The Logmaster - Chapter 7

The office was filled with a chaotic atmosphere, with employees feeling a mixture of confusion and fear.

A young female employee attempted suicide by jumping from a 15th-floor window.

–This shocking truth quickly spread throughout the company and caused panic.

Omiichi collapsed to the floor, feeling as if the chaos was happening in some faraway world.

The ringing in my ears is so bad that the noise around me sounds muffled.

The images of Tomaru’s pitiful appearance as he was slammed into the asphalt, his terrifying expression of rage as he fell, and his vacant eyes at the end were burned into my mind and wouldn’t go away.

Of course, there was no way I was going to work that day.

Police were called to the scene and briefly questioned the employees.

Omiichi was no exception and responded to questions such as “Has she shown any unusual signs?”, but all he could do was reply in a trembling voice, “Nothing in particular.”

I could never bring myself to say that I was the one who triggered this tragedy.

Eventually, all employees were told to leave early, and the office was put on lockdown.

Omiichi left the building with unsteady steps and headed for the nearest station with a vacant look in his eyes.

I can’t hear what anyone around me is saying.

It was still early for the evening rush hour, so the train was relatively empty, and I sat back in the window seat.

Then slowly close your eyes.

Clang, clang… the monotonous sound of the train moving and the swaying seemed to calm my chaotic thoughts a little.

At last, I had time to calmly reflect on what had just happened.

—— The fall of Koji Iiyama

It certainly happened exactly as I had planned.

The sight of a hated man losing social credibility and being beaten down should have been a heart-warming sight.

However, right now, there was not even a trace of the sense of accomplishment or sweet joy he had felt from having exacted his revenge.

All of this was blown away by the shocking and cruel reality of Tomaru Shizuka’s death that occurred shortly thereafter.

(…I never wanted Tomaru-san to be with me…I just wanted to be with Iiyama…)

An apologetic voice crossed his mind, but Omiichi shook his head and shook the thought away.

Even if I didn’t want to, it was none other than I who pulled the trigger.

(…She died because I used that “add” function…)

This unshakable fact sank into the depths of Omiichi’s heart like a giant anchor, weighing heavily on him.

Omiichi slowly took out his smartphone and opened the website with trembling fingers.

My fingers feel as heavy as lead as I tap the screen.

Open “Human” from the menu and search for the name “Tomaru Shizuka.”

There was no more hesitation. I steeled myself and touched the grey [History] button.

The history of her life that was displayed was far more modest and brave than Omiichi had imagined.

The story is about his single-minded efforts and love for his family, and its purity pierces the heart.

“My father died of illness before I even had time to remember anything. Since then, my mother raised me on her own.”

“I want to become independent as soon as possible so that my mother can have an easier time. That’s my biggest goal.”

“I don’t have time to play around. I want to improve my skills as quickly as possible and earn enough to make my mother feel at ease.”

There are almost no descriptions of glamorous friendships or frivolous love affairs.

He simply works sincerely and wholeheartedly at his work, and has a deep sense of gratitude and gratitude for his mother.

This was an unknown side of her, who always behaved cheerfully…Her bravery made Omiichi’s heart ache.

As I scrolled through the pages, one sentence caught my eye.

The date was from a few months ago, a record of the evening when Omiichi was being taught by her at work about simple spreadsheet functions.

“Ayumaru-san is a bit blunt, but no matter what he says, he always helps me out. When I see him, I strangely feel calm. If I had a father, I’m sure he would be like this… He’s a bit stubborn and clumsy, but also kind.”

“…!”

The moment he finished reading the words, the corners of Omiichi’s eyes suddenly grew hot.

I desperately try to hold back the emotions welling up inside me.

I had no idea that I was that kind of person to her, and I feel ashamed of myself for making such distorted assumptions.

“Double circle!”

Maybe the smile she gave me the other day wasn’t just a polite gesture.

She had genuinely loved and cared about me.

In order to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow, Omiichi took his eyes off the smartphone for a moment and closed his eyes tightly. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

As I took deep breaths, the only real sensation my body experienced was the swaying of the train.

Having regained his composure, Omiichi returned his eyes to the screen.

She then checks the ominous red text at the end of her history. The “DeadLink” time is from last night, right after Omiichi [Add] Iiyama’s future and tapped [Save].

(…It can’t be a coincidence. Not a coincidence…)

The thought of revenge against Iiyama was no longer even lingering in the back of his mind.

All that remains is a deep regret for having done something irreparable and apologies to Tomaru.

–And just an unfathomable fear of this site.

As I stared blankly at the screen, sinking into sadness and despair, a possibility suddenly crossed my mind.

(But wait a second… if you can add the future with “Add”… does the “Edit” function mean you can rewrite the past?)

There is no mention of the Edit function in the Help section yet.

But if that were the case, we might be able to make the worst of it all…Tomaru-san’s death… disappear.

I know it’s a ridiculous idea.

But for Omiichi right now, it was also a ray of hope to cling to.

(However… I guess I’ll need the “chains” again to remove the restrictions, just like I did with the [Addition]…)

The true identity of the “chains” is unknown. But one chain cost her her life.

It is easy to imagine that this is a terrible price to pay, one that could mean life or death.

–But even so, Omiichi’s heart was wavering.

The tremendous sense of guilt towards Tomaru, the feelings he learned about her after reading her history, and the urge, similar to a kind of self-sacrificing sense of justice, that “I might be able to save her.”

After much hesitation, Omiichi opened the site’s Guest page again.

So I timidly tapped the grey “Edit” button that was displayed next to my information, and immediately a pop-up alert appeared.

“Not enough chains. 10 chains are required to remove editing restrictions.”

“…10 chains…?”

I couldn’t help but let out a cry.

The numbers were hard to believe. If one person dies from one chain, then what about a cost ten times that? It’s ridiculous! Don’t be ridiculous! My faint hope was instantly dashed.

At the same time, a chilling fear pierces my whole body. The price of ten chains.

What does that mean?

Are sacrifices being demanded on a scale that goes beyond the death of Tomaru alone?

I had no friends, so the first thing that came to my mind was the face of my elderly parents back home. Could it be… my family?

Or does that include me…?

(No good… Until I understand the meaning of the “chains,” I’ll never be able to use this power again…!)

(In the first place, since it said I didn’t have enough “chains,” I don’t know how to get more… and I don’t even want to know!)

A cold sweat runs down my spine.

This site is incredibly dangerous.

If we continue to go deeper like this, we will truly be ruined.

Omiichi tapped “Logout” on the site as if fleeing, and after making sure he was returned to the login screen, he roughly threw his smartphone into his bag.

He buried his face in his hands and leaned back in his chair.

The smile that appears behind my eyelids is that of Tomaru Shizuka, a smile that will never return.

At the moment, Omiichi no longer had the confidence that he could withstand the heavy pressure of the chains weighing down on him.