Oze
So that’s what it was.It all made sense now.
They’re using the time on this voyage to decide whether or not we’re worthy of being taken to the next world.
If that’s the case, then I’m fine with not being chosen.
That’s what I honestly felt.After all, it’s already certain that the dead lady and Mamoru will be left behind in this world. They must have come to see me because this is the end.There’s no way I could go on to the next world alone.I’ll stay in this world with the two who saved me from my loneliness.
Once I made that decision, a strange calm settled over me.If anything, I felt at peace.
“What happens if you’re not chosen? What happens to the world that gets left behind?”
The Harvester of Hearts—who now also served as the judge of humanity—looked back at me with eyes that looked like he was about to cry.
No, knowing this guy, I was probably imagining things.Maybe the soft afternoon light just made his eyes look moist.
“The moon will fall, and everything will become nothing.”
“Huh? Is that a poem or something?”
“It’s not a damn poem. It’s a fact.That pale moon floating in the sky right now will fall into this world tomorrow morning and erase everything.”
“Then I’ll stay.”
I said it clearly. There was no hesitation left.
“Hey, what are you saying? Let’s talk for a sec.”
Aochi stood up.There it was again—his nosy sense of justice.But somehow, it warmed my heart a little.
“Wait. I’d love to talk with both of you too.But first, let’s organize what we know.We can talk after that.”
At Oomi’s words, Aochi sat back down.They really did feel like brothers.If this whole “end of the world” thing was a lie, I think I’d want to get closer to them on this trip.That feeling—it’s been a while since I had it.
“Alright, Glasses.Let’s hear your summary. If you’re wrong, I’ll correct you.”
The Harvester is soft on Oomi.Whether he knows it or not, Oomi is definitely his favorite.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.I bet he’ll protect him even in the next world.
“Umm… First, the world ends tomorrow morning.And the selection of who gets to move on and who stays behind started several weeks ago.Why do I think that? Because the Burning Hearts started being seen in the sea around that time.The Burning Hearts belong to people who are already confirmed to not be going to the next world.But maybe the selection doesn’t happen only on ships?What if it’s happening in planes, trains, and other places too?What I still don’t understand is the birds that appeared a little later.They only started becoming a topic three days ago.And this morning, I even saw one carrying an eyeball.What’s their role?”
Oomi took a breath and looked at the Harvester.
“Hmm... you’re half right.The first half is spot-on.Let me fix the second half for you.First off, the selection always happens on ships.It doesn’t matter if your hometown doesn’t have a sea or if you’re scared of boats.Everyone’s guided onto a ship heading toward their hometown, and that’s where the selection is done.As for the birds—they’re for surveillance and coordination, to make sure the transfer to the next world goes smoothly.They’ve been here in this world the whole time; you guys just didn’t notice.Now, about the eyeballs…If an eyeball is left behind, the person can come back to life.So, for those judged unfit to move on, the birds eat their eyeballs, their hearts are used as fuel for the ship, and the rest turns to dust.”
“Ugh…”
Oomi’s face tensed up. He was terrified of birds, but he endured it and continued his summary.
“I see… thank you.So then, those birds, acting as surveillance and coordinators, must be finding people from the same hometown and guiding them to ships.Each of those ships carries a Harvester who also acts as the selector.And the ship heads for each town, fueled by the abandoned hearts.Along the way, anything deemed unworthy of the next world is eliminated—just like on the neighboring ship—”
“You’re always so close. This time you’re about two-thirds right.”
“Really?”
Why does Oomi look kind of happy?Like a student getting praised by a teacher for doing better than last time.
“The last part’s wrong.I’m not trying to kill anyone.That wouldn’t change anything.If someone can’t go to the next world, they’ll get rejected no matter what.Before the world turns to nothing, they’ll disappear anyway.There’s no need to go out of my way to kill them.”
I was relieved.I couldn’t imagine this guy killing someone, and I didn’t want to.If anything, I would’ve been first on the chopping block after volunteering to stay behind.
“Then what happened on the other ship?”
I threw out my own question.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
That was fast.And what a different attitude compared to Oomi.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s about the other ship, so I don’t want to act like I know what I’m talking about.Ask that blood-covered woman over there, or the one who just says ‘Uru’.Better yet, ask the Harvester on that side.”
“None of those are possible.The blood-covered woman doesn’t say a word, ‘U’ and ‘Ru’ don’t mean anything,and you’re the one who threw the other Harvester into the sea!”
It was like he was begging for someone to call him out.This guy’s got a mischievous streak.
“Uruu—”
Ululu twisted his cute eyes into an exaggerated pout, clearly protesting.Like he wanted to say he could talk, thank you very much.Then again, considering we’ve got dead people on board with us, maybe we’re not ones to talk.But still, the other ship’s group… what’s the deal?Just a bunch of sketchy people and a Harvester who’s basically a killer.Were they really brought together just because they share a hometown?
“Hey, can I ask one more thing?”
“What now, you pale beanpole?”
“Could you not call me that?Anyway—The ladder’s stuck, right?So which ship is this one headed for?”
The Harvester grinned.Yup, he was definitely messing around.
“Which hometown, huh?Probably the one with the stronger will.”