Interlude

"To the greatness of humanity." Santoka Taneda raised his glass.

"Truly admirable. This is humanity's most magnificent epic." Even Yukichi Fukuzawa sighed deeply, his praise heartfelt.

"They staked everything humanity had, gave everything humanity could," Mori Ougai said with a laugh, covering his face. "I've been utterly outclassed."

Even his love for the city of Yokohama could never bring about such a miracle, because a miracle was something that happened only once.

"Meow~" Calico Cat flicked its tail in the corner, its brown eyes seeming to glisten with tears.

"Honestly..." Fyodor lowered his eyes. Even he would waver at the sight of this. Faced with this apocalypse, the ability users he despised had shown unimaginable conviction and made sacrifices worthy of admiration.

Perhaps humanity did not need to discard abilities, but merely lacked a disaster that could unite everyone? Fyodor pondered the question seriously.

"How wonderful. This clown is so envious." Nikolai Gogol widened his golden eyes. "They must be as free as birds." The souls of those who had sacrificed themselves must have been beautiful and free.

"Even I must pay them my highest respects. This is where humanity's greatness lies." Fukuchi Ochi abandoned his earlier irreverence and gazed at them in solemn salute. He was a soldier, after all. He could not remain unmoved.

If humanity in his world could unite like this, he would surely abandon his plan to rule the world. Against opponents like these, he could never succeed.

Unfortunately... a cold gleam entered Fukuchi Ochi's eyes. The people in their world could not withstand a single blow.

"Dazai..." Atsushi Nakajima looked at Osamu Dazai, hesitating to speak.

"Ah, I'm fine, Atsushi." Osamu Dazai calmly wiped away his falling tears. "I just felt Yiyi's pain, that's all."

"Humanity's most magnificent epic... did he have to give up even that?"

How despairing was that? How tragic?

So he could only use "Regret," over and over and over again.

Even though he had never truly regretted it.

"Isn't that too cruel, Mr. An Xinyi?" Only after a long silence did DD speak in its electronic voice. "Isn't an outcome like this too cruel to An Xinyi?"

"Too cruel," DD repeated.

An Xinyi 144 froze briefly. His ink-dark eyes were so empty that not a trace of emotion could be seen in them. He murmured, "Yes, but what choice did we have?"

He raised his head, looking as though tears might fall at any moment. "Who can tell us what we should do?"

Ultimately, this was a past An Xinyi had already lost, one he could never reclaim.

A past no one but An Xinyi knew about, and no one else cared about.

"An'an is such an idiot!" Ranpo Edogawa was so angry that he threw down the snacks in his hands. He had lost count of how many times he had called An Xinyi an idiot, but how could anyone be so stupid? Knowing how much it would hurt, why had he still chosen to bear it alone?

"That Ranpo Edogawa is an idiot too!" Ranpo Edogawa took his anger out directly on his other self. "If it were me..." He suddenly stopped, his expression turning sorrowful. Without this screening, what could even he have done?

Ranpo Edogawa pulled his hat down, blocking his own view.

Ayatsuji Yukito unconsciously tightened his fingers, his voice barely audible. "You don't even want to watch anymore..." Of course Ayatsuji Yukito understood why. It hurt too much. Ranpo might not be able to bear the footage that followed.

Yet Ayatsuji Yukito quietly raised his head, never taking his eyes off the screen.

Fyodor sighed, likewise without looking away.

Osamu Dazai glanced at the people around him, his gaze declaring them all losers. He had been there first!

His gaze settled on the screen. Yes, no matter how painful, no matter how despairing it became, a faint smile curved Osamu Dazai's lips.

I'll face it all for you, Yiyi.

Even An Xinyi 144 did not want to recall the first time he had used "Regret."

The ability "Regret" could rewind time as far back as the moment his ability had awakened.

An Xinyi looked at the young Osamu Dazai before him, at the plea for help in his eyes, and his expression turned sorrowful. He could not face him at all. He suddenly rushed out.

He ran and ran without stopping. He did not know how long he had been running before he finally stopped.

An Xinyi stood in the middle of the road. The light had already turned green, and an endless stream of people passed him, yet he seemed utterly alone, cut off from this world.

In the entire world, he was alone.

No one noticed the man inexplicably standing in the middle of the crowd. They hurried past him, heading toward their own lives.

An Xinyi looked around, his face utterly blank.

He seemed to see people he knew.

Was that the person who had fallen from the cabin wall? Was that the person who had fallen into the engine and been torn apart? Was that the person who had been buried beneath the ice and snow?

Drip.

Something like a cold drop of water seemed to fall.

"Aaaaaah-"

An Xinyi covered his face and let out a sound as though he were retching up his soul, like a mother beast's final wail.

I'm sorry. I abandoned everyone.

Tears poured uncontrollably from his eyes.

I'm sorry. I betrayed everyone's efforts.

An Xinyi let out a grief-stricken wail.

I'm sorry. I gave up on that world.

An Xinyi sank to his knees and pressed his forehead against the cold ground.

I'm sorry, Aji. I left you behind.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm nothing but a coward, a traitor...

But... I really had no other choice...

Someone, please tell me what else I could have done. What should I have done...?

In that instant, the human named "An Xinyi" had died.

That day marked both his rebirth and the anniversary of his death.

"Pfft-"

That was the sound of everyone coughing up blood.