Is That My Alter Ego - Chapter 143



Chapter 143 – Obsession

Since I awoke, time flowed once more, and it flowed again. Our lives had not changed much in the meantime. We slept as usual, shared meals, and engaged in conversation.

Slurp—

“·····”

And there I was, as always, sipping warm tea while gazing out from the balcony of my room on the second floor.

Today, too, they were outside, sparring. To my eyes, it seemed less like a spar and more like a real fight, but if they said it was so, then it must be true.

And inevitably, one thought dominated my mind.

‘Save me···’

Even as I navigated this peaceful, unremarkable daily life, the reason for my thoughts was singular.

Twitch—

“Venice. Where are you going?”

“Captain. Where are you headed?”

“···No, right?”

“Hmm···”

I merely shifted in my chair, yet the girls, who had been far off in the vast open space, suddenly appeared before me, their eyes wide and gleaming.

It felt as if I were being crushed by their sheer presence. If I dared to meet those eyes in defiance… I had no idea what might happen.

“Heh… Heh. It’s nothing, really…”

Thus, I could only smile foolishly and speak to them.

“···Is that so? I was just wondering if I needed to confine you again.”

“Phew. What a relief. You were a good captain. If you had done something bad, like wandering out of sight…”

“Mind your manners.”

“Hehe… You know?”

With each word they uttered, sending chills down my spine, they scanned me from head to toe with a sticky gaze before swiftly returning to their places.

“Ha… Haha…”

I was in deep trouble. Two weeks had passed since that day, yet the times I could step outside were few and far between.

On the day I awoke, I thought I had shed all the anxious and sorrowful feelings while crying and laughing with everyone. But it seemed that was merely my own delusion.

Since that day, they began to monitor my every move. The moment I opened my eyes, I was nearly fainting at the sight of four pairs of gleaming eyes, watching me as if I were prey.

I rose from my seat, brushed my teeth, and even during meals, they never left my side. With eyes ablaze, as if they could not afford to miss a single moment, they followed me closely.

Honestly, that much was tolerable. I understood well the reason for their anxiety and their relentless vigilance.

“Hey, hey! This isn’t right…!”

But following me to the bathroom was a bit much! Just as I thought they wouldn’t dare come in, I turned to close the door, only to see four hands wedged through the gap.

…It sent a chill down my spine. I recalled someone smiling at me through a crack in the door after having struck it with an axe. Four pairs of eyes glimmered ominously through the thin space, watching me intently.

“What’s the matter? You think you can do something again?”

“It’s alright, Commander. Please don’t mind us; just go ahead and take care of your business.”

“Swallow… Should I help you?”

“Just hurry up.”

Their words, spoken with an even brighter glint in their eyes, made me momentarily question if I had done something wrong.

In the end, I had to persuade them for what felt like an eternity, using a bit of charm despite my embarrassment, before I finally earned my freedom.

…If going to the bathroom was this difficult, how would I ever step outside this house?

A shiver began to creep down my spine. That feeling intensified the moment I opened the bathroom door and saw them standing still, staring at me without a hint of movement.

I took one step, then another. And in sync with my movements, they followed closely behind.

Even now, I could feel the cold sweat trickling down my back. It was terrifying. But… I had to find out the truth.

I walked boldly toward the front door of our home, as if nothing were amiss. The weight of their gazes bore down on me, growing ever more intense.

I reached the door, yet nothing happened. My heart raced as if it might burst, and I felt only the sticky, suffocating weight of their stares.

…Perhaps I had been mistaken. I had arrived right in front of the door, but they did nothing.

Right. Why had I doubted them? They would never harm me.

“Ha, haha~ I should go for a walk or something…”

“”····””

With trembling hands, I grasped the doorknob and slowly turned it. It should have been new, yet it felt so heavy, creaking ominously as I pulled.

I opened the door. The outside air rushed in. But the chill only grew stronger. The silent stares that watched me did nothing, and that only deepened my sense of dread.

Yet, if I stepped outside, I could finally be free. But still, nothing happened.

‘Right. This should be… okay!’

With that thought, I took a step toward the outside, my foot landing on the earth rather than the wooden floor.

But nothing happened. I was truly free—

Suddenly.

“…Huh?”

In that moment, I felt a force gripping my body. The instant I took a step toward freedom, those hands seized me entirely.

···From behind, an overwhelming presence loomed. Had the rabbit before the lion ever felt such a sensation?

I began to turn my creaking head slowly, leaving behind the frantic beating of my heart and my trembling body.

“Hi, hiiik!”

As I turned and looked up, I could do nothing but be gripped by terror.

“”······””

Four pairs of eyes, devoid of life, stared down at me, wide open and filled only with emptiness.

···They had not released me. They granted me the barest semblance of freedom, yet allowed no chance for escape.

Tremble, tremble…

I gazed at them with my quaking body. Regrettably, they continued to look at me with those hollow eyes.

“Uh, I-I was wrong…”

“Trying to escape again, are we?”

“····Eh?”

I desperately tried to apologize, but before my words could finish, Royu’s chilling voice echoed.

“···What to do? I love you so much, and I don’t want to hurt you. Yet you keep trying to run away from me. Yes. I’ll cut you gently, so it won’t hurt. I’ll watch over you for a lifetime. You don’t have to do anything at all.”

Eriel, with the same vacant gaze, murmured as she looked at me.

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Cut? For a lifetime…?

I wanted to tell her to stop, thinking she might be joking, but her eyes were far too dark for jest.

“I-I must punish the bad leader… The leader who tries to leave me… is a bad leader. I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt…”

Seris’s blue eyes transformed into the darkness of an abyss, murmuring in kind. It was terrifying.

“···This won’t do. I can’t bear this anxiety any longer. I think it’s better to just… confine you.”

Kali cracked her knuckles and slowly began to extend her hand toward me. I understood. If I were caught by that hand, I would never step outside again.

But I could not act. My body, steeped in fear, refused to listen. I merely trembled.

In that moment, a brilliant idea struck me.

Royu! I have Royu! She could protect me from them!

“Ro-“

As I thought this and called out her name, my hope shattered the instant I looked at her.

“Shall I just make it so you can’t escape at all?”

She, who always wore a mysterious smile, now looked down at me with a dreadful expression, murmuring softly.

“Ah…”

“···I’ll cut you gently. If I have healing magic, it’ll be over quickly…”

“I, the wicked master…”

“Let’s confine her. Yes, we’ll confine her.”

“…This won’t do.”

There is no hope. If I resist any further, it feels as if something truly terrible will happen. Thus, I had no choice but to make a decision.

“Okay, I was wrong… I won’t go out…”

As I uttered those words, tears welling in my eyes, their expressions returned to their usual eerie calm, almost ghostly.

The door, which I couldn’t recall when it had closed, was already shut, and they smiled as if nothing had happened, returning to their places.

Time flowed on. I could not step outside this house, but in truth, I felt no particular discomfort.

Once, at my desperate request, we had all ventured out together to the heart of the Empire. Relishing the fresh air after so long, we bought food.

In the midst of our excited purchases, I found myself separated from them, wandering off alone.

…How strange. They wouldn’t let me go so easily. Yet, I brushed it off and continued to snack.

“Excuse me, just a moment.”

“Y-yes?”

“It’ll only take a second. Do you have time?”

At that moment, as I was about to cross the alley to the block opposite, I turned at the voice that called from behind.

Turning around, I found two rather beautiful women looking down at me. What was this about?

“W-what’s the matter…?”

“Oh, it’s just that I find you quite charming. Could you spare a moment?”

…To think I would receive such attention. I never imagined this. It was my first time, and I didn’t know how to react.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m already…”

“It’ll only be a moment. Come here.”

“Y-yes? Oh, no…!”

I immediately refused, but they seized my hand and began to lead me away. Naturally, I tried to pull back, but their strength was such that I couldn’t resist.

“P-please, let go…!”

“Oh, look at this. You’re quite weak, aren’t you?”

“Stay still. Let’s have some fun with the big sisters!”

This is bad. No matter how much I spoke, it seemed they couldn’t hear me.

And in that moment, a chill ran down my spine. The thought that I was in deep trouble began to fill my mind.

Of course, the situation of being dragged away was alarming, but… what unsettled me more was the fact that these women, whoever they were, would be watching me, no matter what I did or where I went.

“···Look at these b*stards?”

In that moment, a voice so familiar echoed through the narrow alley. It was Ariel’s, cold as ice, reverberating in the cramped space where I stood.

Rustle—

And the grip of those who held me began to loosen. I didn’t even understand what was happening.

Perhaps they were just as bewildered, turning back with expressions of confusion.

Thud—

“···Huh?”

“Huh?”

A sound of something dropping to the ground reached my ears. When I turned to look, I saw four severed hands lying abandoned on the cobblestones.

Kyaaah-!!!!

A scream, sharp and piercing, erupted late into the narrow alley, as if it might shatter the very air. Surely, it could be heard all the way to the main street outside, yet no one dared to peer into the alley.

“Are you alright, Captain?”

“Huh? Y-yes···.”

“How dare these b*stards···!”

“Hey. Just kill them. I was in such a good mood, and now you’re ruining it.”

“Just leave them. I’ll erase them from this world.”

“Sa-ryeo··· sa-ryeojuseyo···”

“Shut up. Don’t even open your mouth.”

“Mmph, ugh···!”

As Ariel snapped her fingers, they struggled to pry open their sealed lips.

This is bad. It seemed she had no intention of forgiving them. Even I could see the glint of malice in their eyes, four pairs shimmering with emotions that threatened to explode at any moment.

···Of course, they were infuriating. They hadn’t let me go, despite my protests and clear refusals.

But still… that didn’t mean they deserved to die.

“Stop it, please!”

“Get out of the way, Venice. These b*stards—!”

“I said don’t do it! I mean it!!”

“········!”

I didn’t want to see them become murderers. So I shouted with all my heart. Her eyes widened in shock, trembling.

“I’m fine, so… please heal them, Ariel.”

“···Okay.”

Ariel gestured, and the magic began to coalesce. The severed hands of those people were restored in an instant, and their sealed mouths opened wide.

“Don’t ever do this again. Understood?”

“I-I’m sorry—!!”

As I lowered myself to meet the gaze of those sprawled on the ground, they looked at something and gasped in shock, hastily fleeing.

What was that? Did they see a ghost? Well, if their hands were severed, I suppose that could be the case.

I slowly rose and turned to look back. Upon closer inspection, I noticed each of them held a shopping bag. Had they bought something precious? They clutched it tightly, without a hint of disorder.

“…What is that?”

“This? This is a wager—mmph!”

“It’s nothing, Venice! If you’ve bought everything you need, let’s go home now!”

Kali seemed to want to say something, but the other three hurriedly covered her mouth, rendering her words unintelligible.

A wager…? What does that mean? I felt a slight unease as I began to walk home with them.

“…Wait a moment. Thinking it over, isn’t Venice the one at fault? She lured those people.”

“…”

As we walked along the path, Royu suddenly spoke up. What nonsense was this? I turned to look at them, but they all gazed down at me with hollow eyes.

“…Ah.”

This is bad.

Since that day, I had not stepped outside my home. And… until now, I had lived within these walls.

Slurp—

I sipped my warm tea. Now it was all gone; the bottom of the cup was visible.

And I… made a decision. I would escape this life.

There was… only one way. Since that day, I had mumbled through their words and actions that had tempted me time and again, barely managing to say, “If this year passes…”

…And tomorrow, this year would end. A new year would begin.

Though it may not seem so… I am a man. I had lived alongside the most beautiful of women, overcoming many trials together.

“Ahem, everyone! Can you all come here?”

I had made my decision. Thus, I called them without hesitation. They approached me, their expressions puzzled, yet they came swiftly.

I led them not to the terrace, but to my room. Even as I perched on the edge of my bed, they seemed unable to predict what I might say.

“I… promised, didn’t I? If this year passes, we would share our love. And tomorrow, a new year begins.”

“Wait, that means—!”

“…Yes. I have also… made my decision.”

The eyes of the four women widened in surprise. In their iridescent gazes, I could almost see heart shapes flickering.

—

“Yes, today.”

“·········!”

Since the declaration of my momentous announcement, only a quiet silence flowed through the room.

“I, I’ll go wash up.”

“Me too…!”

“Just wait a moment!”

“Ha, haha… finally.”

Your four women, each wearing a smile more radiant than anyone in this world, hurriedly left my room.

…Right. I should prepare as well. I headed to the bathroom and took a shower, scrubbing meticulously to ensure not a single speck of dirt remained.

*

My heart raced like a wild beast. I had never experienced anything like this before, and it filled me with both fear and trembling.

Draped only in a thin gown, I sat on my bed, swallowing my own saliva.

Knock, knock, knock—

-…May I come in, Venice?

From beyond the closed door, I heard Royu’s voice. Judging by the presence, it seemed all four of them were there.

Gulp.

Hoo. Speak. Just speak. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and, with a resolute expression, replied.

“…Yes!”

– I’m coming in.

Creeeak…

The door began to open slowly. The gap widened, revealing more of what lay beyond.

“Hah…”

I couldn’t help but let out a gasp. Four angels were entering my room.

The moment I laid eyes on their attire, I was entranced. They all wore sheer lingerie, beneath which delicate negligees shimmered.

Ceris in sky blue. Ariel in white. Kali in red. And Royu in black.

It was all so provocative. Perhaps it was even more so because they were always clad in casual or combat attire.

“Um, um… how do I look…?”

“Ugh… I’m embarrassed. I’ve never worn something like this before…”

“We prepared it for you… Do you like it?”

“…Ugh. It’s really too embarrassing…!”

—

They all approached me, faces flushed, speaking with expressions of shyness.

Seeing such lovely sights, who could ever say that any man is unworthy?

“You are so… beautiful. More than anyone in this world.”

As I spoke with heartfelt admiration, they began to giggle softly.

The hour was late. The world had been drenched in darkness. The second hand of the clock continued to move, tick after tick.

Clack.

And finally, the clock struck the hour. A new year was beginning.

For some, it would be a year of new beginnings, while for others, it might bring only misfortune.

But for us… it would be a year filled with joy and happiness.

“…I love you all.”

“……❤️”

The moment I uttered those words, they climbed onto my bed without a sound.

In their eyes… vivid heart patterns danced brightly.

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I… would no longer hold back. And it seemed… they felt the same.

The night was fading away.