Amassing one failure after the other, Riley Woods could not see himself as anything other than disgusting.
Sitting on the rooftop of a skyscraper in the dead of night, Riley hugged his knees to his chest.
Y'know, I'd momentarily forgotten why exactly I wanted to die so badly.
I was so caught up in the questioning, in the joy of having saved even one life, that I'd forgotten what I really am.
Can I really sink any lower? I mean, if you look at life as a game, don't I just have the lowest attributes of anyone?
I'm ugly and short, I stammer even when talking to people I'm trying to save. I contribute nothing to those who love me and I only ever fail.
Even when I look back at the only victory I really had—where I saved that little boy… wasn't it my fault his life was in danger in the first place? Scott wouldn't have come here if I didn't kill that cannibal, Scott wouldn't have attacked that family if it wasn't for me.
Isn't the root of all my suffering… simply "me?"
Because I am who I am, I suffer. Because I am myself, others suffer. Even if I don't want to be hurt, even if I don't want others to be hurt, they suffer because I am myself.
If I was anyone else in this world, wouldn't things have been better? If I was kind like Nina, or as strong as Scott, or even as innocent as Joey, I think everything would be better.
But because I am "Riley Woods," everything goes wrong.
I don't want anyone else to be hurt. I don't want anyone to be hurt. Not myself, or the evil people, or innocent children or women or anyone who can or cannot protect themselves.
I just want the world to be a better place.
I just want to stop being myself.
…
"Jeez, if you're doting on him like that, he'll fall in love!"
Sitting at a table in the cafeteria, a group of girls and one boy ate food.
Nina, sitting next to Riley and making sure he ate under the guise of "Because he's skinny," was promptly told thus.
Whether or not she was actually doting on him was irrelevant—because she knew it was simply to make sure he was okay.
In response to her words, Riley looked down, a soft laugh escaping his lips as his eyes remained cold. Not being allowed to run away by Nina, his urge to kill was consistently provoked by the hordes of people surrounding him.
His mind flashed with images of their mutilated bodies, even if it broke his heart.
"Anyways, you hear? Two new students came in today—and oh my gosh, the brother is sooooo hot," one of Nina's friends gushed.
Nina glanced at his food, seeing a half-eaten slice of pizza. Riley, in sharp contrast to his appearance yesterday, was hardly smiling or even able to muster any kind of joyous response.
She could easily chalk it up to being around people he didn't know; Riley was just that kind of person. But even still, it felt uncomfortable for everyone involved.
The girls didn't like Riley's inclusion because he wasn't fun to be around, Nina felt uncomfortable seeing her friend in such a gloomy state, and Riley felt uneasy being around so many people, knowing he wanted to kill them all.
I want to go home. I want to—
"—Ex~cuse me~~!!"
His cheeks stiffening, Riley turned back to see a woman.
Standing tall with long legs, she smiled upon him. Her long hair a bright pink, a casual outfit over her tall and slim body, the woman's blue eyes locked with Riley's, filling his heart with nervousness.
"W-wha?" Riley weakly asked, and she sat down right next to him, slinging her arm over his shoulder and pulled him tightly close.
"Hk," he grunted, trying to push her off of him. Yet, in all his strength—no, rather, not able to tap into his strength, Riley was reduced to a normal human being in her grasp.
What the?!
His eyes staring at her in heartfelt fear, she looked at the rest of the girls at the table.
"Hey guyss! I'm Kara, a new student here—I've been looking for a place to sit, is it alright if I sit here?"
Her voice sweet as a jingling bell, she put out her entreaty.
And, following her request, a tall, broad-shouldered man with an incredibly beautiful yet handsome face approached.
"...Hey, is it alright if I sit here as well?" His husky voice asked, and Nina's friends accepted him without hesitation.
With that, the Palmer siblings easily gained access to Nina's friendgroup.
…
With lunch ending, Kara took out her schedule, reading it to Riley and gasping.
"Oh my gosh! We have the same classes after this! Isn't that amazing?" She asked. Riley's sweaty forehead itched, and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Um, I guess…"
Swallowing his spit, he glanced at the woman, a pained expression on his face.
She has to be a servant of Ghira. No, not just here—her brother, too. Shit, I wasn't prepared for them to enter the school.
His extraordinary and ordinary lives intersecting, Riley was anxious of the result.
Of course, Nina was confused as to why this random woman—one who was exceedingly beautiful would be interested in Riley to such an extent.
Whilst Kara practically dragged Riley away down the hall to their classes, Nina followed her. Eventually, she mustered the courage to call her out, approaching from behind and poking Kara on the back. The woman turned around with a soft smile.
"Oh? Who're you?" Kara asked with a slight hint of irritation, and Nina got a suspicious feeling in her gut.
"Hi! I'm Nina, Riley's friend. Uh, not to be rude or nothing, but… y'know, you're awfully touchy-feely, don't you think?"
"Ehhh? No, not really. After all, me and Riley are friends now, right?" She asked, pulling Riley closer. Her grip around his neck tightened, as she traced his throat with her finger, putting extra pressure.
…Is she threatening Nina? Shit.
"Yeah, we're friends," Riley calmly pretended, putting on a soft smile. "Nina, it seems me and her share a class. I'll put myself out there a bit more—just like you said, alright? I'll see you later—probably after school, alright?"
"Huh?" Nina muttered, surprised by his answer. Having known Riley for quite some time, she knew that he wasn't the kind of person who would accept others too easily—not his awkward self. "Riley, are you sure—"
"—Yes, I'm absolutely sure. I'll see you in a bit, 'kay?"
Smiling joyfully, Riley did his best to put Nina at ease. Feeling defeated, she balled up her fists and turned around. "Alright, I'll see you later. One-hundred percent."
"One-hundred percent."
Calmly leaving, Nina removed herself out of Riley's path. The boy exhaled in relief, glancing up at Kara.
[Bleeding] would not come out. No matter how hard he tried, the knife would not enter his grasp. Thus, an assassination was not possible against her, at least not in this current state.
"Wowww~~!" Kara squealed, hugging him tighter. "You're smart, too! Mwah, mwah!"
Kissing his cheek and then his lips, Kara tripped forward against a backing-away Riley, who fell backwards. Ending up on top of him just outside the classroom, Riley's classmates saw him in that position, exclaiming as they found it hilarious.
"Kgh, get—what're you doing?!" Riley shouted, and she got off of him, effortlessly lifting him up from the ground. "You—we need to talk."
"Mhm, mhm! Let's go to the bathroom!" She shouted, wrapping her arm around him and forcing him into the men's restroom. They went into a stall, and she pressed him against the wall, staring at him.
"Oh my goshhhh!! I'll let go of you, alright? Use it, then. Show me it, show me!"
Letting go of his body, no longer making physical contact, Riley felt his strength return.
Then—
—A failed assassination.
Having taken no moment to hesitate or gather himself, Riley had thrust [Bleeding] forward, aiming to embed it through her skull.
Yet, instead, he heard a resounding crunch.
His body had moved with extreme speed during the launching of the attack. Then, when the blade touched her skin, it vanished from the world. His human body continued moving at the same speed. With force too great, it snapped his wrist as his arm smashed into her tough body.
"Ghk," he grunted in pain, as Nina laughed.
"Nope, not that one! The other one," she said with a seductive voice. "The rope. I want to see a noose~!"
Not touching him, Kara allowed Riley to heal as he sacrificed a small amount of his blood to instantly heal his wrist.
Then, bringing forth [Hanging] into the world, Kara's eyes lit up.
"Oh. My. Gosh. It's… your ability, it truly is…! Eep!"
Holding him in a tight, warm embrace, the noose vanished from the world.
Riley gulped, his hands awkwardly away to the side.
"You… What do you want? Are you here to kill me?"
If her ability was to nullify his strength and his ability, was it not so that she could effortlessly kill him at any moment? It had to be so. Then, why,
"—I want to commit a double suicide."
His eyes widening, Riley looked at the woman as she rested her chin on his shoulder.
"...Hm?"
"Someone whose ability is related to suicide… they themselves must want it, right? Surely you must understand it yourself, right? How it feels to have suicide as a relief? We can do it together. You can die with me, we can die beautifully. So please, pleasepleaseplease, can we?"
"...Just, what're you saying? That doesn't… I'm ugly and short, you wouldn't want to die with me. Trust me. You're a servant too, aren't you?"
"I am," she tenderly whispered in his ear, making him flinch. Overwhelmed, his face and ears running pink with heat, Riley tried to back away.
"W-wait, wait, just stop. Don't—don't do that."
"Don't do what?"
"Quit whispering like that. It feels weird."
"Then… please. What do you have to live for?"
Riley, still grabbed by her, could not budge.
"Well…"
"It's that woman, isn't it? Nina? Then, if she dies—"
"—If she dies, I'll kill you."
The hot warmth that ran across his face vanished, as he scowled at her, his heart brimming with murderous darkness.
"...Then. If you don't want her to die… you have to commit a double suicide with me. Please?"
Shaking. Feeling the sensation of slight trembling across his shoulder, Riley was stunned in confusion as to what was occurring.
"——"
Riley Woods was an awkward loner whose life was practically without value. Yet, even still, even if he wanted to die, Riley knew how difficult it was to truly go through with it.
Having tried again and again, almost all his attempts thus far were aborted.
"That's… listen, there's probably a better way… y'know?"
Sniffling. Hearing her sniffles, Riley's hands instinctively moved closer to her, as she held him tight.
"I… All the other servants of Ghira, they don't know what it's like. They live for their own amusement, they hurt others without a second thought. They are the aggressors, the perpetrators, the killers who prey on the weak."
His heart skipping a beat, Riley felt connected with her words.
"They don't know what it's like to feel powerless. For as long as they can remember, they've just been killing people who couldn't fight back. When I was younger, I was hurt a lot. I was hungry and weak, no one cared about me. Even my own family—even they… hk."
Gently, with trembling hands, he returned her embrace.
Having suffered defeat after defeat, Riley resonated deeply with her story and desire to escape. With suicide as a habitual thought process of escape, it had become a lingering thought in the back of his mind.
He failed time and time again. Even now, he'd gone and worried Nina like an idiot.
Now, with the escape he'd sought after for so long being presented more beautifully than ever before, Riley's decision was already made.
"They didn't care… Even now, my brother doesn't care. That's why, if you're fighting against the servants… we can take him out, and then ourselves. That way… we protect any of our future victims from being hurt. Is that… is that alright with you?"
Peeling her face off his shoulder, Riley saw the tears streaming down her face. She was beautiful, so beautiful.
Undeniably, death seemed to be the most beautiful thing in the world to him.
That's why,
"...Fine."
Riley Woods was an awkward loser, someone whose emotional weaknesses were easily preyed upon by any wolf in sheep's clothing.
—With the aesthetic of suicide romanticized in his eyes as a splendid thing, Riley agreed to end his own life.