to be the class Leader. After all, it was because of you that the Class Points kept increasing on the Uninhabited Island. It's the same with this Sports Festival. Everyone essentially drove Ryuen away because they trusted you."

Realizing she couldn't quite win the argument with Shiina Hiyori on the previous point, Manabe Shiho quickly changed her tune, launching into a skillful act of moral blackmail.

"So when Manabe borrowed Private Points from the second-year students, why didn't he think to consult me, the class Leader?"

But Shiina Hiyori's speed was even faster than she expected. A counter-question once again caused Manabe Shiho. After a moment of stunned silence, she retorted:

"Because I feel this is my own privacy. Do I have to report everything I do to you?"

Faced with Manabe Shiho's skillful use of the landslide technique, Shiina Hiyori was too lazy to waste any more words with her and bluntly stated:

"But the interest on those two million Private Points was indeed passed on to quite a few students, wasn't it? To be honest, I was a little curious from the beginning. Class D was willing to accept Nagumo's two million points in interest because they hoped to gain an advantage in the Student Council recruitment after the Sports Festival. How did you dare to do that?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it's because you and the second-year students signed more than one contract. There must be some other deal, like a cooperative, manually manipulated scheme to guarantee the odds of winning the bets. The two accidents involving Shibata Hirata were also orchestrated by your group."

Shiina Hiyori had a clear understanding of her students. Most of them were students who were clever but not very clever. They were prone to being greedy for small gains but also afraid of losing big things. They wouldn't feel satisfied if they used their own Private Points to bet, and they were afraid of losing millions if they borrowed millions to gamble. In the end, they would choose to cooperate with the older students under such a hesitant situation.

Seeing that Shiina Hiyori had brought the topic up completely, Manabe Shiho subconsciously showed a guilty expression, but quickly retorted with a blustering but weak defense:

"So what? Didn't Ryuen also choose to bet on Nagumo and cooperate with him? Class C is a terrible class. Ryuen's own idea is probably to quickly earn Twenty Million Personal Points to transfer to another class, right?"

Then, as if she had thought of something, Manabe Shiho turned to Shiina Hiyori and tried to persuade her to join her side:

"You, Shiina, should know better than anyone just how bad Class C is. Although it's still officially Class C, everyone knows that if it weren't Shiina your actions on that Uninhabited Island, it would have been relegated to Class D by now. It's utterly rotten..."

After offering a few perfunctory complaints about her own circumstances, which she arbitrarily defined as the reason for her current stagnation, Manabe Shiho seized the opportunity to offer the following advice:

"Why don't you join us, Shiina? If the plan goes smoothly, everyone can earn a hefty sum of several million Private Points. Then we can just transfer to another class and get away from this lousy ship, right? I Shiina you're dating Kitagawa from Class B, Shiina. You know how troublesome cross-class relationships are. Once you've earned those points, maybe next school year—no, next semester—you can transfer there."

"I refuse... I really didn't expect that even though Lianlong Ryuen has backed down this time, there would still be someone who would use such a method that directly harms others to achieve their goal."

Shiina Hiyori shook her head decisively in refusal, but as a classmate for over a semester, she still managed to offer one last word of persuasion:

"This is a violation of school rules, and if discovered, there is a possibility of immediate expulsion."

"Tch, you don't need to worry about that. We're very careful with our actions. Besides, Senior Nagumo has already told us that once he becomes the Student Council President, he will further relax the sentencing and punishment for small-scale fights and acts of violence on campus."

Seeing that Shiina Hiyori remained completely unmoved, Manabe Shiho clicked her tongue again and responded somewhat impatiently.

"As expected, this is just a waste of time. I thought you, Shiina, would understand my thoughts when you said these things, but I was wrong."

"I do understand your point of view, but I don't agree with it."

"Tsk, as for what I called you out today and what I said, Shiina, if you want to report it to Ryuen, go ahead, but I will definitely, absolutely look down on you."

In the end, Manabe Shiho didn't forget to throw in one last moral blackmail tactic.

"I didn't intend to report this to him."

Despite her own inner turmoil, Manabe Shiho couldn't resist showing off a little after receiving Shiina Hiyori's reply:

"Are you really sure it's okay? Let me make this clear, I'm serious. If you leave me alone, who knows what will happen? Although I'm not afraid of Ryuen at all."

"Don't misunderstand, Manabe. Ryuen's actions certainly have many flaws, so I don't think it's wrong for you to feel dissatisfied. But I will still try to stop your excessive actions."

Shiina Hiyori's warning was largely ineffective. Manabe Shiho casually waved her hand to indicate that she understood, then turned around and left without even saying goodbye, heading in the other direction.

"I'll go teach her a lesson and get some other information out of her while I'm at it."

As soon as Manabe Shiho Ryuen Kakeru, who had overheard the whole thing, followed with a cold smile. However, Kitagawa Ryo showed no intention of going with them and instead went directly to the side of Shiina Hiyori, who was still standing there looking somewhat bewildered.

"Oh, it's Liang. Did you just arrive? Or have you been here all along?"

Seemingly unsurprised by Kitagawa Ryo's arrival, Shiina Hiyori naturally relaxed her previously ramrod-straight back, her tone and manner of speaking also loosening.

"So Manabe has been here all along? It seems he's admitted it?"

"Yeah, but that's normal. After all, the fact that some classmates are dissatisfied with Ryuen and even the entire Class C is not something that happened overnight. It's probably accumulated since the beginning of the semester."

At this point, Shiina Hiyori's tone also sounded somewhat lonely.

"As for Class C now, I even think it would be better to let Ryuen continue to lead it, because the entire class has already been deeply imprinted with his personal style over the past few months... I can't change that."

"Actually, I didn't have any strong feelings for the class or my classmates at first. When I enrolled, I just thought that I could spend these three years surrounded by coolness and books. But on the Uninhabited Island, I really felt that some people were gradually trying to become better."

The chaos in Class C at the Sports Festival did seem to have a negative impact on Shiina Hiyori. Even without Karuizawa Kei's incident, she would probably still have chosen to give up in the end, because apart from a few students who recognized her, most of the students in Class C supported her only to oppose Ryuen Kakeru.

In other words, the mark and impression that Ryuen Kakeru left on their hearts is much deeper and heavier than that of Shiina Hiyori, which may be why their homeroom teacher Sakagami Kazuma, still supports Ryuen to this day.

Just as Hiyori was worried, this situation was not good for anyone.

"Perhaps Hiyori can also look forward to Ryuen's growth after being hit hard."

Kitagawa Ryo still has a high opinion of Ryuen Kakeru, or rather, Ryuen after he has abandoned those underhanded tactics.

"However, this method of always relying on one person can't last forever. Just like on the Uninhabited Island, if Ryuen is expelled in the future, I think the entire Class C will collapse in an instant."

Although Class C seems to be in a state of disarray now, Ryuen Kakeru's sudden return this afternoon to check his phone actually caused quite a stir. Otherwise, Manabe Shiho wouldn't have pulled Shiina Hiyori out for a face-to-face talk.

"Ryo, don't you think you and Ryuen get along really well? Like, you have amazing chemistry."

As she spoke, Shiina Hiyori smiled at Kitagawa Ryo.

"... That tone is too strange. I have no interest in that kind of thing."

"I've always felt that Liang coming to our class would make a difference, not only for Ryuen, but also for the whole class and for me."

"Actually, after hearing about Hui a few days ago, I thought about inviting you to do the same, but I felt it would be too cunning to say that back then, so I only deposited a little over a million points with Ryo. I'm actually quite afraid that Ryo might use these Private Points to carry out some kind of plan, and then suddenly make twenty million, and then transfer directly to Class A after the Sports Festival."

Although she made witty remarks, Shiina Hiyori's tone didn't rise at all; she tilted her head slightly and spoke very seriously.

"I did consider leaving Class C at first, but like I said before, I made some friends in Class C, like Mio and Takeko, and I think there will be more in the future. But just thinking about it, I feel like I can't leave Class C."

"I see."

After listening to Shiina Hiyori's heartfelt words, Kitagawa Ryo responded just as earnestly:

"Making friends, learning new things, and exercising are things that high school students should be doing, so I'm happy that Hiyori thinks that way."

Perhaps it was the overly heavy emotions she sensed from the few words Sakayanagi Arisu revealed that made Hiyori Kitagawa Ryo feel exceptionally relaxed, having entrusted all her Private Points to him.

She was indeed that one constant moment in a changing era.

Kitagawa Ryo recalled Sherlock Holmes's assessment of Watson once again, though he was probably luckier than the detective in the novel.

Because his Watson and Irene are the same person.

(Note: Irene Adler is a female character in the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes stories who defeated Sherlock Holmes in a direct confrontation. Sherlock Holmes himself held her in high esteem and admiration. However, she is often portrayed as a romantic partner in many fan works. This article adopts a secondary setting, so please enjoy it for fun.)

Extra Chapter: After He Dropped Out of School

Important note before reading: This chapter is the second simulation by Karuizawa Kei, the epilogue to the volume "Autumn Remembrance of Karuizawa Kei". It serves the same purpose as the previous chapter "Taming and Being Tamed" related to Suzune, both of which are used to supplement the story that takes place on the extended timeline after a certain simulation, so that readers can better understand the characters' current mental journey and actual actions.

I offer you the loyalty of someone who has never had faith.

I give you my core, which I have tried to preserve—a core that does not engage in wordplay, does not trade with dreams, and is untouched by time, joy, or adversity.

I'm giving you the memory of a yellow rose I saw one evening many years before you were born.

I give you an interpretation of your life, a theory about yourself, your true and amazing existence.

I give you my loneliness, my darkness, the hunger of my heart; I try to move you with confusion, danger, and failure.

--Excerpt from "What Can I Hold You With??" by Jorge Luis Borge (Argentina)

Hotaru didn't really like reading about the sequels in those simulated parallel worlds. In fact, she didn't care about the story's direction after each simulated ending. After all, in her eyes, those worlds were all designed and operated solely for her brother. It was only natural that the final act would come after the male protagonist's departure.

Of course, if we were to add another reason, it would probably be closely related to the heroines' mental state. Hotaru herself lingered a little longer on a certain timeline. She remembered that it was the first simulation of a poor, white-haired girl. On that extended timeline that still sends chills down her spine when she thinks about it now, she was given the name of the deceased Ryo without her consent and became a keepsake for Ryo, on which Sakayanagi Arisu placed extremely heavy emotions.

However, Hotaru would occasionally revisit those happy ending story extensions, just like a child who isn't satisfied with a story ending that simply says 'the princess and the prince lived happily ever after.' In particular, the simulated sequel to Horikita Suzune, which she completed in one go, was the one she revisited the most.

However, Hotaru only watched Karuizawa Kei's walkthrough simulation once out of the four chapters. This is because, unlike the other three chapters, this is the only exception where the older brother did not complete the mission by conquering the heroine of the chapter. Even in the final simulation of the chapters Ichinose Honami's superpower talent caused a mess and the chapter Sakayanagi Arisu's pursuit of two rabbits ended in failure, the development of their relationship was not problematic.

However, Hotaru could understand the special circumstances of that time. As the last simulation before his rebirth, her brother had fallen into a mental state where he could no longer play the game due to the huge contrast between the simulation and reality. Otherwise, she would not have directly used the last resort to bring forward his rebirth time.

Her initial plan was to have her brother complete all the chapters and unlock a ton of advanced talents before being reborn into the world she had finally created. It just goes to show that plans never go as fast as they always do.

However, what Hotaru didn't expect was that, as the only two girls who had cleared the chapter and returned with their memories along with their brother, Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei's actions were somewhat different from what she had anticipated.

With these questions in mind, Hotaru once again chose the simulated world line and returned to the point in time when her brother left the game.

That was at the beginning of the second semester of First Year, after the Sports Festival ended.

This also happened after Kitagawa Ryo dropped out of school.

If Karuizawa Kei were to describe her feelings upon first learning of Kitagawa Ryo's withdrawal from school, she would probably use the word "unreal."

Kitagawa Ryo, dropping out of school, Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School —these familiar words, when combined, seemed to transform into something completely different, so unfamiliar that Karuizawa Kei felt somewhat unreal. She felt as if her feet were floating, not on solid floor tiles, but on clouds or air, with a disorienting sensation of rapid descent.

People actually have a subconscious tendency to shield themselves from certain things. They are often unwilling to think about or mention things that cause them extreme fear and pain, because every time they think about it, they have to relive that pain, like digging open a scabbed wound with a sharp knife.

She had finally managed to pick up all the memories of the past between them that she had forgotten, and she had finally managed to suppress all her emotions and show him how much she had grown at the Sports Festival. But before she could even say a few more words of pride to him, she had already gotten this ending, which she even found a little ridiculous.

Karuizawa Kei even felt a little dazed, as if Kitagawa Ryo was right in front of her. She wanted nothing more than to grab him by the collar and confront him, asking, "You turned my world upside down all by yourself, and now you're saying 'you've grown up' and suddenly leaving. Is toying with other people's feelings really that fun?"

But in reality, her outstretched fingers only touched the air.

Before the Sports Festival, she always felt that there should be many more conflicts and arguments between her and him, whether they were genuine or just for show. She also felt that there should be many more times they spent time together and had many more encounters. Karuizawa Kei can still remember the starlight on that Uninhabited Island and K&K's illusion.

There should be a longer story between them. Just like they've only been studying at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School for a little over half a year, even if the story is limited to this school, they should still have at least two more years to go.

Almost instinctively, Karuizawa Kei also made the decision to drop out of school.

There were still so many things she wanted to say to Kitagawa Ryo that she hadn't truly said, and wasting time at this school was pointless.

But before dropping out and leaving, Karuizawa Kei still had one thing to do.