Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

There was also a dazed, confused state, not understanding what had happened, a state of not being fully conscious, belonging to that girl's consciousness.

So Gao Hai stood up and whispered to himself.

{Hello, Kita-kun}

Chapter 144: Gao Hai and [Teacher], Synchronization of Past and Present

I can clearly feel that other consciousness existing within me.

The other person is not in a good state right now; they are in a daze and their thoughts are no longer clear. The aftereffects of being possessed by a strange creature for several months will probably not heal for some time, and it is unknown how long it will take for Kita Ikuyo to recover from this state.

However, this is not something we need to focus on right now.

The entity called "Nothingness" had become deeply integrated with Takami. He completely released his senses, embracing this illusory and eerie thing within his body. The memories of Eriko Asamoto and Koji Morihara accumulated over the first three cycles now formed a bridge connecting them, making this entity integrated into Takami's body more real and clearer. The simultaneous activation of the observation process at the Baytos Research Institute and the main campus of Yoruyama Middle School also caused subtle changes in the environment within the instance, further solidifying this illusory obsession.

Gao Hai felt as if he had become that teacher, the one who wandered around the school like a ghost, learning how to be a human being, how to love others, how to guide others, but ultimately failing to become a real person, and ultimately failing to truly save anyone.

【teacher? 】

It was as if someone could be heard speaking softly.

On an empty rooftop at dusk, a timid voice, tinged with confusion, spoke.

【teacher!】

It sounded like someone was calling out to them very enthusiastically.

In the quiet corridor, a cheerful voice approached, jogging along.

【teacher……】

It sounded like someone said in a hoarse voice.

Amidst the buried earth, the calls had become faint, as if they might lose their breath at any moment.

……

Scene after scene, blurry and fragmented, kept flashing.

So deeply, so truly, I felt the emotions that were gradually emerging from this empty body.

I think I understand now.

I understand why I chose to become a teacher.

Because there are no adults here that students can rely on or trust.

Because there isn't a single adult here who is genuinely willing to treat students well and guide them.

Because there are no adults here willing to take responsibility, willing to use their power to protect the students.

The cruel nightmare keeps repeating itself.

The children's shattered dreams and corpses are piling up one after another.

Whether they become victims or children driven to despair by constant bullying.

Whether they are children who are maliciously misled without realizing it, harming others, and ultimately becoming more and more trapped in nightmares, or children who become tools in the hands of evil people.

This shouldn't be the case.

These children could have had different lives, and they deserved a brighter future.

It should never happen that someone becomes a victim of the interests and desires of adults, that they suffer such torment and die such a miserable death, and that they cannot even find peace in death.

……

Yes, that's why I chose to become a teacher.

Even if my strength is small and weak, and even if I can't change anything in the end, I will still try to do something.

If no adult is willing to make the sacrifice for these children, then I will do it.

Let me guide these children as they grow, let me teach them to face their lives and strive for their future.

This is me, the [true self] I have chosen.

……

The broken mirror shards have been removed from the watch, and the girl's reflection can now be seen in the watch.

The little kitten, who had somehow regained its vitality and become lively again, was staring in this direction with its big eyes.

I could feel the gazes directed at me from the main campus of Baidos and Yelushan Middle School, and I could feel those high and mighty figures coldly watching me.

The stage has been basically set up.

Everything is just one step away from the moment when this tragedy spanning decades will finally come to an end.

Gao Hai could sense that he and his "teacher" were only one step away from achieving true 100% synchronization.

Hmm, it sounds like there was also a bit of flies buzzing.

Perhaps because the fusion was deeper than before, Gao Hai was able to hear certain people's voices more clearly at this moment.

Our control over the instance is waning... Is he really about to break free from his core obsession?

[Damn it, we have to activate layer 4 immediately and destroy the surface space! We can't let this bastard continue like this!]

[No, we won't survive if we damage the surface, and he might not even succeed...]

[Idiot! What are you waiting for? If he succeeds, we'll all die anyway!]

[But...but...in his current state, it's impossible to see how to break through his core obsession...]

As expected, these guys are already in an uproar.

Unlike the third playthrough, where the crimson domain he unleashed truly crippled these people, nearly killing them all, which is why these madmen ultimately resorted to desperate measures. But now, they are all safe and sound, none of them truly threatened. If they use the only strategy that can stop Gao Hai's actions and fails to achieve a good result, they will instead face certain death. This will cause them to hesitate and fall into a state of division.

Just as Gao Hai described before, they were a group of beasts waiting to be slaughtered.

They are happy when they are eating, but when it's their turn to be slaughtered, they start screaming.

They may appear very intelligent in ordinary times, able to recite classics from various ancient books at will, and meticulously perform various etiquette and cultural practices among nobles and gentlemen without revealing any flaws.

But their essence is so foolish that they can only be compared to livestock, or even livestock cannot be compared to them.

These things never truly understand what they've done, whether it's killing someone or causing a tragedy. They never realize how heinous their actions are, and they can't comprehend the consequences of their deeds.

They are nothing more than a bunch of pigs following their instincts and desires, letting their animalistic nature take over their entire being.

These are the kinds of demons that have been hiding in the world of ghost stories for decades, barely surviving in the darkness.

So now, they can't make up their minds.

So now, they will just watch as Gao Hai accomplishes all of this.

And it was this ridiculous bunch of scum who destroyed his team in the last playthrough, killing one teammate after another who did their best to help him.

Yes, that's how it is...

It was this group of scum who killed the students I wanted to protect.

Memory and emotion are constantly synchronized.

When Takami once again deeply realized the true nature of these scumbags in Takamagahara, the presence of his teacher was also undergoing a deeper integration with him.

But mere integration is not enough to change everything.

This final step is the most crucial one, and it is the reason why Goto Ichiri, the only person recognized by Asamoto Eriko's unwavering devotion, must stay here.

"Play."

Takami's voice reached Goto Ichiri's ears.

He walked up to her and reached out to take her fingers.

"Let's play according to my will and ideas, and together we'll complete this final step."

As Gao Hai's voice faded away.

Goto Ichiri began playing almost instinctively, even though she herself didn't know what she was playing.

Her fingers moved in sync with Gao Hai's fingers that were covering her palm, as if their hands had merged together to play a melody.

The shattered mirror fragments floated in mid-air, hovering in front of the two people standing together, playing the instrument.

In the mirror's reflection, there is Eriko Asamoto herself playing the guitar, and behind Eriko Asamoto, there is a blurry figure whose appearance, physique, gender, and everything else are indistinguishable, playing together with Eriko.

Then, the figures in the mirror and those outside the mirror silently merged together.

Goto Ichiri and Asamoto Eriko's existence remained unchanged; they were still the same as before.

But that originally formless void began to change little by little, gradually transforming into the likeness of Gao Hai himself.

hum-

An invisible force is spreading throughout the entire instance.

This is not simply a fusion of a person and an obsession.

From the moment this guitar, an object of obsession believed to be able to change time and alter the past, was played in front of the mirror, Gao Hai's existence began to truly cover the past timeline, gradually covering up the non-existent "teacher."

hum-

Whether it's the flowers, trees, or students coming and going on campus, everything is the same as before.

But every player, whether they were those in the school who knew what was going to happen, the fanatics in the forest who were still confused about what was going on, or the scumbags in Takamagahara who were still arguing endlessly, all sensed that something was wrong.

Everyone truly felt and understood that this instance was about to undergo a real and irreversible change. Regardless of whether the core obsession of this instance can be truly broken afterward, this place will never return to its previous state.

[Hurry, hurry, get started! Hurry!!!]

[How the hell did he do that?! Does this guy really have divine protection?!]

[It's too late! Ahh ...

Having finally reached an agreement, Takamagahara was too late to stop things from developing.

As the last note of that nameless melody faded, the consciousnesses of Takami and Goto Ichiri, who had just finished playing together, had already left this space-time and arrived in an unknown world under the influence of their unwavering will that transcended cognition.