Sans lowered his head, saying nothing.
"So, are you planning to be friends with *her*?"
"Brother?" Papyrus asked.
"No."
"It was me who wanted to be friends with him," Frisk, confined within the bone fence, interjected.
Clearly,
She wished to move them with her kindness.
Hearing this, the heads of both brothers turned towards her.
Well, this statement was indeed a bit amusing given their current relationship; they had only shared one meal.
"Tsk tsk..."
Papyrus, stroking his chin, looked at Sans as if he were watching a clown.
"Go catch her."
Sans blinked, slowly and hesitantly.
"Huh?"
"Catch her."
Papyrus repeated patiently.
"Huh??" Sans asked again, his voice several octaves higher, his heart filled with inner turmoil.
"She wants to make a friend, right?" Papyrus repeated. "A good friend should let their new friend experience the simple folk customs here."
What a joke about simple folk customs; did he really consider himself a hospitable undead being?
From the sidelines, Mòzhī rolled her eyes and thought to herself.
The betrayal had evoked unpleasant memories for her, and Papyrus's repeated abuse of Frisk had long since disappointed Mòzhī.
She had even considered abandoning the idea of influencing Papyrus and preparing to bypass him to leave Snowdin Town.
But the prerequisite was to influence Sans and get him to side with her.
As it stood, it was still a bit short; Sans had only wavered slightly, and Frisk had not yet fully entered his world to the point where he would defy his brother without regard.
Frisk clenched her fists, looking at Sans. The latter was glaring at his younger brother, sweat beading on his forehead.
This was a manifestation of fear and hesitation.
"Sigh..."
Papyrus sighed. "Are you really this lazy?"
"Fine."
"I'll be the one to deal with this human."
"I don't even know how you keep your job as a sentry."
"But guess how much of my glory you've inherited?"
"I've always been the one doing all the grunt work!"
Papyrus became more agitated as he spoke. "Opportunities come to you, and you act like a useless piece of trash, achieving nothing."
"Papyrus..."
Sans attempted to say something, but Papyrus cut him off mercilessly. "Never mind, I'll do it myself."
*Snap*!
While the two brothers were talking, Papyrus waved his hand and mercilessly erased Frisk.
[Game Over]
Huh?
Until the death notification appeared, Mòzhī looked around, unable to recover. In her heart, she had always longed for that miracle to occur.
The outcome disappointed her; Sans still lacked the courage to confront Papyrus.
'This Sans!!'
'Sans, why didn't you protect Frisk!'
'She's almost at her limit, flowers have bloomed all over her body.'
'Wuwuwuwu~~ Why must it be so cruel!'
'Can't you let poor Fufu suffer a little less cruelty, you damn designer!'
...
The protests from the chat were exceptionally intense.
Mòzhī pursed her lips and said nothing. In terms of disappointment, as someone directly involved, she felt it no less than anyone else.
She had even entertained the thought of giving up the game, it was too heart-wrenching, purely created to inflict pain!
"Seven human souls."
In the game, after Frisk returned to Snowdin Town, Flowey explained, "King Asgore absorbing the seven human souls will make him a god, possessing enough power to break the barrier and liberate all monsters."
He shifted his posture. "They already have six souls. I... I guess you know the specifics."
Frisk nodded. "Only one more is needed, and with one more, they can be free."
Flowey sighed and looked elsewhere.
"I know we should be happy, but once they get out, they will destroy humanity."
"I can't accept this... knowing I could have done something about it..."
"But no matter what, I'm pretty useless anyway," Flowey said with a hint of guilt.
Frisk stepped forward and gently touched Flowey's petals. A flower had now bloomed on her brow, nearly obscuring her eye.
Even so, she managed a smile to comfort Flowey. "No, you're my friend. You're still here."
"You're important, and you're helping me."
"Fr... Wuwu~~~ Wah wah wah~~~!!"
Flowey froze for a moment, then completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
It was like a spectator, witnessing Frisk's suffering every step of the way, how many times she had struggled to stand after being pierced by bone shards... falling... standing up... falling... endlessly, without rest.
Frisk hugged the boot containing Flowey tightly, allowing it to vent its emotions.
"Cow... Colby?"
Upon reaching Sans's sentry post again, Frisk still proposed.
At this moment, Sans appeared very shaken, the light in his eyes flickering uncertainly, but he still managed to force out a trembling '...Okay.'
This time, Papyrus did not catch them, and they were able to have a peaceful meal.
"Uh... I have a question for you."
After a long silence, Sans lowered his head, unable to meet Frisk's eyes.
Frisk wiped her hands with a tissue and listened intently.
"Do you think... even the worst, most irredeemable person can change?"
A flower had grown by Frisk's eye; she was now only one death away from total blindness and her strength was completely compromised. Sans's appearance before her had become somewhat blurry.
She smiled, sincere and genuine, without the lengthy discourse of last time. "Of course."
Frisk's voice was very soft, so soft that only Sans could hear it.
"Let me tell you, this might not be so bad."
Sans's face showed a look of relief, as if he had made some decision that went against his ancestral teachings.
"I'll tell you what's bad."
Next door, Flowey's voice was particularly grating. It remembered every reset, and in most timelines, this was why Frisk remained lucid.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
Flowey glared at Sans, its anger evident, it had not forgotten the harm Sans's betrayal had caused Frisk.
"To confront you, to prove I'm not a waste."
This time, Sans led them down a path devoid of traps and monsters. Just as everyone's hearts began to relax, thinking they had avoided Papyrus entirely.
However, the unexpected happened again.
Papyrus, as if equipped with a tracking device, encountered them once more in the snowstorm.
"I must commend you, Sans."
Papyrus said with a cold, emotionless tone, "You did very well."
"Boss!"
Sans exclaimed in shock. "What are you doing here?"
He seemed somewhat afraid of Papyrus, his face pale. Oh, a skeleton's face is naturally pale.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice you leaving your post?"
Papyrus's expression was grim, and his tone was unfriendly. "Regardless, kill this human."
At this moment,
Frisk noticed Sans trembling all over; he seemed to be genuinely terrified of his brother.
He likely hadn't expected Papyrus to be here either.
She tried her best to defend Sans in her mind, while also preparing herself for a reset.
But just then, Frisk saw Sans clench his fist, and the trembling vanished, replaced by eyes filled with determination.
"I refuse!"
*But it refused!!!*
In that instant, the entire place erupted in cheers!