Chapter 130: Release of "The Garden Of Sinners"(4)
As the battle between Shiki Ryougi and the group of spirits concluded, the scene shifted to a tall building, starkly different from the previous ruins. Inside a room, a pale woman lay on a hospital bed, her eyes vacant. It wasn't until Aozaki Touko opened the door to what was clearly a hospital room that the woman reacted to her presence.
"The view from here... it's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Indeed, I... I really like the view from here. In spring, when the flowers bloom... it's like a massive bouquet blooming in the sky..."
"I hope I can see it again next year..."
"You are my enemy, aren't you?"
"Yes, the boy you attacked and the girl who attacked you are both my friends. So, in strict terms, I am your enemy. But I'm here to ask you a few questions. I know your current state, so I won't force you. How long have you been here?"
"I don't remember. A long time... a very long time. Every day... every day, I can only look out the window."
Hearing this, Touko glanced around the room, understanding the situation. This girl undoubtedly suffered from an unbearable illness, having lost her "wings to fly," and was now confined to this enclosed space.
"It's very painful, isn't it?"
"But... because this scenery never disappears, no matter how much I resent it, it's all I have."
"So you kept watching the scenery day after day, eventually imprinting it in your mind, and gained the ability to 'overlook.'"
"Yes. When I came to, I found my perspective had risen to the sky..."
"Did you lose your sight at the same time?"
"Yes, my eyes can't see anything anymore, but my view remains unchanged."
"So that's why your consciousness reached the sky? But if the ghost on top of the ruins is your consciousness, you should have been killed by Shiki..."
"That isn't me... that's the 'me' that left on its own, disappointed by the me trapped in this cage."
"Split personality? No, it seems your consciousness wasn't divided. So, one personality controls two bodies. Someone gave you a new container, didn't they?"
"Dual existence, that's what he called it."
"Why? Isn't being able to 'overlook' the outside world enough for you? I don't think you needed to make those children jump."
"Those children found their way to me on their own, and I thought... they could be my friends. But they didn't notice me..."
"Because they contacted you unconsciously, it's natural they weren't aware."
"So I wanted them to notice me. If they became aware, I thought they would pay attention to me... I just said to them, 'I'm here, right here'... I never intended to make them..."
"Is it because of this mindset that Kokutou ended up with you?"
"The first time I met him was in the hospital corridor... week after week... at the same time, he would bring a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I wished he would take me away..."
Having understood the root of everything, Aozaki Touko silently stood up. She wasn't an enforcer and naturally didn't have the authority to execute the girl. All she could do was offer a final piece of advice to this girl, who had lost all hope:
"Escaping can be divided into two types: escaping with no destination and escaping with a purpose. The former is usually called 'drifting,' while the latter is called 'flying.' Your 'overlook' ability falls into one of these categories, and it's up to you to decide which. But if you choose one of these paths with a guilty conscience, you're mistaken. It's not about carrying guilt to choose the right path, but rather, choosing the right path and then bearing the corresponding guilt."
With that, Aozaki Touko turned and left the room.
...
The scene on the TV gradually darkened, and in Edward's Tavern, the audience was silent. Everyone could tell what choice the girl in the story had made. As the perspective shifted again, a faint monologue began.
"Recalling the last words she left, she... must have known the outcome I would choose. Because I couldn't 'fly,' I was merely 'drifting' there. I was weak and unable to do what she suggested. So... I couldn't resist the temptation. At that moment... when my heart was pierced, I experienced a flash of overwhelming death and the pulse of life. I thought I had lost everything, but in truth, something pure and important remained."
"But... it's impossible to welcome such a death again. That vivid ending is an opportunity I won't experience again. Like ash, like a sword, like lightning that pierced me, that death... So, I want to get as close to it as possible. It's okay; at least I have decided on the method. There's no need to say it. I think my final end will be a fall to death from the 'overlook' perspective."
As the monologue ended, the girl somehow made her way to the top of the ruins. Gazing at the distant town lights, with a sense of fulfillment and final yearning, she chose a flight destined to end in a fall.
"Only those in such a state would understand the bliss of death, because there's nowhere to escape. So, after the aimless 'floating' ends, the first purposeful 'flight' is to seek that death..."
Watching the conclusion of "The Garden of Sinners," Laetitia was the first to sigh deeply. "Even though we rarely see such people nowadays, back before the Empire was established, almost every day someone chose to embrace the arms of the God of Light. Life itself is suffering. Even if you want to escape from this dark world, there's nowhere to go. Even if you have wings, so what? You're still in hell. No matter how much you fly, there's only the end of falling. Embracing death straightforwardly becomes the only choice."
"...,"
As everyone present had never experienced such an era, they all looked confused, except for the Headless Knight who also felt very emotional at the moment. However, because his head is now being held by Saiki, it looks very subtle.
And the TV drama is not yet completely over. Finally, at the end, there was a conversation between Ryougi Shiki and Kokuto Mikiya...
"Do you think suicide is right? Mikiya."
"...Well, how should I put it? For example, if I were cursed with a very dangerous curse, everyone in the world would die as long as I was alive, but everyone could be saved if I died. Then I'd probably choose suicide."
"What kind of analogy is that? That's not even a possible situation."
To Shiki's ridicule, Kokuto Mikiya just smiled and said, "Well, whatever. The only thing I want to say is that the reason I would choose suicide is not because I'm strong. It's just because I'm too weak. Because I don't have the courage to oppose the whole world and live alone, I choose suicide. And isn't that simpler? A moment of courage versus a lifetime of courage, which is harder to endure is clear at a glance. Similarly, it's much harder for someone with a serious illness to decide to live than to choose death, because death is just a moment of pain, while living is suffering for a lifetime."
"Although this way of thinking may seem extreme, I think death is easier. This conclusion is drawn from the two choices. It's possible that the person involved only wants to escape, and that's indisputable, because we're just weak humans..."
"But that's not right either. No matter how ugly or wrong it is, choosing death is foolish and weak. Regardless of how shameful it is, we should live on to correct our mistakes. To live on and bear the consequences of our actions, that's what truly courageous behavior is. Of course, even though it sounds great, I don't think I can do it myself."
With a calm tone, the most straightforward truth was spoken, symbolizing the imminent conclusion of the story.
The audience in the tavern, watching the conclusion of "The Garden of Sinners," found themselves in an awkward position of wanting to say something but struggling to find the right words. It was akin to one person saying, "I think this movie is awesome," and the other asking, "What's awesome about it?"—leaving the first person stammering without an answer.
After all, in a world without compulsory education up to nine years, the general public's knowledge levels varied widely, often quite low. It was natural for such situations to occur.
In contrast, the immortals like Beldia, Saiki, Wiz, and Laetitia were quite talkative. Having experienced "death," they understood how fortunate it is to be able to choose death autonomously.
Being rejected by the world yet continuing to live in opposition to it is something that more than ninety percent of people dare not even think about. It can be said that these four immortals present had all struggled initially but ultimately bravely chose to live on. Meanwhile, the weak ones probably embraced the happier option at the very first opportunity. After all, choosing to "live on" often requires more courage than choosing "death."
At the same time, amidst the murmurs and exchanges among the crowd, Chase, contemplating the ending song of the film, took the opportunity to ask Durin, "Is that it? Director Durin, the time you spent on this film seems longer than I expected. It shouldn't be just this short film."
"Hmm? Didn't I mention it? To celebrate the successful production of the TV series, I've prepared three episodes of 'The Garden of Sinners' to air consecutively. Although there are seven episodes in total, plus an extra episode," replied Durin.
Upon hearing Durin's words, the people around, who had been chatting, looked at him with pleasant surprise. Clearly, they hadn't expected Durin to be so generous. After all, watching TV didn't require buying tickets, and the prospect of free continuous broadcasting was almost like a dream come true.
As expected, after the ending song of the first chapter of "The Garden of Sinners," with a flash of text on the screen, everyone saw the clear announcement: "Coming up next: 'The Garden of Sinners' Chapter Two - Murder Investigation (Prequel)."
But before they could enjoy it for a few seconds, the screen turned again, displaying new text.
"Advertisement returns, even more exciting."
At the same time, a countdown timer starting from '30:00' appeared in the upper right corner of the screen.
Undoubtedly, this advertisement break for "The Garden of Sinners" lasted a full half hour, making it quite a ordeal considering it was only two or three in the afternoon.
"What's this about? Ads? Why are they doing this?"
"Heh, okay fine with ads, but why half an hour? Trying to annoy us?"
"Perfect timing, I have something to do at home. Hey, bro, hold my spot, I'll be right back."
"I've never felt half an hour drag on so long..."
"Seriously, what kind of ads are these? I'm actually curious now."
"Yeah, I wonder what they'll show. My friend's friend has been wanting to get a movie director to do an ad forever, but movies don't allow ads, so it never happened. Now with this TV show, I gotta let him know."
"..."
Amidst the lively discussion in the crowd, the television screen slowly came back to life. The first thing that appeared before the audience was the sight of three figures clad in mage robes—Scar standing front and center, flanked by Picor and Dylan on either side. These two newcomers, who had recently joined the television station, were now fortunate enough to become the hosts of the world's first advertisement.
"Ahem, viewers in front of your television sets, hello. I am Scar, the Vice President of the Alchemy Tower at the Imperial Mage Academy, and one of the inventors of the television."
Seeming a bit nervous due to his first time doing something like this, Scar stumbled over his lines a couple of times. However, the audience wasn't too bothered by it; they were more amazed to see this middle-aged mage appearing before them in this new format.
Meanwhile, as Scar proceeded with his somewhat nervous movements, a prototype television set, identical in appearance to the one currently broadcasting, was brought out from the side.
Clearly, the theme of this first-ever television advertisement was the television itself.
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