SAI SHINU
I pushed back into the streets. First plan: the tavern. Second plan: I lingered — I wanted to see the city with my own eyes before settling.
After a few minutes of walking I felt like I'd seen most of it. My gaze snagged on a tall wooden tower in the square. At the top sat a machine I recognized from nightmares: a guillotine — a heavy blade sliding down a frame to behead the condemned.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine. I never expected to see a thing like that here. This place was more advanced than the other towns I'd passed through in this dimension, and yet it kept relics of cruelty. The thought shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.
I turned to leave and collided with someone. "Oh — I'm sorry, sir," I muttered. The man bowed his head and said, "Don't worry. It's fine." He was wrapped in a purple long coat; a hood shadowed his face. I was about to push past when a notification from the system blinked into my vision.
CHARACTER PROFILE
Name: Shiro Kazuhiko — Age: 45 years old
Class: unknown
Title: Godless Sculptor — Weapon: none
Skills: creating monsters
My hand flew to the handle of Azure Valley. My breath caught. I didn't think clearly; I grabbed the man's shoulder and forced myself to sound calm. "Sir — what's your name?"
He turned. For a split second I caught fear in his eyes. "Juro Kouji," he answered. My mouth went dry. "Oh — I'm sorry. I mistook you for someone else." I tried to laugh it off.
"Enjoy the show," he said, and stepped away. I didn't wait. I ran — to a small bar next to the square and ducked inside.
I went straight to the bathroom, turned the tap on, and slapped cold water on my face until it stung. I sat on the floor, back to the door, and stared at the tiny pool in the sink. Why had I done that? Was I losing it? My hands rubbed my eyes raw.
My companion's voice — that quiet presence in my head — said, "Try to calm down. You're not crazy. That's the guy who killed—"
"I know," I snapped, louder than I meant to. I took another breath. A lone lamp in the bathroom flickered and died. The light going out felt like a small omen. I closed my eyes and tried to steady myself.
"What if the system is wrong?" I heard myself ask. "This man told me a different name than the one on the screen."
"Taro said Shiro Kazuhiko disappeared," my companion reminded me. "What if he never disappeared—he just changed identities? The system can't lie, but humans can. You said that yourself."
The truth sat heavy and ugly in my mouth. I nodded, though no one could see me. The bar around me was unnervingly quiet. I stood, smoothed my clothes, and stepped back out.
Voices drifted from the square — the kind of amplified speech a city uses to gather a crowd. I looked up. On the guillotine tower Juro Kouji stood tall; at his feet, someone knelt, wrapped and hooded in white, immobile. The crowd hushed as he spoke.
My knees gave out and I slid down the wall. The words hit me like a blade: "The execution of Akemi Shinu begins now."