I'm Really a Bad Guy

"Name?"

"Ash... Ash Hiss."

"Age?"

"I don't know. I've lost my memory."

"Sex?"

"Let me see... Male."

"Species?"

"Probably not a dog?"

"Past experiences?"

"I really don't know. I've lost my memory."

Bloodfury Hunter Amy watched the interrogation room through the Two-Way Mirror. Hearing the Heretic Leader answer the questions with such casual, arrogant, and brazen disregard, she was so furious that her eyes turned into Vertical Pupils and the nails on both hands lengthened.

"Captain, does this scumbag think everyone in the Sin Hunting Hall is an idiot? This interrogation won't work. Let me do it. When I was in school, I spent some extracurricular time learning torture from my father, and I even earned a First-Class Torturer Certificate. On my father's name, I guarantee this bastard will confess even the times he wet the bed as a child!"

"Burn that Torturer Certificate." Gerald spoke calmly. "Twelve years ago, the Human Rights Act Amendment abolished the torturer system and completely prohibited the Sin Hunting Hall from torturing Suspects. Violators face anything from having their Hunter license revoked to more than a hundred years in prison. Parliament is watching us closely. If Ash Hiss so much as sleeps poorly at night, we'll be in trouble. If you want Parliament to take a bite out of you, I won't stop you."

"Hmph." Amy pouted in anger and apprehension, changing the subject. "Where's the Memory Weaver? We've had this scumbag in custody for so long. Why hasn't a Memory Weaver come to retrieve his memories?"

"No Memory Weaver will come."

"Why? For a major case like this, shouldn't a Memory Weaver retrieve memory evidence no matter what? I remember the Criminal Code says that all criminal offenses must have memories as direct evidence, right?"

"But he's different."

"How is he different?"

Gerald glanced at her. "He has seen the Four Pillar Gods."

Amy froze slightly, then immediately understood.

"Not just him. No Cultist can have their memories retrieved."

Gerald said, "Memory contamination is the Four Pillar Gods' specialty. In the Four Pillar God Heresy case I helped solve a hundred and thirty-four years ago, a Memory Weaver retrieved a Cultist's memories and Unnoticed became a believer in the Four Pillar Gods. That's why the Four Pillar God Heresies keep returning no matter how often they're stamped out."

"Then what do we do?" Amy was dumbfounded. "We can't get evidence by questioning him, we can't torture him, and we can't retrieve his memories... Are we supposed to release him without charge? Or make a special exception?"

"No special exception is needed." Gerald said, "There is a form of capital punishment perfectly suited to criminals like him, whose crimes are unforgivable and who have stirred public outrage... This interrogation is merely for show. The real Judgment will be carried out by all the citizens of the city at eight o'clock on the evening of the 15th."

Amy understood at once. Yet when she turned back and saw the Heretic Leader still answering every question in the interrogation room with either "I don't know" or "I've lost my memory," she could not contain her anger. She stuck out her tongue in a mocking bleh, then turned and left with her gray tail hanging low.

Gerald continued watching the utterly pointless interrogation. Since it had gone on for more than fifteen minutes, it had to be paused to let the Suspect rest. This was also a basic human right stipulated by the Human Rights Act.

The Heretic Leader was drinking water, occasionally touching the chest that had been pierced not long ago. His eyes showed surprise, but it quickly turned into worry.

For some reason, Gerald felt that he was not lying.

His reactions—panic, curiosity, fear, confusion... He truly seemed like an ordinary man with amnesia.

According to the Human Rights Act, conditions such as dissociative identity disorder, amnesia, and mental illness could be regarded as rendering a person unable to care for themselves, exempting them from criminal punishment.

If Memory Retrieval revealed that Ash really had amnesia, he could even be released without charge.

But none of that had anything to do with him. Because of the Four Pillar Gods, no Memory Weaver would or could retrieve his memories, so...

"Judging you is the people's business. All we need to do is place you before their eyes." Gerald turned and left, continuing his pursuit of the next Suspect.

"This really is dying young to be reborn sooner..."

Lying on the clean, soft, springy bed, Ash put down the documents in his hand. Looking around the bright, spacious cell complete with its own bathroom, his heart was bleak.

When he had seen the ugly state those four "Angels" revealed before they disappeared, Ash had vaguely anticipated something. But he had not expected the truth to be even worse than he imagined—the Hunters' accusations against him were entirely correct. He was a Heretic Leader through and through, the real deal.

The gods who had granted Ash power were the Four Pillar Gods, the most infamous deities in this world. They had many other names, but their most notable characteristic was that they often appeared together, stirring up endless chaos across the world.

The Lord of Myriad Radiance, also known as the Tyrant, pursued endless war and a Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood that would drown the world. His followers slaughtered everything they saw, including themselves.

The Monarch of Wind, Rain, and Snow, also known as the Insidious Minister, was famed for toying with schemes and manipulating mortals. He most enjoyed fulfilling his followers' Wishes, though granting those Wishes also drove them into extreme madness.

The Perpetually Burning Heart, also known as the Benevolent Father, was the source of all plagues and diseases, the final home of all things rotten. His followers became breeding grounds for illness, living in pain, terror, and Despair, yet unable to die.

The Dreamlike Soul of Freedom, also known as the Prince of Debauchery, represented the endless desires of living creatures. He was also the one described most extensively in the files—intelligent races were the most easily seduced and corrupted by him. Once he corrupted a sentient being into a follower through desire, it became an instinct-driven beast that could never find satisfaction, with reason completely swallowed by instinct.

Ash had wondered whether they had fabricated the files to deceive him. But first, he had already been caught. They could arrange him in any position they wanted, so there was no need to go through so much trouble. Second, the files were richly illustrated, containing photos of Hiss's crimes and detailed accounts of how they had been committed. The cruelty of the methods made Ash want to vomit up the Mushroom Sauce Chicken Noodles he had just eaten.

Since Hiss was evil, the Four Pillar Gods were naturally evil gods.

Which meant that the Bloodfury Hunters pursuing him were forces of justice... or at least forces that maintained social stability.

In merely half a day, Ash had gone through soaring highs and crushing lows. At first, he had thought he was a Brave just about to leave the Novice Village. Who would have thought he was actually a Heretic Leader who had just received his first round of angel investment and was ready to start a business?

Then he had been farmed like a wild Elite Monster by hordes of Braves.

Being transported into the body of a Heretic Leader was bad enough, but why did it have to happen right when the Hunters were closing their net and wiping out the cult...? So I came here specifically to deliver performance metrics to the Hunters?

Ash tossed and turned in bed, complaining about the unfairness of Fate while wondering whether he had died from overworking himself. Yet all his thoughts ultimately converged into one Thought: How are they going to execute me?

Although the interrogation had been very polite, and they had provided free food and a luxurious private room, Ash almost felt as though he had come on vacation, aside from being forced to wear delicate bracelets and anklets.

But anyone could tell, even using fallen hair to think, that they would never let him go.

Still, Ash vaguely felt that civilization in this world seemed quite advanced. Maybe they had abolished the death penalty, in which case he might still have a sliver of hope...

Suddenly, a crisp notification chime rang in his mind.

"Ding dong!"

Ash felt the back of his neck grow warm, and then a Light Screen unfolded before his eyes.

His heart jolted. Filled with countless expectations, he deciphered the unfamiliar words on the Light Screen—

"Dear Mr. Ash Hiss, prisoner number 4001623. Kaimeng City Hall formally invites you to be a special guest on the Kaimeng First Channel program Blood Moon Judgment at eight o'clock on the evening of the 15th of this month. Please pay attention to your appearance. We will dispatch dedicated personnel to escort you to the live broadcast site. To withdraw from the program, reply 'TC.'"

Though he had no idea what Blood Moon Judgment was, the name alone did not sound like anything pleasant. Ash hurriedly typed "TC" into the dialogue box.

However, the moment his Thought moved, another prompt appeared on the Light Screen:

"You are currently under arrest and awaiting trial. Messaging has been disabled."

Damn it, so that last line in the notification was specifically there to mess with me!?

Ash guessed that Blood Moon Judgment was his execution, but by now, his attention had shifted to the Light Screen before him.

He touched the back of his neck and could not feel any obvious protrusion, but he could clearly sense that it was closely connected to the Light Screen. It seemed that the Light Screen's settings had been implanted into the back of his neck.

Since information like a "death sentence announcement" was delivered to him in this way, Ash figured this was likely this world's communication tool, not something unique to him alone.

Sure enough, when he Focused his Thought on the "?" symbol in the upper-left corner of the Light Screen, a string of information immediately popped up:

"Name: 'Hiss's' 'Consciousness Screen'"

"Version: 14.4.1"

"Microchip model: Miracle 13"

"Current status: Messaging disabled, network access disabled, channel access disabled, recording disabled, kinetic energy output restricted, Void Realm access disabled, Spell Power output disabled..."

"Primary account: 459105198"

"Service provider: Kaimeng Telecommunications"

Ash casually changed the name to "'Ash's' 'Consciousness Screen,'" thinking that this world's technological system was truly advanced. It possessed extraordinary abilities that enhanced individual combat power, as well as technological accessories like this that were widespread enough for everyone to have one.

What was laughable was that Ash had thought this was his transmigration cheat just moments ago, only to find that it was a common product everyone had. It was like an ancient person traveling to the modern era, picking up a phone, and mistaking it for a divine artifact.

Thinking of that cringeworthy Thought from earlier made Ash's face grow a little hot.

Although Ash wanted badly to study this new toy, most of its functions had been disabled. Aside from the calendar, messages, notebook, and calculator, there was only...

Aurora's Sorcerer Manual?

Ash was stunned.