Chapter 232: Plea for Mercy

Despair—this was the only thought in Tomie's mind right now.

If death could be her escape, then that was the only solution she could think of to leave this wretched place.

With that in mind, she rushed toward a large tree at full speed, intending to smash her head against it and put an end to her misery. However...

Thud!

Just as she was about to collide, the tree that had been right in front of her suddenly vanished into thin air.

Caught off guard, Tomie stumbled and fell hard onto the ground.

"What the...?"

Looking at the spot where the tree had disappeared, Tomie's face was full of confusion.

How could a perfectly solid tree just vanish like that, only to reappear moments later?

"I don't believe this. Even if I can't die, maybe if another version of me is created, I'll at least have some company and won't be so damn bored here."

Tomie's duplicates were usually bitter enemies, each one striving to kill the others to become the only Tomie in existence.

But the situation had changed.

In this isolated space, having another version of herself would at least mean someone to talk to. Maybe then, the crushing loneliness would ease.

Without hesitation, Tomie decided to act. She found a sharp tree branch and placed her hand against it, ready to draw blood.

Her regenerative abilities were absurdly overpowered, practically a cheat code. Even a single drop of her blood could regenerate into a whole new Tomie.

This was her plan.

Raising her hand without a moment's hesitation, she slammed it down toward the sharp branch.

Bang!

"Ahhh!"

A sharp pain shot through her as she let out a cry. Yet, there was no blood.

The branch had disappeared the moment she struck at it, leaving her hand to slam into the solid tree trunk instead. She'd hit it so hard that she felt like her wrist might have broken.

But such injuries meant little to Tomie, her body would heal within seconds.

"Why is this happening?!"

No matter how much she tried, even causing herself harm seemed impossible.

At that moment, she suddenly recalled something Ryuji had said earlier:

"In this space, even dying isn't an option for you."

So all of this was because of him, wasn't it?

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

Her frustration boiled over, and she couldn't hold back her scream.

"Come out! If you've got the guts, then get out here and face me!"

Tomie's mental state was rapidly unraveling. She could feel her sanity slipping away.

If this went on any longer, she really would find herself in a state where she could neither live nor die, a nightmare beyond imagining.

Desperation took hold of her, and she began yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Ryuji, you bastard! I know you can hear me! Get out here! If you're so powerful, then face me! Show yourself!"

---

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the domain, Ryuji was in the middle of arranging a casual outing with Alice Nakiri.

The silver-haired girl had been texting him frequently, her messages subtly but unmistakably expressing her feelings for him.

Ryuji wasn't oblivious, he would have to be a fool not to notice.

Things had been hectic lately, but now that he had some free time, he decided to invite her out.

He couldn't help but marvel at her beauty. With her shimmering silver hair and ruby-red eyes, she truly was a rare gem.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked curiously when she noticed him suddenly stop walking.

"It's nothing. Just a small matter."

As Tomie had correctly guessed, Ryuji could sense everything happening within his domain.

He had heard her desperate wails, her cries of frustration echoing through the space.

But he simply didn't care.

Honestly, he'd expected her to last a little longer before breaking down. Who knew she'd lose it so quickly?

Still, with such a stunning beauty in front of him, why would he waste his time dealing with Tomie Kawakami's tantrums?

She could wait.

Smiling, he turned his attention back to Alice.

"Today's about you. Compared to you, nothing else is that important."

Alice didn't reply immediately. Instead, her smile deepened as she looked at him.

She wasn't naive—she knew full well that Ryuji wasn't the kind of man to have just one woman in his life.

She had already prepared herself for this reality.

As long as he focused solely on her when they were together, she wouldn't ask for more.

"By the way…"

At this point, Ryuji suddenly remembered something the girls had been talking about, a plan for a hot spring trip.

It seemed he hadn't mentioned it to Alice yet.

"There's a hot spring trip planned in a few days. Want to join?"

"It's not just me, is it?"

Alice's quick mind instantly pieced together the situation. It was clear this "trip" wasn't going to be exclusive to her.

Ryuji didn't bother denying it; he just smiled in response.

"So, are you still interested?"

Blunt as ever. There was no point in pretending otherwise.

"Yes."

Alice answered without hesitation.

She wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip by, even if other girls would be there.

Her decisiveness made Ryuji chuckle softly. He didn't say much more, leading her instead to a cozy, upscale restaurant for lunch.

By afternoon, his plan had been to spend the day wandering around the city with Alice, exploring and relaxing.

Being cooped up indoors for too long could get dull, after all.

But somehow...

When Alice offered to lead the way, their casual outing took an unexpected turn. Before he realized it, she had brought him to the entrance of a couple's hotel.