Overturned Tower

Caged bird.

This is also the name of the bomb planted by the leader of the "Venet of Ignorance".

In other words, he knew from the beginning that "Xiao Liuli" had a death wish.

She was no longer a pawn manipulated by the Veil of Ignorance, but decided to break away from the chessboard... But she was so powerless that she could do nothing.

All he could choose was to jump down.

Even if he becomes a demon, he is unwilling to harm others. In other words, completely tired of hurting others.

Or……

One of the chief's purposes for planting the bomb was to get rid of Xiao Liuli.

"The moment you open the cage, there is only freedom - or death."

This is the last message relayed by the inferior.

Because the bad guy was worried that there might be key information in these words, he specifically said this keyword to Russell.

But now, Russell realized it.

What exactly does this refer to?

"...Xiao Liuli must have come here often before."

Russell suddenly spoke softly: "She also likes to come here and drink some wine... but she doesn't dare to get drunk, right."

Because she hides too many secrets.

She was worried that she would tell others when she was drunk.

You must be very tired.

Wanting to protect his former girlfriend, he was forced to submit to the Veil of Ignorance.

Until he realizes that this life will never end... and he will be squeezed out of every drop of value.

So he chose to end it all.

The "freedom" that the caged bird longs for does not exist from the beginning. Because there is still a new cage outside the cage.

Therefore, the original desire of the devil named "Caged Bird" is exactly "purifying death".

It was also the strong disgust for the fictional self of "Xiao Liuli" that gave birth to the spiritual power of "making all prosthetic bodies disappear".

"——What about your fiancée?"

Russell asked: "What are you going to do? If you don't tell me her identity, what will happen to her after your death?"

"Of course I chose to die only after confirming that she was no longer controlled by the Veil of Ignorance."

The devil smiled hoarsely: "In other words, it was after 'she' confirmed that the other party was already free... that I was born.

"I am her instinct to kill herself. I was born for a clean death. When she planned to end it all, she was still so weak that she did not intend to kill anyone. So I will not hurt anyone...as long as' Xiao Liuli can die cleanly."

Even though he said such sad words, there was not a single tear left in the broken glass prosthetic eye.

The eyes that cannot shed tears are proof of being deeply transformed.

Because crying is not only a sign of weakness, but also an inferior function that can easily lead to short-circuiting and corrosion of prosthetics.

After converting the weak human eyes into prosthetic eyes, people will no longer cry.

"It's all destiny."

The demon slowly opened its arms, as if embracing the blue sky or a dead tree.

"Bluebird...such an unlucky spiritual relative."

With that said, the caged bird demon was silent for a while.

Russell stood aside, listening quietly to her narrating the last few words of her life.

"You know, birds are born to long for the sky. But blue is the color furthest from the sky, that is the color of the sea.

"That portends a fall."

——It shouldn’t be like this. The sky really should be blue.

Russell wanted to plead his case.

However, such words were swallowed before they even reached his lips.

It has nothing to do with exhaust gas or pollution. The sky in this world has never been blue.

But the sea, which is supposed to reflect the color of the sky, is blue...

"...Maybe in other worlds, the sky is blue."

Russell still couldn't help but say: "The Glazed Songbird is the same color as the sky."

The devil looked at him in surprise.

He smiled kindly, as if looking at a child talking in his sleep.

"maybe."

He spread his arms.

As if to hug Russell, he stretched out his broken arms.

"I've said everything I can say, now it's time for you to kill me."

This is the first demon Russell has encountered in this world.

The devil, who had the delicate appearance of a broken glass but was as lifeless as an old man, wanted to die and said calmly: "Keep your promise, hero. Kill me and then move on." .”

"……good."

After a long silence, Russell finally responded.

He lifted up the saint and beheaded him.

But I feel that at this moment, this spiritual weapon is heavier than ever before.

That’s not “the weight of life,” but “the weight of life.”

Russell realized it very clearly.

You must do something, or say something.

"I'll look for it for you."

"What?"

"The color of the sky."

Russell replied softly.

He repeated stubbornly: "The glass songbird is the same color as the sky."

"……Maybe."

The "caged bird" demon just smiled and didn't argue.

"It would be great if there really was such a world."

She raised her head and murmured softly.

"I will declare to the public that I killed you as a human being, you as a hostage... I killed you to save other people."

Russell said softly: "Xiao Liuli has never become a devil."

"……Thanks."

The demon, who was about to be beheaded by the saint, whispered his thanks to the executioner.

When Russell cut off the blade, he didn't feel the slightest resistance.

The "caged bird" demon was instantly beheaded by him.

When her head flew up, she seemed to be still looking up at the sky...

But at the end of the field of vision, there was nothing but a crimson prison.

The world around him was fluctuating violently.

Russell's left arm suddenly reappeared, and the white illusory limb was shattered in an instant.

But Xiao Liuli, who had returned to her original form, still maintained her broken posture, standing opposite Russell.

When she fell, her whole body shattered into pieces. Like a toppled tower of blocks.

But there was no blood flowing out of her body, just like a broken doll.

As promised in "Caged Bird," she did not fight back.

There was a relieved and satisfied smile hanging on the broken head.

For some people, life can be so heavy...

Although he has lived a life of poverty for more than twenty years, perhaps because of his mother's love or Russell's talent, he has never experienced true despair. His life is always full of hope and hope.

--until now.

Until he witnessed and confirmed the death of the "caged bird" with his own eyes.

That moment.

The world in front of Russell once again turned into the "mourning hall" burning with countless high and low white candles.

Facing him in the frame was a smiling Alice...his mother.

Next to it, there are two blank photo frames placed one on the left and one on the right. The other photo frames were wrapped in black air and blurred.

When Russell looked at one of the blank picture frames, his will was sucked into it. When Russell opened his eyes again, his eyes turned into the silent black and white world with only outlines.

And inside Xiao Liuli's broken body, at the neck... a group of blue flames were gradually extinguishing.

Looking at that piece of light, Russell felt a very strong "desire" in his heart.

The next moment Russell opened his hand, a streak of ultramarine light leaped into the sky - flying into Russell's hand.

One of the two frames suddenly burst into ultramarine light.

Just like the deep sea submerging the paper, it plays back.

A young man Russell had never seen before...a young man with a long dark blue ponytail, a tuft of glazed tail feathers behind each ear, and a cheerful smile from the heart, gradually appeared in the photo frame.

He raised his right hand as if waving to Russell.

Those clear dark blue pupils were once filled with joy and hope——

When Russell woke up from the hallucination again, a mask without facial features appeared silently on his face.

Immediately, ultramarine blue flames surged out from under the mask and swept through his body in the blink of an eye... As if he was immersed in water, a refreshing coolness cleared his mind.

When the flames dissipated, a blue-haired man about 1.75 meters tall with glazed tail feathers on his temples appeared where Russell was before.

His pupils are sky blue.

That was the color of the sky in Russell's memory.

The color of the sky that allows birds to fly freely...