章 208: Chapter 207
[Third Person's PoV]
"I see…" Akane muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, as Cid revealed more of his past. Her eyes flickered with a mix of unease and curiosity. "Can… can I ask what you felt afterward? Don't you feel guilty for all the lives you've taken? Don't you ever feel… like you'll never be the same?"
Cid shrugged, his expression indifferent. "Not really. Most of the lives I've taken were ones that deserved it—bandits, murderers, scum like that," he said nonchalantly, his words cutting through the silence like a blade. Akane's face tightened into a weary expression at his coldness.
"But what about those who didn't deserve it?" she asked softly. "Do you ever try to make things right for them?"
Cid's gaze flicked down to the floor for a moment before he spoke, his tone steady. "For those… I've tried to make amends where I can, to make sure their deaths weren't in vain."
Akane stood silent, holding onto Cid's arm tightly. Her mind raced, her emotions swirling in confusion and doubt. After a moment, she whispered, "Do you think I could ever do the same? Could I handle that kind of weight?"
Cid let out a soft sigh and ran his hand through her hair in a comforting gesture. "Akane, we don't even know if you were the one who killed Saejima in the first place. You don't need to justify anything, especially not for someone like him."
"But we also don't know if I wasn't the one…" Akane muttered, her voice laced with self-loathing. Her shoulders drooped, the weight of her uncertainty dragging her down.
Cid felt frustration bubbling up within him. He inwardly groaned but kept his composure. Grabbing Akane's hand firmly, he said, "Come with me."
"Huh?" Akane blinked in confusion, trying to process the sudden shift. "Where are we going?"
"To see Saejima's body," Cid replied, his face serious, devoid of any emotion.
"What!?" Akane's eyes widened in shock. "Why? Why would we look at his body?"
"That's the only way we'll know for sure if you killed him or not. Otherwise, you'll always wonder, always doubt yourself. And I don't think you want to live with that, do you?" Cid's tone was firm, almost challenging, as he turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow.
Akane lowered her gaze, biting her lip. "No… I don't," she admitted quietly, her voice barely audible. The shame was evident in her posture until she felt Cid's reassuring squeeze on her hands. She looked up, meeting his warm, confident gaze.
"Don't worry," he said, offering her a small smile. "You won't be doing this alone. I'll be right there with you."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Akane's lips, though the nervousness still lingered in her eyes. She nodded, her grip on Cid's hand tightening slightly.
Together, they made their way to the school's infirmary. The air was heavy with tension as they approached the door, after knocking the sound of Yuuka's cheerful voice greeted them.
"Come in~," Yuuka called from within.
Cid opened the door, and the two stepped inside, finding Yuuka already dressed in a lab coat, blue surgical gloves covering her hands, and a mask over her face. Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she looked at them.
"How can I help you two?" she asked, her voice light, despite the grim task she was about to perform.
"We were hoping to see Saejima's body," Cid said, offering a polite smile in return.
Yuuka's expression didn't change, but her eyes sparkled with interest. "Of course. I was just about to perform an autopsy anyway. You're welcome to join me," she said, gesturing for them to follow her toward a section of the room obscured by curtains.
As she pulled the curtains back, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air. On a cold metal table lay a body covered by a white sheet. Yuuka grabbed the edge of the cloth and slowly pulled it down, revealing Saejima's pale, lifeless face. His eyes were wide with shock, his mouth slightly agape, frozen in his final moments of terror.
The further the cloth was pulled, the more gruesome the sight became. Saejima's chest and stomach were riddled with stab wounds, dark patches of dried blood marking each puncture. Akane gasped, covering her mouth with both hands as tears welled in her eyes.
Yuuka, with a clinical detachment, examined the body. "It appears that he sustained multiple stab wounds from a sword, most of which targeted his vital organs. Whoever did this was... thorough, almost as if in a blind rage. Judging by his expression, it's likely he was betrayed by someone close to him," she explained, glancing meaningfully at Akane.
Akane's horror deepened. Each word struck her like a hammer, making her feel more and more like the culprit. But before she could spiral further into guilt, Cid interjected.
"Not a sword," Cid said plainly.
Yuuka paused, blinking in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"You said it was done by a sword," Cid explained, stepping closer to the body. "But look at the wounds—too short and narrow. It wasn't a sword. More likely, a knife or a dagger."
He gently turned Saejima's body to the side using his magic, not bothering to touch his body and pointing at his back. "See? No exit wounds. A sword would have gone all the way through. Whatever weapon was used, it wasn't that long."
Yuuka frowned thoughtfully and leaned in to examine the wounds more closely. After a moment, she nodded in agreement. "You're right. The blade wasn't long enough. Still… whoever did this clearly didn't like him. To be stabbed repeatedly like this… what a tragic way to go."
She glanced at Saejima's face, a look of pity crossing her features.
'What a good actor,' Cid thought, amused by Yuuka's facial expressions and acting.
"Will that be all?" Yuuka asked, tilting her head inquiringly.
"For now, yes. Thank you for letting us examine the body with you," Cid said, bowing politely in the Japanese fashion.
Akane followed suit, her voice soft but sincere. "Yes, thank you, Yuuka-sensei."
As they both exited the room and closed the door behind them Cid turned towards Akane, "Feeling a bit better now that you got a close up look?"
"A bit…" She replied awkwardly, "As much as I didn't like Saejima It's still a pity he had to experience such a fate"
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