Chapter 109 – Game of 20 Questions
"As long as you don't kill them, just ask."
After he had found out that Mia was not on the same side with the otherworlders he hated, Sebastian's expression softened. Still, Mia's presence was oppressing as ever.
Mia smiled and gathered all cages closer, allowing the mutants to listen.
"The rules are simple. You will answer me with only yes and no. Most correct answers to all questions are [No]. Therefore, if you say [Yes], ten of these prisoners will die."
Llamador, who was trapped in Mia's cage, laughed as he mocked Mia, "This is a stupid game! Senior Sebas, just say [No] whatever this brat ask!"
Half of the mutants also believed that this game was a child play. However, the other half gulped as they expected that this would not be that easy.
Glancing at Llamador and others with his cold eyes, Mia grinned, "Of course. It will be too easy if you can say [No] to all questions! Here's a twist, if you lie, a piece of Sebastian's soul will turn to dust."
Mia pointed at each part of his body as he counted, "Both arms and hands count as two pieces. Two legs and two feet are also two pieces. Two eyes are round-up as one unit. Your eardrums and ears count as one."
Then, Mia pointed at Sebastian's chest, "The seventh part is your heart, body, and soul combined. You can lie only six times. Once you lied the seventh time, you're dead."
At this moment, all faces of the mutants paled. The smart ones had already guessed the content of the 20 questions, and they could not utter a word.
"Oh, don't worry. The first few questions will be very easy! Let's not waste any time, here is the first question!"
Everybody gulped.
"Are you dating someone right now?"
"…"
Everyone stared at Mia with widened eyes, speechless. All girls, who were watching from their bungalow, slipped and fell on the floor as they did not expect a troll question.
"… No."
<
Mia's room rang a bell sound. The prisoners' mind flipped upside down as they were annoyed by the obnoxious sound effect.
"Good. You didn't lie! Next question, have you ever fapped to my Misha's appearance?"
"… No."
<
"Good job! Next question …"
"Wait!"
Llamador yelled at Mia. He had enough of this nonsense.
"If you want to let us go, then let us go! Don't waste our time with this piece of craps!"
Mia's face was still smiling, but his eyes gleamed with killing intent.
"I didn't give you permission to speak. You're just a hostage, so shut the fuck up and watch!"
*Zaa*
Llamador's throat and mouth disintegrated into dust, which Misha Statue immediately absorbed all of them into her body.
Ignored the audience, Mia proceeded with the game.
"Next, have you ever violated a girl in your base?"
"No."
<
"Fourth, have you ever killed an innocent human?"
"… No."
<
"Fifth, how about a fellow innocent mutant?"
"!!"
Sebastian could not answer this question. As someone who had conspired and killed many dragonewts, he did not have the confidence that he could say [No].
The real horror of this game had begun.
"I forgot to mention. You have 30 seconds to answer each question. If the time runs out, that means you're forfeiting to answer. Then, I'll have to treat the unanswered question as a lie."
A shiver ran down the audience's spine. This was where their life would be on the line.
If Sebastian chose to say [Yes] to save his skins, ten of them would die!
Many mutants opened their mouth and were about to advise Sebastian, but they found out that their voice was gone.
Touching their neck, all of their vocal cord had disappeared!
Sebastian's body trembled. He wanted to say [Yes], but that would kill ten of his subordinates that he vowed to protect.
"NO!"
Mia had a sadistic grin on his face. His eyes did not hide his mocking laughter from his mind.
<
"Good job! Well, I included the word [Innocent] in there, so I can rule out the colluded dragonewts spies that you had killed."
Even though Sebastian was in his soul form, he could feel his heart racing.
"Sixth question. Heck, it's easy this time. Have you ever embezzled red gels or property of the base?"
It took Sebastian 20 seconds to think this time. He gulped before he could utter in a soft voice, "… No!"
Mia chuckled, intentionally delaying the result.
A minute later
<
"Woo! You're quite honest! I like you."
"…"
.
The questions went on to the finish of 13th questions. All of Mia's questions until now was a test of Sebastian's past.
As examples of the questions,
"Have you tried to invade the human town?"
"Had you ever eaten humans?"
"Have your partner demanded you to kill innocents?"
"Once I return you to your body after this, will you try to kill me again?"
"Are you planning to kill my friend in the future?"
"Do you hate Dolphin, Brim, and other scalesmen?"
Sebastian cleared all questions without lying, which relieved the audience.
Unfortunately, the 14th question was not the same.
"This is a different question, Sebastian. Let's say, hypothetically, one of these 200 people here had made contact with Carlos, your best friend, in secret. Then, you found out about it later. Would you have tried to kill this person?"
Sebastian glared at Mia after he heard the question. Without hesitation, he shouted, "No!"
Mia closed his eyes and raised his eyebrows, "Well, figured you would answer that."
<
All audience widened their eyes in shock. The obnoxious sounds from within the room up until now were the bell [Ding Ding], but this one indicated something else.
"I'm sorry. You have lied, Mr. Butler."
*Crack*
Sebastian's left arm shattered to pieces. All dust gathered before Mia, but they did not enter Misha's body.
"You can lie five more times. Now, the fifteenth question …"
The butler in the cage bit his lower lips. Although his armless left shoulder did not spill blood, the pain he received was the same as someone who had lost the arms.
The excruciating sensation numbed his entire body, and he collapsed on the ground.
"Had you not learned about my past memories, would you have attempted to kill Shurka and me?"
Sebastian gritted his teeth, "No."
<
In frustration, the butler screamed, "I didn't lie!"
Maou Mia's smile receded into his indifferent expression, "I devoured a part of your soul for a reason. I also read your residual memories within your brain, so you can't lie to me."
*Crack*
The right arm of Sebastian broke and shattered, turning into dust and gathering in front of Mia.
"Sixteenth question, had I not interfered with the previous fight, would you have killed Dolphin and everybody else?"
Sebastian glared at Mia in anger and regret. However, this time, he did not dare to answer the question.
30 Seconds passed.
<
"A disappointment, Sebastian. Well, the truthful answer in this question is [Yes]. But since you didn't answer the question, I'll treat this as you answered as a lie."
Sebastian left leg became dust.
"Seventeenth question, were you planning to kill Brim and all newly evolved dragonewts when you arrested them?"
The butler trembled. By instinct and reflex, he thought of saying [Yes]. He had not realized his subconscious action, which he glanced at the 200 prisoners.
The girls and 200 prisoners could guess from Sebastian's gaze that he planned to say [Yes].
Sasha closed her eyes and bit her lower lips. She prayed in her mind.
'Keep saying [No]. If you say [Yes], Maou will kill you instead of killing the prisoners!'
Sebastian opened his mouth, but he bit the tip of his tongue before he answered.
"NO!"
<
Sebastian's right leg became dust.
"Perfect, butler. I like your comradeship."
Mia turned to Llamador and the others, "All of you should be proud for a leader like him."
All pilots glared at Mia with hatred, frustration, despair, and helplessness. All of them were praying for Sebastian, hoping for his survival.
"Eighteenth question," The indifferent face of Maou Mia turned into a cruel smile again, "By chance, had I turned innocents in the base into dragonewts when I first arrived, would you have killed them because they obtained powers from an otherworlder like me?"
All prisoners stared at Sebastian in horror, shaking their head and gesturing the butler to say [No] again.
At this moment, the pain was unbearable even for an old dragonewt like Sebastian. Yet, he mustered his strength to speak with a cracked voice, "No."
<
Both Sebastian's eyes shattered, which all soul fragments gathered before Mia again.
The butler's vision became darkness!
The prisoners stared at Sebastian in disbelief. Although they were relieved that Sebastian did not sacrifice them to get away from the pain, the truth about his inner thought shocked them.
"Before I start the nineteenth question, I'll remind you again. You can only lie one more time. After that, If you answer my question wrongly, you'll die."
"…"
"The nineteenth question, had I turned these prisoners into dragonewts instead of Brim, would you have tried to kill them as well?"
"!!!"
As soon as Mia's 19th question finished, Sebastian realized his flaws and mistakes. He was too obstinate with the overmind and otherworlders to the point that he neglected logics.
He fought so hard to protect his people, yet he tried to kill them because of his blind grudge against otherworlders.
'I'm a hypocrite!'
Sebastian did not answer the question since he understood why Mia was torturing him now.
Instead of answering the question, Sebastian bowed his head.
"I'm sorry."
Mia gazed at Sebastian with an apathy look. Nobody detected Mia's subtle action, but Sasha noticed that Mia secretly nodded at Sebastian in approval.
<
The 30 seconds time limit exceeded.
Two ears of Sebastian disappeared, but Mia retained Sebastian's hearing sense on purpose.
"Last question. If you lie again, you'll die."
Sebastian laughed for the first time, "I know."
The butler had made a decision as soon as he discovered his fatal mistakes.
He planned to sacrifice his life, so the others could live!
Mia looked at Sebastian in solemn and questioned him in a clear voice, "For the sake of everybody in the base, you are willing to die for them. Is it true or not?"
Sebastian smiled, answering the question without hesitation.
"No."
"You do realize that the truthful answer is [Yes], right?"
"If I say [Yes], you'll kill my subordinates. So, I'll say [No] to the end!"
Mia paused for a whole minute as he stared at Sebastian.
In the end, Mia sighed, "Haiz. Banana."
<
All prisoners attempted to cry and shout, hoping to stop Mia from killing Sebastian.
Betraying their expectation, Mia did not kill Sebastian. Instead, all soul fragments returned to Sebastian's body, healing him in an instant.
Sebastian recovered his eyesight and four limbs. He looked at Mia in confusion.
Misha Statue, who was next to Mia this whole time, walked toward the back of Mia. She walked through his body, merging them into one. However, Mia walked out from Misha.
The whole sequence was as if Misha switched body with Mia from the walking motion.
The white statue leaped back to the island pool, standing still as her eyes dimmed.
Mia, whose face became gentler than before, spoke with his usual melodious voice, "You win. Congratulations."
"What?"
"The other me would have killed you the instant you say [Yes] to any question. Well, I'll return all of you to your body later. This farce is over."
"…"
"Oh, a bonus question. Do you like bananas?"
"…"
"How about a wet banana?"
"…"
"Boo, you're no fun! You're a boring banana!"
Sasha and all girls giggled among themselves. Looking at banana Mia trolling Sebastian, they were relieved.
'Once I got out, I'll ask Mia's grandmother to implant more of her memories into Mia's brain. He looks better in banana mode.'