Choices; the heart of all human life. Depending on the type of person you are, you may take an one option over another. It's a common thing for human beings, to make choices. Yet, sometimes, people find themselves unfamiliar with it.

The same couldn't be said about Kazami Yuuji. He was being eaten away by the regret he accumulated over his lifetime, but he was used to making choices. He'd choose his comrades over the mission, his life over his enemy's. He had chosen once again, and decided to infiltrate the mobile ship Tartarus to eliminate Oslo. It was the 'right' thing to do.

Despite knowing, Yuuji would never use the term 'right' for what he did. Too many corpses were left in his wake; he had chosen his revenge above the lives of the men he killed. He didn't appreciate this way of living, that's why life at Mihama Academy was so refreshing to him. To choose without taking on a huge burden - isn't that what a normal human being should be able to do?

His choices were the source of many people's hate. Zoe Graham, for one, was someone he'd made unhappy. When she had decided not to kill him, he already knew he would be laying down his life soon enough. He wanted to submit; he wanted to give up his life. Was it stupid? Yes, it most certainly was, but that didn't stop him from thinking that way.

In the middle of it all, Asako appeared in his dreams. She told him "Live for your sake", "Choose the path you want", but Yuuji couldn't understand it even if he came to terms with the fact Asako would say it. In fact, he felt extreme frustration deep down.

Live for my sake? How am I supposed to do that when I've killed so many people? He knew far too well that he wanted punishment. After lecturing Amane so thoroughly on punishment, this is how he ended up... How pathetic, he thought.

Yuuji decided to push that matter to the back of his mind and contemplate it later; right now, he had a man to kill. He had already killed several of Oslo's employees, the biological brother he'd never known and the man himself. Just when he thought it was truly over, a chamber in the corner of the decorated room opened. Through the wall of fog that clouded his eyes, Yuuji managed to barely discern shapes and colors. After a short delay, Yuuji realized who the man before him was.

Inside that room, a man who looked old enough to suck your life force away was sitting on a chair. The internal structure of the room was very complex, with several cables and devices lying around, but Yuuji's sights did not scan over anything but the man himself.

"...!" The ground under his feet disappeared, making him feel almost as if he were in free fall. He lost control over his conscious actions and he felt his head make way for his instincts. At some point, the man started speaking, but all Yuuji could hear was the sound of his own thoughts; "Kill. Die. Die. Kill".

Yuuji began saving up his strength. The wounds he had suffered were grave, especially the one to the stomach. He had to consciously think about breathing to keep himself alive. If he went in hyperventilation, he would definitely die.

"I want you to become the next Heath Oslo." The moment those words reached Kazami Yuuji's ears, his mind went into utter disorder once again.

"... Are you insane?" Despite sounding somewhat half-hearted, Yuuji conveyed his intention; he would never become Heath Oslo. He would never become a man who'd terrify, poison and kill so many people.

"Relax, my friend. It's not as if I'm asking you to save the world. You'd simply watch over it, and ensure its stability. A simple enough task, really. With you and your sister at the helm, it won't be difficult to maintain the 'peace' we've created..." The man spoke eloquently, yet his hoarse voice clearly conveyed the fact he was far past his prime. 160 years is far too long; no human being should live that long.

At the mention of his sister, Yuuji faltered. "... My sister?" Were he his usual self, he wouldn't hesitate to slash at Oslo - but he didn't muster enough strength yet. For that reason, he'd have to lean on the katana Asako left behind for a short while longer.

"That's right... She was the real reason I attempted to steal the Thanatos System, you know? She will be the brains, and you will be the brawn. If I'm not entirely mistaken, your sister has already hypothesized you might have this conversation with me, and she's probably predicted how you will respond to my offer as well. Everything is in your hands now; what is your choice?" The blonde man, wearing the signature red suit, could barely move anything but his fingers. Yuuji knew he would be an easy kill, and he had just mustered enough strength to do so. His rage was about to reach its apex, so he wanted to release it as soon as possible.

- A thought stopped him in his tracks.

Wait... what if this is the road? Yuuji knew something for certain: if he lived in a carefree way by his own choice, he would most definitely find guilt behind every corner. He couldn't escape from what he had done - not even the room he filled with his thoughts knew that better than he did. At the mention of saving the world, Yuuji felt insecure. He wanted to find a way he could grant himself hell on Earth; a way he could finally feel like he got the punishment for his actions. Sure, he knew what it meant to become Heath Oslo... but he looked at it from a different angle. With the type of resources he could control, Yuuji could save the lives of many people. Unlike Oslo, he'd never train children to be soldiers; he would only hold war at bay and protect the peace.

Paradise - Yuuji knew that his classmates were going to recreate Mihama Academy. However, the idea of salvation sounded far too light on him; the quantity of people he'd killed was far too many.

- if a bastard like me is allowed to have salvation, what type of rotten world is this?

The moment that thought made its way through his mind he made his choice. He would do it; he would become 'Heath Oslo', but he would do it his way. A number of plans started assembling inside his head, and before he knew it, he had his answer lying in the palm of his hand.

Since I can't be allowed to become happy - then I must do everything I possibly can to make more people happy! He knew Asako would never acknowledge that type of childish thinking, but he didn't know how to live any other way. The only woman he had ever loved was Asako, and since he couldn't be of any help to her, he knew he was a failure. He didn't want to go to heaven; in fact, he had a burning desire for hell. He knew he would die sooner or later, but felt like he had to make his life the reflection of misery.

The people that he'd keep safe would never know they were saved, but he was fine with it. It didn't matter anyways; he didn't want any gratitude. At that moment, Yuuji finally gave an answer to himself.

"I will become Heath Oslo."

- because I can't be allowed to become happy.