In this crossover anime, I've been bound to two systems.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Yiseki Yu forcefully suppressed the stinging sensation in her nose.

This was the first time in a long time that Chisato Suzumiya had directly agreed to her request.

…………

Chapter 145 The Final Step

"Things will get better. Even though the current situation is still difficult, everything will be alright," Iroha Isshiki firmly believed.

[Realizing something was wrong with your behavior, Isshiki Hatake begins living with you officially.]

She's with you 24/7. She's put away all sharp objects in the house; the paper cutter, scissors, and fruit knife are locked in the kitchen cabinet. Only she has the key, and she only takes them out when needed, then immediately puts them back.

She lied, using the lame excuse that she'd been having nightmares lately and was very scared, needing someone by her side to feel safe, and slept on a makeshift bed on the floor in your room.

She treats you like a baby; even when she's cooking in the kitchen, she'll peek out every minute to see what you're doing.

[She'll wait quietly outside the bathroom door when you go to the toilet, and when you shower, she'll wrap herself in a towel and shamelessly insist on scrubbing your back, trying her best to keep you in her sight at all times.]

Even so, you still haven't seen the situation you expected.

[You've been working on this for years, sacrificing half your life, unwilling to let anything be flawed, lest everything fall apart at the last hurdle.]

Despite spending every day with you, Iroha's mindset remains unchanged. Driven by guilt, although she diligently follows her wife's instructions to take good care of you, she still sees you as a brother, not as a potential romantic partner.

[Regarding this, you feel it's time to put the final step of your plan into action.]

[You firmly remember your original self: a resilient, kind, devoted, and hardworking man. Now, however, a series of setbacks have left you listless and listless.]

[A person like you would not, and could not, express any desires anymore. The more numb you are, the better; the more melancholy you are, the better; the more pessimistic and world-weary you are, the better.]

Nothing and no one can move such a person, and no one can stop them from doing what they have decided.

Unless... in this world that you find meaningless, a hope that warms you and sustains you to keep going can reappear.

Most importantly, this hope cannot be actively pursued by someone with a death wish; rather, it must come to you willingly.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

[Late at night, Isshiki Hatake's eyelids twitched slightly in her sleep. She seemed to smell something very unusual. At the same time, lying on her side, her ear was connected to the pillow on the floor, and she faintly heard a very rhythmic sound.]

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock...

[It's not the crisp sound of water droplets falling, but rather a slower, more viscous sound, sounding strange and sending chills down your spine.]

Perhaps it was a woman's unique sixth sense at work; with a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead, she slowly woke up. The voice she had vaguely heard in her sleep became clearer now that she was awake.

Sensing something was wrong, she immediately reached for the bedside lamp in the darkness and turned it on. The scene before her caused her to lose control of her emotions, as if struck by lightning.

[You were lying face down on the bed, a glaring dark red stain spreading from your right wrist. The blood had soaked a large patch of the sheet, dripping onto the floor from the edges.]

[Her face contorted in pain, she immediately rushed forward to stop your bleeding and dialed the emergency number.]

[You woke up in the hospital, and as soon as you opened your eyes, you were rushed up and hugged by Iroha Isshiki, who was crying uncontrollably.]

[After she has calmed down a bit, gently push her away and say...] External Group: 51.14￥7 (948; 1　

[Immerse yourself in the story from a first-person perspective.]

"Why save me? There's no point in living a life that's already hanging by a thread."

"Don't say that, Brother Qianli..."

"Please, Ayaha, don't waste your time on someone like me. You have a better and more exciting future ahead of you."

"I don't feel like you're a burden to me, I..."

"There's no point in persisting any longer. No one can stop someone who wants to die."

When Suzumiya Chisato said these words, she was neither hysterical nor showed great pain, but rather spoke slowly and deliberately as if she were stating something extremely simple.

But it was precisely because of this that Iroha felt an extraordinary sense of fear.

My older brother, who has always loved me the most since I was a child, is so strong and hardworking. He has always pampered me, indulged me, and supported me.

Yet this same man is now slowly losing his luster before her very eyes, losing the courage and hope to live on—this is the most terrifying thing she has ever experienced in her life.

She felt that the connection between the two of them had been severed long ago, and that there was a sad and obstructive barrier between them.

They exist in two separate worlds, one of light and one of darkness. They can see each other, but they cannot touch or hear each other.

He could only watch helplessly as the man stretched one foot toward the cliff, wanting to stop him but powerless to do so.

She had always tried to soothe his heart with gentleness, fearing that the shards of her barrier would hurt him, but now it seemed that all her efforts had been in vain.

My sister-in-law said that she should take good care of my brother Qianli.

She was the daughter of the Isshiki family, the younger sister of Suzumiya Chisato, an unforgivable sinner, and... a woman.

Since the situation was already on the verge of being irreversible, there was no time to consider the fact that Brother Qianli would be injured because of his next move.

Break through that barrier and shatter the shackles binding Brother Qianli.

I'm going to bring him back!

The delicate expression on Isshiki Hatake's face vanished, and the next moment, something that Suzumiya Chisato feared appeared in her hand.

That razor blade he used before, stained with his blood!

Before he could speak, Isshiki Hachiman resolutely raised her wrist and swiftly swept it across.

The glaring red blood slowly flowed down her arm and dripped onto the ground.

She gazed at the terrified Suzumiya Chisato, her face a mixture of relief, liberation, and a hint of joy.

She let Suzumiya Senri grip her wrist tightly and slapped the razor blade out of her hand.

Seeing him screaming for doctors and nurses in terror, Iroha understood that the barrier between them had been broken, and her words had indeed been conveyed to him.

Yes, no one can stop someone who is determined to die.

But now, I've tied myself to you.

If you harm yourself, I will imitate you by doing the same thing to myself.

If you jump off the cliff, I will fall into hell with you.

This is a threat using oneself as leverage.

Whether you raise or go all in, no matter how you play, I'll play against you to the end.

Because I had already promised my sister-in-law in my heart that I would take good care of you.

…………

Chapter 146 She Stepped into the Cage

"I really don't understand young people these days. Do you think cutting your wrists is a joke? What are you thinking about all day long? What can't you get through in life? Think about your parents who gave you life and raised you. How heartbroken they would be if they knew you were doing this. And how sad they would be if you were to die."

In the hospital, the cleaning lady in charge of hygiene was cleaning up the bloodstains on the floor while muttering to herself with a kind heart until she left.

Suzumiya Senri sat by Iroha Isshiki's bedside, looking at her pitiful, pouting face that looked like she was about to cry at any moment, and couldn't help but smirk.

"Why does it hurt so much..."

"Serves you right for messing around."

Although Suzumiya Chisato said those words, her face truly showed a look of heartache and worry.

As Iroha watched his numb face gradually come to life, she realized that she had succeeded.

"Even if it hurts a lot, if you do it again next time, I will still do it without hesitation!"

Isshiki Iroha said earnestly.

Call it guilt or a sense of duty, whatever she has made up her mind, she will never change it.

"..."

Suzumiya Chisato sighed, her low, hoarse voice ringing out.

"Are you an idiot, just because of a useless person like me?"

"You're not a cripple!"

Iroha was unusually angry, her cute eyes wide open.

"You are better than anyone else. You are just going through a low period. Once this period is over, everything will be fine."

"Whether you get better or not doesn't matter anymore. I miss your sister-in-law very much. This is the last time I'll say something like this to you. Stop being childish, Caiyu. And stop trying to stop me."

"My sister-in-law is important, but if I'm not important, then my parents aren't important either!"

Isshiki Iroha practically shouted these words, using almost all her strength. Her expression was extremely painful, and seeing her like this, Suzumiya Chisato's heart sank even further.

Ignoring the wound on her wrist that had just been treated, she leaned over and hugged Suzumiya Chisato, tears streaming down her face.

“I don’t care. I’ve already promised my sister-in-law in my heart, and I’m prepared to stay by your side forever. Don’t think about leaving. If you really have to die, I will follow you. If you can really harden your heart and are willing to see your parents grow old alone, in a miserable state with no children or grandchildren, then go ahead and do it.”

"...That's too cunning of you, threatening me in this way."

Suzumiya murmured softly.

"I'm sorry, this is the only way I can think of."

"What value do I have that makes you want to do this?"

"Reason unrelated to value."

Rather, it is the responsibility that I, who have always been cared for by you, should rightfully bear for the mistakes I have made.

Isshiki Iroha hugged Suzumiya Chisato's hand and tightened her grip.

What I had never noticed before was that, despite not being particularly robust, his chest was surprisingly broad and warm.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the hospital, Isshiki Iroha makes a firm declaration to you, binding her life to yours, intending to use herself to counteract your will to die.

The two of you, quite tacitly, didn't tell the Isshiki couple about your suicide attempts, thus avoiding causing them worry.

After returning from the hospital, your relationship with Iroha Isshiki gradually changed.