I don't want to be an elf!

Dazai Osamu thought his plan was foolproof.

Have Mori Ougai transform Alice into Tokisaki Kurumi, and then have the three puppets contact the clones to find out the location of the original.

Such a brilliant plan was only conceived by Edogawa Ranpo in a moment of inspiration during a desperate situation.

However, Tokisaki Kurumi had even considered this point. She had long anticipated that they would appear here and had made preparations accordingly.

Even Dazai Osamu couldn't have predicted that Tokisaki Kurumi had a backup plan.

She anticipated their arrival and had prepared Edgar's novel from the outset to seal Chuuya Nakahara.

This unexpected "surprise" completely disrupted Dazai Osamu's plans.

It has once again turned into a war with an unpredictable future.

"Dazai-san, it looks like I've won." Tokisaki Kurumi waved the mystery novel in her hand. "Your strongest ace has lost his fighting ability. Unfortunately, your plan has failed."

Dazai Osamu took a deep breath.

Then he vomited it out heavily.

He patted his cheeks, cheered himself up, and his expression brightened again, showing no trace of his depression.

"No, Ms. Tokisaki, we did not lose."

Dazai Osamu raised his index finger to his lips: "Shh... Did you hear something?"

"Ok?"

Kurumi Tokisaki tilted her head in confusion, straining to listen, but heard nothing: "It seems there's nothing there."

"That's right, there was no sound at all."

Dazai Osamu chuckled and opened his arms: "Because my comrades have already finished the battle."

The previously noisy sounds of battle had disappeared without anyone noticing.

One by one, figures emerged from the woods, bearing wounds and visibly exhausted.

They were in a sorry state, their clothes torn to shreds, with bullet holes clearly visible.

However, not a single person backed down.

Their eyes were firm, and they stood silently beside Dazai Osamu, revealing their determination.

"Yes, Miss Tokisaki, we can still fight."

Dazai Osamu raised his chin and said proudly.

"As long as one of us is still standing, this battle will not end!"

Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Nightmare's Farewell

Such awareness is truly commendable.

Even without Nakahara Chuuya, Yokohama's strongest fighter, the remaining ability users, when united, are not a force to be underestimated.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard they struggled, they could only perish with Yokohama in the end.

Once Kurumi Tokisaki gets serious, eliminating these ability users will only require a slightly higher price.

However, she didn't need to do that at all.

The main quest is complete, and she can return to the settlement space and leave this world at any time.

The reason I'm still here, waiting for the guardians of Yokohama to come, is simply to complete the side quest of defeating Nakahara Chuuya, and then give this performance a perfect ending.

Next, it was time for the curtain to fall on the stage.

Facing the superhumans poised to strike beneath the throne, Tokisaki Kurumi's mind stirred, and the vines that had been wrapped around the rest of her body turned into wood chips under the surge of spiritual energy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I admire from the bottom of my heart your spirit of being willing to dedicate yourself to your homeland."

Kurumi Tokisaki rose from the throne.

With the departure of the host, the grapevine could no longer graft Kurumi Tokisaki, as it also lost the ability to use the City of Time.

After she left the Vine Throne, the crimson domain that had enveloped Yokohama disappeared.

The warm sunshine returned, bringing life back to the city.

However, the superhumans in Yokohama did not relax at all; on the contrary, they became even more tense.

Just as they thought the final battle was about to break out, Kurumi Tokisaki revealed a sly smile.

"Before the fight, let's make a deal."

“There’s nothing to talk about between us, Nightmare. You need to take responsibility for the losses in Yokohama,” Ango Sakaguchi said unequivocally.

“It’s time to restore peace to this city,” Fukuzawa Yukichi said solemnly.

“Ms. Tokisaki, I will never do a deal with you again.” Mori Ougai chuckled and shook his head.

"We've finally gotten this opportunity, do you really think we'd let you leave?" Eyepatch Three sneered.

"Today is the day of the destined judgment!" Bandaged Three shouted.

"Don't be in such a hurry. At least listen to my requirements before making any plans, okay?"

A giant, phantom clock appeared behind Kurumi Tokisaki, exuding an ancient and heavy aura.

Holding dual pistols, Kurumi Tokisaki looked at the other ability users around her and said with a charming smile, "As you know, I need to absorb a lot of time to activate the Twelfth Bullet and go back to the past to complete a task. Now, I have collected 99% of the time needed to activate the Twelfth Bullet."

“Then it seems we’re not too late,” Dazai Osamu said. “At least, we can still save 1% of the people.”

"This is the deal I'm proposing," Kurumi Tokisaki said. "If you choose to refuse, I will continue to use the City of Time to absorb time, but if you choose to agree, I can promise not to absorb anyone's time again."

"So how do you make up for that last 1%?"

"With my own life," Kurumi Tokisaki said with a smile. "Don't worry, my lifespan is much longer than that of an ordinary person. Even if I use part of it, the rest will be enough to fight the phantom."

Everyone was silent.

Some people looked surprised, never imagining that the cold-blooded, bloodthirsty nightmare would sacrifice itself.

Some people are puzzled and don't understand why Kurumi Tokisaki would choose such an ending.

Some people's expressions darkened, as if they understood why she did this.

But in any case, this was a deal they couldn't refuse.

Everyone here knows that her goal is to go back in time and kill the phantom. If she succeeds, the world will be reset, and the things happening in Yokohama now will not happen in the new world.

Even if she fails and is killed by the phantom after returning to the past, there will be no loss for Yokohama or its ability users.

In other words, as long as they agree to Kurumi Tokisaki's deal, they can not only save the last 1% of people without risking their lives in battle, but Kurumi Tokisaki, as the culprit, will also disappear.

Whether Kurumi Tokisaki succeeds or fails, they are the ones who benefit.

They have no reason to refuse.

If they stubbornly insist on fighting Tokisaki Kurumi, they are not only likely to lose their lives, but Tokisaki Kurumi will also have to absorb more time after the time she has wasted in the battle.

Accepting this deal is the best decision for everyone.

"Ms. Tokisaki."

Mori Ougai smiled, but his expression was helpless: "I have to say, every time you throw out a bargaining chip, it's so tempting."

Clearly, the Port Mafia's boss wants to accept this deal.

He had spent the most time with Kurumi Tokisaki and knew best how troublesome her abilities were; he would not want to be her enemy unless absolutely necessary.

The head of the Armed Detective Agency and the branch head of the Special Abilities Agency exchanged a glance, both somewhat unsure of what to do.

"Dazai, Ranpo, what do you think?" Fukuzawa Yukichi asked.

“President, accept it,” Edogawa Ranpo said. “I know this is extremely unfair to those who have already died, but for the future of Yokohama, this is the best choice among the worst possible outcomes.”

"Well... I think this deal is perfectly fine for us." Dazai Osamu scratched his face a little embarrassedly. "Although I just said something cool, if it really came down to a fight, we would definitely be the ones to lose."

"Know when to quit while you're ahead... is that right?"

Both of the Armed Detective Agency's top strategists said so, so even though Fukuzawa Yukichi was somewhat unwilling, he could only prioritize the overall situation.

As for Ango Sakaguchi?

The Japanese government has never expressed its stance, but under the threat of destroying a city, this silence precisely demonstrates that they are unwilling to be enemies with Tokisaki Kurumi.

Now that Tokisaki Kurumi has proposed such a mutually beneficial deal, Sakaguchi Ango has even less reason to refuse.

The leaders of the three major organizations in Yokohama all nodded in agreement.

They accepted the deal.

Blindfold Three and Bandage Three also acquiesced to the deal.

Just as Edogawa Ranpo said, this was the best choice in this terrible ending.

"Well then, I have one last gift, and a small request."

With a slight flick of her finger, Kurumi Tokisaki caused several figures to appear in the shadow space.

As they fully emerged from the shadows, everyone was astonished to discover that these people were not Nightmare clones, but members of the group.

Apart from the monstrous Lovecraft, James who was executed by Ozaki Koyo, and John who was released, all the other combined ability users are here.

Some of them were bound hand and foot, some were unconscious, and others, though conscious, remained motionless out of fear.

“The members of these groups should be quite tempting to the government, whether the government wants to recruit them or use them as diplomatic hostages, I don’t care.”

Kurumi Tokisaki said casually, tossing the mystery novel in her hand to Ango Sakaguchi: "Besides Mr. Nakahara, there's also Mr. Edgar from the group inside. I'll give it to you as well."

“It is indeed a valuable gift.” Ango Sakaguchi adjusted his glasses. “So what should we give in return?”

"I have a subordinate named Izumi Kyoka, who used to be an assassin for the Port Mafia, did you know that?"

“Ah, the infamous Thirty-Five Killers, a familiar face on the wanted list.” Sakaguchi Ango raised an eyebrow. “We haven’t heard from her in a while. So she’s been transferred to your command.”

"I hope you can drop the warrant for her arrest and give her a new identity so she can return to a normal life."

"Humph......"

"You disagree?"

"No, I'm just surprised that your request is so small."