Li Wu stood downstairs, his head lowered and his expression grave, hesitating to make his next move.
[Still thinking about her?]
[Frivolous? Vile? Morally bankrupt?]
"...A bit of all three, I suppose. It's just hard to imagine Raiden Mei turning out like this. It's a bit... inexplicably bizarre."
[Actually, you'll eventually find the reason at Chiba Academy. Until then, what I can tell you is this: she is very lonely.]
"What does being lonely have to do with being twisted? Can being lonely and pitiful really make someone degenerate this much?"
[Loneliness can breed all kinds of personalities. Those emotions that were never vented, those traits that were buried for various reasons—they all lose their restraints because of loneliness. When thoughts have no boundaries, they devolve into terrifying forms.]
[You probably already know what happened after Raiden Ryoma went to prison. Before she met you, she had no friends. Anyone who got close to her suffered the exact same ostracization and bullying. In the end, they either died, dropped out, or suffered mental breakdowns. Kiana Kaslana warned you about this. Your reckless decision to stay by Raiden Mei's side during this special period is an irreplicable anomaly. Even though what she gave you in return was a deeply ingrained death.]
"That's somewhat ungrateful. After all I did for her."
[That's not an excuse. Your kindness toward Raiden Mei stems from your own understanding. In her eyes, it might have actually increased the guilt she feels just for being alive.]
"Guilt? What are you talking about? She casually slept with me and then killed me, and you're saying she feels guilty?"
Li Wu felt like he had just heard the biggest joke in the world.
[A homeless, universally despised little puppy. Its only ideal is to find an owner and obey them unconditionally. Whoever becomes her owner and takes her home, she will offer them everything. To her, her body is just the cheapest way to express that.]
[However, in her current environment, other than you, no one could do that, and no one could make her go to such lengths. In fact, the moment you died, all her disgust turned into affection, generating a suicidal ideation strong enough to end her own life.]
"Treating me as her master, and then committing a double suicide...?"
"Even so, I still can't forgive her, nor can I understand her. Whatever, I'll just follow my gut. I just want to do things with a clear conscience."
Li Wu adjusted his breathing and slowly walked toward his house step by step. However, compared to earlier, his pace was noticeably slower.
Although his expression looked fine, his slightly trembling arms and racing heartbeat betrayed his true feelings.
[Your hands are shaking. Are you okay?]
"Incorrect."
"My hands are just dancing..."
Li Wu's voice quickly vanished into the wind, so faint that even he felt his excuse was ridiculous.
"There's no turning back now. The save point updated to my walk back after buying the clothes. There's no way to change the fact that I helped Raiden Mei."
"If I do the exact same thing as the last loop, Raiden Mei will still think I'm just a cliché, pathetic goody-two-shoes. Even if I avoid that cup of water, it won't change anything. There will be plenty of other opportunities for her to strike, and I can't be on guard 24/7. She feels a physiological disgust toward me, but because of the quest, I can't leave her either."
Li Wu forced himself to calm down, analyzing every word and requirement of the main quest.
Most importantly, he had to take into account the extreme contrast in the Valkyries' personalities.
There were less than three minutes until Raiden Mei finished her shower. Li Wu was already standing at his front door, his expression solemn.
He still hadn't figured out how to resolve this crisis.
But if he didn't change anything, the ending wouldn't change either. So, on his way home, Li Wu had bought a dagger and hidden it at his waist.
[Killing the quest target will trigger a reset.]
"I know. This knife isn't meant to kill Raiden Mei."
Li Wu bit his lip. His mood had plummeted to the bottom of a valley. He seemed calm, but in reality, his mind was already miles away.
"It's to make it easier to start the next loop."
[After you die, you'll still return to the save point. Do you plan on being trapped in this loop forever?]
"Of course not. Looping endlessly might not feel like much at first, but over time, even the most interesting things lose their color and become dull. Unchanging repetition will drive a person insane."
"I have my own plans. Since I can't clear it in this loop, I'll pave the way for the next one as much as possible. At most..."
Li Wu paused, pushing the front door open, "...It'll just hurt a little..."
After leaving the clothes by the bathroom door, Li Wu returned to his bedroom and waited quietly.
This time, he didn't play on his phone, nor was he distracted by the bedroom's layout.
Like a weathered statue, Li Wu sat squarely on the bed, facing the bedroom door.
A few minutes later, the knock came right on schedule.
"Li Wu-kun, may I come in?"
"You may."
In stark contrast to the previous loop, there was no fawning, nor any polite humility. Li Wu answered without a trace of emotion.
The door pushed open, and Raiden Mei walked in, unsurprisingly holding two cups of water.
"Li Wu-kun, thank you so much... If it weren't for you, right now I'd..."
"Just call me Mei from now on! Mei doesn't know how she can help you, so she can only do little things for you..."
Her greeting was exactly the same as the last loop, even though Raiden Mei had clearly sensed the shift in Li Wu's demeanor.
It seemed she had rehearsed these lines during her shower to lower his guard as much as possible, ensuring he'd drink the "poison" that would paralyze his body.
Taking the cup of hot water from Raiden Mei, Li Wu caught a glimpse of the faintly visible white flocculent at the bottom. If one didn't look closely, they truly wouldn't notice anything amiss.
His heart didn't waver in the slightest. Under her expectant gaze, he downed it in one gulp, including the clump of white matter.
It would take a few minutes for the drug to take effect. Li Wu forced himself to recall that excruciating memory: the drug took effect gradually. This meant he could draw the knife and trigger a "Return by Death" at any moment.
Not wanting to waste time, Li Wu cut straight to the chase and laid everything out in the open: "You drugged the water. Soon, I'll lose my mobility, and then you'll kill me. So before that happens, let's have a proper talk."
With that, Li Wu pulled the brand-new fruit knife from his waist and slowly lifted Raiden Mei's chin with the blade.
Raiden Mei was confused at first, then terrified, before finally, an expression of excitement and pleasant surprise settled on her face.
"Oh? You knew there was something wrong with the water, and you still drank it? I originally thought you were just a pathetic goody-two-shoes, but it turns out you're a complete idiot."
"Do you think stalling for a few minutes will change my mind? Haha... You know what, Li Wu? Right now, you really do look like an anime protagonist. Bright, magnanimous, and eyes full of sincerity!"
"But I hate all of that, and I hate you even more. Only one of us is walking out of here today. So... do you want to try and kill me?"