Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 129: Round Two (3)

After all, just because it was the same environment with the same people under the same circumstances, it didn't mean everything would occur exactly the same as it had.

'That's the purpose of #MultipleTimelines, huh... to repeat endlessly until we find the one in which the Protagonist is named 「Judas」 and made to repent.'

That was likely Cecilia's ultimate goal.

To hang the Detective at the gallows. To burn the witch at the stake.

To that end, no matter how many tries it took.

The Decalogue Trial would go on and on, an infinite number of times if need be.

However, with me here, there's no way I would let it take that long.

'I'll make sure this time is it.'

And nothing the Protagonist does can stop me.

❖─────★★☆☆☆─────❖

By the end of the Second Day, the clergyman still refused to confess.

Whether he genuinely thought he hadn't sinned, or whether he knew but was pretending otherwise, the truth didn't really matter.

All I needed from him was one thing―his vote.

"My apologies... I wish not to speak with anyone but my Lord at this moment."

Unfortunately, I couldn't get it.

Anytime I tried to talk to him, he shut me down firmly, and whenever I pushed it further he would simply ignore me and close his eyes.

'Tch, fine... I still have plenty of opportunities.'

It was irritating, but since it was only the Second Day, I didn't think of it as that big a deal. There were still many others I could persuade, and losing one vote wasn't the end of the world.

I needed a total of six votes. Including my own vote, that lowered the barrier to five. Then, because I had already secured the old man's vote yesterday, I now only really needed four.

I was pretty sure that "Thomas'" and "Mathew's" votes could be counted as they were pretty easy to get along with even as things stood right now, and because I was taking measures with "John" this time around, I'm sure I could convince him and possibly his little sister to vote too.

So, as long as I could get the votes of those four, I would win.

'Should be easy enough...'

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Of course, as always, whenever I let down my guard and thought that, something bad was bound to occur.

And when the dawn of the Third Day arrived, I was really feeling sick.

❖─────★★☆☆☆─────❖

The theme of righteous slaughter rang free in the church halls.

Naturally, because the clergyman had not confessed, that was to be expected.

However, what absolutely couldn't have been predicted... were all the other desiccated corpses that surprised us come morning.

To be precise, all three of them.

Adding to the one belonging to the old man from the First Day, four new deceased joined him.

'Why...? Every time...?!'

Internally, I seethed.

Every time things are just about looking up, something disastrous happens to bring it all crashing down.

This time, a potential three votes had vanished into thin air, and not only that, but I couldn't even fathom why.

Although it didn't include the first part, I knew for a fact I wasn't the only one feeling that way.

"Matthew", "Thomas", and "James" had died.

The highschooler duo who I had been close to during the First Round, and who I had counted on for a free two additional votes this time... and the little sister of "John", who I was also counting on as an almost certain possibility for a vote.

Naturally, he was also devastated, and doubtlessly more than I was.

If there was a single sliver of a silver lining, it was that, with the six of us who remained, there was barely enough of a chance to have six votes lined up for the Protagonist.

Minus the Protagonist herself and Cecilia, there was the one vote already secured as well as my own, plus "John", "Peter", "Andrew", and the delinquent.

Although the former three shouldn't be too big of a problem, it would undeniably be difficult to persuade the latter guy to say what I want him to.

Still, because it was possible, I had to try.

And, if it failed...

'Like Cecilia said, as long as it takes...'

...Well, I'd just have to try again in the Third Round.