A Hitmanâs Absolution | Kris | Trial 3.End Pt. 2
Even though he instinctively wants to set Miyu at length because bloodstains are notoriously hard to wash off a fifteen-year old jacket, he simply continues to hug her. When was the last time she had a hug? âŚThis was the last time sheâd be able to hug anyone, wouldnât it? Other than Kunie of course, but he wasnât very sure if the tengu was up to friendship hugs however nice they were⌠And then Mi-Ke is there by them both, asking for her forgiveness for their role in the plan that had just nearly gone right.
Deep inside, Kris did feel a spike of anger. They had been this close and yetâŚthe anger spiralled away like dandelions in the wind. They had done it to save him, to protect what was left of his reputation (not that they could, what were they going to do, claim that he hadnât been personally responsible for the deaths of eighty-three individuals and more to follow?) and in a way he understood why the Feline Behaviourist would choose him over her. Not that he liked it very much, but that frustration would settle. So he lets go of Miyu with one more squeeze for certainty, before moving to embrace his lovecat. âWe need to talk about this later, ifâŚif there even is still a âweâ later. I know the others think Iâve been playing you for a fool, and for you to associate with me much longer⌠But weâll talk this through later, alright? I love you.â Pressing a soft kiss to their forehead, he straightens up, adjusts his sleeves, takes a slow, meaningful walk back to his podium before beginning his last speech of the night. Thankfully, it was nearly going to be over.
âI suppose a proper reintroduction is in order. And unlike the act I put on for this farce of a trial, everything Iâm about to say is the truth.For starters, I am sorry for the things we did during or before this trial. Youâre free to take it or leave it and itâs not like we can force you to do anything, but I sincerely apologize on the behalf of the three of us for our actions. My name is Shizuka Matsuoka, and I am the Super High School Level Hitman. And even if weâre never going to have a proper talk about it after this, Iâm obliged to warn you all this once: if you mention any of this to those with prying ears, there is a nonzero chance that they will also eliminate you as a liability. If it goes to the public at large that the school was actively training someone as a Hitman, then it will fall to me to make all loose ends disappear. Permanently. I donât want that any more than you do, regardless of whatever impression you have of me right now. I donât kill people who donât deserve it, though Iâll be honest in saying that some of you are verily testing my patience. Iâve never told you all about my true profession as it would be a breach in the contract I made with Hopeâs Peak. In fact, just by simply confirming things you already know, Iâm certain theyâre making plans to erase every record of my existence from their mainframe and claim plausible deniability on the side. Why be upfront about it now, after all? To admit that they had a role in eliminating threats to society by entrusting the responsibility to a seventeen-year old? Or the safety of an entire class toâŚâ Kris looks over to Zoya and winces in sympathy. âSorry, Zoya-san. But you have to admit the main board really shouldâve thought this through before they went through with this whole exchange programme. No offense.â
His wince turns into a scowl, as his eyes flit back around the room, taking the others in. âIâve never gained any pleasure from the act itself. But knowing that there were people out there, people the law couldnât touch or those who abused their own power over those who buckled and could not retaliateâŚI wanted to make a difference. I wanted to prevent more harm from being done, more families from losing their children and people from losing their best friends. For a year, Hopeâs Peak has been regularly sending me to eliminate people who would not be missed once they were gone. Embezzlers, oppressors and abusersâŚI killed them so nobody else would ever have to live with their deaths. That those who suffered under them for so long did not have to watch as they died. Even if Iâve had to get my own hands dirty, even if they will never be clean, at least no one else has to ever be in my position. You donât get to claim that those who kill others for a living are inherently bad people, Sato, or should I remind you how tenuous your arrangement with the administration board currently is?â He reserves his fiercest glare for Tsukuyomi. Sorry moon boy, heâs being petty for that one comment. I love Tsuku.
âMake no mistake: I was always prepared to murder today. Because when Kurokawa-san and Daze-san had perished and more were soon to follow, maybe it couldâve been some small absolution if I turned myself in after the deed was done. I did not wish a repeat of the last trial, and up until Agatsuma-san broke free of her bindings, that was all that would have occurred. I wanted some semblance of closure before I died - that maybe they would know or just were the provocateur behind TenpĹ-sanâs death. We spent too long trying to question them and Agatsuma-san broke free, so we fought. As you all know, I was about to deal the killing blow, butâŚâ His eyes stray to the stray cat, still apologizing for how they had messed it up twice over now. âThey nearly escaped, and before I could wrestle free and catch up, she appeared. The scuffle ended with Miyu standing over their corpse, and things had gone irrevocably, completely wrong.â
If his aura before had been clinically icy cold, then there was no second-guessing the anger that bubbled under the surface of the Hitmanâs visage. âI was fully prepared to die. Miyu was not. As she came to terms with the reality of the situation, she pleaded to live. She was never supposed to be the culprit, but now that she was, I couldnât just abandon her. Not after she had already suffered so much at our hands. Not when she was also a reluctant piece of the Escherine puzzle that is Hopeâs Peak. You can all talk a big game about how weâre monsters for trying to save her life, but let me ask you this: what would you have done if someone you cared about was in her place?â
First he turns to Shiba. âWould you have fled from the scene if Takenaka had killed someone to save you? Or if Shirashi was panicking over the fact that the only way no innocent lives would be lost like the ones in our clan was for him to die?â His gaze swiveled to the Genbus, the last clan left to remain intact (and even that would not be for long). âIf it had been Hanabashi or Akiyama who wanted to live, would you have turned them in nonetheless? Or in this case, if it had been you standing where I was when Miyu begged for a chance to live, would you have walked away? Would you have the courage to let yourself die for a mistake you didnât make?â And finally he turns to Shinobu. âMi-Ke pleaded for your life. Yours. The only reason I didnât go after you is because I love them and I wanted to think that weâd get our answers another way. A mistake I shanât make twice. Fuck. You.â
He bites his lip so hard that a trickle of blood falls down the side of his face, turning to glare at the rest of them all defiantly. âI donât think my actions were right. I know theyâre not right. And once again, Iâm sorry for all the hurt weâve put you through. But donât you dare tell me that I should have done nothing and left her to fend for herself. I made the most of a no-win situation we all agreed to, including Mi-Ke. We thought of ourselves, yes. But would you have been so noble to have not done the same?â
