[2.5 Satoru: Welcome, newcomers. Didn't expect new members to join again after just three days, and so many at once. That's a little strange.]
[Muscle God: Welcome, welcome! Isn't that great? The more people we have, the livelier our group gets!]
Seeing the new messages in the Multiverse Chat Group, Adam finally snapped out of his excitement. Without hesitation, he hurried to greet what he considered his future harem candidates.
...
[Adam: Welcome, everyone, to the Multiverse Chat Group. I'm the group leader. If you ever need any help, feel free to come to me.]
[Arifureta: Are you sure you can help with anything?]
[Adam: Of course!]
Adam stared excitedly at the message from Arifureta. As long as someone asked him for help, he was confident he could leave a good impression on them—something that would greatly aid his grand plan to build a harem.
Although he didn't recall ever hearing the name "Arifureta," he firmly believed that anyone who joined the group alongside beauties like Chika Fujiwara must also be quite the looker.
However, when he saw what Arifureta requested next, his expression instantly changed.
[Arifureta: Since that's the case, then transfer your group leader position to me.]
[Adam: Uh...]
[Arifureta: What's wrong? Didn't you just say you could help with anything?]
[Arifureta: I'm merely asking you to transfer your group leader role to me. If you can't even manage such a small thing, then stop bragging. It's embarrassing~]
[Adam: Sorry, but I can't agree to that.]
[Chika Fujiwara: Huh? So this is the so-called group leader? Doesn't seem impressive at all.]
[Ruri Gokou: How useless. You should just crawl off somewhere and stay out of sight.]
[Alice Nakiri: Exactly. If you don't have the ability, stop talking big. You're clearly not fit to be this group's leader.]
...
In an instant, Chika Fujiwara's remark set off a chain reaction. The newly joined members began to chime in one after another, their messages all mocking and belittling Adam.
The wave of verbal attacks made the other group members so nervous they didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, afraid that saying the wrong thing might make them the next target.
At the same time, Adam's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. Rage boiled inside his chest, ready to explode.
The next moment, his impulse overpowered his reason—and he erupted in fury.
[Adam: You filthy women, all of you shut up!]
[Adam: Have I been too nice to you? Do you really think you're that important?]
[Adam: If not for the fact that I consider you all worthy of joining my harem, do you think you even have the right to speak to me as equals?]
[Adam: You're just a bunch of lowly mortals—learn your place!]
[Adam: And you, the one who only knows how to draw those filthy books, I've tolerated you for too long! You're just a pathetic loser nobody wants. You should be grateful I even looked your way!]
[Adam: Your only role should be kneeling before me and licking my boots!!!]
[Adam: And that "Million-Word Author," that spineless flatterer who doesn't even dare show their real name—what kind of freak are you, anyway?]
[Adam: No sense of judgment at all. Instead of licking me, you lick that loser instead? You're just a useless waste of space!]
[Female Shogi Player: ...]
[Elf Sister: ???]
[Part-Time Warrior: Gross!]
[Arima Kousei: Brother Adam, you...]
[Muscle God: Isn't that going too far...?]
[2.5 Satoru: So this is your true nature, huh?]
Reading Adam's outburst, the veteran members of the group were utterly shocked.
Their impression of him changed completely in that instant.
Before, they thought Adam was a little petty and liked taking advantage of others—but overall, he seemed like a decent guy. That was why they had respected him as their group leader.
Now, however, that image was shattered beyond repair.
But now, it was clear—those were not words that any decent young man would say. Such thoughts could only be described as utterly twisted.
Especially among the female members of the group—though none of them had any romantic interest in Adam, they had at least found him somewhat likable before. After all, he always acted considerate and courteous toward them whenever he could.
Now, however, Adam's words made them feel nothing but disgust.
As for Arifureta and the others, a single line was enough to express their feelings.
[Arifureta: Very well. You have already chosen the path of death.]
At that moment, Adam, having just vented his pent-up anger, stared blankly at the chat. His mind went completely numb, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"What's wrong with me?"
Panic filled Adam's expression. He couldn't understand why he had suddenly lost control and blurted out every single dark thought he had kept buried inside.
He had always been good at maintaining his composure—how had this happened?
Unfortunately, he didn't have the power to turn back time. Otherwise, he would have gone back and smacked his past self senseless.
If this situation wasn't handled well, the two months he had spent carefully building his "good guy" persona in the chat would all go up in smoke.
[Adam: Um... what I said just now, I was just rambling nonsense. You don't actually believe that, do you...?]
[Part-Time Warrior: What do you think? I didn't expect you to be such a disgusting person. I actually thought you were a decent guy. Guess I was blind!]
[Elf Sister: I was even thinking of introducing my little sister to you someday. Thank goodness I learned your true colors beforehand—otherwise, I would've ruined her life.]
[Muscle God: Sigh...]
[Adam: Please, you have to believe me! Those words weren't my true thoughts. I just lost my temper for a moment and said something stupid!]
[Adam: Kousei, you believe me, right?!]
[Arima Kousei: Um... Adam-bro has always been good to me...]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Oh? Then why don't you tell us just how 'good' your dear Adam-bro has been to you?]
Seeing Eriri's message, Adam immediately felt a chill down his spine.
Only then did he remember—Eriri also knew about the members' futures. If her world had Your Lie in April as an anime, that meant all his previous plans were completely exposed.
[Adam: Don't stir up trouble between us, please. I'm begging you, alright?]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Stir up trouble? I'm merely asking him a few harmless questions. Or is it that your conscience isn't clean?]
[Adam: What nonsense are you spouting? Do you think anyone's going to believe your lies?]
[Kashiwagi Eri: You sound nervous.]
[Adam: ...]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Alright then, Kousei-kun, don't mind this arrogant idiot. Go ahead and continue.]
[Arima Kousei: O-okay...]
And so, over the next few minutes, Arima Kousei recounted everything Adam had done for him during their time together.
In short, Adam had helped him overcome the psychological trauma caused by his mother's death and taught him that there were things in life more meaningful than piano alone.
He had also helped him realize the feelings his childhood friend held for him—and under Adam's encouragement, he had decided to confess to her soon.
By all accounts, it sounded like Adam had been a great help to him, and the other group members agreed.
However, for those who knew the original story—like Eriri and Arifureta—the truth behind Adam's "kindness" was clear.
He had merely set his sights on the heroine, Kaori Miyazono, and intended to cut off her connection with Kousei from the root.
That way, once he had accumulated enough points, Adam could directly travel to the Your Lie in April world and make Kaori part of his harem.
[Kashiwagi Eri: I see now. Kousei-kun, you poor thing—you've been completely deceived by your oh-so-kind big brother.]
[Arifureta: How pitiful.]
[Arima Kousei: Huh? What do you mean by that?]
[2.5 Satoru: I'm curious too. Although Adam's personality may be questionable, what he did for Kousei seems genuinely good, doesn't it?]
[Adam: Kousei, don't listen to their nonsense! You know me. Haven't I always treated you well?]
[Arima Kousei: Mm! I believe in Adam-bro!]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Really? I hope you still think that way after watching the memory footage I'm about to share.]
With that, Eriri stopped talking and directly uploaded the full anime Your Lie in April to the Multiverse Chat Group.
It was the first time the older members had ever seen such a complete memory image. Previously, everything Adam had uploaded consisted only of short edited clips.
Curious, everyone immediately opened the video to watch. Even the ever-busy part-timer Aoyama Nanami wasn't an exception.
Fortunately, the chat group also had an immersive viewing mode, so despite the footage spanning several hours, all the members finished watching it within minutes.
When it ended, they finally understood why Eriri had accused Adam of deceiving Kousei.
[2.5 Satoru: I see... Adam, you sure played a clever game there.]
[Part-Time Warrior: As expected, totally insincere!]
[Uchiha Dance King: Hmph. I, however, think Adam did nothing wrong. The future hasn't happened yet, which means he has the right to pursue whoever he likes.]
Because Adam had been feeding him "future information" for several days and treating him with great respect, Madara had developed quite a favorable impression of him. Even Adam's earlier foul remarks hadn't changed that.
[Uchiha Dance King: Besides, Kousei hasn't lost anything. Even in the original future, he didn't end up with that girl.]
[Uchiha Dance King: If anything, Adam's actions spared him the pain of losing his beloved.]
[Ruri Gokou: You senile old man, that's twisted logic. Since Kousei's already part of this chat group, don't you think he might be able to find a way to cure Kaori's illness?]
[Uchiha Dance King: Hmph! Insolent brat! You lack respect for your elders!]
[Muscle God: Let's calm down a bit. Why don't we hear Kousei's thoughts first?]
[Arima Kousei: …...]
After finishing the memory footage, Kousei fell silent.
To be honest, knowing that a beautiful girl had secretly loved him for so many years did make him feel a bit happy.
But the current Kousei was no longer the same as his original self. Under Adam's "psychological guidance," he had given up on becoming a world-class pianist.
He had already fallen in love with his childhood friend, Tsubaki Sawabe. Because of that, he couldn't relate to the version of himself in the memory footage.
To him, Kaori Miyazono was someone he pitied—but not someone he loved.
[Arima Kousei: I still believe Adam-bro helped me. Without him, I'd still be trapped in my pain.]
[Arima Kousei: As for that girl named Kaori Miyazono... I can only apologize. If possible, I'll try to use the chat group to help her overcome her illness in the future.]
[Ruri Gokou: ...]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Alright, you're out of the running.]
Eriri's response was tinged with disappointment. She had originally intended to grant them a happy ending—to let Kousei and Kaori have the future they deserved.
But clearly, Kousei had failed her expectations.
After sending her message in the chat, Eriri turned her gaze toward a young blonde girl lying on a hospital bed.
"How are you feeling right now?" she asked softly.
The blonde girl didn't reply. Instead, she lowered her head, sadness clouding her expression.
At that moment, Eriri wasn't in the world of Saekano—she was in the world of Your Lie in April.
The girl before her was none other than the story's heroine, Kaori Miyazono, a thirteen-year-old middle school student.
The reason Eriri had come here was simple: she wanted to meet Kaori in person and cure her illness.
After all, by the end of the day, the Multiverse Chat Group would be absorbed by Little Skirt's group. That meant Kousei would no longer be able to use the chat system to find a way to heal Kaori.
So this time, Eriri decided to play the role of a good person. After all, she still held a favorable impression of both Kaori and Kousei.
When she had questioned Kousei earlier about Adam's supposed kindness, Eriri had secretly added Kaori into the chat group as well.
However, she hadn't made any announcement about it, so Kaori existed as a hidden member—unable to send messages herself.
Eriri had done it purely out of curiosity. She wanted to see how Kaori would react after learning what had transpired around her.
In truth, Eriri believed that Kaori's initial feelings for Kousei weren't true love at all. It was merely admiration—born from the awe she'd felt when she first heard his music as a child.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven