And so, the middle-aged man spent a considerable amount of time reminiscing. Meanwhile, Ryuto remained silent. He suddenly clenched his teeth and spoke with a tone filled with remorse and complexity, although it seemed Ryuto himself did not realize it.

"I'm sorry..."

The middle-aged man found Ryuto's response strange and showed a puzzled expression.

"Why are you apologizing? This has nothing to do with you. You didn't do anything wrong."

The middle-aged man trembled slightly.

Faced with the questioning, Ryuto did not directly answer but shifted the conversation.

"Now that you've said that, it's my turn. Just say it, do you know why I didn't answer back then?"

"You're not an ordinary high school student, I understand that now. But if that's the case, shouldn't you feel resentful? Clearly possessing such talent, yet constantly being mocked by others. Why?"

The middle-aged man's questioning became somewhat agitated, to which Ryuto calmly replied, revealing a sense of sadness in his eyes.

"Because I couldn't speak..."

"...?"

"In the face of your sincere attitude, I couldn't bring myself to say 'You're too naive'. Because, no matter what I said, it wouldn't change anything. Reality is not like a game, where following the same process will yield similar results. In real life, outcomes can change due to various factors. So, the two-dimensional world is fair, while reality is unfair. Seeking fairness in an unfair world is simply foolish. Besides, I don't care about this kind of thing at all because the world was never fair to begin with. I knew that from the start, so expecting equal treatment is too naive. But in spite of that, I don't mind at all, and I don't have time to mind because... even in such an environment, I'm sure I can find my own worth of existence. That's the only thing I firmly believe in, although I don't remember it well anymore."

Ryuto closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them, facing the middle-aged man in front of him.

"And even in this messed-up world, haven't you also found your own value of existence?"

"In that case, I will believe too!"

Hiyori, who had remained silent all this time, spoke her mind, looking at Ryuto with a gaze full of unwavering belief. It was a belief without any doubt, whether it's considered blind or...

The middle-aged man appeared quite confused, not because he didn't understand her intention but because he couldn't comprehend why. He muttered to himself.

"Why..."

Facing the middle-aged man's seemingly self-talk questions, Hiyori responded resolutely, without any hesitation in her words. Her smiling face contained a certain conviction that was so dazzling, constantly attracting the middle-aged man's attention.

"Because Lord Ryuto believes, so I will believe too!"

The middle-aged man widened his eyes and stared blankly at the two in front of him. After a while, he slowly closed his eyes, revealing a genuine smile that he had never shown before.

"Truly... it's truly incredible... both of you."

The middle-aged man shook his head while smiling, for some reason. Although he knew it was impossible, he couldn't resist speaking out his impractical fantasy that seemed impossible to achieve now.

"If I had met you earlier... maybe my life would have been different... but... it's already too late for everything."

As he said this, the middle-aged man suddenly showed a cold expression, his eyes filled with hostility. He then took out a capsule from his pocket, swallowed it, and let out a loud roar. His eyes turned bloodshot, his veins bulging on the back of his hand. It was a stark contrast to his previous demeanor, an expression of extreme ferocity. It seemed that the drug he had taken caused him to lose control of his rationality, giving the impression of a monster rather than a human.

"Ah-- Ahh!"

Along with the roar, a powerful force pressed down, causing the ground to crack under the immense pressure. Rocks on the ground kept shaking, and the earth trembled due to the middle-aged man's roar. With unbelievable brute strength, the middle-aged man forcefully freed himself from the trap and leaped onto the ground, causing it to shake as well.

The drugs should have been fully absorbed. The middle-aged man's veins were exposed all over his body, and he stared at his target with a fierce gaze. The air around them seemed to have died, making it difficult to breathe.

"It seems that a battle is inevitable after all," Ryuto declared icily, signaling that the final fight was about to begin.