After Rin's words hung in the air, a heavy silence fell over the group. Everyone's eyes turned to Tanaka, their gazes sharp and questioning, as if trying to pierce through the veil of mystery that surrounded him. How did he know a devil would appear? What did he know that they didn't? The weight of their collective curiosity pressed down on him, and for a moment, Tanaka seemed to shrink under their scrutiny. But then, he straightened his posture, his expression calm yet tinged with something darker, something unspoken.
"It's not like only on Green Hill a devil would show up," Tanaka began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of something deeper, something almost melancholic. "If devils exist—and if they choose to reveal themselves to people—then I had to guess under what conditions they might appear. And my answer would be… in darkness."
Rin's eyes narrowed as she processed his words. "In darkness? You mean… being bad? No, wait—" She paused, her brow furrowing as she tried to piece together his meaning. "Does it mean falling into despair? Like, reaching a certain level of hopelessness?"
Miyu, ever blunt and unflinching, cut in with her own interpretation. "It means being able to kill someone," she said, her tone matter-of-fact, as if the conclusion were obvious.
Yuno, ever the voice of reason, shook her head. "I don't think Tanaka would kill someone," she said, her voice soft but firm. "There must be another condition."
Yuki nodded in agreement. "That's true. Tanaka isn't like that. There's got to be more to it."
Haruto and Hana exchanged glances before nodding, their silent agreement adding to the growing consensus. But then, Riyu's voice broke through the tension, sharp and insistent. "But when it comes to me, when I was able to kill someone, a devil showed up. So what I'm saying is the more logical reason."
Yuno turned to Miyu, her expression thoughtful. "Things can be different for everyone," she said gently. "Just because it happened to you that way doesn't mean it's the same for Tanaka."
Yuki's gaze shifted to Rin. "Rin, what do you think about it?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of expectation.
All eyes turned to Rin, the group's unofficial leader, the one they always looked to for clarity and insight. Rin hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering between Miyu and Tanaka. Finally, she spoke, her voice measured but with an edge of something unspoken. "Miyu, you're so confident in your answer, but the truth is, we don't really know anything about you. On the other hand, we know Tanaka. We've been friends with him for a long time. Even if what you're saying is true, it doesn't necessarily mean Tanaka would kill someone. And besides, we don't really know anything about devils. Not really."
Hana nodded in agreement, her expression softening. "I don't want to think negatively about my friends," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "Tanaka has always been there for us. Why would we doubt him now?"
Haruto chimed in, his tone resolute. "We've always believed in our friends. Why stop now?"
Yuno smiled faintly, her eyes meeting Rin's. "As expected from our intelligent Rin," she said, her voice tinged with admiration. "You always know what to say."
Yuki turned back to Tanaka, his expression serious. "So, should we hear the answer from Tanaka?" he asked, his gaze locking onto his.
Once again, all eyes turned to Tanaka. But this time, something was different. Tanaka's eyes were wide, his face pale, as if the weight of their trust had struck him like a physical blow. His lips trembled, and for a moment, it seemed as though he might break down entirely. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he fought to hold them back, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.
Rin noticed his struggle and stepped closer, her voice gentle but firm. "Tanaka, take a deep breath, you crybaby," she said, her tone teasing but laced with affection. "You've got this."
Tanaka managed a shaky smile and did as she said, drawing in a deep, steadying breath. When he spoke again, his voice was stronger, though still tinged with emotion. "By 'in darkness,' what I meant was… being able to kill someone. Like Miyu said, but—" He paused, his words cut off as Miyu immediately interjected.
"See? What I told you was true!" Miyu exclaimed, her voice triumphant.
But before she could continue, Rin shot her a glare so sharp it could have cut glass. "Miyu, let him finish!" she snapped, her voice ringing with authority.
The group fell silent once more, the tension so thick it felt almost suffocating. Even the sound of leaves rustling and falling to the ground seemed amplified in the stillness. Tanaka took another deep breath and continued, his voice quieter now, almost a whisper. "But… you could kill anyone. Even if it's… yourself."
The words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Rin's eyes widened in shock, as did Haruto's, Hana's, Yuno's, Yuki's, and even Miyu's. Tanaka's smile returned, but it was a smile filled with sadness and despair, a smile that spoke of a pain too deep to put into words.
Rin clenched her fists, her mind racing. "According to the situation, I believe things have changed," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her eyes. "Let's hear out what Tanaka has more to say."
The others nodded, their expressions a mix of concern and determination. Tanaka felt their gazes on him, intense and unwavering, but he pressed on, his voice gaining strength as he spoke. "I left my house because, based on my expectations, I had to fall into darkness. I needed a space where I wouldn't be distracted by my phone, where I could think clearly. I didn't want to think terrible things in my home. So I went to the hill."
He paused, his gaze distant, as if reliving the moment. "Once I reached the hill, a question came to my mind: Why would a devil show up to an evil person? An evil person wouldn't need a devil to help them with their bad actions. They could do anything on their own. But even if a devil did show up to an evil person, what would they do? The worst-case scenario would be to kill everyone on Earth. But there are 8 billion people alive on this planet. That means there must be a condition that I have to fulfill for a devil to show up."
Tanaka's voice grew quieter, more introspective. "Then I realized something. I was making a distinction between an evil person and myself. An evil person could do anything on their own, but someone like me… someone who isn't inherently evil… would need a strong reason to become evil. And even then, that person would hold back as much as they could. That would be the perfect time for a devil to show up, to lure them into becoming evil."
He looked up, his eyes meeting theirs. "At that moment, I started thinking about my life. About how much I've struggled. But I always told myself that struggle is a part of everyone's life. What really got to me was the loneliness. The thought that I would never have Hana… I just couldn't bear it. That's what pushed me to the edge. That's what fulfilled the condition."
Tanaka's voice broke, and he took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Before the devil showed up, the world around me seemed to stop. The trees, the falling leaves… everything froze. And then, in front of me, a black aura began to grow. Within seconds, it took shape. A strange, black creature stood there, staring at me."
He paused, his gaze distant. "People say you get afraid when you see your death. But what if you're already waiting for it? Would you still be afraid? I wasn't. I had already fallen into darkness, and I knew I might never get out of it."
The devil had spoken to him then, its voice dripping with malice. "Tanaka, why aren't you afraid?" it had asked.
Tanaka had replied, his voice calm, "A person wouldn't be afraid of what they're waiting for. Am I not right?"
The devil had laughed, a sound that sent shivers down his spine. "You're an exception, Tanaka," it had said. "So, whom do you want to kill? I can make the process… interesting for you."
But Tanaka had surprised even the devil. He had pointed to a frozen leaf and asked, "Why has this leaf stopped? Why hasn't it fallen to the ground?"
The devil had smirked. "You're within a domain where time is stopped."
Tanaka had pressed further. "What is the purpose of this domain? Who created it?"
The devil's smirk had widened. "The purpose is so we can talk as much as we want. No one can disturb us here. As for who created it… that's a mystery even to us. We can take it with us, use it, and then merge it back when we're done."
Tanaka had nodded, his mind racing. "So, devils don't want to show themselves to everyone. I was chosen because I'm not an evil person, but I needed to be pushed to become darkness."
The devil had laughed again. "Our reason to live is to make people do bad things. But when humans can kill on their own, we're not needed. Why would we show ourselves to them?"
Tanaka had absorbed this, his mind working furiously. "So, devils are always near good people, luring them to do bad things."
The devil had nodded, its expression darkening. "That's our reason to live. So, how can I help you, Tanaka?"
Tanaka had smirked then, a glint of something dangerous in his eyes. "What are you capable of?"
The devil had leaned in, its voice a low growl. "Say anything you want me to do. If I can do it, I will."
Tanaka had paused, his mind racing. "Can you take my friends and me into the domain? And can you make a clone of me, one that will wander around with my friends in the domain?"
The devil had raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Interesting. And?"
Tanaka had continued, his voice steady. "Take me to the end of the domain and my friends to the opposite end. And… can I ask for food in the domain?"
The devil had chuckled. "What's the purpose of all this?"
Tanaka had sighed, his expression awkward. "Who thought I'd have to explain my intentions to a devil? Anyway, you're the one who told me to say whatever I want. So, are you going to do your job or not?"
The devil had laughed, its voice echoing in the stillness. "Talk about the interesting part. I'm getting bored."
Tanaka had smirked, his mind racing. "The girl I love is taken by another boy. I want to confirm if he deserves her or not. So, there will be a test in the domain."
The devil had laughed again, its voice dripping with malice. "I can control people, you know."
Tanaka had hesitated, the temptation clear in his eyes. But then he had shaken his head, his resolve firm. "So what?"
The devil had leaned in, its voice a whisper. "You can have the girl you love. I can make her fall in love with you."
Tanaka had smirked, his expression dark. "By controlling her? You mean, her consciousness would be gone, right?"
The devil had laughed, its voice filled with admiration. "You got me there, human."
Tanaka had smiled, a glint of something dangerous in his eyes. "Oh, why don't you call me by my name now?"
The devil had smirked. "You made me this way."
Tanaka had nodded, his expression triumphant. "I'm happy then."
The devil had leaned back, its expression dark. "So, let's start the plan. Ask for whatever you want. If I can do it, I'll do it."
Tanaka had smirked, his voice filled with confidence. "You don't dare to run from your words. If you do, I'll have to change my plans, and you won't like that."
The devil had laughed, its voice filled with malice. "I can't run from my reason to live. But I wish you could ask for yourself. You didn't. That means I'm a failure."
Tanaka had smirked, his expression filled with confidence. "I'm not a narcissist, but be proud. You're up against an intelligent person."
The devil had growled, its voice filled with hatred. "I hate you humans! Once you accomplish your purpose, you'll be dead. Only the friends in the domain will remember you. No one else. We don't want every human to know about our existence. We're not some fantasy characters."
Tanaka had kept his silence, his expression unreadable. The devil had leaned in, its voice a whisper. "Human?"
Tanaka had smirked, his voice filled with confidence. "Okay, let's go."
As Tanaka finished his story, the group sat in stunned silence. Rin's eyes were wide with shock, her mind racing. "As intelligent as ever," she said, her voice filled with admiration. "But to think that you were on the edge of falling into darkness… and then your bad luck pushed you over… it makes me feel guilty."
The others nodded, their expressions filled with sadness. But before anyone could speak, Rin quickly added, "What I meant is… people say I'm intelligent, so I wish I could have figured out what Tanaka was feeling. We could have helped him."
The others nodded, their expressions filled with determination.