<Ikusaba Asagi POV>

“I’ll tell everyone you ■■■■■ me.”

I always hated the last name “Ikusaba”.

Sure, I get it——— it’s got that bloody, warlike ring that doesn’t exactly suit a cute girl of my age.

A lot of people assumed that’s why I didn’t like being called by my surname.

But the real reason was that it was my dead father’s name.

My father was what you’d call an abusive husband.

A morally harassing husband———– a guy who pushes his own twisted rules onto his wife.

He looked down on Mama, forced his rules onto her.

He loved giving lectures.

I remember this one time from when I was just a kid…… Mama had messed something up around the house, and he———-

“Justice chokehold”

That’s what he called it. He’d grab her from behind and choke her out until she passed out.

And when she did, he’d say,

“I had no choice…… I’m sorry. But it’s true that I love you with all my heart.”

It was disgusting.

I had to fight the urge to throw up.

He was without a doubt a twisted, controlling piece of trash.

Outside the house, putting on a fake smile, he played the perfect husband.

But if things didn’t go exactly the way he wanted, he’d sulk like a child.

He kept repeating how Mama was useless because her parents were too.

Even when we visited his own parents, he’d mock her constantly.

He was the very definition of insufferable.

That said, Mama had her flaws too.

She just wasn’t very good at a lot of things.

She couldn’t read the room. Couldn’t multitask.

Try to do two things at once and she’d panic.

Sometimes she’d be so focused on something that she couldn’t even hear people talking to her.

And when that happened, he’d lose it. Start yelling.

Said it was “punishment” and punched her in the stomach.

Afterward, he’d always say……

“This isn’t something to tell people about. It’d bring shame to our family.”

Like he was some noble man.

What a coward.

But me, I played the good kid.

I did everything right.

It’s just, watching Mama just get pushed around like that really pissed me off.

She never fought back. Always apologized with tears in her eyes.

Said it was her fault. Every time.

Sure, my father was trash.

But Mama’s lack of spine frustrated me too.

I found comfort in books.

Paperback books.

Even when I was just in second grade.

There was a reason for this.

My father didn’t allow things like games or manga.

He said “You can get a smartphone once you get a job.”

It sent chills down my spine.

What the heck is this idiot talking about?

And so, I had no choice but to spend my time reading paperback books.

I mostly went to the prefectural library.

It was conveniently located between home and school.

I read all kinds of books.

At the same time, a question formed in my mind.

Why doesn’t everyone read these useful books?

Some people would just sleep on the couches in the library.

In the summer, it was obvious some were only there to cool off.

“They can read all this useful knowledge for free, so what are they doing?”

Back then, I genuinely wondered that.

The first thing that began to grow in me was a thirst for knowledge.

By third grade, I had started secretly borrowing Mama’s smartphone.

I made sure to carefully erase the browsing history after using it.

Probably because I figured my father would check it.

I even looked up how to erase traces online.

The internet was amazing.

It was filled with a different kind of information than what you could get from books at the library.

What caught my interest were games…… and mind control.

Mind control———- meaning brainwashing.

What I found fascinating was that it wasn’t limited to cults.

It was happening in ordinary people’s lives too.

Including incidents with criminal elements.

Still———- I found it disappointing that it would become a crime.

Like, even if someone brainwashed a person into committing murder.

The one who did the brainwashing would also get arrested.

Hmmm, how disappointing.

But then, a thought crossed my mind.

Right now, I’m just an elementary school kid.

Who on earth would suspect a grade schooler of performing mind control?

Isn’t it precisely because I’m a kid that I might be able to pull it off?

So first, I made a new friend at school.

As a test run for brainwashing.

Well, part of it was also to get a chance to play games at their house.

I told my father we were studying together.

I targeted a rich, well-bred kid as my friend.

So that b*stard would approve.

As for the brainwashing…… I think it worked.

Also, the games were fun.

I liked math.

There was no room for emotions to get in the way.

That felt comfortable.

But before I knew it, I started to find language arts interesting too.

Controlling human emotions———– maybe it wasn’t so different from math?

It’s just, at first……

“Explain how the author felt at this moment.”

……I wasn’t good at those kinds of questions.

Why?

Because I seriously thought about them.

But later, I realized there were patterns to getting points on Japanese language tests too.

My grades improved.

Language arts was fun.

Everything was fun.

Mind control too, it really was fascinating.

And then, around the time I entered fourth grade……

I’d had enough of my father. He was getting seriously annoying.

His emotionally abusive, borderline domestic violence toward Mama was getting worse.

Hmm…… though Mama had her own issues too.

Still, I hated my father more.

It was a different kind of disgust.

……Maybe I should kill him.

One day, I defied him.

I’d always been a good kid, so he was completely caught off guard.

After getting over the shock, he tried to hit me.

At that moment, I said those words.

“I’ll tell everyone you ■■■■■ me.”

My father couldn’t hit me.

I knew that.

He could overpower Mama——— but not me.

I understood it clearly.

This morally abusive man……

He truly cared about his public image more than anything else.

That’s why he only dealt out “punishments” that left little to no evidence.

Like how they say in that old manga, “Aim for the body, the body.”

Psychological abuse leaves even fewer traces.

No evidence.

And that’s precisely why——— my weapon worked.

What if his own daughter started spreading rumors that he ■■■■■ her?

Of course, no such thing ever happened.

But fabricating that “fact” was possible.

“The anguished cry of a young, innocent girl.”

“A panicked, flailing adult in denial.”

Now then, whose side would society take?

Looking at how this country works, the answer’s obvious.

Society would side with me.

And once that happened, he’d be finished.

He’s absolutely terrified of social death.

If it came to that, he’d have no reason to exist anymore.

His perfect life plan would collapse.

People like him can’t handle going off the rails they laid for themselves.

Ever since that day, he started avoiding me.

He started looking at me with fear in his eyes.

▽

One night, it happened.

He came into my room.

He straddled me on the bed and started choking me.

Seeing his attempt——– I laughed.

I laughed at him.

He was so pathetic.

Then I said:

[Go ahead, do it.]

And then———- he let out a short, animal-like scream.

In a panic, he hurriedly left.

Of course.

He probably tried to take control using an adult’s “strength”.

But……

There was no way he could bear the title of a father who killed his own daughter.

It was a hollow, empty threat.

It was fun to watch him break.

The “punishments” he inflicted on Mama also decreased.

It was partly because he was losing his composure——— but well, I made sure he couldn’t do it anymore.

Through mind control.

Because I became the object of his fear, I was able to manipulate him in that area too.

My little puppet.

But keeping him alive might become a risk.

Fortunately, Mama’s family is well off.

Even if he died, our current standard of living would probably remain unchanged.

I moved his mind control into the final phase.

It was game over for him.

And then, he———- hanged himself.

Since I didn’t want him to die in the house, I made sure he died in the abandoned factory near our home.

To the owner of the factory, I’m sorry.

Well, he must’ve wanted to escape from this house, the one with me———- the “devil’s child.”

When he died, Mama was sad.

I couldn’t believe it.

She’s sad for that? Seriously?

Then she even joked about keeping his surname.

In modern Japan, a wife can continue using her husband’s surname even after his death.

But she should have the option of returning to her original surname.

……Is she crazy?

Could it be that she actually loved that man?

This has to be a joke, right?

To keep using his———- the Ikusaba surname?

Please…… let the jokes be just about her clumsiness.

Please.

But, it was strange.

If I used mind control on Mom, I could make her change her surname back.

But for some reason———– I couldn’t bring myself to use mind control on her.

[………………]

Hahh…… So, we’re keeping the Ikusaba surname huh……

……Hmm?

Speaking of which…… what was that guy’s name again?

▽

I finally entered middle school.

I had my own smartphone, my own PC.

I could gather as much information online as I wanted.

I could read all the manga I liked.

And of course, I’d polished myself up a bit, as a proper middle school girl should.

Had to keep up with fashion too, you know?

There’s a certain hierarchy in class and at school when it comes to those things.

Well, I mean (it may sound narcissistic), but I’m pretty cute.

That’s a weapon.

Above all, the time I spent fixing up my face, doing little beauty routines…… it was honestly pretty pleasant.

Mama’s working a part-time job now.

Maybe because that guy died, some money came in after that.

Was it from insurance?

Or maybe support from Mama’s side of the family?

Either way, just like I predicted, our life didn’t suffer at all.

So then, why bother working a part-time job?

It’s not like we’re struggling to get by.

When I asked this question, Mama said this:

[I just want to earn money with my own hands too, for Asagi-chan’s sake.]

Then do the housework properly, for once.

……Yeah, that’s what I should’ve said.

So why didn’t I?

The things I had no problem saying to him…… why is it I can’t say them to Mama?

[I see. Thanks, Mama~~]

And just like that, I played the good daughter again.

Now that he’s gone, Mama’s incompetence has started to bother me more and more.

Why is she so useless?

Isn’t she embarrassed to be alive?

She’d probably feel better if she just died.

……And yet, unlike with him, the thought of killing her hadn’t crossed my mind.

Why is that?

▽

I completely immersed myself in the world of games.

Mostly social games.

They connect you with players all across Japan———- sometimes even the whole world.

Depending on the game, you can play together in various ways.

Some of them have something called a “Guild” system.

Basically, it’s like a team or a club within the game.

The leader of a guild is often called the guild master, “GM” for short.

I often ended up taking on that GM role myself.

It was fun, manipulating the guild members to win the game.

Surprisingly, being an actual JC (junior high school girl) came in handy.

Since I was a JC, I couldn’t exactly spend a ton on microtransactions (well, I could spend a bit).

But there were plenty of “gentlemen” with money who were happy to spoil me.

Some of them would spend like crazy and go all out in competitions on my behalf.

Anyone who talked about meeting in real life, I cut them off instantly.

I mean, come on.

Harboring criminals trying to prey on JCs? That’s way too risky.

Especially in this country, where youth is considered so valuable.

Ageism. That’s what it is.

Being a country overflowing with codgers and hags just makes it worse.

And then there’s appearance.

If you’re a good-looking young person, you get this short period where you’re basically untouchable.

This is also a country with strong lookism.

It’s a disgusting country.

There were tons of methods online for squeezing money out of lonely middle-aged men.

Hosts, sugar baby stuff, streamers, idol business models…… all of that fascinated me.

Aren’t those just a step away from brainwashing?

Some of it’s even legal, which makes it all the more interesting.

There’s a lot to learn.

Before I knew it, “manipulation” had become a part of my everyday life.

Meanwhile, I was starting to get really stressed out by Mama’s utter lack of awareness.

[You know, everyone at my part-time job is sooo nice~~]

Mama said it with this happy little grin.

[They’re always like “Ikusaba-san’s that kind of person, so you don’t need to push yourself too hard”, and they let me take breaks. I mean, it’s nice, but also I feel kind of bad being the only one getting special treatment…… Fufu.]

No, Mama…… they’re mocking you.

Even that thing the store manager said the other day, that’s mocking.

Saying they hired you because they’re short-staffed? That was sarcasm……

In other words, passive-aggression.

They’re mocking you, Mama.

Why do you take people’s words at face value?

This country’s all about saying one thing and meaning another.

Why just swallow whatever some loser says?

You’ll end up crushed.

……And yet, I still couldn’t say any of that.

Instead……

[Hehh, really? Sounds like a nice workplace.]

[That’s right, isn’t it~~?]

One day, I decided to check out Mama’s part-time job in secret.

……Ugh. As I suspected.

They were all younger than her.

To think she was being looked down on by them……

I waited until what looked like break time, then approached the store manager.

[Um, excuse me…… I’m the daughter of Ikusaba ■■■■■■———-]

Sometime after that, Mama came home practically glowing.

[You know what? Everyone at work’s been so much kinder to me lately! Fufu, do you think it’s because they’re finally recognizing how hard I’ve been working?]

She even did a little double-fist pump. Like she was cheering herself on.

[For you too, Asagi-chan! I’ve got to become more dependable!]

……No, Mama.

It’s not because of your hard work.

It was because of me.

How dumb can you be……

Stop it already.

You’re not capable of being dependable.

[Ah, and if I have more time, maybe I can help you study? I mean, I certainly haven’t been able to lately, haven’t I?]

That’s when it hit me.

She still thinks she’s smarter than me.

She really…… is hopeless.

You know, Mama……

It hurts to watch.

Please, just stop already.

Seriously——— you’re so annoying.

▽

At this rate, Mama’s gonna fall apart.

She’s definitely going to mess up sooner or later.

I have to get her a man who understands her or she’s done for.

And so, I decided to find someone to pair her up with.

Someone who’s not too good-looking.

A guy who doesn’t seem confident in himself——— someone with low self-esteem.

Someone who’s reasonably capable and normal, but doesn’t have much luck with women.

A man who thinks “If I let this woman go, I’ll never get another chance.”

That’s the kind of guy she needs.

A kind one.

But not the type who makes a big deal of things just because he’s “kind”.

Someone who doesn’t even realize he’s kind would be better.

So I scouted for a guy who might be able to protect Mom.

Brainwashed him. Matched them up.

Of course, I made it look like they met by chance.

Mama seemed to like him (naturally, I picked someone she would).

…………Seriously.

She’s so high-maintenance.

Honestly———– she pisses me off.

She should just die.

▽

I entered high school and enrolled in Ogito Academy.

As for the reason I chose Ogito Academy, it was just because it was close to home.

By that time, I’d already grown bored of a lot of things.

Once you hit high school, killing through brainwashing starts to get risky.

I wasn’t about to get arrested.

Besides, I was already getting tired of the whole brainwashing game anyway.

The same goes for games, they all seemed to lead to the same endings.

So lately, I hadn’t really been into them.

I dabbled in all sorts of genres, but a lot of them turned out to be impossible games.

As soon as something felt like an impossible game, I’d cut my losses.

Time is limited after all.

But after bailing on so many things, even the games themselves started to feel stale.

Well, there are still some amazing manga out there that I’m waiting on.

……Even if the ones I love the most always seem to go on indefinite hiatus.

There’s still a bunch of stuff I don’t know or haven’t experienced yet.

It’s not like I have no reason to keep living.

So I was just, well…… kind of coasting through life at a slower pace.

Middle school, high school———- what’s the difference, really?

Same people, same routines.

That’s how it was in my first year.

Boring as heck, just trying to blend in and play the normie game.

But then, surprise, surprise.

The class I got placed into after moving up a year———- was none other than the fated Class 2-C.

Sogou Ayaka.

Kirihara Takuto.

Takao Hijiri.

Three people, all completely unlike anyone I’d met in my life.

Brainwashing them…… nah, I’ll pass on that.

Rather than trying to mold them into my own image, I want to observe them.

So I’ll just take it easy for now. (Besides, someone like Hijiri seems like she’d be trouble if I messed with her.)

Huh.

High school…… might actually be kinda fun.

□

……Or so I thought, but turns out there was a superdreadnought-class Joker hiding in plain sight all along.

I mean, seriously, your camo was way too good, Mimori Touka-kun……

Ahh…… but still, I really did want to fight you……

………………….

It was probably back then…… yeah, when we were in the dining hall of Mira’s castle, with the Fly King sitting across the table.

I let it slip, the story about how I made my father kill himself.

That wasn’t really like me. Not something I’d normally do.

So most likely———- at that moment, already……

I had acknowledged him.

As someone like me———– As a comrade.

As a potential rival.

……They say your greatest enemy is yourself, and all that.

Never thought I’d actually meet someone that much like me while I was still alive.

This is why I can’t quit the world.

Well, not like it matters. I’m already dead.

All that’s left———- is Kobato huh.

At first, I just planned to play this game of manipulating the isekai people.

Kobato was just another pawn to me.

If she died, oh well———- no big deal, I thought.

But looking back on it now, that line of thinking was garbage-tier.

She was the kind of pawn who should’ve gone to Ayaka’s group.

There was never any need for me to approach her.

To put it simply…… I must’ve seen the cat by that point.

The cat———- Mama’s illusion.

When I arrived in this other world, I was so happy the noise was gone.

I thought, I’m finally free.

I believed I could finally spread my wings without that d*mn cat around.

But…… it was there.

A classmate who resembled Mama.

Come to think of it, before I realized, the way I interacted with her had changed.

Without being aware of it.

No…… I didn’t want to be aware of it.

I didn’t want to admit the cat was still there.

I was sick of it.

Somewhere deep inside, I was desperate to think “this one’s different”.

Ahhhh……

Because of Kobato———- because of Mama, my promising little masterpiece ended up turning into a sh*tty game.

Well, that’s life, I guess.

There are people out there who actually like sh*tty games, y’know.

In the end……

Somewhere deep down, I must’ve loved her——— Mama.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have turned out like this.

Hmm…… still, those manga…… and how they ended……

Not being able to read those is kinda my only real regret.

Anyway, well…… Mama, have fun with that man of yours.

Your beloved daughter went through quite a bit to find him, you know?

See ya, Mama.

If heaven and hell really exist, I’m probably bound for hell.

Which means……

That guy’s probably down there too.

Haaah…… there’s a chance I’ll run into that guy again……?

Oh well. Can’t be helped.

Doubt Mama’s ending up in hell, but if by some freak chance that guy’s there———

Guess I’ll just brainwash him again and deal with him.

And so, with that…… this really and truly is———- Game Over.

And with that, goodbye.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep