Chapter 54 - Post-War Processing
According to Ayako-chan, it seems Yuta was successfully talked into it.
"Are you alright? Saeki-kun had a terrible fever. He was also muttering things that made no sense. ...Eh? You mean you don't even remember how you came to the restroom? Could it be that you were in a state of delirium due to the high fever? Please be careful. It seems that sort of thing happens occasionally with minors."
When she continued to lecture him while leaning in close, he apparently accepted her explanation.
Yuta's ears apparently turned red all the way to the tips as he declared, "I will go to the hospital immediately."
If Kana is in that same state, she'll likely remain quiet, so there should be no longer any need to engage in a brawl.
Regarding the proliferated geniuses, as expected, it is impossible to process them all.
We have no choice but to wait for the public to accept them.
The way ordinary people are perceiving this incident is as follows:
"Some scientist was illegally making human clones. That girl named Saeki Kana just took advantage of it to try and become famous."
As expected of people from a dimension where there is neither heaven nor hell, they reach interpretations that lack even a shred of fantasy.
When I searched online, it seems Kana has been given the nickname "Split JK," and even ASCII art is being made of her.
I think she deserves at least that much retribution.
From here on, these are problems the Saeki family must overcome on their own.
I am strictly a Hero, not a counselor or a social worker.
I eliminate obstacles with overwhelming combat power.
If I can do that, it is enough.
"Next is our processing."
Late at night.
We gathered in the park next to the apartment, facing each other with identical faces.
By "we," I naturally mean Keisuke Nakamoto and the others.
Me, Keisuke A, who buried Kana's clone at the mountain peak.
Keisuke B, who had been working as usual for two days.
Keisuke C, who was in charge of surveillance.
The three Keisuke Nakamotos raised their hands vigorously, each asserting, "If you're going to erase someone, make it me."
Once things were settled, we would leave one person with the most value in living, and erase the other two.
That was the plan made before the proliferation.
By doing this, we could avoid bringing unnecessary confusion to society.
"My right half and left half were both generated by magic. In other words, I'm the one furthest from the original, right? Then you should be able to erase me without hesitation."
Keisuke C made a dignified, self-destructive offer while pointing to his own face with his thumb.
In response, Keisuke B attempted to argue.
"I was just showing off silly tricks at a TV station. It won't matter if I don't have these memories. Rather, you should leave A or C, who were deeply involved in the incident."
Of course, I also had material for an argument.
"It's not 'silly.' Considering future social life, I think it would be safest to leave B. Having memories of working is a big deal."
Everyone is surprisingly full of self-sacrificing spirit.
That said, since they are looking out for themselves, is it merely self-love?
Talking things through with the same human being is something I never get used to, no matter how many times I do it.
"Shall we just decide who to leave via a lottery?"
"Don't be so casual. Which Keisuke's experiences we leave behind is a matter of life and death."
"It'll be more or less the same regardless of who is chosen. Before erasing the other two, we can just teach each other what we experienced over these past few days. That way, our heads will be mostly the same."
"That's so vague."
Keisuke C showed an exasperated face at Keisuke B's suggestion.
As for me, the phrase "our heads will be mostly the same" had brought a certain idea to mind.
"I have a proposal. It's probably medically nonsensical, though."
"What is it?"
"I want to split you guys in half right now," I say.
"I want to take the left half of Keisuke B, which has been halved, and the right half of Keisuke C, and join them together and try to treat them with magic. I'll do the same for the other pair. If it works, we can create two synthetic humans who possess the memories of both B and C. Since they are the same person, there shouldn't be any rejection, right? If we repeat this, I think we can create a Keisuke with everyone's memories mixed in. We can just leave that one and the other two can disappear."
"That's good."
"Let's do it immediately."
I think I'm making a considerably insane proposal, but these guys, who agreed without hesitation, are quite something themselves.
"It'll be bad if our clothes get cut too, so let's take them off."
"A middle-aged man stark naked in a park late at night. Good thing we applied Concealment before gathering."
Chuckling, agreeing that there was no doubt about it, we undress.
No matter how strong the strongest Hero is, the cold is still cold.
Let's get this over with quickly.
I swung the Light Sword down vigorously at the Keisukes lined up with identical expressions.
The two of me became four pieces of flesh, divided equally.
The wounds were cauterized at the same time they were severed. It was a clean thing; not a single drop of blood flowed.
I gently picked up the severed Keisuke B and C.
I could tell they were twitching and barely still breathing.
No matter how much life force I have, if I don't hurry, they will die.
I quickly overlapped the cut surfaces and cast [Heal].
My Heal has a performance so high it is said to be infinitely close to Resurrection Magic, closing any wound.
I am almost certain the treatment will succeed, but even so, a sliver of anxiety remains.
Did it succeed?
As I watched with bated breath, the Keisukes began to stir and sit up.
Both were rubbing the backs of their heads, wearing indescribable expressions.
"...Ah... I see, so this is how it happens."
"It feels like my memories are being partially thinned out, and new, different memories are flowing in."
Both of them were now both B and C. I spoke to the two who no longer even knew how they should be called.
"Well then, next, I want you to cut me in half and attach me to one of your halves."
"I'll do it," the Keisuke on the left offered.
"Close your eyes. I'll finish it quickly."
"Sorry about this."
I spread my legs to about shoulder-width and stood firmly.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Even so, I could tell from the flow of air that the sword was being swung.
It's coming.
It's coming soon.
In just one second, I will be severed in two.
"...!"
—It came.
A whip of heat passed through the center of my body.
At the same time, my consciousness cut out.
" "
A few moments of blankness.
Eventually, as my thoughts returned, a torrent of memories rushed into me with overwhelming force.
The memories of C, who had been constantly monitoring the Saeki family.
The memories of B, who went to work at Sumire TV and was proposed to by a bizarre idol in the dressing room... proposed to...!?
...Is this okay?
"I feel terrible for Ange, but..."
I sat up and hung my head. What am I doing? I thought.
Naturally, my gaze turned toward my abdomen.
Then, two alphabet letters written in permanent marker on my flank entered my field of vision.
An 'A' on the right of my stomach. A 'B' on the left.
Through many twists and turns, my left half had returned to its original place.
When I looked to my side, my mass of flesh, which had been brutally split in two, lay there.
"Aren't you going to heal this side too?"
At my words, Keisuke B+C÷2 (it's a strange expression, but there's no other way to say it) showed a troubled face.
"We're going to erase it anyway, so there's no need, right? Come on, kill me. You, who have inherited the memories of all three, are the supreme Keisuke. Moreover, that body is made from the original versions before proliferation being joined together."
"...Thanks for everything."
"Don't worry about it. After all, look, it's yourself."
The only one who can defeat the strongest Hero is, after all, the strongest Hero.
Besides, my attack power slightly exceeds my defense.
Therefore, if I attack the other Keisuke, I can make him vanish without issue.
"See ya."
With the attack magic I unleashed, the clones completely vanished.
[Keisuke Nakamoto has won the battle!]
[Obtained 99999999999 EXP]
[Obtained 999999 Skill Points]
[Hero Keisuke has risen to level 301!]
[The performance of the Unique Skill 'Fatherhood' has increased]
[The performance of the skill 'Divine Sword' has increased]
[The performance of the skill 'Sorcery' has increased]
[Acquired skill 'All Attribute Resistance']<
As expected of having defeated a Hero, a massive amount of experience flows in.
It would only be inconvenient if I got any stronger than this.
Well, whatever.
Next is sorting through the belongings.
Since the clothes and shoes of three people are scattered about, I will pick out the most expensive ones from among them.
Underwear, jeans, dress shirt, belt, sweater, coat, sneakers.
Since I can only leave one person's worth, I examine them carefully.
Once the sorting work was finished, I burned the remaining clothes of the other two with magic.
Because they would be in the way for the play I'm about to perform.
I'll have it be as if those two went on a long journey while still alive.
It would be unnatural if their clothes remained.
"...Cold."
I shuddered.
I felt like I was about to catch a cold, so I hurriedly bundled up in my clothes.
Let's go home.
I hunched my shoulders and trudged back to the apartment.