Recalling the sorrowful, desolate look in Ana's eyes, Li Wu coldly arrived at this judgment.
It was only natural.
He had indeed let her down.
Unless he could locate Otto's true main body and be absolutely certain of killing him permanently, staying by Ana's side would only lead to history repeating itself, causing the tragedy to play out all over again.
Otto was deeply bound to Kallen. Even setting aside whether Otto could be killed, even if he were, Kallen would likely just use [Return by Death] to resurrect him anyway.
If that happened, Li Wu's actions would be completely rendered meaningless.
He could only wait. Wait for the right opportunity. Wait until he emerged from his dissociative state, returned to the Middle Ages, discovered exactly why Kallen and Otto "hated" him, and found a way to resolve that "hatred."
Or, wait to sever the tragedy at its root by killing Otto once and for all.
That is the only solution. Return to the past to change the future.
"I won't make you wait too long."
An ink-black umbrella and a thick, fleece-lined, blue-and-white scarf materialized in Li Wu's hands.
Ana had always wrapped it around his neck so perfectly.
Fortunately, the scarf possessed a self-regulating temperature function, keeping him warm without becoming suffocating.
Wearing it made it feel as if Ana were still right there beside him.
[Those who truly care about you will always find a way to give you the best of whatever they have. Isn't that right?]
[Scarves, hats, beach chairs... Ana Schariac always loved buying beautiful, practical things to make your journey together lighthearted and joyful. She could have expensed them to her family, but instead, she left all her money to you.]
I don't want to hurt her anymore. I have to solve all the underlying problems on my own first. Only then can I give her, and everyone else who believes in me, a satisfactory answer.
[Perhaps they don't care about absolute perfection. Perhaps they wouldn't mind getting hurt, so long as they could see you safe and sound. Perhaps that would be enough to make them happy.]
The system offered a glaringly obvious hint, warning Li Wu that his thought process was veering drastically off course.
But I care.
Clearly, Li Wu wasn't listening.
A person's personality dictates their destiny. There might be slight deviations in the details, but on a macro scale, personality directly drives judgment.
This was especially true right now. As a "self-observer" clumsily trying to imitate his past self, the paranoia forged by his previous traumas infinitely magnified his resolve to act alone.
Opening the umbrella, Li Wu walked silently toward the cafeteria through the pouring rain.
His surroundings were entirely devoid of people.
The news of his explosive falling-out with Raiden Mei had spread through the school forums like a virulent plague. Countless rumors and vicious gossip flooded the social media group chats.
Li Wu didn't know, nor did he want to know.
All he knew was that it was incredibly empty around him.
Anyone who recognized his face instinctively veered away. No matter where he walked, a ten-foot radius around him remained completely barren. It was as if they were atoms charged with the same polarity, generating a massive repulsive force the moment he got too close.
He could slaughter fragile lives with a wave of his hand, but he could not extinguish this ingrained social law.
Without any hindrances, Li Wu quickly arrived at the cafeteria. Sure enough, he immediately noticed a drastically different queuing system.
There were ten serving windows. Eight of them now bore brand-new signs. The numbers on them were painted in gold, sparkling under the ceiling lights.
The remaining two windows retained their ordinary, plain white signs. One was for students, the other exclusively for faculty.
There were no explicit signs declaring a segregation of lines, but there were significantly more nobles than commoners at Chiba Academy, so having more windows for them seemed superficially "normal."
Previously, the lines had always been mixed. Whether commoner or noble, students could queue at any of the nine available windows.
Outside, a long line snaked all the way to the cafeteria entrance. Those at the back had to hold umbrellas to keep from getting drenched. Even so, standing packed so tightly together, the splashing rainwater inevitably soaked their ankles as they shuffled forward.
The rain poured heavily. Those standing outside looked entirely out of place compared to those comfortably inside.
Li Wu looked back at the interior. Excluding the faculty window, the other eight lines were incredibly short. Students queuing there barely had to wait before getting their food.
Should I change this?
Li Wu stared at the golden numbers on the signs, questioning himself internally.
If he wanted to, he could shatter this twisted rule instantly, forcing those who didn't play fair to submit to his will.
But there would definitely be people who stood up in opposition... unless he demonstrated overwhelming personal combat strength to cow them into submission.
No. That won't work either.
Li Wu suppressed the urge, considering the broader implications.
If he actually did that, setting aside what his school life would become, the act itself would make him no different from those who oppressed the weak.
He needed to find a more appropriate method.
"... "
Time slipped by through the drizzle. A long while passed, yet the single commoner window still had an agonizingly long queue.
Some couldn't take it anymore and left for the convenience store, willing to settle for whatever scraps were left on the shelves. Others, stomachs rumbling with hunger, chose to grit their teeth and keep waiting.
He couldn't think of a way.
He couldn't think of a single method to change the situation without resorting to violence.
If it were the old me, what would he do?
Just as Li Wu was spacing out, a sharp cry of pain echoed from the nearby staircase.
A commoner boy had fallen to the floor. His tray had clattered to the ground, food spilling everywhere.
"Do you not have eyes when you walk upstairs?! You got my clothes dirty! This outfit cost 10,000 Far East Yen! I won't ask for more—just pay up. I'll give you three hours to get the cash ready. If you don't have it by this afternoon, just you wait!"
The one shouting was, ironically, another commoner boy. After glaring at the fallen boy in disgust, he immediately turned to the noble students standing behind him. He smiled sycophantically, looking exactly like a lapdog wagging its tail, silently asking its masters, "Wasn't I awesome just now?"
There was a broom resting in the corner.
Li Wu picked it up, walked over to the fallen boy, and handed it to him. "Clean up the floor yourself, then leave," he said flatly.
"L-Li Wu? You... Oh, I remember now! You're that guy who got into a fight with Raiden-san this morning! You're just a commoner like me! You were never some hidden mega-noble like everyone was saying half a month ago!" the boy demanding the 10,000 Yen mocked, his tone exaggerated.
"Yes," Li Wu answered truthfully. "I have always been an ordinary person. Or, as you call it, a commoner."
Having received confirmation from the man himself, the boy's expression shifted instantly. His hesitation vanished, replaced entirely by contempt. He pointed a finger straight at Li Wu's face.
"This is between me and him. It's none of your business, got it? Get the hell out of here. Raiden-san treated you so well and you didn't even appreciate it. Without her, what the hell are you?"
Perhaps still wary of some lingering connection, the boy didn't dare cross the line completely with his insults.
"And if I decide to intervene?" Li Wu asked.
"Haha! You? Intervene? Can you even manage yourself? Fine! I won't bother him right now. But what about later? Can you follow him around 24/7? You only know a few nobles, but this school is run by noble families, understand?!"
The boy acted as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. He clutched his stomach, laughing uproariously, constantly turning back to gauge the reactions of his noble masters.
The nobles behind him were thoroughly amused, their faces showing profound satisfaction.
That was, until Li Wu grabbed the commoner lapdog by the collar with one hand and hoisted him effortlessly into the air. No matter how the boy thrashed and kicked, Li Wu's arm remained as solid as welded steel, completely unmoving.
A few seconds later, Li Wu tossed him against the wall. He didn't use much force, but it was enough to cleanly dislocate the boy's shoulder.
[In truth, even if you killed him right here, Schicksal would cover it up for you. Unlike last time, you are now at the epicenter of Schicksal's vortex of love and hatred. You would not be hunted down for this. An arrest would interfere with his plans. Otto Apocalypse would absolutely erase all unnecessary obstacles for you.]
So... the school's ostracization and Raiden Mei's drastic changes are all part of Otto's plan.
Otto is trying to force me into a position where I am entirely isolated, where no one cares about me.
But I won't kill someone who doesn't deserve death. If someone makes a mistake, they should be punished. This person has already received his punishment. I won't escalate it further.
[You have changed. You have become soft-hearted.]
I am merely doing what I believe is right.
[For whose sake? Ana Schariac's? Or Kallen Kaslana's?]
Both.
Li Wu knew the system could read his mind. Lying was meaningless.
He finally understood the feelings Kiana had harbored when she had stopped him all those weeks ago.
It wasn't out of grief or indignation. It wasn't hypocrisy, nor was it out of a sense of duty.
She had simply hoped that he could be happy.
There was no doubt about it—if he truly crossed the line, killed ordinary people, and positioned himself as an enemy of humanity, Ana would never fall in love with him.
He would instead sink alongside Raiden Mei, thoroughly assimilated by this twisted environment.
And in the end, what would he become?
A monster whose bottom line was constantly trampled upon. Someone who ruthlessly abused [Return by Death] to achieve his goals at any cost, utterly devoid of morality.
Even after snapping out of his dissociative state, he would remain deranged—just like he had been at the very beginning, ready to blow himself up the moment he faced the slightest pressure.
Under Otto's meticulous arrangement, he would devolve into a despicable, hollow walking corpse.
Li Wu closed his eyes, then opened them again. A faint, melancholic light flickered in his pupils.
"You haven't caused him any substantial physical harm, so I won't take this any further," Li Wu said coldly. "But if he ends up paying a price because of this so-called 'debt', I will find you. And I will make you pay a far heavier price."
"Cough! Cough, cough... Do you think doing this actually helps him?! Look around you! You're going to pay for your recklessness right now!"
Refusing to get up, the boy sprawled on the ground, putting on an exaggerated show of agony.
Li Wu turned around and realized that several students had their phones out, cameras pointed directly at him.
Their fingers tapped frantically on their screens, drafting captions for stories he would never see.
Cyberbullying, huh...
Honestly, he didn't really care.
At least, not right now.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care."
Li Wu shot a glance at the commoner boy he had helped.
Quickly, the boy swept up the spilled food. Without saying a single word of thanks, he scurried away as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Fine! Fine! Li Wu, don't say I didn't warn you! Everything that happens to you from now on is your own fault! First you pretend to be a mega-noble for vanity, and now you use violence to threaten your classmates! Even if you are Raiden-san's ex-boyfriend, no one is ever going to stand by your side!!"
The lapdog boy scrambled up from the floor, spat out a final vicious threat, and vanished into the crowd alongside his noble masters.
Aside from the "violent threat," Li Wu was fairly certain he hadn't done any of the other things he was being accused of. However, he had no interest in explaining himself.
It was like a thief claiming innocence before being caught—when public opinion wasn't on his side, any clarification would just be twisted into a pathetic excuse to garner sympathy.
Besides, it was true. There was no one standing by his side right now anyway.
Li Wu felt no sadness. He didn't sigh. He silently walked to the very back of the long, snaking queue.
He opened the black umbrella he had purchased for 200 Far East Yen. It was just large enough to shelter him, and him alone.
The pitter-patter of the rain echoed in his ears, a beautiful, moving symphony of nature's white noise.
Li Wu felt as though his thoughts were a chaotic, blurry mess, yet after standing in the rain for a while, clutching the blue-and-white scarf that completely clashed with his aesthetic, he unexpectedly felt a sense of relief. It was as if the drizzle from the heavens was washing away the grime coating his heart.
A long, long time passed. It wasn't until there were barely ten minutes left of the lunch break that Li Wu finally got his food.
It wasn't steaming. When he scooped a spoonful into his mouth, he realized it was already cold, retaining only the faintest trace of residual warmth.
Carrying his tray, Li Wu walked up to the second-floor dining area. At a glance, he spotted Yuno and Haruko Sato in the crowd.
Their plates were still half-full. The two girls were whispering nervously to each other. Yuno's expression was grave; Haruko's was panicked.
Li Wu quickly walked over to them. Just as he was about to sit down and talk, Yuno suddenly grabbed Haruko's arm and stood up.
Biting her lip, Yuno blurted out, "Sorry, we're full. We need to head back to class." Without a moment of hesitation, she turned and left.
Haruko tried to stay, but Yuno forcefully dragged her away.
Right before being pulled away to dump her food, Haruko managed to hastily shove a massive bite of roasted meat from her plate into her mouth.
With his S-Rank heightened senses, Li Wu clearly felt the gazes of everyone around him converging on him. He could also perfectly hear the malicious gossip echoing from the corners of the cafeteria.
"Man, that's pathetic. How long has it been? He fell straight from the pedestal where everyone had to grovel at his feet. Now, even his old friends can't wait to get away from him."
"I know, right? Didn't you check the forum? The founders of that circle jointly posted a thread about Li Wu secretly talking to Sato Haruko this morning. It's obviously a warning to all of us—no one is allowed to get close to him!"
"They want to force him to give up and go crawling back to Raiden-san! Sato Haruko even got 'pulled aside for a talk' by them. If her sister hadn't begged for mercy, who knows what kind of punishment she would have gotten!"