Chapter 298: Remember...

"Damn dog!"

*Grrrrr

Honestly, Hiyama didn't want to encounter this dog. His mission was simple – kill Tsubaki Kasugano. Hiyama tested the waters by creating accidents in which Tsubaki would be the victim.

However, his mission was hindered by this enormous dog. The dog guarded Tsubaki day and night, leaving no openings for the assassin. Despite being just a dog, it was clever and dangerous.

But there was a moment when the dog wasn't by Tsubaki's side – at school. Hiyama thought of luring the dog and isolating everyone, students and teachers alike, as they all seemed to be under the dog's influence. His plan was well-designed, even creating a barrier, but the dog entered it.

This troublesome dog...

*Grrrrrr

Displaying its fangs and growling, the dog took a battle stance. Its mission was to protect Tsubaki, and it couldn't let anything happen to her.

"Pochi...."

Tsubaki, seeing the huge dog responding to her call, felt her heart pound. Even in this situation, the dog was with her.

"Alright... Let's finish this!"

Turning his knife, Hiyama was tired of hiding in the shadows to assassinate this woman, but he had no success, all because of this annoying animal. A whole year of this silent confrontation, and their time was running out.

*Grrrrr

Growling in confirmation, the enormous dog lowered its body, ready to attack.

*Grrr

"Ha!..."

Seizing an opportunity, the dog lunged forward, creating a remarkable sight.

Tsubaki watched as her beloved pet skillfully avoided the assassin's attack and counteracted by charging at him. The dog's size was around 80 kilograms, and its charge was no joke. However, the assassin was not an easy target. Using his bulletproof jacket as armor, he awaited an opening to stab the dog. Yet, the dog was smarter, continuously attacking his arm with the knife, preventing retaliation.

"..."

This continued for a few seconds until the dog feinted, confusing the assassin. It bit the arm holding the knife.

*Tlin.. Tlin

Causing the knife to roll on the ground.

Seeing this, Hiyama widened his eyes and tried to free himself from the dog. He relied on his jacket, thinking a bite from the dog wouldn't be a big deal, and he could use his other hand to kill the annoying animal. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The dog's bite was more lethal than he thought, easily piercing through his vest and inflicting a serious wound on his arm.

"Ugh?!"

Groaning in pain, Hiyama used his other hand to strike, but the enormous dog used its weight to bring the assassin down.

*Grrrr...

The fight between a man and a beast...

And as things stood, the beast had the upper hand. With the knife gone from Hiyama's hands, the enormous dog proceeded to bite his neck, a clean kill.

After all, Hiyama had lost his weapon, and this was the dog's chance.

"Maldito animal!"

Using his arm to avoid the bite, a chilling shiver ran down Hiyama's spine. The fangs threatening to take his life were terrifying. But as if recalling something, Hiyama's eyes lowered, noticing a weapon at his waist.

Using his free hand, in pain, Hiyama clenched his teeth, trying to use his injured arm. Fortunately for him, the gun wasn't far, and it hadn't flown away during the fall.

The enormous dog, on the other hand, focused on using its maximum strength to bite the neck and was unable to see that Hiyama had taken a weapon.

"Die!"

*Bang... Bang

*Guuuu

Slowly raising the gun, Hiyama didn't hesitate to fire twice. Due to their proximity, Hiyama didn't need accuracy, just to lift the gun and pull the trigger. Even though two shots weren't enough to kill the animal, fortunately, after a few minutes, the dog's body weakened significantly, and the pressure on Hiyama decreased.

The enormous dog trembled, stepped back, and fell.

Five shots – that's the maximum his huge body could endure.

"Pochi!"

Seeing her wounded pet fall, Tsubaki couldn't help but scream and run to her friend. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her friend, who had been with her for a whole year, had fallen – her beloved pet.

Thinking about the happy moments they shared, the fun games and baths, how she took care of his fur and brushed it every day to keep it shining – her best friend.

Witnessing this was a hard blow for her. Although her vision was poor, she wouldn't mistake that huge silhouette for anyone else. So, anger and pain emerged from the depths of her being.

She also felt helpless and guilty. If only she had a bit more courage, she could have stopped the assassin if she had worked together with her pet. However, all she could do was watch her pet get hurt.

"Now... It's your turn."

Slowly getting up, using both hands, Hiyama held the gun, pointing it at Tsubaki. His arms were seriously injured from the dog's bite, and without the bulletproof vest, he might not be able to lift them now.

Taking advantage of this moment while his body was filled with adrenaline, he aimed at Tsubaki to kill her. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible.

Tsubaki, on the other hand, didn't look at the gun or the assassin. Her eyes were focused on her injured pet.

"Goodbye... Ugh?!"

*Shua...

And just as he was about to pull the trigger, a knife pierced his throat, preventing Tsubaki's tragic fate.

"How dare you... How dare you?! Unforgivable! Die, you damned bastard!"

This knife belonged to Yuno, who stabbed him in the back without hesitation.

She saw this bastard heartlessly shoot her friend.

The huge dog lay in a pool of blood, so with deep pain, she picked up the knife from the ground and stabbed Hiyama.

*Bam...

Like a puppet whose strings were cut, Hiyama's body also fell to the ground. But none of that mattered to the two girls as both concentrated on the wounded dog.

"Pochi, hold on... You can't leave me, do you hear? You can't leave me!"

Seeing her friend breathing heavily and losing blood every second, Tsubaki's emotions spiraled out of control.

As for Yuno, she lowered her head, and shadows covered her face. Due to the injuries and time, she knew there was nothing she could do. It was a matter of time, but the life of the enormous dog came to an end.

So, she could only silently lament, as both shared time with its owner and was the most loyal friend.

As they say, a man's best friend is a dog, though in this case, it's a woman.

*Grrrr...

But as if hearing Tsubaki's pleas, the dog moved its front paw, staining it in blood. Slowly turning its paw, it used the blood as ink to write a message, catching the attention of both Yuno and Tsubaki.

"Remember..."

A simple message that made Tsubaki's body tremble.

For a year, this message had been delivered by the dog every day. Tsubaki always wondered who wrote these messages and made her pet deliver them. Now, the mystery was unraveled.

'Remember'...

Initially, she gave little importance to it, but as time passed, Tsubaki largely ignored these messages. Now, with her friend on the brink of death, something within her mind broke, and thousands of images flashed through her mind. Tsubaki clutched her head in pain.

"Yuki-kun...."

With all those memories flooding her mind, Tsubaki couldn't help but murmur this name. She looked into the dog's familiar black eyes, tears streaming down her face.

The dog, upon hearing this name, closed its eyes peacefully. Its mission was complete.

*Creakkkkkk

And with that, the purpose of this world was also fulfilled.

The fragment shattered like a mirror, and the game came to an end.

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TN: (You can't see me)