I said you are all war criminals

Yukinoshita Yukino breathed in the cold night air, hating herself for being shaken by the word "friend." Now, she needed to calm down and return to a familiar place to regain control of the situation.

Chiba's apartment... Let's go back to Chiba.

"Damn, last bus..."

Yukinoshita glanced at the station's electronic screen. Time was running out, so she hurried to the ticket gate. Kaguya Shinomiya's hypocritical smile and the light yet powerful word "friend" were still lingering in her mind.

"Oh!"

With a dull thud, Yukinoshita bumped into a soft object. She was knocked back half a step and almost fell due to inertia.

"What are you doing..."

Yukinoshita cursed under her breath, holding onto the wall to steady herself, and only then could she see clearly what she had bumped into.

She was a petite girl with long black hair draped softly over her shoulders. After being hit, she lowered her head slightly, tightly grasped the straps of her schoolbag with both hands, and her body trembled slightly.

Yukinoshita Yukino had no memory of this girl, either in the past or in the present. She frowned, a trace of doubt flashing through her mind, but she still apologized first: "I'm sorry."

The girl slowly raised her head and, with a ferocious attitude that was completely inconsistent with her petite frame, she tutted, "Ah... you're sorry too."

The girl who was hit was none other than Tatsuki Shiina.

Shiina Riki had a bad day today... In fact, Riki had been in a bad mood since hearing Hakuno's words about resurrection last night.

Li Xi didn't truly believe in the ethereal mystical art; what truly unnerved her was Bai Ye's attitude. His earnestness, his persistence, made her question the depth of her feelings for Deng. Could Bai Ye's feelings for Deng be even deeper than Li Xi's? This thought pierced her heart like a sharp thorn, leaving her with an indescribable pain and bewilderment.

Perhaps because of this, Li Xi's voice became a little heavier.

And it is precisely because of this that Yukinoshita does not have a very good impression of Li Xi.

……never mind.

Yukinoshita didn't intend to argue with Riki. After all, she couldn't possibly know who she was, and she didn't seem to be in a good mood. As a Starry Knight, Yukinoshita had to be tolerant of these people. After all, knights are shepherds, and the people are sheep, as His Highness said...

So, in the end, Yukinoshita just rubbed her eyebrows impatiently.

This subtle movement revealed the attitude of a superior. Shiina Riki noticed it, and the nameless anger in her heart burned even more fiercely. She wanted to curse out loud and ask what the hell Yukinoshita was up to.

But in the end, like a balloon about to burst being pricked by a needle, all the anger was released. Li Xi now just wanted to go home and didn't want to have any conflicts with others.

The air between them stagnated for a moment, like a taut string poised to snap. Finally, it was Yukinoshita who broke the silence. She simply nodded gently in response, then turned and hurried toward the ticket gate. She didn't have time to tangle with a strange girl. Shinomiya Kaguya's word "friend" still echoed in her ears, like a thorn in her heart, making her irritated.

Shiina Riki watched Yukinoshita's retreating back. Her slender figure stood out against the crowd, yet it carried an indescribable sense of oppression. An inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over her, as if she had seen it somewhere before, yet couldn't place it. She shook her head, attributing the feeling to recent stress. She was experiencing a bit of mental fatigue, so it wasn't surprising that she was experiencing hallucinations.

Leaving the station, the chilly night breeze blew in her face, sobering her up a bit. Her home was nearby, only a ten-minute walk away. The streets were sparsely populated, and the dim streetlights cast a long shadow on her. She walked aimlessly, her mind a mess, like a tangled ball of yarn.

"lamp……"

Li Xi kept repeating Gao Songdeng's name.

do not know……

What is the lamp doing now?

Perhaps Deng is sitting by a window bathed in sunlight, a thick book clutched in her hands. The warm light casts a soft glow on her fair face, a faint smile etched across her lips, as if lost in a beautiful dream. Her slender fingers gently turn the pages, a soft rustling sound echoing like a soothing melody through the quiet room. Or perhaps she is standing center stage, bathed in the radiance of the spotlight, her shimmering costume gleaming as she dances. With her clear, moving voice, she delivers every note with exquisite perfection, leaving the audience mesmerized and captivated by her talent. Or perhaps, alone in a quiet room, she is practicing a new song, sweat soaking her clothes, but she perseveres, striving for perfection in every note...

Of course, it is also possible that the lamp is thinking about her just like she is.

"Ahh... lights..."

Lixi squatted in the shadow in front of the station.

She closed her eyes.

…Terrible, the lights.

I don’t know why, but since yesterday, I’ve been thinking, “If you die, I will definitely give everything to resurrect you”... Even though I know that your safety is more important than anything else.

lamp……

What are you doing?

17

Chapter 17 The simulation begins.

Deng sat on Hakuno's bed.

This was her first time staying overnight at the Hakuno family's house... After finally persuading her parents, Deng was finally allowed to come to the Hakuno family's house.

...But, actually, it's not that difficult.

Deng's parents had never been too restrictive about her choices. They didn't place any demands on her, whether it was school or friends. Even when Deng started dating a boyfriend several years her senior, her parents didn't call the police, but instead had a good talk with Hakuno.

...After that, Deng took care of Hakuno for two days before Hakuno's face recovered enough to be presentable.

Deng would not blame his parents for this.

She knew that any normal parent would separate a strange guy like Bai Ye from their daughter. Moreover, doing so was definitely not wrong.

But the lamp also knows.

My parents must have been concerned about me.

Deng knew very well that he was also a weird person.

Deng sat on Bai Ye's bed, knees hugged. The soft touch of the sheets made her feel a little uncomfortable. The room was filled with a light woody aroma, mixed with Bai Ye's unique scent, like sun-dried cotton. It reminded her of Li Xi's light soapy scent, clean, yet with a subtle bitterness.

She felt like a machine that could warn people of their future. She amplified everyone else's emotions, sensing them in advance. Joy, sadness, anger... these emotions surged like a tide, drowning her, yet she found no outlet. She was like a poor translator, receiving the signal but unable to translate it into language others could understand.

"Hakuno,"

The sound of the lamp was very soft, like a feather falling on velvet. "Do you think I'm weird?"

Bai Ye was tidying the bookshelf with his back to her. He turned around after hearing her words, holding a thick hardcover book in his hand. He raised an eyebrow, put the book casually on the bedside table, then walked to the lamp and sat down next to her.

"Of course, isn't that right? There's no normal girl like you."

"What would a normal girl do?"

Deng asked again.

"Who knows... Kill me, or just run away from me. There's no way you'll be my girlfriend."

Hakuno said lightly.

Bai Ye reached out and ruffled Deng's hair, his tone teasing, "You're so stupid. Do you really think I won't eat you?"

The light tilted back, and the soft mattress sank. She said nothing, just staring at the ceiling, her eyes somewhat blank. Bai Ye lay down beside her, and the mattress sank again. Their bodies were separated by a distance, but they could feel each other's body heat. The room fell silent, only the occasional car horn outside the window broke the delicate tranquility.

Neither of them said anything.

...Nothing happened that would cause Deng's father to choose to commit murder.

When their breathing gradually became consistent, Bai Ye finally spoke as if he had made up his mind.

"Deng, I want you to... perform a [Simulation]"

The lamp's amber eyes didn't blink at all... In the dim room, they were like two crystal-clear gems, reflecting the faint light from the window. Long, curled eyelashes cast a shadow under the eyelids, making the eyes look even clearer and deeper, making people's hearts flutter.

"it is good."

The light didn't ask what simulation was.

Didn't ask how to do it.

She just said.

it is good.

“…Then come on.”

Hakuno laid on his side and waved his hand, "Simulator, obey my command and appear before Takamatsu Deng!"

As Bai Ye finished speaking, a ripple spread through the air, and a technologically advanced virtual panel suddenly appeared before Deng. It emitted a faint blue light, densely packed with complex parameters and options, like a product of some futuristic technology.

The lamp was still lying on its side, its amber eyes calmly staring at the contents on the panel, without much excitement.

"what is this?"

Deng reached out and gently touched the panel, and felt a cool touch on his fingertips.

“Simulator.”

Hakuno explained lazily, "It's something that can simulate the future."

He pointed to a button on the panel. "You can set the scene, characters, and events, and then see how the future develops."

Deng's eyes remained calm, as if he was not interested in what would happen in the future.

"The Hakuno I met that time was the same Hakuno in the simulation, right?"

Her voice was as soft as a sigh, with a barely perceptible tremor.

Bai Ye raised his lips and said, "Yeah, that guy is much better than me. He can say nice things, do romantic things, and also..."

He paused, with a hint of self-mockery in his tone, "And I'll even pretend to love you."

Then, he reached out and gently stroked Deng's cheek, his fingertips stroking her soft skin, "Do you think I'm despicable?"

Deng didn't shy away from Hakuno's touch, but just looked at him quietly, "You've always been mean, Hakuno."

"Then let me, a despicable person, introduce you."

Bai Ye wasn't angry at all. "First, there's the 'world view'. This can be random or you can choose it yourself. Although it requires payment, I have a lot of achievements in my account, so I can basically choose anything. But you have to pay attention. After the world view is loaded, it will appear in reality, which means real things will appear. So I don't recommend buying advanced backgrounds... Oh, and this main control character refers to the person we control in the simulation. For example, if you choose me, it means that the simulator controls me, and we can only interfere with the simulator in this way... No, before the simulation starts, we can also pay to add settings to the main control character, which will also be reflected in reality... It's best not to choose yourself. After all, you don't know if you will still be yourself after the settings are added... Co-simulation teammates? They don't control my character like you do. I guess they will send a simulator extension and let them control their own characters. That's how I feel..."

Bai Ye began to mutter.

He explained everything, from the worldview to the character selections to the various parameter adjustments, in meticulous detail. As his explanation deepened, his speech sped up, as if he was trying to pour all the information into Deng—basically, he was recounting everything he remembered, everything he needed to pay attention to, everything he should pay attention to. By the end, his mouth was dry.

Deng followed Bai Ye's words, opened various parameters on the simulator, and made many adjustments.

…Finally, the light turned the simulator back towards Hakuno.

[The world you are simulating this time is: Mysterious → Urban → Curse → Curse Bead]

Your teammate for this simulation is: Yukinoshita Yukino.

[The person you are impersonating this time is: Toyokawa Shoko]

“I’ll choose this one.”

Deng was not seeking consent, but to confirm the current situation with Hakuno.

Hakuno pursed his lips, "You really understand, Deng."

18

Chapter 18 Preliminary Preparations.

[Shoko Toyokawa is in the process of self-mutilation...Shoko Toyokawa has completed her self-mutilation.]

"Wow... this start is too exaggerated."

Hakuno sighed, "Now Xiangzi is actually hurting herself? Why is she in such a bad mood?"

"Xiangzi, I really hate myself."

Deng said softly that she was not... unable to see all this clearly, "Besides, the last world was too harsh on Xiangzi."

"Hey, will it?"

Bai Ye was a little confused.

The "previous world" that Deng mentioned was the world that Hakuno simulated Goto Ichiri in. Hakuno also sent Deng the relevant memories so that Deng could better grasp the situation.

However, Deng had a grasp of the situation, which made Hakuno a little confused.

"Although the previous world wasn't perfect, it was... well, at least for Xiangzi, nothing was too much, right? I think she was quite happy, wasn't she?"

In fact, Hakuno didn't care much about Xiangzi's previous simulation.

After all, in the last simulation, Toyokawa Shoko wasn't a major character. She was just Saint Bochi's fermented bean curd. There were as many people like her as stray dogs on the street!

"...Xiangzi is a stubborn person."

Deng said softly, "I know, Xiangzi, at that time... it was already..."

I don't understand what Deng is saying.

Hakuno didn't understand what the light meant, so he just hummed, "So, you knew Xiangzi would be like this?"

"……No,"