Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 120: Murderer

Eventually, she confessed.

"I-I did it... I killed someone..."

The highschooler girl, "Thomas", was a self-admitted murderer.

As if to avoid anyone's direct gaze, her face and eyes pointed towards the floor, bearing a dark expression I could only glimpse a portion of. Holding her elbows to cover her torso, she donned such a closed-off posture, perhaps hyperaware of the numerous piercing gazes glued on her at that moment.

Eyes she could have only felt were all-too-judgemental of her sin, an excruciating amount of attention pouring from all sides.

"..."

Was that... what it was like?

For everyone to know just what you've done.

"..."

Silence drowned the air for an unknown length of time, suggesting that perhaps it wasn't just me who was feeling extremely strange due to the girl's confession.

Looking around to each person, I wondered how they all would react.

Though it was already the Sixth, perhaps it was the first day in which someone would properly confess as was expected of them. Maybe that was late, or maybe it could be considered early for this Trial.

Whatever the case, it was about damn time that these people learned their lesson, wasn't it?

"Matthew" was, perhaps only naturally, the one most affected by the revelation, and that was obvious by taking a look at him―his face clearly betrayed his inability to even just process or register what was happening... or maybe that was more a sign of his unwillingness to believe.

Maybe that was only to be expected, though. The two of them were the same age, and although not seemingly knowing each other prior to this Decalogue Trial, I suppose it was only natural that the circumstances would have them gravitate towards the other for support and social connection―to build whatever kind of relationship they could with others in this tumultuous time.

I guess it was just a human thing to do, and although the reasons were not the same, I myself was not really any different.

If they both survived this ordeal, I wouldn't be surprised if they even started seeing each other more often, furthering that shared sentiment.

...Although, after today's reveal, the bond in their relationship would naturally be shaken.

'She's also acting strange...'

Moving my gaze, I looked at Cecilia, who watched the girl with an indiscernible look. All aspects of her face that could have gleaned any information about what thoughts she was hiding―her eyes, her mouth, her brows―were all utterly impenetrable.

The only feeling I got from her was a sense of intensity, and if I wasn't just hallucinating it... a hint of desperation.

I didn't know what would have led her to feel that strongly about it, but if I were to make a guess, she was probably waiting to make a judgement on what the girl's fate would be at that moment.

Waiting to see if the girl would confess sincerely or not.

Waiting to see if she would demonstrate remorse or not, show her guilt or not.

Waiting to see if we would be down to seven or not.

I'm sure she wouldn't really care either way... or maybe she would? From the way Cecilia has spoken and acted until now, she made it seem as if she genuinely wanted for everyone to get along and to get through this peacefully, despite being the Antagonist, so it was hard to say which side was true...

Of course, I wouldn't go as far as to say that she was good-willed, but I also didn't think she was some psychopathic religious fanatic who would abduct ten people and construct this whole Trial just to have them mentally tested, slowly whittled down and killed over a series of days... But then again, I didn't know if that was my own bias speaking.

That's exactly what she was doing, after all.

The point was that there had to be a method to her madness, anyway.

'It probably has something to do with the Protagonist, but I don't even know if that's true...'

Regardless, again, I guess it didn't really matter so long as the Contract was cleared.

I turned to peek at the Protagonist, once again sitting distantly at the same backend pew. She also seemed just as indifferent as the day before, entirely detached from the rest of us and appearing as though she had nothing to do with the situation at hand.

Observing that aloof air with furrowed brows, I knew something was off.

She had also been acting way too differently these days than she was before, but I still had no clue why.

If the Protagonist truly didn't care about what was going on in this confession... then, simply, why would she have come out to make herself present?

For just a single instant, I could have sworn I caught her cast a sly glance at "Thomas".

In the next moment, she returned to looking away from the scene.

And right after, perhaps having had enough time to process and recover, "Matthew" broke the silence that felt like an eternity.

With a slow, subtly quivering voice that bounced lowly off the walls of this expansive hall.

"You... had a reason for it... right? Like, self-defence, or, you would have died if you didn't do it... You had no choice... Tell me... that's it... Please..."

In response, "Thomas" pressed her lips together.

Watching the tense exchange with a strange feeling, I noticed her eyes flicker for a moment at the other's prompting.

How would she respond? Depending on her answer, I had no doubt the fate of her life might hinge on it.

Soon after, despite all the pressure she must have felt in that moment, the girl spoke plainly.

"...Murder is murder. My actions... are indefensible."

Holding and rubbing her arms as if cold, the girl lowered her head upon saying that. At the same time, "Matthew" raised his voice.

"No, but that's-- that can't be! You couldn't have--"

"Do you admit guilt?"

Suddenly, Cecilia interrupted him, addressing her.

Glancing over to the Antagonist myself, to those blue eyes, still so as to resemble a chilling crystal pond, I wondered how piercing they must have appeared to the penitent.

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"...Pardon?"

The latter, keeping her head lowered and thus her expression veiled by her dark hair, only let out such a response. Thus, the judge reiterated.

"Do you admit guilt?"

"..."

Observing her intensely indifferent face as she repeated herself, I found myself experiencing recurring light shivers. Somehow, my body, which was already cold enough as it was, felt like it had lowered by a few degrees more.

Seeing as this was happening rather frequently, I wondered if it was a physical power, or rather something related to the story's essence.

"What are you saying?! Of course she's not guilty--"

"I do."

Disregarding his defensive words, the girl admitted guilt.

I thought it admirable that he wanted to defend her, but this really wasn't the right time... or maybe his defending of her was helpful, to let her confess more firmly. Knowing that he still wanted to believe in her despite her own admission, maybe that was enough to grant her the strength to go through with it without faltering.

That's why I thought she was actually making the right decision. Because I understood what she was trying to do.

When I peered into those eyes, I wasn't sure if what I was looking at was someone who was different, or the same as me.

I also wasn't sure which answer I should be hoping was true.

"...I hope so."

I looked again over to Cecilia, who muttered such in response to the other's admission of guilt.

"As you say, the circumstances surrounding the incident are irrelevant. What matters is the fact of a sin being committed. So long as you confess and admit your guilt for committing that sin, you should be forgiven... and, if everyone can manage to do the same, we shall all be forgiven."

To me, her words sounded apathetic and terribly cold... but perhaps that's because I knew her true identity as the Antagonist. I also felt like something about what she said didn't sound quite right, but I couldn't put a finger on it, what with my attention divided in half-a-dozen different directions.

That was something that's been constantly happening ever since I arrived here anyway, and even before then occasionally, so maybe it was just me getting unnecessarily paranoid.

'I don't really want to think too hard... I've done that too damn much, especially since coming here. I just want it to be over already.'

Between the 1-star Difficulty Contracts, which were taking anywhere from a matter of hours to a couple of days to clear, and the 3-star Difficulty Contract which took over a quarter of a year to complete, I wondered just where on the spectrum this 2-star Difficulty Contract would settle.

If 1-star was hours to days, and 3-star was months, then did that make 2-star from days to weeks? Considering the eleven day limit, it seemed to match that logic.

In that case, then, 4- and 5-star Difficulty Contracts...

'...Better not think too deeply into it.'

After the confession was made and guilt was admitted, there was not much else to discuss.

With hopes that "Thomas" would now survive the night, and that her relationship with "Matthew" was not too tarnished due to her revealed secret, time moved on at its own pace regardless of anyone's troubles.

Thus, the Sixth Day promptly ended, and the Day of Sabbath greeted us.