Uhh, yeah, I guess you guys won't be comfortable with this chapter. But please enjoy ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ)

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"I said stop right there!"

Misaki somehow managed to escape, even when the person chased after her. Maybe it was because of her morning jogging routine paying off, or maybe the person was just too pathetic at sports to catch up.

Whatever it was, Misaki kept running without paying any attention to the person's that shouts her to stop.

She quickly reached the stairs and ran down from there.

"Wait, kid!"

*Clank!

"Ahh!"

That person suddenly threw his can of drink towards Misaki. The throw was terrible, so it didn't hit her, but it startled her and caused her to accidentally twist her leg, resulting in her falling and rolling down the stairs.

"Ouch... That hurts... Ugh!"

She sustained some scrapes and bruises, and her uniform became dirty and worn out from the dust. What's worse, her ankle was sprained from the earlier incident. Despite that, Misaki still tried to stand up and run. But her speed was greatly reduced as she felt the pain in her leg.

"Just a little more..."

She just needed to descend the stairs to the second floor and exit the building. That way, the person wouldn't dare to do anything to her in public. Though it was deserted, there were still some people passing by, and they would surely help her if they saw this.

"That's enough!"

But surprisingly, that man was already by her side. His clenched fist swung towards her without hesitation, and everything happened right in front of Misaki's eyes, but she had no way to defend or dodge due to the suddenness. Without any pause, the punch landed on Misaki's stomach. It wasn't a strong blow, but it wasn't weak either, especially as it came from an adult, causing Misaki to stagger to the side.

"Oof!"

Misaki felt pain in her side as she was pushed against the wall before collapsing. Drool flowed out of her mouth as she felt her stomach as about to come out.

"When adults tell you to stop, you should listen, not run away!"

"Argh!"

Not given any time to process what just happened, that man suddenly gripped Misaki's face and slammed her head against the wall. Pain followed by dizziness was once again felt by Misaki as she couldn't hold back her tears.

"When adults are working hard, you kids are always running around making noise. It disrupts our peace, do you know that?"

*Thud! Thud! Thud!

Her head was repeatedly slammed against the wall, each impact leaving a red mark. Fear and helplessness crept up Misaki's spine as her vision turned more red.

She tried to reach for the person's hand while pleading for them to stop.

"Please..."

But it seemed like her voice wasn't heard as the person continued hurting her.

"... And this is the last one for you!"

*Crack...

"Urgh!!!"

Whether it was just her imagination or not, Misaki could hear a cracking sound from the back of her head followed by a sharper pain.

"Huff... Huff... It's exhausting teaching manners to a brat like you. You should be grateful to be taught by this uncle..."

Finally releasing his grip from Misaki's face, the man breathed heavily and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Misaki, who couldn't move at all and had her consciousness fading, could only gaze at him with an empty stare. Her nose was also bleeding from the excessive pressure.

Seeing her like that, the man sighed before opening his work bag and taking out something.

"You know, humans are destined to become slaves to work once they grow up. No matter where they come from, whether they're poor or wealthy, they must always work after their period of freedom ends. That's why I want to liberate those who have become slaves, even if I have to do it one by one."

An object with a cold gleam and a sharp tip protrudes from his bag as he lightly grips it.

"I happen to have a knife that I bought. No, actually, I want to use it on someone else. I usually hang around this building after work, it's a comfortable place to be alone. Unfortunately, I work overtime almost every day, it's exhausting, and I've been enduring this for over 20 years without being able to enjoy my leisure time."

He stares at the knife he's holding as he assesses its sharpness. It's a knife that you can easily get at a supermarket and is commonly used for cutting vegetables or slicing meat... And also, if used incorrectly, it can hurt someone.

"The first person I want to try liberating is an office worker, just like me. I usually see him pass by with a tired face every time he finishes work, I feel a bit sorry for him so I want to free him from the burdens that trouble him."

His gaze returns to Misaki with a smile that is completely out of place with the situation and actions he has done.

"You can consider this as just the ramblings of an old person, but be grateful to me because you can be free before experiencing bitter and sad events."

Then he chokes Misaki that already powerless on neck and prepares to stab her heart.

Joy fills the man's head as he smiles widely.

He is someone who has worked hard all his life, yet the reward of his labor never brought him a happiness because the job was too demanding and even his salary was below standard. For this reason, Instead of gaining wisdom with his age, his mentality took a negative turn. His personality has become twisted and worse today because his working hours will be increased starting next week without any increase in salary.

And this time, he will unleash all that he has experienced on an innocent person.

All the mysteries have been revealed to Misaki, who seeks the truth, from the reasons to how all the things in the past that created the ongoing serial murders happened.

But all that is not a concern now because her life is in danger. However, she cannot escape because her body cannot move as she wishes, her body can only tremble in fear, and her consciousness is reaching its limit. It is fortunate for her to be able to endure all the pain and shocks in her head without fainting.

... I'm sorry, Onii-chan...

Feeling that her life will soon be gone, she can only regret thinking about Kazuto's sad face as well as her family and friends if she has to leave. She shouldn't have come to this building and should have looked for another place to keep watch. No, she shouldn't have come to this place in the first place, but her steadfast desire to change the future today led her here, and there is no more excuse she can give.

However... I want to live! There are regrets that I need to erase before I die, so... please! Someone!

Misaki can only pray in her heart as tears well up and blur her vision.

Her desperation creates hope that someone will pass by and come to her rescue.

But it is impossible because this is an abandoned building and the surrounding streets are rarely frequented by people.

In the end, she comes to terms with her situation.

"Enjoy your time of freedom, young girl!"

The knife that aimed at her, would soon reach her body and tear through her skin and internal organs if continued to be pressed.

*Thunk!

"....Wh-What..."

That's what should have happened. However, a sound more like a punch echoed as the man uttered something in confusion, and Misaki also didn't feel anything piercing or penetrating her skin. Her tightly choked neck slowly regains its freedom as she can breathe again.

From her blurred vision, the man collapses at that moment while someone stands behind him with a wooden plank in his hand. His body is short and cannot be compared to an adult.

She couldn't tell who the person was due to her blurry vision. What is clear is that the person who saved her is at least the same age as her.

"Thank you.... But... Who..."

Misaki weakly utters a hoarse voice when she wants to say something.

She can no longer hold on to stay conscious. But with someone who has come to save her, she should be able to comfortably close her eyes for a moment.

"Sorry for being late, but everything should be fine now."

In the final seconds before passing out, Misaki hears a voice she recognizes. But she's too close to death to know who it is.