In the dark space, Qi Si flipped the chessboard after losing another game.
With a wave of the contract's hand, the black-and-white chessboard and pieces shattered into fragments, dispersing into a thin gray mist.
Smiling, He remarked, "You really are a sore loser."
"I never waste energy on games I don't like," Qi Si said.
After a pause, as though something had occurred to him, he asked, "Do you remember the question you asked me after the Double Happiness Town Instance ended?"
Contract snapped his fingers, and silvery-white words appeared in the void.
"Suppose a madman wanted to compete with you in killing people. Within a set time limit, whoever killed more people would win.
"If you won, nothing would happen. If you lost, he would destroy the entire world. What would you choose?"
The question seemed absurd, yet it had truly run through the entirety of the Eerie Game.
Across thousands upon thousands of eerie Instances, with four million people involved over thirty-six years, every choice of action ultimately came down to one question:
Could the majority be saved by sacrificing the minority?
If one killed tens of millions to save the world, was that person a savior or a sinner?
"I remember you already told me your choice," Contract said, lifting a glowing speck with his index finger. A scene from the past blossomed before them.
In a dim temple, bizarre golden motes drifted and swayed. Amid strange visions of sunrises and moonsets, ebbing tides and rising waters, the Qi Si of the past laughed wantonly. "Remember to let me know before you destroy the world. I'll find somewhere with a good view and watch while eating popcorn."
The present Qi Si curled his lips into a brilliant smile. "To the me back then, I wouldn't hesitate to