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occasionally subtle
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@tenseki1079
Art Fight 2023 Sketches
compilation of my very few art fight attacks ;w;
1 - Runa / belongs to on Oyasumiruna
2 - Cass / belongs to Nixsmis
3 - Lacey / belongs to Ssnakespit
didn't get to draw as much as i wanted to mainly due to being sick but i'm happy with these 3
"SIDE GOLD"
CHAPTER 2: UNNO YUTAKA (PART 1/2)
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
"Special Attack"... Short for Special Attack Corps. A suicide ram attack is generally referred to as a special attack unit. At the end of World War II, the Japanese army, which was in a difficult situation, made a systematic and large-scale effort to get out of the war situation. On October 20, 1944, the name of the first special attack unit, "Kamikaze Special Attack Corps", could also be called "Kamikaze".
Unno Yutaka was screaming at the empty sky.
"Hey, please wait."
At noon on August 15, 1945 (Showa 20). He had been yelling ever since he was told the war was over, after the radio broadcast at Oita Air Base, where he had no idea what was being said. There were those who cried, those who crouched down, those who were stunned... There were many, but he was the only one who...
"I do not think."
...was screaming.
"I guess we're meeting here to carry out a suicide attack."
Driven by a sense of mission and exhilaration, he was taught that his own emptiness was the same as death, and it all bothered him, but still, from the bottom of his heart, he couldn't help but scream.
"Since I joined the camp, I've been beaten up by shitty people for shitty reasons, but I'm still here to hold on to fly and throw everything I've got to that shitty enemy in the sky... I guess."
He jumped from the barracks into the scorching summer sky and screamed at the place where he had decided to die.
"It's too good to provoke a lot of people and stop because it's over. Like you until this morning, say something nice. What about your beliefs, what about your spirit?"
The boy's cry did not resound like a cicada and disappeared under the sky.
Because he was like that, he was glad when he heard that the lieutenant general, who had been the commanding officer, had decided to launch a kamikaze sortie on his own, saying that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of a large number of loyal generals who had not yet received a formal ceasefire order.
"That's it. It's about taking responsibility for what you've done."
Without hesitation, he volunteered to accompany him.
Several people who had just woken up from his collapsed state immediately after the broadcast also volunteered to accompany them.
Then, after 17:00 on August 15, the 11 "Comet" carrier-based bombers that could fly at the base flew into the pre-sunset sky with a heart-rending engine sound. It didn't even have a machine gun, it was a kamikaze plane that couldn't be used for anything more than the 80th weight bomb that would hit the enemy.
The sky is infinitely wide, and the sea is infinitely distant. It was a sight that made them forget that far ahead, a brutal American and British fleet was closing in to trample their homeland. They greeted the setting sun.
"Well then, Sun God. We will never meet again."
Before long, night fell, and when the formation flight began to be in danger, they were able to miraculously meet the enemy fleet.
Having avoided the worst possible outcome of a running out of fuel accident, he was delighted at the chance to throw as much as he could, and turned his nose towards the enemy fleet. A tremendous density of flak guided them from the other side. Or maybe one of the wingmen crashed first.
"Thank you."
He thanked the enemy fleet and his wingman and began to descend.
His body floated, and then he was pressed against the seat. Wrapped in those shuddering sensations, his mouth wrapped in a white silk scarf contracted.
(I’m not afraid, I cannot be afraid.) He thought like that frantically, had not any moment for flashing back to his whole life. (It is not fear, I have no fear, laugh, hey come on, laugh.)
The airship's shadow flashed with gunfire, and before he got there, the sudden sound of metal being torn away and the dull tremor of the collision tore through his entire body.
It was hit and the airship was crushed by the shell.
He immediately burned and died.
"Sorry, fuck off."
The words may have been felt and not expressed.
However, there was only the feeling of falling while a machine spinning out of control.
And so, their war ended.
++++++++++
Unno Yutaka woke up under the sun that he should have said goodbye to.
He woke up in a clean bed.
He could tell at a glance that he was inside a ship.
"I'm alive... what a shame."
Also, the ship was not Japanese, it was an American warship.
As soon as he thought he had been taken prisoner, he put his hand to his waist, but of course the self-determination pistol was taken from him. Of course, he had no intention of committing suicide.
He didn't know the spirit of living and not being humiliated as a prisoner of war printed by stupid air force personnel. He just thought of grabbing a gun and going on a rampage to the end and dying.
But at that time he had no weapons.
Most of all, he realized that a significant part of his heart had been discouraged by the fact that the suicide attack, which he had faced with such despair, had failed. Maybe he was disappointed in himself for not getting to the place where he was supposed to die.
"There is a gun, at a time like this... either to kill yourself or to go on a rampage and die, was it a talisman to keep you alive?"
It was as if the heat that filled his entire body had disappeared.
Then, in a daze, an officer in a starched military uniform approached him, who did not have any stains on his body. Perhaps they planned to interrogate him or even execute him. The officer spoke to him in fluent Japanese. Somehow, he seemed to think of him as a boy who had been recruited.
"Don't be silly, I'm far from 20 years old, but I'm a full-fledged person."
Even when he yelled back, the officer laughed and excused himself, saying that the Japanese look young.
During the conversation, he learned that the officer had stayed in Japan for a long time as a military attaché, that he had many Japanese acquaintances in the quarters, and that he had learned Japanese at that time.
"Before the war, you mean?"
When he was young, he had no idea that he had just spent time before him where he could get along with the Americans. More than that, he hastened to ask him if he would be executed, but he replied that the war was already over, there was no need to listen to him, and he didn't want to kill him now.
"Now..."
A single word with precise pronunciation, just now... marked the end of the war in his mind.
After that, he spent more than two weeks with the soldiers until the warship docked in Yokosuka. The soldiers loathed kamikaze like madness, and indeed, kamikaze had caused great damage to the fleet in the past, but even so, as a kamikaze pilot, he was nonchalantly treated as a "cheeky kid who slipped into the ship".
"Heh, that one wins, this one loses, so there's plenty of room."
At first, he thought that the reason they treated him that way was because they were happy that they had won the war. To some extent, his assumption was correct, but after a while he realized something else, completely normal.
Any soldier. They weren't brutes who were indoctrinated by their superiors, they were the older brothers. Reluctantly dragged onto the battlefield, the rude and impatient soldiers, or the timid and clumsy, or the hostile and kind-hearted...were not meant to be killed.
He couldn't help but feel that the image of the enemy within him was terribly distorted.
He also learned from an officer (perhaps thinking that the "little warriors" wanted to know the outcome of their battle) that a ruthless reality was one of the main reasons for the soldiers' attitude.
In other words, the final suicide attack from him did not cause any damage to the fleet.
It was because they had no criminal record that he felt at ease.
Even though his pride was greatly hurt, he still acted tough on the spot.
"I don't like being treated like a child, but whether it's an arm wrestling or a fist fight, the odds are 50/50."
After that, for a while, he worked in the kitchen for food, singing nostalgia songs with which he didn't understand the language. In the fist fight at the drinking party, he was "fighting amongst themselves", and he learned broken English. On the contrary, he taught Japanese, and as he dealt with various faces, confusion began to arise in him.
"Hey, did I go out of my way to kill these guys?"
When he received a letter from an officer at his residence in Tokyo, he thought.
"These guys aren't the ones I have to hit with everything I've got."
Seeing the ravages of Yokosuka approaching, he reflected.
"Well then... who are those guys? What is that? Who was that? What was that?"
Unable to give an answer, he got off the warship and asked the officers and soldiers to see him off.
"Thank you."
He said that and said goodbye.
Unno Yutaka returned to Tokyo, alternating between the burned fields and the remains of the fire.
The hustle and bustle of the black market, the hustle and bustle of people, saw a boy clinging to an Occupation Army jeep, heard a happy song on the radio, walked past an ex-military policeman being lynched, and headed for a temporary destination .
There was nothing in the pension in Japan requested by the officer.
To be more precise, only the pillars that had not been reduced to ashes greeted him. Still, he did not give up, asking roaming scavengers and people living in the barracks about the whereabouts of the inhabitants.
"I am alone and have nothing else to do. It is a debt of gratitude for a night's stay and a meal."
He heard many stories as he searched for things that he didn't know if they were dead or alive.
The commander who led them on a suicide attack was criticized here and there.
Most of those who spoke badly were the comrades of the commanders, that is, the leadership of the old army. They unilaterally declared to the dead that if they decided to commit suicide, they would do it alone, that it would be nothing more than a suicide attack by a private army that ignored orders, taking with it young people with a promising future.
"Don't be silly to say something against the man who constantly puts a line on what he has done."
He was angered from the bottom of his heart by that ruckus.
"What, next time you should use that life for the restoration of your homeland. It must have been until yesterday that you took it from a young man with a promising future and ordered him to die."
From the bottom of his stomach, a kind of fever revived.
"Are you ordering me to turn my palms back, value my life, and work hard to rebuild? Don't you think of people's lives as nothing more than a tool that can be used for your benefit? Fuck you."
The heat hadn't gone away.
"The kamikazes did it because it was an order after all, whether they wanted to die or not. The bigger you get, the duller it gets, and you can roar to whatever you want."
Like a buried fire, he kept burning deep inside.
"How long will they continue to give orders to my life and our lives?"
A rumor reached his ears while he was dying with a pain that he could not scratch, even if he wanted to.
It was rumored that the occupying forces would collectively incinerate the Japanese army planes.
His feet turned towards Chofu, the elimination site.
Unno Yutaka grimly muttered.
"Even the execution ground is not that far away."
Under the autumn sky, the darkness increased with each step.
It was all a sad spectacle.
When he arrived at the Chofu airbase, mountains of various sizes had been built here and there.
The wings that once flew through the sky were now mountains of scrap that had been mercilessly crushed.
He knew well which ones were thrown away without even being burned.
A twin-engine trainer with a broken leg, a Type 0 transport plane with its cockpit torn off, a Shiden with its wings torn off… the marks of having been destroyed by human hands, not in combat, were clearly visible. Tires had been removed from many aircraft. According to a nearby resident, it was taken away to be used as farm equipment. There was no need for those things anymore, so what was wrong with using them for something else?
"Ha, I'm losing... it's disgusting."
And then, with a heavy heart, he arrived at the base's large airstrip, where the end was about to begin.
The bulldozer rushed forward and pushed the Type 100 reconnaissance aircraft upside down onto the aircraft next to it. Also, the planes they had brought back had probably been pushed into space, and the twin-engined Type 1 and Type 97 had their muzzles sunk into each other. Front, back, left, and right, Gale and Hien were crammed into a small space.
A Japanese worker scattered fuel between them, which there was no point in taking care of anymore. In addition to the roughly patrolling guards, many other onlookers gathered to watch the victory for them.
Before long, a harsh whistling sounded and a fire started.
He was watching his fate closely.
"......"
Thick black smoke rose up, followed by a dazzling flame.
The planes are slowly roasting.
"Something like this..."
He finally squeezed out a single word of emotion that seemed to make sense.
Suddenly, one of the wings burst open in the flames.
"......!"
The remaining fuel in the fuel tank caused the explosion.
Small explosions occurred one after another, tearing the plane apart.
"Uh..."
The smoke and flames expanded even further, swallowing the form of what had once been.
Before the invisible and disappearing things,
"Hey, please wait."
Unintentionally... he hid his voice, spilling out his real voice.
Like the planes, everything on it was burned, blown up, and smashed.
Forgetting to even blink, his voice continued to spill out as he covered himself in the smell of oil and the soot of smoke.
"Iron Wings, are you going to leave me behind?"
The wings that looked up in admiration mercilessly disappeared into the flames.
Being left behind, he didn't even know where to throw everything he had.
He didn't even want to obey an order that told him to go for a selfish prospect.
Wings, enemies, life, everything that should have existed for him to live was completely lost.
Anger, frustration, and sadness swirled inside him like a storm, burning with flames.
The tears that could have flowed were dried by the flames that burned irreplaceable things.
"All of me, all shining, should have been there."
Dokun... Something pulsed in the distance.
"But everything, I can't help it, I made it somehow."
Dokun… his heart was pounding, and something about it reached him.
"I'm..."
To the other side of the flames, to there...
"As I did?"
He let out an angry roar that welled up from the depths of his heart.
"Turn it off, alright, ooooooh!"
At the top, his senses suddenly expanded.
"......?!"
From the end of the darkness that he went through, the "Slate", the "King, Red", destruction.
Various fragments of theory flowed into his mind, but he knew nothing at all... With only his senses, he knew that the heat that burned him was accompanied by flames. He knew that the flames were overflowing without stopping.
"Why, this guy...?"
The words he addressed to those who interrupted his shouting were voices, not voices, but in a different form. Instead of exhalation, masses of flames dispersed. The open palm in front of him, and the entire body that was looking down, were engulfed in fiery red flames.
It was very hot, but it did not burn a layer of clothing or a single layer of skin.
He was irritated by the hellish disgust of not being able to die
"......?"
Capturing the sensation of being a part of him, he looked up.
He looked up at the sky for the first time that day, and it was floating in the black smoke that was rising towards the gloomy cloud.
It was a gigantic sword that gave off a dazzling red glow.
He muttered as he breathed in flames.
"I don't even care about the wings..."
He didn't like the fact that it was something that connected him.
A startled cry broke out behind him.
It's not a Japanese voice, it was a familiar American voice.
When he turned around wondering what was going on, several US soldiers on guard were staring at him with pale faces.
He vomited from the disgust of being burned alive.
"Fuck it. I'm in a good mood now."
Something hit him in the stomach.
If he only looked at it, he could see one of the American soldiers pointing his cannon at him, which was leaking gunpowder. He thought that he was going to clean it with a gun before. There wasn't a single scratch on his belly, let alone on the clothes he wore.
He felt that the flames had fanned.
"How nice."
He was stirred up, and his spirit was also on board. There were times when he wanted to freak out, even though he knew freaking out wouldn't help anything... Now was the time.
With hellfire burning his wings behind him, he stepped forward.
Although his shoes didn't burn, the ground he stood on did burn.
He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of that.
His smiling voice turned into flames and scattered into the sky.
He cried out loud to his heart's content.
Feeling like a nightmare, he jumped on those who would shoot him.
The bullets that hit him did not hold as long as the raindrops.
He learned that, with the power of his fists, he could turn anyone to ash.
However, after waiting for a second, he yelled.
"Hey, you guys!"
After the US soldiers fled, they vandalized the jeep.
As he was convinced, the iron melted, expanded, and exploded.
The surroundings became noisy and US soldiers, in addition to security, rushed to the scene.
Even with hundreds of thousands of machine guns and rifles firing all over his body, he kept going.
At that moment, he advanced as if he was flying a distance that he couldn't reach from far.
He broke the armored car like candy, he saw further, he went further.
"Hahaha! Hey, isn't there a tank?! A warship is fine!"
With his own cry, the faces of the officers and soldiers suddenly came to life.
"Eh?!"
He looked around to see if there was anyone inside the armored vehicle that had been smashed to pieces.
He then he let out a fiery breath in the middle of nowhere, and turned white.
"Oh... what the hell is this fucking dream... I can't wake up."
He turned on his heel and walked slowly amid countless frightened stares.
In the fire that still burned the wings and the rest.
Finally, black smoke swirled in the wind, the flames rose, and the nightmare for the American soldiers ended.
He stepped on the rubble, and when he got to the middle, he exploded under a step and flew into the sky. Leaving behind the flames, he stepped through the black smoke and looked closely at the huge gigantic sword.
It was strangely shaped, neither a machine nor a creature.
"What are you going to do?"
He asked before the levitation of the explosion finished, but there was no answer.
With a snort, he made another explosion in the transition from floating to falling and flew away. He did not set any particular address. He left it to chance and flew as far as he could, but with all his might.
Those who made a fuss on the ground did not notice the star that had fallen from high above their heads.
"This kind of thing... what should I do?"
Unno Yutaka whispered into the empty sky and closed his heavy eyelids.
From somewhere in the past, he prayed for the dream to start again.
Although he knew it would not come true, he kept praying.
December 1948.
The Shizume area, which had been burned down during the air raids, has now formed a decent urban landscape. Of course, a splendid building (even if it burned down) was not enough for the fingers of one hand. All the wooden houses are smaller than the barracks, and the only advantage is the animation.
In the city center, the street stall-style black markets had all but disappeared, except in a few places. Instead, "markets", which are permanent shops lined up in rows of densely packed terraced houses, were common. Most of the shops were crowded restaurants and bars, pachinko parlors, sundry shops, and a slightly quirky dance hall.
Three years after the war, domestic distribution had been revived and shopping was no longer the job of an individual carrying a large backpack between the country and the city. The normal economic activity of middlemen buying ingredients and merchandise in bulk and selling them wholesale to each store was returning to normal.
An organization called "Kumi" was in charge of the operation of the entire market, management of trading rights, transactions with brokers, surveillance patrols, arbitration of disputes, and even negotiations with the government.
His predecessor was a group called Kagushiyashi, who had been in charge of land division (store locations) and entertainment at many local festivals. In the crowded market, there was a group that divided up each section, and while supporting the vitality of reconstruction, sharpening its rival's day by day with the goal of prosperity.
One of them was a group called "Kagirohigumi".
It is an emerging group born after the war, and the tightening of the market was relatively weak. Both the payment collected at the store and the brokerage fee were cheaper than the market price. Of course, kindness was not the reason. On the contrary, the members' arms were ridiculously strong and the controlled area was several times wider than the other groups, making it cheaper for that amount.
The Shizume area was originally a lawless area where many groups created a black market right after the war and fought over territory just like in the Warring States period. There was no patience to look at each other, no reason to compromise, and from bullying like obstruction of business to outright violent incidents, the chain of vices was the daily life of that town.
At the beginning of 1946, the disastrous situation changed completely with the sudden appearance of Furaibo. A wandering man... or, rather, a boy who ate everything on his strength alone.
Starting out as a free food eater at a street stall, sounding like a street fighter, being hired as a bodyguard at a market, and finally starting out as "Kagirohi-gumi" at the end of his fierce to-and-fro with multiple groups, even barefoot he was a fierce upstart in the career. Even after establishing the group, it took him more than two years to deal with other interventions and conflicts, and the former Furaibo was now in the position of a big boss who controlled most of the market in the Shizume area.
The big boss, who returned from a kamikaze attack, was exactly like a kamikaze attack, he was not afraid of death and even wanted to die.
In other words, he was "Unno who was slow to pass away".
"SIDE GOLD"
CHAPTER 2: UNNO YUTAKA (PART 2/2)
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
There is a normal private brothel and gambling house at the back of the so-called Yokocho (the sign is "Kagirohi Business Association", and the name of the remaining place is "Kagirohi Yokocho"), which opens the entrance of the townhouse in the main street. Relatively speaking with the police... Kagirohi-gumi wasn't too enthusiastic about those things that were easily noticed by the superiors and the occupying forces, but still existed to a lesser degree than necessary.
When the early winter sun goes down and the market is packed with customers coming home from work, the little joint opens up in secret. For some reason, there was a thick plaque with just the name of the store, "Yakumo", written in large letters on the dilapidated shack that stood out from the others. Known only to those in the know, it is the fortress of Kagirohi-gumi.
Now he was receiving an early visit from a rare visitor.
A building with no play in its structure turns into a covered fire pit as soon as you walk through the entrance. Normally, the amusement park, where the bloody-eyed patrons would be excited, shouting "one way, half way" centered on that white cloth, was silently enveloped by a strange visitor. However, the place was not cold.
Rather, it was boiling with a heat that almost burned the skin.
The seats were unusually arranged with the cloth tray in the middle.
A rude visitor sat at the entrance. All of them were a group of people wearing soft hats, suits, and coats, and each of them was wrapped in furoshiki cloth. There was a gloomy composure without madness or ferocity, which was clearly different from the brats running in and out of the group.
In the center of the group, an American sat cross-legged.
He was a dubious man with round eyes and a deep wrinkled smile, neither middle-aged nor young.
It was said by a man from Kagirohi-gumi, who was bending his slender torso completely.
"Thomas Colt... you said that, brother of the Occupation Army, Ani-san."
Rather, that was a strong-looking young man who had a deep voice, a thick torso, thick arms, and thick legs when he sat upright, and whoever saw him could not misunderstand him. The perforated eyes that filled the entire body, the presence of an enormous weight, suppressed the outburst of the young people behind.
Colt nodded with a smile that hid his emotions.
"Yes, Okuma Tamataro-san."
His fluent Japanese gave off a sense of suspicion rather than familiarity.
"According to his family record, he is 25 years old. The only son of the Kanto Okuma group that hired him as a janitor. Through repeated fights, he became a bad friend. After the death of his father, Sayataro, he handed over control of the group to him, and together they became Kagirohi-gumi. Commonly known as "Onikuma"."
Okuma's thick eyebrows twitched. As he felt the excitement of the youths, he calmly returned it.
"You seem to know a lot about it. And what are you looking for?"
"Yes, of course, I'd like to ask him to see me. It's a loss for you too."
"Go home."
As soon as he gave up, Okuma stepped on the tray and slammed his fist into his opponent's face. With a one knee stance, a thick fist thrown as naturally as walking.
"......!"
But it didn't make it to Colt.
A translucent barrier that appeared in front of him blocked the blow.
Colt added a small amount of teasing and deepened his smile.
"Wow. Just like information, you're fast."
"......"
Okuma silently ignited his fist as he continued to press against the barrier.
In the center of the dimly lit playing hall, an unlikely light lit both fields red. A group of coats reached for a furoshiki wrap, while the Kagirohi-gumi youths raised a dagger or a long wakizashi dosu.
They almost exceeded their limits in a matter of seconds.
"Enough, Okuma."
The woman who was poking her chin out at the back counter stopped him with a loose voice.
"What a great psychic. Isn't that unusual for the Occupation Army?"
Saying so, the woman stared at Colt's power through his round black glasses.
As for Colt, his wrinkled smile didn't break.
"I wouldn't say it's rare... as long as you live in this place... It's common, isn't it, Todokoro Suwako-san?"
"I see; you know me well."
Suwako stood up, tall and slender, approached. Her peculiar outfit, with ill-fitting hair and a worn kosode and long haori, swayed with every step.
Placing Okuma's fiery fist in front of him, Colt continued without hesitation.
"I know many other things. According to the family record, she is 23 years old. Her family died in an air raid. The owner of the restaurant where she first worked in this town. A lover who always accompanies him and who handles the administrative affairs of Kagirohi-gumi, commonly known as "Hanakumo"."
"Are you saying that on purpose to make me angry?"
Despite the atmosphere, the youthful beauty of hers smiled like a blooming flower.
It wasn't glee or affection; it was an expression of anger that burned slowly.
Before he even noticed it, many red threads that burned the air spread out from the tip of her hair.
Okuma suddenly realized and raised his fist.
"Bastards, they're coming!"
As he yelled at the youths, he himself collapsed to the ground.
A countless number of red threads were dancing wildly at high speed. Several youths who failed to escape were shot down, and even the "Yakumo" arcade was smashed by a ferocious blow from inside. A thick, tough nameplate rose into the sky.
Though a cry of surprise erupted from the depths of the market.
"What?! "Yakumo" exploded?!"
"Is she in and out again?"
"Who is it this time, boss Unno?"
"Okay, big sister! Find out if there's a fire!"
He didn't see enough of a stir to cause a panic. It was a common occurrence there.
First-time visitors were amazed. If the barrier hadn't covered all of them, it would have been more than amazing. Feeling cold sweat on his cheeks, Colt kept smiling.
"So this violence is as reported."
Saying that, he sharply raised his right hand.
In response, the group of coats unwrapped the cloth that wrapped them. From within, automatic rifles and heavy weapons three times as severe as Okuma imagined appeared. They aimed their tubes at "Yakumo", which had turned into rubble.
Before long, Okuma was the first to pull his thick body out of the rubble. In both arms was a young man who had been run over and passed out. As he took a deep breath, he asked next to him with a serious face.
"Don't do that, Suwako. What part of the earlier tease annoyed you?"
"They call me lover. If you can do that, no one will have a hard time..."
Standing calmly alone on the spot, Suwako muttered with her mouth pouting.
Colt ignored that.
(It was a little different than planned, but I don't mind.)
His target was a single man who should have dated if he had a dispute with his henchmen.
"Geeh, geeh!"
Somewhere in the rubble, a young man coughed.
"Damn, people are sleeping comfortably, why all the fuss?"
Colt was attentive and focused on the person raising the voice.
Someone kicked the galvanized board away and it righted itself. He brushed the dust off the jacket that appeared to be a leaked article.
"Ah! Did you do it again?!"
His physique was unexpectedly small, but his fearless gaze as he looked around him had an extraordinary attraction. A majestic atmosphere that makes you feel that things are different filled his whole body and overwhelmed the viewer.
Not intimidated by him, Suwako blurted out her own words as she did so.
"Shut up, bastard! More than that, he's a customer."
"A guest?"
He searched for a foreign object among the rubble.
Colt, who should have met the attack with determination and strength, felt a slight sensation of dread as his eyes turned to him. He came to mind, unpleasantly, the metaphor of a rat versus a bird of prey.
As expected, his eyes went to the group that was targeting them.
"Okay, let's do it."
As soon as he learned that the customer was his enemy, Unno Yutaka made a quick decision and willingly agreed.
In preparation, he wrapped the white silk scarf that he dug out of the rubble around his neck.
Near the collapsed "Yakumo", there was a vacant lot unofficially managed by Kagirohi-gumi. It was a forced evacuation area established before the war to prevent the spread of air raids.
They used it as a battlefield when they went in and out of other places. Even today, Okuma and Suwako were on Unno's left and right, and behind them, there were a dozen youths, and they were intimidating the opponent with his usual disposition.
Today's opponent did not respond by threatening to face each other like a mirror match. In the center of the group carrying sword-swallowing firearms, Colt with a doubtful smile began a sleepy story.
Under the night, voices came and went through the unlit streetlights.
"Once again, I would like to express my greetings to you, Third King, Unno Yutaka."
"What are you saying?"
Even if he was fluent in Japanese, he couldn't understand unfamiliar words. With a doubtful look on his face, Unno's childish face looked even more childish.
Colt obediently added an explanation.
"Third, the one who has the power of the King... In other words, it is a word that legally defines "King". Our country does not have a royal family, so please forgive me for using such a formal phrase."
It was a long talk based on the speculation that it would not be a bad idea to appeal that it was a party that would be forced to cooperate from now on, and that it was different from the group that started a conflict.
However, Unno's understanding was at a stage well before such speculation.
"Why, am I the third?"
"It's just the order in which the existence was confirmed, don't worry about it."
Colt continued patiently, though he was dismayed at his childishness.
"Actually, the Occupation Forces have been aware of your movements since last year. The Strain used in the conflicts in the neighborhood... in other words, like those with the "red power" who defeated the geisha."
The explanation was mixed with subtle falsehoods.
The detection was true, but the information was held within the Nanakamado intelligence agency, and was not reported to its superior organization, Headquarters. Research into essential "red power" was also intentionally neglected.
That's because they have ambitions to extend their power as an armed group. More than anything else, they hated the fact that by carelessly mentioning the "King", the situation would progress and the job of secretly collecting Strains that could be used in battle would be hampered.
"Tokijikuin", who cannot be hated, even if they hate them, launched the "Fourth Legislative Affairs Office of the Ministry of Justice" and began to directly interfere, such as arresting its officials. Situation scenes that had no choice but to move to keep pressing.
Of course, they also had no intention of rushing recklessly.
The strongest ability in American Strain, "Stone Wall" Thomas Colt (a pseudonym), which generates extremely strong barriers, and those who specialize in combat, are obtained through a unique route that bypasses the Headquarters. They gave them the weapons they needed and launched them into that operation. They calculated that they could compete well with the battle record of the "Demon" in Chofu.
On the other hand, Kagirohi-gumi had no intentions.
The fight that was sold was purchased at the asking price.
That was the only rule that was not even necessary to establish.
Even now, Unno was empty-minded... If he were to express the actual situation, he would get bored listening to the explanation.
He doesn't stop once a fight starts, but he's quiet until it starts. The reason he doesn't step in and cut the conversation short is because of the bully's way of thinking that it's easier for the other person to just say what he wants.
Then he suddenly realized it.
"Hmm? That's tall... I've seen it somewhere."
A group of people in coats, one of whom had a hat and collar covering his face, shrugged at him.
Okuma also stared at the slightly looming face, and an idea occurred to him.
"A geisha employed by the Agata group, "Ebisu no Kunizo"."
"Ah, you beat me to death... Yes, you switched sides to the Occupation Army."
"......"
He returned the casual greeting with silence, but Unno took no offense.
It was quite common for the world to reject people for awakening to their power, for them to have no choice but to use that power as a food source, or change the river bank depending on whether they won or lost.
Therefore, Unno can only think that the current boss is strict.
"You came to hit me again, it's the guts that I admire."
"......"
The silence returned again.
Before he knew it, Colt had stopped explaining and had his mouth shut.
Thinking that he really couldn't apologize, Unno apologized.
"Oops, sorry. Shall we keep talking?"
"Yes, good."
Colt responded with a sour face, but he actually got a good impression of that boy's nonchalance from the start. Realizing that, he quickly brushed it off and said, "That's the "King's" magic power."
"Let's get down to business."
He dared to speak matter-of-factly with a calm voice, but secretly wishing for success, he began.
"Would you like to join forces with us? You will use the power of the "King" to create a large number of geisha, and we will show you exactly where to use them. If we cooperate, we should be able to obtain even this country."
Although it was a picture from the future that was in mint condition and neglected, Nanakamado took it seriously. It can be said that they were left with only a bet of one or eight.
"Make a geisha?"
Unable to understand the use of the words, Unno tilted his head.
Instead, Suwako guessed and told him in an easy to understand way.
"In short, it's our "Sakazuki Fire Cup"."
"Oh I see."
Unno clapped.
In the Kagirohi-gumi, the introductory sake cup is filled with the fire of the "Red King". Only those who were prepared to drink from that much hotter fire could join the family and be empowered along the way. By the way, Unno always drinks the same as the boss.
"Very well, then, do you want to scatter our "cups of fire"?"
"That's how it is."
Colt involuntarily leaned forward in response to Unno's conviction.
"Then it's impossible."
He received a firm refusal. The fact that he still held back from the answer that he should have expected more than half the time was due to his liking and regret.
"Why?!"
Unno looked left, right, and behind him.
"These weird trees are, well, a bunch of troublesome people."
With a troubled and embarrassed face, he showed pride.
"I chose them; they are my family. You can't make Strains for horse bones here."
"Well, that's how it is."
"Why do you say such embarrassing things?"
Okuma responded with a smile, while Suwako relaxed and cursed. The youths in the back also showed their affection for the boss in any way they could.
Just like that family, Colt concluded as he felt obvious jealousy.
"As I thought, it was impossible to persuade you... In that case, I would like you to be prepared for a certain amount of injury."
"It's still rude of you to say it, Colt-san. It's just a matter of doing it or not, right?"
Until the break, Unno urged war to break out.
Without any specifications, Colt raised his right hand.
"Yes, he's out of control."
The group of people in coats raised their mouthpieces at the same time.
Unno, who was standing at the reception, had a twinkle in his eyes,
"Okay, let's do it!"
Okuma, Suwako and the youth were full of fighting spirit.
There was no time for a tense confrontation.
"Come on!"
Immediately, Unno clenched his fist and erupted with bright red power.
Colt reflexively created a barrier and burst open from the front.
"Eh?!"
Before he knew it, Unno's heavy fist smashed into his face and he went flying, jumping to the ground twice before coming to a stop.
With Colt erecting a barrier, Colt's group waited for an opportunity to fire. The moment he waited, he was surprised to learn that the enemy boss had jumped to the place where the commander was. At that astonishing moment, "Ebisu no Kunizo", who was about to turn around the tip of the tube, received Okuma's fiery fist in the middle of his stomach.
Suwako tied a red string to the firearm that fell from Kunizo's hand and pulled the trigger without hesitation. A flurry of shots tore through the crowd in the court, and they scattered in all directions while eating up the foam. Young men ran there, slashing with long doses of wakizashi or hitting with beams to crush them all at once.
In the end, the exchange took less than 20 seconds.
Unno stared at his fist that had no lingering impression and let out a disappointed sigh.
"As I thought, these guys... well... hey..."
Looking curiously at the groaning group of people around him, and at the youths who fell one by one after being attacked in an instant, he gave the following instructions:
"Sorry to interrupt your evening drink, but I'll take care of you at the clinic. Even the brothers in the Occupation Army."
On the way, he noticed that something was flying.
The ten surrounding the open space were not bullets.
It was an anti-tank rocket projecting with a thin column of white smoke behind it.
(This is my favorite!)
His dazzling eyes took in the situation and his thoughts flashed like sparks.
He was probably shot after the two sides collided. The original plan must have been to protect the group with Colt's barrier, leaving only Kagirohi-gumi to suffer. Unable to comprehend the situation due to the night fight, went off as planned.
"Hey, look it up!"
"......!"
Not mistaking his intentions, Suwako stretched countless red threads around her.
At the same time, Unno jumped into the sky. Along the way, he twisted his body and gathered strength.
(Don't you have to be prepared for some fires?)
He couldn't afford to adjust the power.
He just let it go.
"Ohhhhhhhhhh!"
Red flames swirled and circled in the sky near the market.
The interlocking rockets in the searing heat caused one explosion after another.
A roaring sound rushed in from all directions, and those who were in the open space cringed in place. They were saved, but many large pieces of sparks rained down on the night market.
Okuma was the first to get back to his feet, but his expression clouded over at the uproar that had begun to spread out of the vacant lot.
"This is bad."
On top of that, Suwako, who was still crouching down, uttered her voice with a single red thread.
At the end of the thread, Unno in heaven received the voice.
"On the rooftop!"
"I understand!"
From the night sky, he could see the location of whoever fired rockets into the city. On top of the dark thatched roof, there were many duos displaying moves like holding the launcher, loading the next round, and preparing to retreat.
(Hey, it's hard to do.)
Strangely, Unno didn't know what to do.
His attack ripped through the rooftop and burned down the store.
However, if he cleared one set at a time, he would buy them time to load the next bullet.
As expected, Nanakamado was not incompetent either. Although they miscalculated his attack, they had come up with their own plan to fight a disgusting and formidable enemy.
After thinking carefully for more than a second, Unno came to a decision.
(Hey, in this case, just clean up before the fire spreads!)
He kept in close contact with Suwako, had Okuma surprise him from afar, and began to stage a battle, but his voice reached him again. A voice panicked with a sense of danger.
"Yutaka-chan! My strings got blown... Somehow, they're coming!"
"Eh?"
A strange sight was reflected in Unno's field of vision while he was in free fall.
A large number of fireballs fell, creating an uproar throughout the market.
Someone climbed onto the roof and hit the duo.
Or rather, he was suppressing them.
The appearance of wielding a long wakizashi with a terrifyingly elegant movement. He was clearly not a young member of the Kagirohi-gumi. He wasn't alone either. Two, three, more.
(Who...? No, what?)
A mysterious group crossed through the rooftop and overwhelmed the collapsing duo one after another.
(Well, if you catch someone, you'll understand.)
Thinking about it, he was aiming for the landing.
"What?!"
Suddenly, a dazzling radiance spread out like ripples. Crystals that were built in an orderly manner covered the surface of the earth, houses, and even people at a terrifying speed.
Seeing that for the first time, Unno's breath took a deep breath.
The glass covering everything suddenly shattered with a pleasant high-pitched sound and disappeared.
When Unno landed in the original vacant lot, the Kagirohi-gumi members gathered around him. All of them, to a greater or lesser extent, were scared and suspicious at the approach of something mysterious.
The one who was most scared was Suwako, who had all the red strings blown away.
The one who was the most cautious was Okuma, who was showing an unusually nervous look.
Unno also felt a strange and unpleasant tickle deep in his chest. Reaching out with both hands, shoving everyone else back a step, he turned toward a certain wide alley.
Beyond the light of the streetlamps, the footsteps of a large but regular march resounded. Among them, especially sharp footsteps were mixed.
(This guy.)
Unno was convinced of what that guy was.
Just the sound of footsteps overflowed with a feeling that should be called a fundamental discrepancy.
Then, finally, the owner of the steps appeared under the dim light.
A tall, slender man wearing a cap, a waterproof cloak, a uniform, and a saber. The atmosphere was calm and the subordinates that followed him were all dressed in blue.
Unno experienced the expression "all the creeps."
He couldn't read the blue man's emotions. He just waved calmly.
"Good night, "Red King", Unno Yutaka."
"You are..."
Unno felt that he had found what he was looking for.
The warmth that had faded in his daily life revived.
His soul exploded violently.
"TRAILER"
1 2 3 4 5 6...
The end of the ambition sustained by the secret intelligence organization.
Attack the monsters that lurk in post-war Tokyo.
The real threat that is coming and the shadow of the catastrophe.
Roaring in the storm, the clash of the "King" and the "King"
Director of the GoRA writing group.
Exciting entertainment giant.
In the next chapter of "K SIDE: GOLD":
Ootono Benji, the Sixth King, the "Grey King".
The Fifth King, Tsunugui Iku, the "Green King", appears.
Coming soon.
"THE FIRST RED KING: UNNO YUTAKA"
Unno is a former member of the "Kamikaze Special Attack Corps", a suicide squad. When the war ended and after having failed in his last mission, his accumulated frustration and anger caused him to wake up as the "Red King".
The big boss, who returned from a kamikaze attack, was exactly like a kamikaze attack, he was not afraid of death and even wanted to die.
His physique was unexpectedly small, boyish in face, but his fearless gaze as he looked around him had an extraordinary attraction. A majestic atmosphere that makes you feel that things are different filled his whole body and overwhelmed the viewer.
"CLAN OF FIRST RED KING"
Clan name: Kagirohi-gumi
Kagirohi-gumi's fortress is a small bar called "Yakumo", which seems to undergo many reconstructions due to the rages of Suwako, its owner.
Sakazuki Fire Cup: In the Kagirohi-gumi, the introductory sake cup is filled with the fire of the "Red King". Only those who were prepared to drink from that much hotter fire could join the family and be empowered along the way. By the way, Unno always drinks the same as the boss.
Kagirohi-gumi has two main members.
Okuma Tamataro: According to his family record, he is 25 years old. The only son of the Kanto Okuma group that hired him as a goalkeeper. Through repeated fights, he became a bad friend. After the death of his father, Sayataro, he handed over control of the group to him, and together they became Kagirohi-gumi. Commonly known as "Onikuma".
He is reportedly quick to fight and uses fire fists.
Todokoro Suwako: According to the family record, she is 23 years old. Her family died in an air raid. She is the owner of the restaurant where she worked for the first time in this town. A mistress who always accompanies him and who handles the administrative affairs of Kagirohi-gumi, commonly known as "Hanakumo."
With her power, she produces many red threads that burn the air and extend from the tip of her hair, moving at high speed, burning and cutting everything in her path.
K - ONE YEAR LATER
CHAPTER 12: THE WORLD OF THE FUTURE (BY RAIRAKU REI)
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
A year has passed since then.
Shiro, the man who is Isana Yashiro, and Adolf K. Weismann remembered the landscape of that day's sunrise many times.
The dawn of that day, when the old friend of his who had been carrying out the dream he had started passed away.
(Weismann... what a beautiful new world!)
On the bridge of the "Schattenreich", Daikaku Kokujoji said that with a trembling throat. Outside the window, the sun appeared from beyond the sea of clouds, trying to illuminate the world.
(Someday I dreamed of a view like this.)
Having lived as the greatest "King", he was looking at the dawn light at the moment when his life ran out.
(It's a shame to close my eyes...)
Those were his last words.
The airship "Schattenreich", the place where Kokujoji passed away, is now moored on the rooftop of Mihashira Tower.
On the bridge of the "Schattenreich", Shiro was reflecting on the sunrise sight that he had witnessed with Kokujoji.
"Silver King."
An old "rabbit" quietly appeared and said to Shiro.
"Munakata Reisi came to see you."
"Yes."
As Shiro nodded, the "Rabbit" quietly withdrew, and Munakata in a blue uniform appeared with the sound of his shoes echoing.
Shiro smiled brightly.
"Hello, Munakata-san, it's been a while. How was your trip?"
Shiro was informed in advance that Munakata would be traveling for a while, and he consulted and took countermeasures for any inconvenience that might arise in his absence.
A short time ago, he received the news of his return and a request to meet him. He felt somewhat ominous from the fact that it was the day he had just finished maintenance on the "Schattenreich".
"It was very significant. What are you doing with this airship? Do you want to go on a journey with me?"
"No way."
Shiro laughed and said that.
"I will no longer leave the ground."
Shiro narrowed his eyes as he looked inside the airship, which had the same structure as the "Himmelreich" where he had spent almost 70 years.
"This airship was unreasonably torn to shreds during the decisive battle with "Jungle" a year ago, and I left it as it was, but I was finally able to repair it. I have no intention of flying anywhere anymore, but the Lieutenant took care of it for a long time, so I want to restore it to its beautiful appearance before I put it to sleep."
"I see."
Munakata agreed with a slight smile on his lips.
"Munakata-san, have you finished your journey?"
"Yes. I have found the answer and the many encounters I have had along the way have given me a new idea of what to do."
"I see. I want to hear about the world you've seen, Munakata-san."
"I decided that I should talk to you, so I came here."
Just when he thought this was going to be a long story, several young "rabbits" arrived with chairs, a small table, and tea utensils. He couldn't help but smile bitterly at those who were too smart.
Grateful, he sat on the chair that had been prepared for him and listened to the story of Munakata's journey while he drank tea.
Munakata's story was like an adventure tale that children would enjoy, like a presentation of research results at an academic conference, or like a philosophical murmuring.
Shiro listened carefully to Munakata's story, interspersing questions from time to time.
How people around the world live, think and act. It was a time to experience the situation of people living, through Munakata, which cannot be covered by the news.
"Even if it's not as strong as in Japan where the "Slate" was, the effects of the release of the "Slate" are still being felt all over the world."
"Because there aren't as many people with persistent supernatural powers as in Japan, the situation is even more difficult for people with supernatural powers around the world than in Japan."
Shiro put his hand on his chin and thought. Munakata looked directly at Shiro through the back of his glasses.
"You could say that humanity has taken a new step forward. Aren't you responsible for that, Weismann?"
Instead of an accusing tone, Munakata spoke in a calm and determined voice.
In the depths of Shiro's eyes, the dawn of that day shone again.
The night is over. A new world has begun. The scene that dreamed with Claudia and Kokujoji in the past may be a little different now, but when morning comes, they have to get up and start walking.
"Of course."
Shiro nodded.
"I am responsible. I had a dream about the "Slate" and I was responsible for moving it. I was responsible for giving Nagare Hisui's dream that effect. So I will do my best. I can no longer be a person who only dreams and prays. I listen to people's prayers and I will do my best to bring them closer to a world where those prayers come true. I think that's my job."
"Very good."
Munakata nodded in satisfaction and stood up.
"I will do my best as well. As a leader who walks in front of the people, even though I am no longer the "King" determined by the "Slate". As the head of "Scepter 4". As a person named Reisi Munakata. There is no no cloud in our cause."
Munakata turned around and left the "Schattenreich".
Shiro stared at the space where Munakata had left for a while, pondered what he should do, and slowly sat up.
The "rabbits" appeared and waited by Shiro's side as if they were waiting for their lives.
"Please take care about this airship."
"Ok."
"And... thanks for coming back once again."
A year ago, Shiro relieved the "rabbits" of their responsibilities. According to Kokujoji's will, they were to help Shiro until he returned to the surface. After that, they disappeared into the shadows, just trying to maintain the system established by Kokujoji.
However, they went back to work for Shiro. There were many things that he could not have done without the "rabbits".
The old "rabbit" bowed deeply.
"You are his successor in will. It is our deepest desire to serve you."
"Thank you.", Shiro said again.
Under the transparent floor there was nothing anymore, where the "Slate" was before, Shiro said goodbye to the "Schattenreich".
++++++++++
He woke up to the smell of grilling fish.
He widened his eyes a little. A warm steam billowed from the kitchen. He could hear the sound of rice being cooked and the sound of something being chopped on the cutting board. Kuro was making breakfast.
Shiro let out a yawn and straightened up. Then he noticed that there was a weight on his feet. Neko, in her uniform, slept curled up on Shiro's futon. She doesn't look like a kitten anymore, but she still looks like an animal cat in places like that.
"Good morning, Neko."
After lightly shaking her, Neko rubbed her eyes sleepily and got up. It was good that she was dressed, but he guessed that she fell asleep again because she saw Shiro still sleeping.
Looking at Shiro, a smile spread across Neko's face who had woken up.
"Shiro, good morning!"
"Breakfast is ready. Wash your face."
A voice came from the kitchen, and Shiro answered "Yes." and he went to the bathroom.
He washed his face with cold water, changed his clothes and straighten his bed hair.
When he returned feeling refreshed, breakfast was already prepared on the dining table.
Salt-roasted horse mackerel, dashimaki egg, miso soup with tofu and komatsu-na (Japanese mustard spinach), and freshly cooked white rice. It was a standard menu that everyone loved.
"Itadakimasu!"
He clasped his hands and took his chopsticks. He drank miso soup with a strong dashi broth, grabbed the horse mackerel meat and put it in his mouth, bit into the fluffy egg and filled his mouth with rice. He dove into a delicious breakfast that would energize him for the day.
"Today will be the meeting for the opening ceremony after going through "Scepter 4"."
As he nodded to Kuro, who was confirming his schedule, Neko let out a dissatisfied voice, "Eh!"
"Shiro, aren't you going to school today?"
"Sorry. I'm in a bit of a rush today."
"Neko. Shiro is doing important work right now."
"Boo... I know..."
"Now that I think about it, I got a call from Kukuri."
Hearing Kuro's words, Neko was in a good mood and she let out a happy voice, "Kukuri!" A smile naturally appeared on Shiro.
"Kukuri, how is she doing? Is her university life going well?"
"Ah. It seems they are busy preparing for the school festival. She told me to go visit her that day."
"Come on! Come on!"
"The high school festival turned out to be ridiculous, so I really want it to be a success this time."
As soon as he finished eating and stood up, Kuro handed him a bag neatly filled with the necessary documents.
Kuro looked at Shiro's figure from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, and slightly adjusted Tai's position to make minor adjustments. He nodded once and pressed the voice recorder button with a straight face.
"Correct your outfit and jump into the world."
It was the deep voice of Miwa reciting a poem. Kuro smirked.
"That's how it is."
He was still the same Kuro as always. Laughing, Shiro said, "I'm leaving.", and left the room with Neko.
As he was walking down the hall while greeting the dormitory students who were about to go to school, he ran into Toru Hieda. Shiro still felt strange when he met him. Shiro's soul had been in his body for over a year until the "Slate" was destroyed.
Shiro felt an indescribable shame towards him, as if he was closer to him than Kuro, Neko or his biological sister Claudia, who shared her blood with him.
"Oh! It's Toru!"
Neko said that happily and hugged Hieda like a jumping kitten.
Hieda smiled wryly and said, "Good morning, Neko-san.", as he gently held Neko's body so as not to touch her carelessly.
A year ago, every time Neko hugged him, his eyes turned black and white, but he seems to have gotten used to it. Hieda was a very reserved guy who wasn't very good at interpersonal relationships, but surprisingly he adapted.
"Good morning. Shiro... Um, Weismann sensei."
Hieda greeted Shiro with a smile. At Shiro's request, Hieda usually calls him "Shiro-san", but at school he calls him "Weismann sensei" as a teacher-student relationship. After considering which is the most appropriate for now, it seems that he settled on the latter.
"Today is "Shiro-san". Weismann sensei is free today."
"Then it's work for those who aren't in school. You seem busy."
"Yes. Shiro is busy."
Neko, who started to walk next to Hieda, thinned her lips, but it soon turned into a smile.
"Wagahai and others are also doing their best. So keep up the good work, Shiro."
Hieda nodded in agreement with Neko's words.
Buoyed by their genuine support, Shiro said goodbye to the two outside the dormitory and started walking towards the station.
The monorail station connecting the mainland and the school island was packed with commuter students. Among the students full of laughter and youthful chatter, he met a friend of Neko's.
"Ah, German sensei."
Harumi Nakayama, Neko's classmate, relaxed her expression when she saw Shiro.
Due to her dyed blonde hair and her sharp eyes, the other teachers often see her as a delinquent, but she is a kind and good girl. Neko, who used to be reluctant to wear clothes, now tries to dress like a high school girl thanks to this friend. Like Shiro, he was happy to have a friend who could influence Neko from the same perspective, and he was very worried about Nakayama herself as a teacher.
In particular, she has had a lingering supernatural power for a year, and there was a time when she was deeply depressed by it.
Shiro tried his best to make her live with a smile. Kuro also followed her, and Neko also snuggled up to her like a friend.
Thanks to that, Nakayama can now go to school in good physical and mental health, but there are still people in the same situation all over the country, no, all over the world.
"Are you going to work outside of school?"
Contrary to her delinquent appearance, Nakayama asked in a polite manner.
"Yes. I'm sure I'll make the world easier for you."
His words weren't enough to explain it, but Nakayama looked at Shiro's face and bowed, "Thank you.", without asking anything.
"So, today's physics class will be self-study, I'm sorry. But the self-study printout is a masterpiece, so I'd love it if you could do it."
Shiro parted ways with Nakayama and entered the station.
The students were friendly and asked, "Huh? Are you going out, German sensei?" Shiro answered each question with a smile as he rode the monorail from Gakuenjima to the mainland.
++++++++++
"I read the article you posted on the internet about the emergence of the Strains and their social impact. It was a very interesting consideration."
Shiro met a Strain named Tamaki Genjo at the detention center for supernatural criminals in the basement of "Scepter 4". He was a man who served as a staff member for a group of supernatural criminals led by a Strain, who called himself the "Black Iron King".
Tamaki aimed his large black eyes directly at Shiro from behind his round glasses.
"I've also read the draft of the new supernatural-related bill you sent me. It's certainly reasonable to think of it as a realistic starting point, but just with this, some people will fall from the hands of salvation."
"Yes. I would like to hear your honest opinion."
At Shiro's words, Tamaki began to speak as if a dam had broken. For many years, there must be something that has been treasured inside, something that has matured. Fushimi Saruhiko, standing at the entrance of the room as a witness, let out a sigh.
After two hours of discussion, Shiro got up and stood up.
"Dr. Weismann. Will you save all the outcasts?"
As Shiro was leaving, Tamaki threw that question at him.
Shiro recalled the information that Tamaki was an old friend of Iwafune Tenkei, no, Seigo Otori.
The "Grey King" Seigo Otori, who tried to create a paradise to save and protect all the weak.
The "Green King" Nagare Hisui, who tried to transform the world into a world where everyone had power.
Iwafune Tenkei, who cared for and saved Nagare.
Thinking of them, Shiro lowered his eyes for a moment, then raised his head with a smile and said.
"I want to protect the place where everyone can eat with their loved ones in peace. I will continue to do what I can to get closer to a world where that can be done."
Shiro bowed to Tamaki and left the room.
"The long discussion with the criminals in prison is the same with our boss, but you are also crazy."
Fushimi, walking a little behind Shiro, said that in an exasperated voice.
"Moreover, he even showed us the bill before the deliberation..."
Shiro laughed out loud.
"It's a bill to save people like him and his colleagues. The opinions of the parties are important, and Mr. Tamaki is an expert who used to do research at the university. In fact, his story was very useful."
"You've even met Kamimori, but his story won't help you in any way. He's just an idiot."
Kamimori is a man who used to be the leader of a supernatural criminal group calling itself the "Dark Iron King". The other day, he was arrested by Munakata for his violent act of attacking the "Scepter 4" garrison. Before Tamaki, Shiro met and talked with Kamimori.
"He's not stupid either. He doesn't have a rich vocabulary and isn't good at logical thinking, but he has the power to understand people's feelings and has what can be called an "instant anger power" that directs the right anger when it's about things you should be angry about. Without it, you'd either build up your anger and make it worse, or raise your fist in the wrong direction. It was helpful to hear why he was angry at the world at the time."
"Haa..."
Fushimi let out a breath of wonder or admiration.
"More importantly, is Munakata-san here now?"
After going up from the basement to the entrance hall, Shiro looked up to the upper floor where Munakata's office was. Fushimi shook his head.
"He's out now."
"Oh, sorry. There is a document that I wanted him to seal."
"Ah, then you should go to the deputy chief's office. Her acting boss role is over, but deputy chief Awashima still has decision-making authority."
Fushimi said and turned his feet towards the grand staircase. Shiro followed behind.
"Well, I'm saved. But why?"
"I don't know why the Chief brought them in from all over the world. He gave them roles, created a place where they belong, and started doing all sorts of odd jobs. That's partly why I'm busy, and unexpectedly, deputy chief Awashima is better at making realistic decisions like "Scepter 4"."
"I see."
When Fushimi called Awashima's office, there was an immediate response.
"Hello."
When Shiro showed his face, Awashima greeted him with a reluctant "Ah.". During Munakata's absence, Shiro frequently interacted with Awashima as a representative of "Scepter 4", so they had become somewhat familiar with each other.
"Shiro-san. How was your day?"
"I want to obtain the consent of "Scepter 4" for this document."
As Shiro handed over the document, Awashima quickly read it over and sealed it.
"Thank you. Even though Munakata-san is back, Awashima-san, you seem to be busy as usual."
"Yes. However, just by having the Chief, who is the pillar of "Scepter 4", even if we have the same duties, our sense of security is quite different."
Indeed, Awashima's mood was more stable and relaxed than before Munakata's return.
"Shiro-san, you seem to be busy. The opening ceremony is today, right?"
"Yes. From now on, we will have a meeting for that purpose, uh."
Shiro's PDA rang. Awashima urged him to leave without worrying about it, and Shiro lowered his head slightly and took out his PDA.
"Ah, it's Kusanagi-san."
Seeing the name displayed on the PDA screen, Shiro tilted his head. Awashima and Fushimi also looked at Shiro with a captivated expression on their faces.
"Hello. Yes. Yes. Huh? Ah, hahaha... I see. I'll go there from now on."
As Shiro ended the call with a wry smile, Awashima and Fushimi's questioning eyes turned.
"The meeting partner after this seems to be in the HOMRA bar for a while... I'll go find him."
++++++++++
A "CLOSED" sign hung on the door of the HOMRA bar. Today, that sign meant "rented."
A black sedan was parked in front of the bar, and two strong men like SP were standing next to it.
Shiro gave them a slight bow and opened the door to the bar.
"Ok. Kanichi, you can do it. There's no need to worry so much."
A man in his fifties in a suit, former Prime Minister Kanichi Samukawa, was sitting at a bar table, receiving encouragement from Anna Kushina, a high school student sitting across from him.
Misaki Yata and Rikio Kamamoto, sitting on a chair at the counter a little further away, watched the show with their arms crossed, frustration on their faces. Behind the counter, Izumo Kusanagi was polishing his glass with a wry smile.
Shiro deviated and moved closer to the counter so as not to disturb Samukawa and Anna.
"Samukawa-san, he asked Anna to tell him the fortune again."
When Shiro whispered, Kusanagi lowered his eyebrows and shrugged in embarrassment.
"He wants her to predict the future of Japan. Actually, it's almost like advice, huh."
"At this stage, I'm still boiling, that old man."
"It's pathetic that you have to get a girl to push you around. Even if you're a former prime minister."
Yata and Kamamoto said that sharply. Shiro sat on the chair at the counter next to Yata as he calmed him down, "Ok.".
"Originally, Samukawa-san seems to have relied heavily on fortune telling. Anna, who has great sensitivity, is much more accurate than other fortune tellers, so I understand the feeling of wanting to see her... But this time it's more like a ritual to make a decision than as a divination."
Kusanagi served Shiro an iced tea. As he luckily wet his throat, he looked at Samukawa's profile.
"Tomorrow, the 'Supernatural Powers Agency' will be officially launched. As its director, former Prime Minister Samukawa must become a banner-man to create a world where psychics and non-psychics can live together in peace."
A year ago, as a result of what Nagare did, the existence of supernatural powers became known to people all over the world. It was no longer possible to deal with the problems behind the scenes with "Tokijikuin" and "Scepter 4". Specialized departments will be established within the administrative bodies to solve various problems in front of the public.
Samukawa is a former prime minister and possessor of permanent supernatural power. While he acts as a spokesman for the minority of people with supernatural powers, he is well-suited as a leader to create a society where the majority of people who do not have supernatural powers do not feel uncomfortable.
"Even if it's the day before the opening ceremony, it won't work. Taking over as director is a matter of decision."
Kusanagi also showed a slightly exasperated smile.
Yata said that.
"I don't trust that old man!"
"You! Hide your backbiting properly!"
Yata's voice was strong, though he should have been speaking softly so as not to get in the way. Samukawa, who was talking to Anna, turned his body and pointed at Yata.
"I'm not talking behind your back! I think you're unreliable, so I just said that!"
Alongside Yata, who is defiant, Kamamoto, who usually tends to hold back, but jumped on the bandwagon and said, "That's right!"
"For the most part, are you really able to properly control your clairvoyant ability?! You're not looking under Anna's clothes, right?"
"Stop."
Samukawa said with a punch.
"Aggressive behavior wielding such blind suspicion turns into prejudice and discrimination against psykers. If you're one of the geniuses, you'll understand."
"Oh, sorry. That's right."
Kamamoto sincerely apologized. Yata also looked at Samukawa with a slightly reconsidered face.
However, Samukawa himself immediately lost his dignity and fell on the table.
"But... That's right. Mind you, I have my doubts about it, and I'm sure it will continue to be said. Depending on the type of supernatural ability, just having it makes me a half-criminal. If I bear the worst part, the stone thrown by the psychic will hit me first..."
"Kanichi."
Anna read the former prime minister in a transparent voice.
"The more stones you receive, the more people behind them will be protected. One day you will be a hero."
Samukawa's eyes widened slightly.
Shiro got down from the chair at the counter and walked over to Samukawa's table.
"Also, I will protect you as much as possible. With the weapon of knowledge and the shield of technology."
Samukawa now wears glasses that he didn't wear before. It is an item that suppresses his clairvoyance ability and was developed with technology from Shiro and "Tokijikuin". Until that unfolded, Samukawa was under house arrest, unable to appear in public places with women.
In the future, he plans to develop tools together with "Tokijikuin" so that all psychics can live their daily lives without problems.
"Yes."
Yata seemed to have received a message and looked at the wristwatch-shaped PDA.
"Shiro, before you came here, did you see the blue clothes?"
Yata said that as he looked at his PDA. Shiro nodded.
"Yes. I met Fushimi-kun and Awashima-san, and told them that I would come to pick up Samukawa-san."
"Then, Saruhiko said, "How's it going over there?" Samukawa-san, even the blue ones are worried about you."
Samukawa took a deep breath and stood up. The frustrated look from just now was gone and had turned into a calm adult face.
"It's certainly time for the meeting. Shall we go?"
Samukawa looked at Anna and smiled.
"You have taken care of me, Kushina-kun."
"Your eyes are different from mine, but they are eyes that can see through. I'm sure you can see the future we should move into."
"You are strong even though you have great abilities."
Anna softened her expression and placed both hands on her chest.
"Because I have them all."
Surely, it included not only Kusanagi, Yata, and Kamamoto, but also important people who have disappeared.
Mikoto Suoh. Totsuka Tatara. Shiro, who was deeply involved in their death, gently lowered his eyes and thought of them living inside of Anna.
After leaving the bar with Samukawa and riding with him in the car, Shiro came up with an idea.
"I don't know if I can reach the level of "everyone" supporting Anna, but Samukawa-san, you have me."
Shiro smiled at him, and Samukawa grimaced as if the poison had been removed.
"You have changed."
"Is that so?"
Samukawa looked out the window and muttered.
"The "King", I thought was something that went way over my head."
++++++++++
While making natto for breakfast, the TV started showing the news from the "Agency of Supernatural Powers".
Samukawa, who was shown on TV, made a directorial comment with dignified behavior that made the previous day's laziness a lie. Originally, he was a frank person who was good at giving speeches. He calmly answered even unpleasant questions from journalists.
"Shiro's work finally came true in this way."
Kuro took a deep look at the TV screen showing yesterday's opening ceremony, put down the bowl and chopsticks he was holding in his hand, and straightened his posture.
"Shiro. Thank you for your hard work."
Shiro's eyes flickered to Kuro, who bowed his head slightly and thanked him politely. Following Kuro's lead, Neko joyfully raised both hands and said, "Shiro, Otsukare-sama!"
Shiro laughed and scratched his cheek.
"Oh, no. I'm just standing at the starting line. Everything is from now on."
"That's true, but, checking the signs and taking a break with the joy of accomplishment when you've reached that point are important during a long journey."
Shiro was embarrassed and said "Thank you." for Kuro's sincere effort and encouragement.
"So, it's been a long time since I've had a day off and I'd like to go somewhere for a while, so I wonder, Kuro and Neko, will you come with me?"
Kuro and Neko nodded without hesitation, though they seemed puzzled.
He stopped by a flower shop on the way out and they made him a bouquet of calm colors.
The place they headed to with him was the place of the decisive battle a year ago.
The "Slate" was released by the "Green King" Hisui Nagare, the place where the pillar of light was located, and the place where Shiro and his friends plunged into the base of "Jungle" with the "Schattenreich".
Here, Shiro dropped his Sword of Damocles of his own free will and destroyed the "Slate".
The big hole that Anna and "Homura" had entered underground was blocked, the door was completely blocked, and now it's just a big crossroads.
He offered flowers at the edge of the intersection.
Kuro said nothing and lowered his eyes as if he was silently praying.
Maybe Neko felt helpless and sad, and she clung tightly to Shiro.
Shiro was looking at the place that had become a normal road surface.
Shiro.
Kuro suddenly yelled in a suppressed voice.
Kuro was not looking at Shiro, but was looking across the intersection diagonally with serious eyes. Shiro turned his eyes to follow Kuro's line of sight.
He found a familiar silhouette on the other side of the traffic.
A tall and slender person with a large parrot on his shoulder and a small boy who is still growing, were standing side by side looking at them. They were Mishakuji Yukari and Gojo Sukuna, who were the executives of the Green Clan.
It is an intersection where thick roads intersect. At this distance, his expression was vague, but Mishakuji seemed to have the same faint smile as always, and Sukuna seemed to be watching them with a rigid face.
For them, that place was a deeply connected place filled with various feelings.
As he watched them, Shiro remembered the day when Mishakuji suddenly visited Shiro's room.
(I feel like this question isn't very "beautiful" anymore. Asking a question when you already have an answer would be very unrefined.)
Although he went as far as to proudly enter the former enemy's residence, Mishakuji didn't say what he would have liked to ask and left.
To Neko who asked what happened, Shiro said.
(Well, I'm sure she meant something along the lines of: "Could you really beat the guy named Hisui Nagare?")
It was not a matter of winning or losing, but he believed that Hisui Nagare's ambitions could have been half achieved.
The world has changed. What had been kept secret until now was revealed by Hisui Nagare, and everyone had the power.
Most people have lost their power, but there are still people who have power. They are not members of any clan of any kind, but lone "Kings" who were suddenly released into the wild.
Even most people who have lost their power can't go back to when they knew nothing.
"However, I will continue to fight. In a world where psykers and non-psykers coexist, I want everyone to be able to protect their own chabudai."
He didn't even know if he was trying to answer Mishakuji, or if he was addressing the late Nagare. However, Shiro muttered a small vow for his thoughts to come out of his mouth.
A truck turned the corner and slowly crossed in front of Shiro and the others. The view of was blocked by the large body of the vehicle, and Mishakuji and Sukuna were no longer visible.
After the truck drove off, the two were gone.
He assumed the signs had disappeared. Kuro took a deep breath to ease his tension.
In this world changed by Hisui Nagare, Mishakuji Yukari will live freely in search of beautiful things and Gojo Sukuna will grow as he searches for his own way of life.
Shiro looked towards the center of the intersection once more.
The "Slate" was no longer underground. Not even in the tower near heaven.
Shiro believes that the "Slate" itself is not the source of power, but rather the key to accessing great power, though the "Slate" itself has yet to be fully elucidated.
If so, even if the "Slate" is gone, there is still a great power somewhere. In the future, there's no guarantee that a new path leading to that power won't appear as an access key replacing the "Slate".
At that moment, the ridiculous world that Nagare dreamed of could come true.
"Shiro, what's wrong? You look strange."
Neko looked at Shiro's face and said that.
"Yes. It's a strange sensation that is terrifying and a bit exciting."
"What's that?" Neko turned her head and Kuro raised his eyebrows suspiciously.
If he had met him differently and they had pursued a dream together, he would have been in a position as the Lieutenant and scolded him. And so, imagining something that didn't even exist, he smiled bitterly.
Shiro reached out his right hand and left hand to the side and grabbed Kuro and Neko's hands.
"Let's go home. To our house."
Shiro took the two of them by the hand and began to walk.
"Hey. I'm not a boy, so don't hold my hand."
"Wagahai will hold hands and go home~!"
Kuro reluctantly distanced himself from Shiro, while Neko happily waved the hand connected to Shiro.
In between the two, Shiro laughed out loud.
END.
barely drew anything outside of art fight this year _(:3」 ∠)_
template by sabattons @ twitter
wanted to do a Sanbi sketch before the end of the year
K - ONE YEAR LATER
CHAPTER 9: SEE YOU AGAIN (BY RAIRAKU REI)
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
A year has passed since then.
"I'm here~..."
Sukuna Gojo moaned from the pain in his knee.
After daily sword practice with Mishakuji, that kind of pain would appear at night. While he was crouching on the floor and rubbing his knees, Mishakuji came out of the bathroom and laughed.
"Oh, Sukuna-chan. You look bad."
"You look bad! You look bad!"
From the top of the perch set up in the room, Kotosaka agreed with Mishakuji and sneered at Sukuna.
"Shut up."
He was used to injuries like bruises, but he didn't like the pain in his joints. Mishakuji said as he slid a lotion-soaked cotton pad over his cheek.
"Growing pains, right? It's easy to over exercise when you're growing up. Did you stretch correctly?"
"......"
"Even though you are active in practice, why are you skipping it? Cooling down is important maintenance for your body."
Sukuna reluctantly started to stretch after hearing that with an exasperated face. It was too late for a post-exercise cool-down, but he felt that slowly stretching his body eased the pain a bit.
"Hurry up and take a shower after you're done stretching. The one who should make dinner today is Sukuna-chan."
"I know."
After swinging his sword out with all his might, Sukuna was covered in sweat and dust. Mishakuji wouldn't let him walk into the kitchen looking like that, and even Sukuna felt uncomfortable.
As he was about to go to the bathroom after finishing his stretches, Mishakuji called out, "Sukuna-chan.".
"What?"
Looking back, Mishakuji stood next to Sukuna and smiled amusedly.
"As expected, you have grown."
"Eh... Yes?"
Mishakuji looked at Sukuna and he was as tall as ever. But when they told him that, just a little... he felt that Mishakuji's face and his eyes were getting closer than before.
He didn't care if he told him that he was growing. Though Sukuna replied curtly, "Maybe so.", and he triumphantly headed to the bathroom.
In the time of "Jungle", Sukuna had a way of fighting that was based on the great powers that Nagare had given him.
He fought by freely manipulating a scythe that was taller than his body, equipped with a blade made of powerful green lightning, with his supernaturally strengthened physical abilities.
Of course, he could still fight the same way he did then. The power that he received from Nagare has not yet disappeared from inside Sukuna.
However, he had no guarantee that the power would continue since the "Slate" was destroyed.
That's why Sukuna asked Mishakuji to teach him how to use the sword.
Mishakuji's strength does not depend solely on his supernatural powers. He is rooted in a trained body and mind, and polished technique.
Sukuna wanted something that could be called his own power, so that even if the time came for his super power to disappear, he wouldn't go back to being a helpless child.
After taking a shower, Sukuna stood in the kitchen after properly drying his hair with a blow dryer since Mishakuji was noisy.
He boiled water in a pot, added the onions and broth, and while it simmered, he chopped the green onions, ham and carrots. Iwa-san always wanted to add green peppers, but he didn't like them, so he skipped them (well, if Mishakuji had green peppers when it was his turn to cook, he would have eaten them). Carrots, he also cut into large pieces for Kotosaka and set aside.
He placed a beaten egg in the pot of bouillon soup and finished the egg drop soup first.
He made scrambled eggs by dropping two egg mixtures sprinkled with salt and pepper into a hot skillet and putting them on a plate. He put the carrots in the pan, starting with the hard-to-cook carrots to stir-fry, then add the rice to stir-fry. The smell of sesame oil and ingredients filled the room, making Sukuna's stomach growl. He also added green onions and ham, returned the scrambled egg to the pan, and drizzled it with soy sauce. Fried rice can be made quickly, and if he adds vegetables to it, even Mishakuji, who is picky about nutritional balance, won't complain, so it has become a Sukuna staple. No matter what, he couldn't reach the taste that Iwa-san did.
"I did it."
He arranged a bowl of fried rice for two and a bowl of egg drop soup on a small table, and served Kotosaka a bowl of chopped carrots, apples, and walnuts.
"Itadakimasu!"
When he clasped his hands together, Kotosaka also yelled, "Itadakimasu!"
"Sukuna-chan, you're also getting used to cooking. At first it was terrible."
Mishakuji said after taking a bite of the fried rice. It was apparently a passing grade.
"I've never done it before, so it's not good."
Sukuna was the only son of a prestigious family. Since the end of the war, most of the family members have held important government posts, and his father was also a high-ranking government official. In such a house, his mother wanted to control everything over Sukuna, brandishing her distorted love.
Of course, they had never made him cook. Sukuna only ate food made by chefs that his mother approved of, and he was not allowed to eat food made by amateurs.
He wondered what she would think if she knew that Sukuna was eating the fried rice that he made himself.
When he was at his parents' house, he ate food cooked by the chef, after leaving home, he ate what he bought at a convenience store, and after becoming a J-Rank in "Jungle" and entering that secret base, he ate Iwafune's home cooking every day. Now when Sukuna prepares meals, Iwafune's kitchen is ideal. It's not because it's easier to imitate than chef's cooking.
That was because the food that Iwafune made was the most delicious that Sukuna had ever tasted, and it was what he believed was necessary to live.
"If it's something like this, I should have asked Iwa-san how to make food properly."
The fried rice made by Iwafune didn't seem to have been made with anything special, but it had an uncanny depth and was really delicious. Even if he got used to cooking, the taste of Iwafune would be far away.
"Yes. But doing trial and error on your own without knowing the answer is a good experience."
Mishakuji said that with a cold face and changed the topic to "Now that I think about it...".
"You're thinking of leaving this town soon, aren't you?"
"Ah. Where do we go next?"
"I'm going back to the center."
Mishakuji, Sukuna, and Kotosaka have been moving from one place to another ever since they lost the secret base where they spent time with Nagare and the others. Sometimes they would wander for days, and sometimes they would rent an apartment by the month and settle for a while, like this time.
"Ok, but aren't we just wanted people?"
Both Mishakuji and Sukuna are the core of the criminal group that wreaked havoc on the world a year ago. They had no intention of getting caught, but it was quite a bold move to head back to the center of the city where it would be easy to see "Scepter 4" and "Tokijikuin".
"You know, Sukuna-chan. It seems that the "Blue King" is on a trip now."
"Really? They must be fucking busy, what are they doing?"
Due to the release of the "Slate" made by Nagare, people all over the world became supernatural beings. Most of them lost their strength due to the destruction of the "Slate", but there were surprisingly many who retained their supernatural powers. Even if the "Sword of Damocles" disappeared, the responsibility of the "Blue King" would not decrease and should have increased.
"So, are you going to prepare something in the absence of the "Blue King"?"
Remembering the excitement from when Nagare was near, Sukuna instinctively leaned forward, but Mishakuji smiled wryly.
"Idiot. No, I'm just going to see how things go."
Mishakuji narrowed his eyes and looked out the window.
"A year has passed since that incident, and I feel like the shape of the world has changed a bit."
"Shape of the world?"
"Yes. The consciousness of the people who shape this world must have changed. Nagare-chan's plan was defeated, but at least the people are different from when they knew nothing. I felt the "possibility" within me, though just off for a moment. There are many people who still have the light of "possibility" in them."
Sukuna looked at Mishakuji with wide eyes.
"The area where the influence remains strongest is, of course, the area around the city center where the "Slate" was located."
Sukuna had never thought of it that way. Nagare lost, and thought it was all over.
Memories of the time spent with Nagare and the others surfaced, and Sukuna grabbed a spoon and said, "Ok, let's go back.".
Kotosaka also spread her wings in unison and yelled: "Kuwah!".
The new residence was decided near the old Yomido Gate.
The gigantic door that was just above the secret base of "Jungle" had already been buried, but the fact that it was the center of the turmoil left a trace, and despite being in the center of the city, the price of the earth was falling.
Mishakuji and Sukuna rented a small apartment with Kotosaka and started living there.
Life didn't change much. Sukuna had Mishakuji teach him swordsmanship, sometimes complaining of growing pains and taking turns cooking and doing chores.
He has been running away from home since he was in the fifth grade of elementary school. It wasn't good for his knowledge to stop as a child, so he started doing correspondence courses on his tablet.
That day, Sukuna finished his math class, finished preparing the curry for dinner, and came out with a bamboo sword.
Since Mishakuji has been out since morning, he had no choice but to wield the sword by himself that day. Carrying the shinai in a cloth bag over his shoulder, he went to the small and desolate park where he used to practice, and practiced suburi and kata moves for a while.
He also did cool down stretches correctly and wiped off sweat. He rolled up his sleeves because his body was hot after working out. He had many bruises that had been hit by Mishakuji in yesterday's practice, but he felt that his arm, which was only thin and white, had grown a little stronger.
Sukuna started walking again with the bamboo sword bag on his back. He did not walk the way home, but a walk with no destination.
After returning to the city center, aimlessly walking around the city after sword practice had become Sukuna's daily routine.
It was an action of thought to look at the city while being aware of what Mishakuji had said: "The shape of the world has changed.".
Although he avoided the patrol route of "Scepter 4", it was possible that he would be caught by the city's surveillance cameras, and there was a chance that someone who knew Sukuna's face would find him. However, he thought that he should get involved in a fight if necessary, and he had no intention of living in secret. Mishakuji probably knows Sukuna's daily routine, but pays no attention to it. His own responsibility is the principle of "Jungle".
That day too, Sukuna watched the city as he thought about the dream Nagare had.
Incidents caused by people with supernatural powers were more likely to occur in Tokyo than in rural areas, but other than that, there didn't seem to be any particular changes.
"The shape of the world has changed, huh..."
Sukuna pondered over Mishakuji's words and looked at the streets where people who seemed to live the same daily life came and went.
A black limo drove past Sukuna. Right after that, a sharp brake sound resounded.
Sukuna casually turned around. The rear door of the suddenly stopped limo was flung open. Sukuna's eyes widened when he saw the person who came out from inside.
"Mother..."
Sweat broke out all over Sukuna's body.
The woman was staring at Sukuna. Sukuna's mother's red lips trembled.
When he was at his parents' house, her mother was a symbol of control for Sukuna. She tried to control everything from Sukuna by suppressing Sukuna with her great love.
"Oh, Madam!"
A man ran out of the driver's seat. For a moment, he thought that he was a servant he didn't know, and realized that it was only natural since it had been over three years since he left home.
"Sukuna..."
His mother called out to him with a trembling voice.
Sukuna couldn't move a single step from where he was, just silently feeling his mother's gaze running through his entire body.
Tears welled up in his mother's eyes.
"Give me back my Sukuna...!"
His mother said that with a broken voice.
Sukuna felt his blood drip down. But at the same time, like a frog looking at a snake, his body, which had been motionless, was released.
At that moment, he realized that he was no longer "Sukuna, his mother's property".
"What a dirty bruise! Even though you were a smart kid, you didn't go to school for years! You're like a bum! Ah, this is not good. It can't be undone...!"
The bruise was proof that Mishakuji had trained him to become stronger. Even if he doesn't go to school, his mind is not inferior to that of a child of the same age. He also acquired programming and hacking skills under Nagare. Being taken care of by Iwafune, he lived a much more humane life than when he was at home. He can now cook his own meals, even if he isn't as good as Iwafune.
However, to his mother, all of that was probably the "dirt" that ruined Sukuna.
Only the Sukuna, who was treasured, cared for, polished and loved by his mother like a jewel, was Sukuna to her.
The driver appeared in front of his mother crying.
"Young gentleman. Anyway, get in the car. You should calmly talk to your parents after you get home."
That's what the man said. He must be an indentured servant after Sukuna left home. Although he called him that way and used honorifics, instead of looking at Sukuna as the employer's son, he was closer to looking at the enemy.
Sukuna shook his head silently.
"I won't go upstairs. I won't go home."
"If that's the case, I'm sorry, but even if I use force..."
Looking at the man who said that and got ready, he realized that he was a supernatural being. Probably his mother's driver and bodyguard.
In this day and age when psychic crimes have increased, there are many things ordinary bodyguards can't deal with. It was no surprise that his mother, who was the wife of a high-ranking government official, was assigned a bodyguard with supernatural power.
"I see." Sukuna was convinced that the world's common sense had changed a bit.
The man took a big step forward. From the outstretched right hand, blue light spread out like a web. It seemed to be a capture-type ability that was similar to the nature of the blue clan.
Sukuna took a big leap.
Dodging the supernatural web, he jumped on the man's head while doing somersaults.
Before the man could react to Sukuna's movements, Sukuna slightly turned his body in the air and struck the man's neck with the bamboo sword that was still in the cloth bag.
The man whose consciousness was severed collapsed on the spot.
Sukuna landed and looked at his mother, who was staring at him.
"I'm sorry, but I can no longer return "your Sukuna" to you."
His mother's shoulders trembled at Sukuna's words.
The woman who once controlled everything in Sukuna now seemed small and weak in Sukuna's eyes.
"But, if one day you feel like meeting me as a human being, I hope we can meet at that time... Mother."
Without waiting for a response from his mother, Sukuna turned on his heel and ran. He moved his legs as hard as he could to cut the wind and get away from the place.
There was sadness. Surprisingly for him, it was painful for his mother to judge him useless and make fun of him.
Sukuna didn't stop walking even though he was far enough away from his mother. He ran with all his might to clear the mist from his heart. He was still small, but he was growing at a rapid rate, and he kept running with all his might.
He ran on impulse, and when he stopped his feet as he held his breath, he felt strangely relieved.
Sukuna let out a long breath and then took another deep breath.
He raised his sweaty face and looked at the sky. The wind blew and cooled his hot body, making him feel comfortable and cool.
The sadness and pain were still inside his chest, but they had found a place inside Sukuna.
What Nagare tried to create was a world in which each person was responsible for his own life, exerting his own forces as he wished. Even if Nagare lost, Sukuna will live the life Nagare intended. He didn't care if anyone denied him.
Because what Sukuna was playing was a game of life only for Sukuna.
Yes, it seemed natural.
Sukuna slowly took a step forward. He ran so frantically that for a moment he didn't know where he was, but after a short walk, he recognized the scenery. Apparently, he had made it all the way to Shizume City.
A school seemed to be nearby, and he saw a group of boys and girls in uniform walking towards Shizume Station.
He became aloof from himself, not even looking at the appearance of the children of the same age who were going to school.
Sukuna's eyes widened as he saw a girl who stood out from the passing boys and girls with carefree faces.
White skin, white hair, doll-like features, and red eyes. The girl who stands out, whether she wears the same clothes as those around her or not, is Anna Kushina, former third king.
-- That person attends high school.
With a strange feeling, Sukuna looked at Anna wearing her high school uniform and walking among ordinary children.
He thought that she would be floating in the school, but next to Anna, there was a normal girl in the same uniform who seemed to be her friend and was talking to Anna.
Sukuna had a general understanding of royal authority. Since Anna woke up as Strain from a young age, there were various circumstances that she had and it seems that she didn't attend elementary school.
For some reason, he thought that she would continue to walk a different path than normal children. Like Nagare, who became the "Green King", and Sukuna, who became a member of Nagare's clan.
However, when he learned that this was the path Anna chose, he felt a sense of understanding.
Anna's eyes, which were nodding towards the girl next to her, suddenly turned to Sukuna.
Sukuna lightly shook his shoulders and said, "Oh, no, it's too late to go."
Anna looked at Sukuna with too direct eyes, and the girl next to her also followed her gaze and looked at Sukuna.
"Who is he? A friend?"
The girl next door asked Anna. Anna thought for a moment.
"Yes."
And she agreed.
"Who is your friend? Don't talk nonsense!"
Sukuna raised his fists and turned his back on Anna, running at full speed for the second time that day.
It will continue in chapter 10: "Mysterious companion".
redid my carrd
links
Art Fight Sketches (2/2)
compilation of my art fight attacks. in order of left to right, top to bottom:
Parissa / belongs to _ayaben
Fleur / belongs to bratbIush
Morgan / belongs to supernsfwzhenya
Lulu / belongs to vampure_
Tenebri / belongs to useikun
Yukine Yumeneko / belongs to nanachishiro
Zuzu / belongs to ruii_ki
Cthylla / belongs to eldritchinc
Art Fight 2022 Sketches (½)
compilation of my art fight attacks. in order of left to right, top to bottom:
maxwell the lion / belongs to maxpawb
penne pasta / belongs to jaqrabbit
tadama / belongs to bunsdenial
“katariina” kalcatta catlyn / belongs to shizukamiko
nirvana / belongs to roccoco_co
grimes / belongs to risterdus
chrysanthemum “chrys” colores / belongs to delzolll
charlene / belongs to taichouu_
RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS
CHAPTER 9: DELIRIUM
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
Maria Reyes sat on the bed and looked at the PDA.
She tapped on the "Edward" entry in the contact list and tried to make a call. Maria had been repeating that action over and over for a while now. The reason she always gives up is because Ed told her not to contact him during work.
Maria has never broken that ban. She knew that it was her submission that allowed her to remain the lover of Edward the Red, the infamous Las Vegas gang member. Unprecedented and cheerful, cruel and childish. Maria understood Ed's characteristics and she loved him too.
That's why she Maria knew that Ed's cheerful behavior was nothing more than a pretext. In its depths lay a dark void that no one could touch.
Before waking up, during the meal, after the adventure, Maria watched Ed's dark face carefully, from time to time, as the void appeared. Maria didn't do the foolish thing to ask what it was. Only then would she be able to continue living that way.
But...
Maria looked at the PDA one more time.
Just before Ed left this morning, the void appeared. Although there is nothing in the dark, it seems to have an irresistible scorching heat, the kind of thing that is hard to name.
"I don't think Ed will ever come back here again.", Maria had such an intuition.
At that moment, she heard a sound in the distance.
A muffled sound, like something exploding.
Unable to resist, Maria got up and ran out of the room.
The members of "Blood and Fire", who were supposed to always be below as Maria's guards, were nowhere to be seen now.
This also made Maria feel frustrated. Many of the members are thugs who follow Ed by force, and among them are many remnants of the mob that he crushed. There are few people who have good feelings for Ed, and Maria's guards should have been those people.
The fact that even that was being pushed meant that the "work" this time was on a grand scale.
Maria got into the car and started the engine. She knew that she was acting reckless. Nothing yet. Stepping on the accelerator, Maria drove towards the direction of the explosion.
++++++++++
It wasn't bad at all.
Suoh had such an impression as he was walking leisurely at night in Las Vegas.
Two robots descended from above, blocking Suoh's path with a roar. This time they came with an extra flying saucer. There were several, but he stopped counting.
They would soon become scrap metal anyway.
Suoh dispersed his aura. Receiving an aura like a heat wave storm, the robot tilted and the saucer escaped into the sky at a dangerous point. In that space, Suoh took a big step forward and slammed his fist into the robot's knee.
Steel legs creaked and shards of wires and electronics flew.
A rotating machine gun was aimed at Suoh from a short distance. Suoh carelessly stuck his arm into it. If you stick your arm into a steel shaft that spins hundreds of times a second, it will usually turn to minced meat in an instant, but the "King's" arm was unusual, and it was the barrel of the gun that broke. An annoying noise rang out and the motor that detected an abnormal load stopped immediately.
Suoh grabbed the barrel of the gun and dragged the giant robot body down with all his might.
He stepped on the body of the robot, which was spinning on its legs like a dying insect. Clad in a red aura, he stomped on a military armor crushing it like an eggshell. He destroyed the other robot in the same way.
He exhaled and thought.
He didn't feel bad after all.
There were people who jumped on him. He didn't have to take it easy. That was indescribably comforting.
If this were Japan, it would be different. The hostile yakuza, or the Clansman of Scepter 4. Suoh always held back when he punched, kicked and threw them. He didn't know what would happen to his opponent, but he didn't even think about taking their life. That's why he had to gently slap those who pointed their weapons or sabers at him.
It was a stressful job.
However, this was different. So Suoh thought as he created a fireball and threw it at the puck, it was pure fighting. Destroy his opponent. Apart from that, he didn't think about anything else, so he felt good.
The disk spat fire as it crashed, making a loud crack. Suoh stepped on it and proceeded. Even with a slight smile on his lips.
However, that smile disappeared the next moment.
Several discs appeared in front of Suoh after canceling his transparency. Attached to the bottom of the eye chamber was no weapon. It was a flash that seemed to be attached to an SLR.
The three flashes hit Suoh with intense light like a strobe light.
"......"
Suoh reflexively closed his eyes. He let out a small click of his tongue.
The flash blinked erratically and relentlessly pursued him no matter how hard he tried to get away. A nasty, damaging and effective attack.
If you can't destroy the "King's" body, you can destroy his senses. Visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli will certainly become an attack if they accumulate.
But it didn't make sense.
Suoh raised a hand in front of him and focused his aura there. An indiscriminate attack with some degree of directionality, so to speak, a shotgun with an aura. If you randomly shoot "where enemies are likely to be", the unpleasant stimulant will soon wear off.
Suoh was just trying to give off an aura.
He stopped, because he heard a scream.
A boy or a girl, he didn't know from the flood of light. A little boy, probably 10 years old or younger, was crying for his mother, in the direction from which Suoh was trying to emit an aura.
Suoh twisted his lips.
He knew exactly what his opponent was aiming at.
They were trying to wear Suoh down. They wanted him to use his physical strength and thus reduce his energy. It was no accident that the boy was in the direction of the puck. He can destroy weapons, but he couldn't kill children, that's how they see Suoh. That is why the "Human Shield" can be used effectively. That must be the enemy's strategy.
That was the truth.
The aura was still stored in his palm.
However, there was no need to think of other measures. The sound of an explosion suddenly resounded and the light stopped.
He lowered his hands and opened his eyes. The puck became a ball of fire and lay on the ground.
When he looked around, Kusanagi was about to put away his Zippo lighter. Seeing him smile, Suoh snorted.
"Sunglasses came in handy for the first time."
Kusanagi shrugged and ignored Suoh's words.
"It helped me focus my attacks on you. It caused unnecessary damage to the surrounding area."
As he spoke, Kusanagi slipped past the broken disk and approached the boy crouched at the base of a plant. He spoke to him in soft English and lead him to safety by pulling his hand.
Suoh looked at him with his hand still in his pocket.
Kusanagi returned shortly and Suoh fell silent.
"Go back to the hotel."
Kusanagi's eyes widened in surprise. As if reading Suoh's thoughts, he looked at his face.
Finally, Kusanagi gave up and sighed.
"Okay. What are you going to do?"
"A little more fuss."
However, it was difficult to become violent there. The intrepid tourists watched Suoh and the robot he crushed from afar. There were also those who recorded with their PDAs pointing at them, as if they thought they were shooting a movie. Suoh's fighting style was not designed to protect them.
Kusanagi must have been aware of that. Checking on his PDA, he pointed to the right,
"So, there's a city golf course there. No one will be there at this hour."
"Yes."
Suoh nodded and started running.
The race of the "King". The concrete he passed through broke and Suoh's body jumped due to his power. He grabbed onto a traffic light, broke it, jumped back, landed on the roof of a building, and ran again.
Several helicopters were flying in the night sky, which was closer than before. Seeing Suoh move, they hurriedly followed him.
Suoh looked at them. Helicopters will presumably have a pilot on board, unlike robotic weapons. If they really wanted to kill him, it shouldn't matter if he killed them. Now that he sold a fight, he wouldn't complain no matter what the price.
However, there may be another child directly below the crashed helicopter. He can be someone's father, or mother, or all of them.
Thinking of that, Suoh clicked his tongue again.
Las Vegas had too much going on for him to mess with.
++++++++++
The second floor of "Fontaine" had become a battlefield.
Yata called that foreigner Ed. The flames spread to the curtains, and from the sprinklers that detected it rained down a large amount of water. Customers were eating bubbles and running away, the store staff desperately trying to calm them down so they wouldn't panic.
Then another source of confusion erupted.
A shot.
A scream followed by another scream and an angry roar. The passengers rushing towards the exit turned around one after another, lowered their posture, and threw themselves on the ground.
Like Moses parting the sea, the ones who appeared from among the guests were the boys in black.
Kamamoto muttered in amazement.
"It's them again. They don't get tired of being hit?"
Chitose replied calmly.
"This time they have a toy, so they are optimistic."
As he said, those in black were carrying something they didn't have last time, a gun. All of them were holding submachine guns in their hands with murderous and excited eyes, pointing at them and shouting something.
A few men in black rushed forward and pointed their muzzles at them.
"Hehe." Laughing, Kamamoto also took a step forward.
Kamamoto's aura unfolded almost at the same time as the wild firefight began.
A red-hot aura swirled around, blocking and deflecting all bullets. Kamamoto did not know the name of the probability change field, nor was he aware of it. However, they only know from experience that guns and bullets are useless against them.
"Chitose, Bando!"
When Kamamoto raised his voice in the middle, Bando rushed towards the black ones as if he was crawling on the ground and Chitose rushed into the sky. They panicked and fired wildly, but they weren't as good as the clansman who developed the aura. A fist sank into the face of one of the leaders and a fight began.
Kamamoto looked back. Using the overturned table as a shield, Anna crouched down. Her expression was tinged with fear, but she bravely looked at Kamamoto and nodded.
Eric knelt beside her and looked at Kamamoto in the same way.
"Kamamoto-san, I will protect Anna."
"I understand!"
Beating his chest, Kamamoto ran towards the line of men in black like a human bullet train.
He punched, kicked, stomped while he was holding a headlock. In the midst of that, Kamamoto looked outside. The beautifully decorated window panes of "Fontaine" mercilessly shattered, revealing a still-going fountain show.
Flames and blades danced as the column of water rose.
He let out a snort. No matter how he thought about it, it was annoying to leave it to "that guy". However, it was Yata's own order to protect Anna. They couldn't get out of there.
"Shut your mouth!"
Kamamoto decided to direct his dissatisfaction and frustration at the attackers. He threw the two of them out the window together, and Kamamoto looked at the black clad men who were still fighting and began to walk quickly.
++++++++++
That was what it meant.
The area was already surrounded by the supernatural weapon "Ostrich". If you are attacked by their machine guns that penetrate the probabilistic deviation field, even if you are a supernatural person, it is not free. If you don't want to be a pile of corpses, you have no choice but to escape from the siege. And the exit to the siege was in the window they broke, maybe a jump from there and a fall of more than 100 meters would save them.
That's what Totsuka wanted to say.
Tanaka reflexively opened his mouth.
"You're crazy?"
It was a very rude comment, but Totsuka didn't seem offended and just laughed.
"Easy. I can handle it."
Saying that, he jumped on the remains of the "Ostrich" and looked out the window.
“Look, this hotel is shaped like a pyramid, isn't it? That's why the outside isn't a "wall", it's a "slope". If you slide down instead of falling, you can handle it, right?"
"No... What do you think?"
It was Akagi who said that without confidence. He also stuck his head out the window in fear.
"Even if it's tilted, isn't the angle too narrow? If you lose your balance in the middle, it's the end of the series."
"But isn't there another way?"
"Well, it is. I wish there was another way."
Dewa scratched his cheek as he looked out of the room. The door had been attacked by multiple "ostriches", and almost all of them were broken into pieces and floating in the air. Even so, the "Ostrich" still couldn't enter because Tanaka was blocking it with the "fixed coordinate zero point".
But they didn't have much time left.
The sound of gunshots began to be heard from the wall a little way from the door. They were trying to get through the wall to get in. Tanaka's ability couldn't fix two points at the same time. If they got out of there, he couldn't do anything this time.
Fujishima muttered calmly.
"You are ready?"
Then, everyone in "Homura" looked at Tanaka.
It was just as Fujishima said. He had no choice but to make up his mind.
Even a supernatural person would die if he fell normally from a height of 100 meters. The probability deflector field doesn't even deflect the impact of a fall. Probability is "chance that it is possible", not the magic that makes the law of inertia not exist. After jumping, each person's decision will be the difference between life and death.
Tanaka inhaled and exhaled at the same time.
"Okay. Come on. I just have one thing to tell you."
Looking at "Homura", Tanaka spoke gravely,
"I'm afraid of heights. Please understand that there is a possibility that I can make an error in judgment."
++++++++++
Ed looked his own "arm".
A long arm of flame, the stigmata that once bestowed upon the baptism of "Purgatory". It was cut from his wrist and scattered.
He then saw the cut human.
Of course Ed didn't know anything about him. He didn't need to know. There were only two things that mattered: a scruffy blue uniform and a loose saber. In response to that dull look in his eyes, Ed smiled.
He thought he was back.
At that time, during the height of "Purgatory". In the age of red and blue killing each other.
"Blue clothes, wow!!"
At the same time that he shouted, Ed flexed his long fiery arm like a whip and let out a horizontal calm. The blue clothes jumped to dodge the blow, then slashed at it with a flash of the saber. Ed stuck out his tongue, laughed, and swung around to regenerate his arm. He could create as many flame arms as he wanted.
However, he couldn't follow up. Yata took advantage of that gap and hurried inside.
"Ohyaaaaaaa!!"
An enthusiastically unleashed fist slammed into Ed's stomach. Severe pain and nausea erupted at the same time, and his body broke into a dogleg shape. Yata head-butted sharply into the face of Ed, who had swum in front of him.
This time, Ed's body leaned back, swaying from side to side.
His left hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of Yata's head.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!"
With a mad laugh, Ed pushed himself up and head-butted Yata back. Yata, who is short in stature, flew out with nosebleeds everywhere and was thrown onto the stage from behind. In order to crush his skull, he hit the palm of the flame directly from above.
A blue barrier blocked the chase.
It was the blue clothes. Yata's body was wrapped in a shield created by the saber. The sparks of the aura scattered wildly, and in that space, Yata turned as if he was breakdancing and kicked out the palm of his hand. He wiped away the bloody nose with his fist and jumped to his feet.
Yata was on the left, and Blue was on the right. Seeing the two of them slowly approaching each other, Ed's expression took on a demonic rage.
"Red and Blue, why are you fighting together?"
In response, Yata yelled at him and spat on the blue clothes.
"Gak! I don't do that!"
"I told you it's just work."
Ed narrowed his eyes. Slowly, killing intent and madness rose up his throat. Faced with the combination that was absolutely impossible at "that time", the depths of Ed's soul were screaming, denying those guys. He wanted to kill them, crush them, and pretend it never happened.
Yes. That was all that mattered to Ed.
For those who had already left, all he could do was kill them.
So, someday...
Ed raised his right arm. The long arm of flames shone even more violently and rushed towards the heavens like an ascending dragon.
Even higher than the rising column of water, it remained in the air, and in the next moment, it turned into countless flames and rained down on the stage.
"Tsk!"
The blue clothes swung his saber precisely and cut down all the fireballs raining down on him. Still, the flames rained down endlessly. The blue clothes was stuck in place, unable to take a single step.
But Yata was different.
Amid the rain of fire, he charged at Ed.
Evasion was minimal and no defense was considered. Yata was unfazed, despite the fact that he was hit by several fireballs. His eyes were filled with the same fiery fighting spirit as Ed.
A red symbol. It was the color of violence and madness.
"Haha!"
Along with Ed's laughter, a torrential rain of fire focused on Yata.
"Oooooooooooooh!!"
Yata, with his spirit, filled his crossed fists with a red aura.
The two reds collided.
"Well...!"
As expected, Yata's legs stopped. He barely blocked the torrent of flames like a waterfall with his fists, but couldn't move forward due to the pressure. Ed smiled with the confidence of victory. He wanted to turn him into a handful of ashes.
At that moment, Yata let out a low growl between his teeth.
"Hey, Saruhiko...!"
When Ed realized it was the name of that blue clothes, it was already too late.
The blue clothes turned to the side kicked the water and came closer. A cold, expressionless face and gray eyes with murderous intent. The tip of the saber hit Ed directly.
"Haha.", Ed laughed.
A scene he had seen over and over again. The guys dressed in black being slashed, ripped apart, and poked with the blues' sabers. Dripping blood, dying as they screamed, never moving again.
The time had come, he waked.
Thinking of that, Ed stared at the approaching sword tip.
The saber went through Ed's right shoulder.
A blue aura unfolded and forcibly cut off the flames rising from inside Ed. The right arm that had been outstretched disappeared in the bud, and the fountain spilled out and doused the flames that had engulfed Yata.
Eyes wide and teeth clenched, Ed grabbed the collar of the blue clothes with his left hand.
"Guh...?!"
"What are you doing, bastard?"
He curled his fingers like claws and bit down on the blue cloth's throat.
Looking into the eyes behind the glasses of the blue clothes that were distorted in agony, Ed let out a murky fury.
"You should have killed me now! Why are you doing such a sweet thing? Still, are you a member of "Scepter 4"?!"
The blue clothes frowned as he suffered. Either he didn't understand English or he didn't understand Ed's words. Either one would do. He could break a human neck with one hand. Ed squeezed his hand even tighter, trying to make him pay for the sweetness.
At that moment, Yata hurried back inside.
"Let him go, come on!"
The aura covered fist pierced Ed's face.
His awareness wavered and the strength left his hands. The blue clothes took advantage of that gap and moved instantly. He kicked up the tip of the saber embedded in his shoulder, tearing at the flesh of the shoulder and springing up.
Mixed with the gushing water, the blood danced.
Ed knelt down and shook his head. He tried to put out his long arm of flame, but he couldn't. When he looked up, his right arm was almost removed from his shoulder. If he concentrated, the stigmata would react, but the amount of flame that came out was so small that it seemed like it wouldn't grow to his arm.
Ed looked up as he was hit by the falling water.
Yata was looking at Ed. He breathed on his shoulders and wore an aura on his fists. If he felt like it, he could smash his head or break his neck.
But he wouldn't.
Finally, Ed's back teeth clicked. A crisp voice escaped.
"You can't even kill people? A kid like you being a member of the Red Clan? I won't admit it...!"
"I don't know what you're talking about.", Yata whispered.
"What do you want to do and who are you really? I don't know. But, I also have something I can't give up."
"......"
Facing Ed's fierce gaze from the front, Yata scratched his chest.
"I'm a member of the Red Clan, "Homura"! No matter who you are, if you deny it, there's only one thing I can do. I'll hit you. That's all."
He heard a tongue click. It was the blue clothes. Ed didn't understand what that meant. He just had a grimace on his wet face.
"Then give it a try. Misaki."
Yata swallowed hard. He hesitated for just a second. He raised his bright red fist.
After...
Everyone present felt it.
Forgetting all the circumstances, Ed, Yata and the blue clothes, looked up at the sky. Beyond the city where the neon lights and the lights intersect, the gap between the high-rise hotels that line up.
A red "Sword of Damocles" floated in the night sky over Las Vegas.
K - ONE YEAR LATER
CHAPTER 8: THE PLACE WHERE I BELONG (BY TATSUKI MIYAZAWA)
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
A year has passed since then.
The next morning, after messing around with Yata overnight, Fushimi returned to his room in the dorm, changed into his uniform, and headed straight to Awashima's office.
She was not very proactive about getting a private room, saying that she was just acting as the head of the department.
"Isn't there something you don't want other people to hear? Isn't that what it means to be on top?"
After being persuaded by Fushimi, she started using the room that had been used as a reception room as her own room.
The only furniture is a desk and a document management rack, which is rational and calm, but the only thing that stands out is the flowers arranged in a vase by the window (several office workers who admired Awashima took turns choosing them) that create a glamorous atmosphere.
When he entered the room...
"...Fushimi. Are you tired?"
Awashima turned to Fushimi and asked that. Fushimi put his finger on his neck, while he looked sideways.
"Well, yes."
He gave her a careless reply.
"I have no problem with my job."
Awashima smiled.
After that, she quickly checked various items on the tablet without further comment. Fushimi was impressed with the speed with which Awashima worked.
With the exception of Reisi Munakata, who is the head of the office, Scepter 4's administrative processing ability is by far the highest.
(Well, that's just my second point.)
Neither pushy nor cocky, Fushimi picked up on his own abilities.
"By the way, Fushimi. What's going on with that Strain's case?"
Awashima's voice lowered slightly.
"Oh."
Fushimi narrowed his eyes.
"You mean the Black Iron King, right?"
Awashima nodded.
"Excuse me. Akiyama, can I temporarily mobilize Benzai?"
When Fushimi said that...
"...Domyoji and others are already working exclusively, but isn't that enough?"
Awashima's words were mixed with slight surprise.
Fushimi laughed bitterly.
"I thought he was just an idiot. But he is quite a troublesome idiot."
Fushimi Saruhiko is like the incarnation of a powerful officer. He has continued to deal with the crimes caused by the Strains very efficiently and effectively.
It was extremely rare for Fushimi to use the expression "troublesome".
Awashima's face showed something close to tension.
A Strain, the self-proclaimed Black Iron King, Kamimori Katsuya's prominent activities coincided with Reisi Munakata's temporary departure from Scepter 4.
At first, he wasn't even thought of as a threat.
The contents of the crime include destroying the door of a candy factory and stealing a large amount of products, as well as writing on the wall of the building: "The Black Iron King was here!". There was a strong tendency to be messy and obnoxious, such as writing in large letters.
"A boy, huh?"
After receiving the report, Fushimi muttered under his breath.
Hidaka was initially the only person in charge, and after several days of investigation, he immediately identified the culprit.
Katsuya Kamimori, 26 years old.
A former long-distance truck driver who lived in an apartment in Shizume City.
However, after activating his ability as a Strain, he was fired from his employer's transportation company and, on top of that, he got in trouble with a nearby resident and had to move out of his apartment.
Hidaka identified his whereabouts without much difficulty and headed off with Enomoto as backup to contain him.
What was miscalculated was that Kamimori had a non-standard strength that was far from a normal Strain.
As the self-proclaimed Black Iron King, his unique ability was to harden his body to the extreme. Hidaka and Enomoto's attacks did not succeed at all, and instead they were swayed by his strong arms, and after being injured, they ran away to call for help.
The capture took place in a certain internet cafe, but after it was over, the inside of the store was in chaos, as if a big storm had broken out.
Hidaka's voice was very weak when he reported this incident. Thankfully, in the midst of the mishap, no civilians were hurt, but it should have been close to an apologetic mistake.
However, Fushimi did not particularly reprimand him.
This is because he didn't think there was anything wrong with Hidaka's answer. He hardly ever lost in a one on one fight with a normal Strain.
Even if Enomoto joined them, he would have been defeated.
Fushimi immediately put together a team to deal with Katsuya Kamimori, centered around Domyoji, who boasts one of the best abilities in Scepter 4.
(Based on Hidaka's report, he's probably stronger than me, huh? Depending on the situation, it's probably safer to think of him as an extra-large irregular on par with Yatogami Kuro of the Silver Clan.)
Fushimi never underestimated his opponent and carefully crafted countermeasures.
However, the situation affected by the Black Iron King far exceeded Fushimi's imagination in a few months.
After he got Awashima's approval, Fushimi summoned the members of Scepter 4 to a room.
Akiyama Himori, Benzai Yujiro, Kamo Ryuho, Domyoji Andy, Enomoto Tatsuya, Fuse Daiki, Goto Ren, and Hidaka Akira.
And Fushimi Saruhiko.
Seri Awashima sat a short distance away, entrusting him with the role of organizer.
This may be the first time since the turmoil caused by the "Green King" Hisui Nagare, that all of Scepter 4's elites have come together for a single incident.
The expressions of Akiyama and the others, who had not participated in the investigation until now, showed some bewilderment.
They wondered if a single Strain could pose such a threat.
"Well, a picture is worth a thousand words. Check this out."
Fushimi said as he operated the remote control, and the image was displayed on the projector behind him.
"Four days ago. A commercial facility in a certain region. It is midnight. This is the image from the surveillance camera installed outdoors."
A wide camera with a fairly wide angle showed a large parking lot that is typical of a local city.
Everyone kept their eyes open for a while. Nothing suspicious. After...
"Oh."
Goto, who has keen senses in strange places, first leaked out a small voice. Everyone soon found out.
Beyond the parking lot was another large paddy field, but suddenly a black mist-like thing began to cover it.
Then, one by one, vehicles such as sedans, light cars, caravans, and wagons came out of the black mist one after another.
And finally, an extraordinarily large truck slowly and quietly appeared.
"What?"
Kamo frowned in confusion.
"Here's another angle on that track."
When Fushimi operated the remote in his hand, the screen changed.
"I'll expand on that a bit."
The track was up.
"Oh, God."
Benzai unintentionally smiled wryly.
It was a type of truck called Dekotora. The jet-black body was equipped with countless red, blue, and yellow colored lights, which cast dazzling lights against the backdrop of the countryside night. It had a strange presence, like a UFO landing in the wrong place.
And next to it...
"No need for opinions. The invincible Black Iron King."
...it was written in big letters.
"This is a big truck that Kamimori, the idiot pretending to be the Black Iron King, stole from the trucking company he used to work for. It looks like he restored it to his liking... well, he doesn't have good taste, but his handwriting is pretty good."
Fushimi said that matter-of-factly and emotionlessly. In contrast, Fushimi's anger could be felt from his flat words, and everyone fell silent.
"Ok, next picture."
Fushimi operated the controller in his hand again.
"This time it's a surveillance camera in a commercial facility. Look carefully."
The screen showed an automatic door that was probably the main entrance. Suddenly it flew, breaking the glass around it. And then, through the automatic door with only the frame left, a man calmly walked past.
He was quite tall and had short hair. He was dressed in what looked like a manual laborer's uniform, but he was open from the top and only wore a white tank top.
His strong muscles bulged from his upper arms, neck, and shoulders. The face that he smiled like a child with his mouth open was impressive.
"He is Kamimori. He probably just hit the door with his hardened fist, but as you can see, he has destructive power. You might think he has the energy of a small bomb."
Hidaka, who had an encounter with Kamimori, clenched his fist in frustration, while Enomoto looked down with a solemn expression.
They were both beaten by Kamimori, and as a Strain, his exceptional strength is embedded in his bones.
"The problem is after this."
As they watched, more people entered through the broken automatic door.
"Hey~, he has a lot of companions."
Domyoji whistled rather happily.
"Come on. Some people must know something."
Fuse's eyes turned stern. Fushimi nodded.
"That's right. Currently, there are several Strains on the wanted list. Currently, probably more than 20 antisocial Strains have joined this idiot and are committing criminal acts."
Fushimi poked at the screen with the tip of his finger.
"By the way, even in this commercial facility, after stopping rushing guards, these guys stole around 10 million in money and goods and fled. This is the second such incident this month."
Everyone finally understood the seriousness of the situation.
There have never been many examples of such an organized Strain coalition.
"In summary..."
Akiyama asked Fushimi for confirmation a bit bluntly.
"Some kind of, uh, criminal group, well, they're forming a faction of Strains, right?"
"Oh."
Fushimi spoke frankly in the "terms" that Akiyama originally meant.
"I think it's good to see that the Black Iron King Clan is nearing completion."
They all had a complicated look on their faces.
Awashima, who was sitting a short distance away, put her hand to her forehead and thought.
The meeting ended after Fushimi communicated the future policy.
It was a large-scale instruction that basically all members should be given priority in dealing with Kamimori and his group, while the distribution of work to other projects would be done at their own discretion.
"But you surprised me."
After everyone left, Awashima said something a little funny.
"I can't believe what the Captain predicted is happening like this."
Fushimi, who was reconfirming the information on the tablet, looked a bit displeased.
Awashima continued without a response from Fushimi.
"One. An unprecedented type of Strain could cause an incident. Two. A guiding Strain will occur that unites them. When one or two conditions are met, a group of Strains not seen in the past is formed. That is..."
Awashima was looking at Fushimi.
"It will be something that mimics the "King" and his clan for as long as possible. It's all the Captain told us before he left."
"......"
Fushimi looked up from the tablet and replied curtly.
"If that's the case, I expected it too. Among the people who became Strains after destroying the Slate, there were many that weren't applicable to conventional qualitative. It's obvious if you have an idea."
"Yes. But I didn't understand the flow at all. Fushimi, I think you have something similar to the Captain's "eyes that see the future."
Instead of making fun of him, Awashima praised Fushimi with sincerity and kindness.
Fushimi looked away to the side, he didn't say a word.
(In that case, what the lieutenant has is "general's ship", right?)
Without Munakata, the fact that Scepter 4 is running smoothly is largely due to Awashima's control.
After a short silence, Awashima started asking questions about Kamimori and his group again.
"You said they might be living in a bunch of cars that came out of that black fog."
Awashima raised her well-shaped eyebrows.
"I wonder...what is his purpose?"
Fushimi analyzed the information he obtained and concluded that Kamimori was hiding and moving repeatedly, randomly attacking commercial facilities and warehouses.
Like the highwaymen of the Middle Ages, or the horse tribes of the plains, they have a form of wandering behavior that does not take root.
"I find the action to be quite momentary."
Awashima expressed the impressions of him. Fushimi was forceful.
"Or you could say they're like children. Well, in any case, they might not be thinking of lasting too long themselves."
Awashima nodded. After...
"However, I also agree with your prediction that there is an intelligent brain in this group."
"Yes. Otherwise, there is no way such an orderly organization could have been formed in such a short period of time. A fool who cannot be called by Kamimori would not budge."
"Is that brain and the Strain that generates the black mist the same person?"
Fushimi agreed.
"Almost certainly. The organizational change and the concealment using black fog happened at the same time. I won't know until I catch this guy, but that black fog seems to have the effect of making perception difficult."
"That's why even with such a large group, I can't figure out where they're hiding."
Fushimi nodded again.
"Then, as our policy, we will capture that staff officer with the highest priority first."
"Isn't Kamimori the General?"
At Awashima's question, Fushimi lied with a straight face.
"Because Kamimori makes an excellent personnel officer in any organization."
Awashima let out a small laugh.
Two weeks after Fushimi shared his opinion with Awashima, Kamimori and his companions showed up at a ski resort quite far from the metropolitan area.
It was already dark and completely out of season, so not at all popular.
Supports lined up at regular intervals and a stretched lift. In addition, the grassy slopes along the route barely showed the characteristics of a ski resort.
Just as the hands of the clock struck midnight.
Suddenly, a black mist with a shade darker than the darkness of night slowly spread over the parking lot of the hostel at the foot of the mountain. A black mist unfurled as if filling the uninhabited space. And from there various types of cars emerged as if they were filtering.
Kamimori's proud Dekotora came next.
The cars were parked neatly at a distance from each other.
"Ok! Good atmosphere! As expected of a ski resort!"
Kamimori jumped from the driver's seat to the ground and raised his arms to the night sky as hard as he could and roared.
With blond hair buzzed short, he took off only the top half of his overalls and slipped on a tank top, revealing his strong shoulders and upper arms.
His friends gathered around him.
"Ok! Guys. Let's be flashy again today! For now, we'll smash the hostel and burn it down!"
They all nodded strongly at Kamimori's comment.
At that moment...
"Ah, guys. Stop being idiots. Give up."
They heard a very unmotivated voice through the loudspeaker. Little did they know, it was the voice of Saruhiko Fushimi, an intelligent young man from Scepter 4. At the same time, the surrounding lights turned on.
The light sources needed for nightly business during the season were all turned on at full power at once, filling the area with blinding light.
"No! The Blues!"
One of his friends yelled.
"......"
Kamimori stared at the area around the hut.
Certainly, there was a row of Scepter 4 members in blue uniforms.
"Let's do it."
The aggressive Kamimori clenched his fists and tried to move forward. Another hastily stopped him.
"You can't do that, boss! "That person" told you, right? In the unlikely event that you get ambushed, return to the mist and run away!"
"But..."
"We're not just thieves and thugs. Boss, didn't you say that we would fix the world properly?!"
Kamimori gritted his teeth at that comment. But there he showed his magnanimity as a boss.
He raised his fist and then lowered it.
"Hey, guys!"
He acted quickly.
"Let's run away!"
Then he took the initiative to run back to the driver's seat of the Dekotora. The members' reactions were quick, probably because they had made the arrangements in advance.
They hurriedly jumped into each car, started the engine, reversed the cars, and plunged one after another into the black mist that was still developing.
Kamimori was the bravest.
After making sure everyone could escape, he backed up the huge truck and calmly walked back into the mist. From the driver's seat to the end, he was the force of the rebellion looking down on the members of Scepter 4 and threatening them.
And the members of Scepter 4 strangely didn't even try to move, let alone chase after them.
A few seconds after Kamimori escaped into the black mist, the black mist gradually thinned as if it had been lost in the wind, and in about five minutes it completely dissipated into the night air.
Naturally, Kamimori's carriages were completely annihilated like a magnificent magic trick.
There was a shadow watching him, about halfway down the slope of the base.
The shadow that had crouched among the trees slowly rose and began to move away without a sound.
At that moment...
The searchlight suddenly activated, capturing the figure in a ring of pure white light.
"Tamaki Genjo. You are completely surrounded. Surrender quietly."
Fushimi Saruhiko stepped forward and spoke in a low, high-pitched voice. Behind him, the members of Scepter 4 were on standby.
That person.
The Black Iron King's chief of staff, Tamaki Genjo, raised his hands playfully.
"I know you, Fushimi Saruhiko-kun, the ace of Scepter 4. Excellent work. I will not resist. I will follow you silently. In exchange..."
He finally smiled.
"How did you figure out we would attack here tonight? How did you know I was here? How did you get my background on me in the first place?"
Fushimi snorted softly.
As Tamaki Genjo stated, he did not resist at all.
He was handcuffed, transported in a Scepter 4 vehicle, and until he moved into camp, he didn't say a word, just a faint smile on his lips.
On the other hand, Fushimi, who accompanied him in the back seat of the car, had a dull look, rested his chin on his hands, and stared out the window the entire time without saying a word.
It wasn't until they were alone in the Scepter 4 interrogation room that they opened their mouths.
"Now then, Fushimi-kun, it's finally time for the interrogation. What the hell should we talk about?"
Placing his cuffed hands on the table, Genjo Tamaki smiled.
"......"
Fushimi crossed his legs, crossed his arms and sat on a chair, looking at him with a somewhat arrogant posture.
Tamaki is in his forties. His shoulder-length hair has a bit of white mixed in, but he has a lot of hair for his age. He wore round glasses on his slender face and a crimson scarf around his neck.
His general fashion sense is like that of a hippie that was popular in the 60's.
(He's like a failed John Lennon. If the times were right, he'd smoke pot and play popular songs.)
That was Fushimi's first impression.
Tamaki's most distinctive feature was the large black eyes that shone behind his glasses.
His pupils were more dilated than normal people and glowed brightly like a child.
He seems to have an intelligent face, and also the face of a dreamer.
Or maybe they are both.
"So what do you want to ask me?"
Fushimi fell silent, so Tamaki urged him on again. Fushimi let out a small sigh.
Then, in a cold tone, he said...
"Well, it sounds like you're dying to talk, so I'll just ask you one thing. How sooner than you expected did you get caught this time? For you, getting caught was probably part of your plan."
Behind his lens, Tamaki's eyes turned perfectly round. After...
"Fufufufufu."
He put his hand on his forehead.
"Ahahahahahahahaha!"
He laughed out loud. Fushimi frowned in annoyance. Tamaki writhed in a fit of laughter for a while. Finally...
"Hahaha. Ha, no, that's great. By asking that question, does that mean you already have an idea of our purpose?"
Fushimi nodded silently. Tamaki took a deep breath.
"Then let me answer. It was quite early. Like you said, getting caught was part of my plan, but honestly, I didn't think it would be so soon. Actually, I was preparing to announce the statement from this point on and to make a crime notice starting next time. I never expected to be caught while the organization was idle."
Tamaki narrowed his eyes curiously.
"May I ask? Why did you discover the characteristics of my ability? In other words, why were you able to identify where I was hiding so quickly?"
Fushimi shrugged.
"It's a video analysis. As a result of the fluid analysis of your mist like a sprayed drug, and a simulation based on the weather conditions of the day, I was able to roughly identify the place where you were hiding. From the characteristics of your ability, I was able to roughly estimate that you couldn't leave the scene until everyone had escaped."
"Please wait."
Tamaki raised his cuffed hands in disapproval.
"Doesn't make sense. There's not that much data right now. Security camera footage at most, right?"
Fushimi said quietly.
"This isn't the first time we've faced a mist-generating supernatural ability."
"Ah.", Tamaki opened his mouth. Fushimi continued.
"At the Mihashira Tower, I was forced to drink boiling water. Fortunately, there were many surveillance cameras there... well, I was operating them at the time and they were able to record the footage. Regarding the mist's supernatural ability, we had already taken measures to some extent a long time ago."
Tamaki sighed and said...
"Seigo Otori, huh? I see, that's right."
He spoke the old name of the "Grey King" in a nostalgic and somewhat sad tone.
Fushimi did not dare touch that point.
"Well, actually, your abilities are quite troublesome. We might have been in more trouble if you had fully used that supernatural power just for your own good."
Tamaki looked at Fushimi. After...
"Fushimi-kun, let me ask you another question. Since it's you, I think it's only natural that you understood our criminal motives and narrowed down the target of the attack to a certain extent, but even so, I think it was a great gamble to have staff at the ski resort in the off-season."
Fushimi didn't answer anything and started to write something on the tablet. Tamaki asked more questions.
"One more thing. How did you find out my identity? I found out about Strain's ability a year ago when the Slate was destroyed. I've been careful up until now, so I don't have a criminal record. I can't believe my information was in your records."
Fushimi did not stop working on the tablet and asked in a curt tone.
"Why do you think that? What is the most likely reason?"
"Hmm.", Tamaki moaned.
"Actually, I have some answers... You sent a spy in, didn't you?"
Fushimi finally raised his head and smiled.
"Correct answer."
Tamaki smiled wryly.
"I didn't want to imagine it too much, but I don't know much about it either. I've also completed investigative measures some time in advance for the organization you belong to, Scepter 4. I know the faces and careers of the core members. I think it's absolutely impossible for them to join our group?"
"Well, I have no obligation to answer."
Fushimi said that in front of that introduction.
"Currently, Scepter 4 not only has Clan members who have been through the "King" facility, but also Strain members. Luckily, one of them is a guy with great insight who snuck into your house and gave me some information beforehand."
"I see."
Tamaki raised his hands as if he was completely defeated.
"I was surprised though. From your organization's point of view, Strains are subject to crackdowns. How dare you use that?"
Fushimi shrugged.
"It's a top policy."
Tamaki was deeply moved.
"Reisi Munakata, the "Blue King", huh? I'm sure he's an amazing man."
"I guess."
Fushimi placed the tablet on the table and took a formal attitude.
"There's a point where your expression isn't accurate. We know next to nothing about your identity. At best, it's just what you're called within the organization. Who are you?"
His eyes sharpened.
"Why do you use the same mist power as the now-deceased "Grey King"? Do you have some kind of connection or special affection?"
Tamaki stared at Fushimi's gaze, and he nodded loudly.
"I'm not hiding anything. It's not about hiding it. Most of all, I want you to know. It's just some long internal talk. Do you mind?"
After waiting for Fushimi to give his consent, Tamaki began to speak.
"Seigo and I... Seigo Otori was a friend from school. We met in high school. We went to college together. Although our careers were completely different, as were our personalities. Oddly enough, there was a bond."
Tamaki said that with a nostalgic expression.
"I did stupid things. I traveled. Is a relationship like writing each other's initials on an important page in the book called youth?"
"You use many literary expressions."
Tamaki smiled at Fushimi's somewhat mocking way of saying it.
"Despite my appearance, I once self-published a collection of poems when I was a student. However, my major was criminal psychology, with a focus on profiling. After graduating from graduate school, I remained in university as a professor. Still, did I meet with Seigo at least once a month? Yes. Speaking of what Seigo and I had in common, it was the unparalleled love for sake. He was a beer fanatic and I am a sake lover, but our tastes were quite similar."
"......"
Tamaki corrected himself after receiving Fushimi's cold gaze.
"Oops, I got off topic. Well, anyway, I believed that our friendship with each other would remain strong even after we entered society, and that it would surely continue until we reached an age where we both couldn't stand on our own. I thought so. However, from a certain point, Seigo suddenly started to change."
"About the time Iwafune Tenkei woke up as the "Grey King", right?"
Tamaki's smile was mixed with bittersweet sweetness.
"Honestly, I'm not very familiar with that name, but... in terms of time, it's correct."
He nodded once.
"Imagine it. What if an old friend says that he has awakened to a mysterious ability and starts launching a mysterious religious group?"
This time, Fushimi smiled wryly.
"Good, I understand."
Tamaki was very serious.
"I visited his "Cathedral" many times to admonish him. However, the more I went, the more his ideals fascinated me and convinced me of the legitimacy of the paradise he was creating on earth. Above all, his power was real. I thought his mist power was very "beautiful"."
"Beautiful?"
Fushimi asked back. Tamaki affirmed.
"Yes. To be precise, it was "beautiful" due to "unlimited kindness"."
Fushimi spoke no more words. Tamaki spoke again.
"One day, I said to Seigo, "I want to be by your side and be your strength". Seigo agreed with a smile. And when I dropped out of college, the day before I was about to move into Seigo's house."
At that moment, fear, confusion, and endless anguish appeared in Tamaki's eyes for the first time.
"That sword fell from the sky."
There are wounds that will never heal for many years to come.
Fushimi sensed that and remained silent. The silence continued for a while. Before long, after clearing his throat once, Tamaki, who began to speak regardless of the situation, returned to his calm on the surface.
"The death of an unbelievably large number of people and of my best friend. From that day on, I lost the meaning of life. I didn't even want to go back to college, so I spent my days hiding from the world. There was a time when I was still wandering the streets like a bum because day-to-day manual labor was still good, and there were times when it was worse. Ironically, I used to work as a criminal psychologist. They never caught me."
"Hey..."
Fushimi said nonchalantly.
"You, that guy... the "Grey King" was alive."
"Yes, I first found out about it when I woke up to my own supernatural power and researched various things. Seigo didn't die in the middle of the Damocles Down, but in the confusion caused by the "Green King"."
Fushimi stared at Tamaki. Tamaki had an indescribable expression on his face. He seemed angry, sad and laughing.
"Honestly, there were times when I felt resentful, wondering why he didn't at least contact me. But then I changed my mind. He killed himself the day the sword fell from the sky. He had no choice but to kill Otori Seigo and become Iwafune Tenkei. He was the "Grey King", I know."
He murmured in a sorrowful voice.
"He was nicer than anyone and he was clumsy."
Tamaki clenched his fists tightly. Fushimi looked at his trembling hand.
"Oh, so that's what it's all about."
"Eh?"
"So you're trying to finish what the "Grey King" left unfinished?"
"Hehehehe."
Tamaki's shoulders shook so hard that he looked pained and he laughed.
"Really. You are very smart, Fushimi-kun."
Then he emphatically affirmed.
"Yes. I'm on the side of all outcasts. In terms of power, it's by no means comparable, but I believed that the reason someone like me could awaken to similar supernatural power as my inspired friend is because there must be a reason for the world. Fushimi-kun. I want to change this modern society where people with supernatural powers are excluded."
Fushimi remained silent even when he told him the point.
"Is it because he was easy to control that you turned Kamimori into a pseudo-king? It would be better if someone had a decoration to move your group around."
After a while, Fushimi started to speak. For the first time that day, Tamaki had a slightly sullen look on his face.
"That's a big misunderstanding. As you can see, Kamimori has charisma. He's sincere. That's why I asked for his cooperation after explaining all the circumstances. It's not that I'm unilaterally deceiving him."
Fushimi seemed a little surprised by those words.
"But he's just an idiot, right?"
He couldn't help but say that directly. Tamaki snorted.
"Idiots are idiots, but they are good and honest idiots."
Fushimi looked at the tablet again. He had one more thing to check.
"The places you guys attacked were all places where people with supernatural powers were unfairly persecuted for some reason, right?"
Tamaki laughed and nodded.
"For example, at that ski resort, one of our classmates got beat up by a gang. He could read people's minds a bit, and they found it creepy. Most Strains don't have flashy powers like mine or Kamimori. So we speak out of that anger."
"So you were planning to post the motive for the crime later on the Internet and repeat similar things? Until public opinion changes."
Tamaki agreed again. Fushimi cut him off coldly.
"A type of terrorism that draws public attention by committing acts of destruction, criminal acts and making their own demands. I think the sensitivity is just disgusting."
Tamaki was calm. He told his theory as he hammered the handcuffs on the noisy table.
"But if we don't do that, the general public won't care about us, the Strains, right? Will the discrimination be resolved in good faith? Hasn't history more than proven that the absolute majority is not oriented towards the absolute minority? Relief works only when it is incorporated into the social system. That is what we demand."
Fushimi remained silent, looking a bit fed up. Tamaki calmly stated his conclusion.
"In short, I want you to create a place for us, in this society."
Fushimi was still silent. Tamaki insisted.
"I have written 14 articles on the Internet about the appearance of the Strains and their social consequences. After I am caught, I will clarify these things in the course of the trial and at the same time I will go to society."
"Wait, wait."
Fushimi interrupted Tamaki with his hand as he began to speak widely.
"That kind of problem... If you're talking about lofty things, please talk to my boss."
Tamaki's face went blank. Fushimi sighed and said...
"I certainly don't like your way of doing things, but I don't think it's completely unreasonable either. Also, if you put the organization together one by one, there was a sense of giving purpose to the members who were in danger of losing control and controlling them, wasn't there?"
Tamaki's eyes widened.
“Besides, there was also a warning to the administrative part, right? It is said that if the legislation is not implemented as soon as possible, similar, more egregious and lawless Strain groups will emerge."
Tamaki's voice was a little hoarse from surprise.
"So you've read this far... In that case, moreover, I want to talk to you about various things."
"No. Those kinds of problems... no, legal development and lobbying are not part of my duties."
"Why? You have a sharp mind that understands the big picture and eyes that see the future."
Fushimi laughed a little when he was told the same thing as Awashima. He then told Tamaki under the premise that they will never understand.
"I do what I have to do. That's all."
As expected, Tamaki was blank.
Fushimi was laughing out loud, albeit quietly.
In the end, they couldn't come to a complete mutual understanding, but Tamaki believed Fushimi's words, "I'll let you meet Reisi Munakata.".
"I entrust everything to you."
That's what he promised.
Fushimi, who left the interrogation room and walked down the corridor, immediately found several other cases and considered the order of priority in his mind.
After all, the chaos of the Black Iron King and his party was just one of the countless tasks that Fushimi Saruhiko had to face. Hidaka called out to Fushimi, who was moving at a very fast pace.
"Fushimi-san, do you have a moment?"
When Fushimi stopped and nodded, Hidaka showed him the tablet.
"This is a video from a surveillance camera in the city. When I was looking at it because I needed to review it for another matter, I saw something like this."
Fushimi narrowed his eyes. The camera captured the crowd of people coming and going in the business district from a low angle. And what happened from right to left in about 10 seconds was...
"Gojo Sukuna, huh?"
"Yes."
Hidaka asked Fushimi with a confused expression.
"What should we do? I don't think he's been there anymore, but just in case, would you like to search the area?"
"Leave me alone."
Fushimi responded with an annoyed look.
“Honestly, I have a mountain of things to do. I don't have the luxury of assigning staff to look for that guy right now."
Hidaka immediately agreed.
"I understand!"
He paid his respects and left. Fushimi let out a sigh. What he told Hidaka was not an exaggeration, Scepter 4 was always understaffed.
"I made a promise to that imitation John Lennon, and I'm sorry, I have to get that person back."
The calculations have already been done to some extent.
However, Fushimi thinks it's a lot of work.
It seems that if you become "King", with the loss of the Slate, there seems to be a part of him that has to search for various things.
At that moment, his PDA received a message and when he looked at it, it was from Misaki Yata.
"Hey. It's also a weird way of saying new retro games, but I bought them and let's play."
He got that message. Before that, there was an incoming call from Seri Awashima.
He had to go report on Tamaki Genjo. There were countless things to do.
It was necessary and he had been responding all along.
So there was no need to meet anywhere else.
(My place is here.)
Then Fushimi started walking forward again.
Will continue in the ninth episode, "See You Again".
GROUND ZERO: FRAGMENTS
CHAPTER 8: WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
That day, that time... the night before. Niki Fushimi was drunk in the entertainment district.
Shimohaneda Kabata is a city located on the southern edge of Tokyo, bordering Kanagawa Prefecture. If you go down one station, you will cross the Tama River and enter Kanagawa Prefecture.
"Excuse me for a moment."
The woman got up from the couch with a lazy attitude. With lipstick on her lips, she put a small cigarette in her mouth and lit it with the match that was on the table.
The man whose wife had been crying just now was standing in the bathroom. The man was Niki's partner, but all he knew was his name, "Sarashina". They approached him at the first bar and the conversation became animated. Niki, who was already drunk at the first bar, entered this shop when Sarashina gave him a ride.
If he was invited, he used to follow them without refusing. He wasn't trying to pry into the kind of place he was going, or whether the person he was talking to was trustworthy. A few years ago, he met Kisa at a party where someone asked him to come along.
After being born as a baby, humans seem to adapt to society by expanding the world towards themselves, parents and families, nurseries and schools in the process of forming their identities. In the process of growing up, Niki did not experience the "expansion of objects of interest". He did not arouse interest, emotion and therefore motivation in anything, including himself.
He could clearly recognize what he perceived with his five senses. To Niki, though, all of that was dry and unimportant.
Except for one thing that piqued his interest.
"Hey, client, is it true that you have a five-year-old boy? The client you brought in was talking about it earlier."
"Hmmm. That's right."
With a slurred response, Niki slid off the couch he was lying on to the floor. A high-end suit jacket and a fancy tie that Sarashina had taken off were hanging on the couch diagonally across from him.
Sitting on the floor he reached for the glass on the low table. Hesitantly, he shook the glass with his finger. The surrounding glasses were also caught and fell, and the marble table was wet with alcohol diluted with ice.
"Are you okay? I'll get you a new drink."
The guy immediately ran over and knelt by the table. He put the glasses on a tray.
"What will you do next?"
"I'll leave it to my brother."
"Then let's do something interesting."
He wore a dress shirt, a black tie, and a black vest with a boy's uniform, but he was a young man with hair dyed bright pink from the roots. In a nonchalant tone, he was holding a bottle of shochu and a bottle of beer in his left and right hands.
"How old were you when you had the child? You're still young, aren't you?"
"I was nineteen."
"That means you're in your twenty something years now."
"You're young."
The guy poured two types of alcohol into a glass with his skillful tricks.
"You're young too, aren't you?"
"I'm baby-faced. I've been in this industry for quite some time."
"Manato looks like this, but he's over thirty."
The woman who said that was in her mid-thirties, she was not young. Her long curly hair was luxuriously pinned up on top of her head.
The cabaret club on the outskirts of the city, where each table was separated by a U-shaped couch, was filled with vulgar talk. A stream of purple smoke rose from the yellowish illumination.
"I'm guessing he was given birth to by a random woman, you dumped her anyway. Client, that's what you seem to want to do."
"Ruriko-san is the one who was discarded in that situation. Yes, it's a way of drinking taught to me by a visitor from abroad."
The glass slid cleanly across the wet table and settled in Niki's hand.
"I have not abandoned her, I am well married and I love my wife. My wife, the president. Besides, my son is the most beautiful in the world."
He drank about half the glass in one go. The champagne of shochu and beer stirred in his brain and made him dizzy. He fell on the table with his head on the side.
"Ah... I hope to see you soon... my cute monkey..."
He dipped his cheeks into the puddle of alcohol on the table and muttered that with his tongue trailing.
"If you have such an important family, don't drink in a place like this and go home. I'm starting to want to go home and see my daughter."
"Ruriko-san is really preaching when it comes to children."
The woman's tone took on a serious preaching tone, while the boy's was flippant.
"It's still useless..."
"No, is there a reason you can't go home?"
"I might get bored if I see his face every day. Even the most interesting thing in the world might get bored me if I paid attention to it every day."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
He tried to tilt the glass with his cheek on the table, but his fingers were shaking. The liquid that didn't fit in his mouth wet his chin and dripped over the edge of the table.
"Client, are you taking medication? You are angry, right?"
"Drugs? He'll make you feel a million times better than that."
A month has passed since he saw Saruhiko's face. The inside of his body was dry. No matter how much alcohol he drank, he couldn't quench his thirst. His consciousness was hazy, his throat ached and his body was sending serious danger signals.
"I'll see the monkey after I have reached the limit of my withdrawal symptoms, so I'm going to climax... Seriously, I'm freaking out..."
++++++++++
He woke up with a thud.
He felt a strong source of light and heat beyond his eyelids. Something other than the cold marble table touched his cheeks, something rough and hard.
When he opened my eyes, he was outside. He was forcibly grabbed by his collarbone and lifted up by the summer sky piercing high. Immediately after that, he was struck in quick succession by the sensation of floating and falling, as if he was being knocked down to the ground.
"Hmm... where am I...?"
The voice stuck in his throat was hoarse. When he tried to get up, his whole body cracked in pain. In particular, simply putting too much effort into his stomach caused severe pain as if he was holding an iron ball to his stomach.
It was the seat of a wooden bench that he was resting his cheek on. When he rubbed his face at the red stains on the wood, he could feel the coagulated blood sticking to his temples and the corners of his mouth.
He didn't even know where he took off his shoes.
A glass bottle was suddenly delivered from the side.
"I'm thirsty."
A man sitting in a row of benches said that bluntly. With a long beard that covered the lower half of his face, he looked like a bum, but only the jacket he wore over his shoulders was disproportionately good.
Niki reached for the bottle without hesitation. He looked at the label on the square bottle of whiskey and put his mouth on it.
"What is it? It's water."
He took a sip and groaned.
"Because I put water in the bottle I picked up. Let's add a few drops of sake."
On the tips of the homeless man's emaciated ankles, there were familiar sharp-toed leather shoes.
Niki looked down at his feet, which were only wearing socks, but without saying anything in particular, he placed them under the bench and sat back down.
Beyond the clear sky, heading south, for a moment, he saw some kind of light. The sun was shining elsewhere. It wasn't even the moon. Like the flame emitted by the lighter of a hot air balloon.
Without further thought, he purred and drank water.
The high-pitched voices of the children resounded in the sky. Children gather around children's games, such as slides and swings, and their mothers take care of them. Only the area around the bank with Niki and the homeless was avoided.
At night, it was a small park surrounded by trees in the middle of the city, which became a busy entertainment district. Next to the entrance facing the street, there is a public toilet and a phone booth with a green phone.
Last night, in the shade of the trees, he could see the multi-tenant building where the store was located. He appears to have fallen asleep in the park a stone's throw from the store. Tenant signs protrude from every floor of the reinforced concrete exterior wall, but the neon tubes that gave off a garish pink and purple glow last night are now dead in broad daylight. He didn't know if it was last night because his sense of time was gone.
"Ah, you really were here, Client."
A figure stood next to the bench with a calm voice.
He was wearing a hoodie and a black mask, but his pink hair peeked out from under the hood. It was the boy from the night before, Manato.
"I got a call from Ruriko on my pager saying you were sleeping here. I've been wondering since I closed up shop this morning. He was a weird guy, and he hit you a lot. Are you okay?"
Having said that, he looked like he was last night drinking at the store.
"Ruriko-san."
As Manato said that, a mother who was standing by the gym turned around.
Her long, curly hair from the night before was tied up in a simple bun, and her makeup was light, but she was the woman in the store last night.
Ruriko smiled at Manato, who waved his hand and waved back, then quickly turned her eyes back to the jungle gym. A girl who could be her daughter was climbing a jungle gym.
"Yeah, this. It's mostly empty, but just in case. I hope you're happy to come back with just a brand name wallet."
Manato opened the leather wallet and gave it to him.
As he looked at the wallet on his lap, the memory of last night vaguely revived due to its slow effect.
Sarashina didn't come back to the table like that. Looking at his accounting, he was billed 300,000. There were no credit cards or cash in his wallet. Sarashina disappeared after taking out the contents of Niki's wallet, leaving behind his jacket and his tie.
He recalled how a physically strong man dressed in black appeared from the back of the store, was beaten and kicked, and was thrown out of the store.
The homeless man was looking at Niki's wallet. All that was left was a phone card anyway. Niki tossed his wallet on the bench next to him.
"It's a gift for the water."
The wallet itself was worth a reasonable price. The homeless man quickly stuffed his wallet into his jacket pocket and brought their foreheads together like a hug. When he looked back at him, he wondered if it was also something that he threw away along with Niki, it was the jacket that Sarashina had left behind.
He also lost his mobile phone, but it never came back.
"Client, the shoes and accessories look expensive and you seemed to be doing drugs, so they must have been duped. Be careful who you go out with and what stores you go into."
"Don't do drugs."
"Are you kidding me? Did you just do that? You suddenly broke a beer bottle and hit a black suit. If you hadn't acted violently, you wouldn't have been hit so hard."
"Is that so?" His memory of that part had slipped. "Could have been fine."
Niki's childhood was manic. He was restless all the time, making loud noises and destroying everything he could find.
When he entered high school, he became very depressed.
He skipped high school and studied abroad. While studying abroad, he fell back into an extremely manic state, indulged in debauchery at the invitation of his fellow players, and stopped attending university lectures altogether. With no hope of graduating, he was expelled and taken back to Japan.
"Ah, did you want to die? Then, I understand."
"I don't feel like dying at all. I have a wife and a son who love me."
"I don't quite get it. I thought you were the kind of person who wanted to destroy everything, but you say you love your family."
He squinted at the dazzling light that filled the open air and took in the idyllic landscape of the park. A girl slowly climbing up a jungle gym was crouched in a place that was not very high. Ruriko encouraged her daughter who was crying and looking back.
Another boy smoothly overtook the girl and made it to the top with no problem.
"Mom! Look!"
The boy let go of his hands and proudly greeted his mother.
But, the jungle gym suddenly shook vertically.
The boy's body was thrown into the void without resistance. He heard the cry of his mother.
"Eh?"
Immediately after Manato was shocked, the tremor reached Niki and Manato's feet. It was a huge vertical swing, as if a giant grabbed the edge of the ground and rolled it up. The bum fell off the bench next door. Niki's butt also bounced off the bench seat.
"An earthquake?!"
Manato crouched down and gripped the edge of the bench.
The launch itself lasted less than five seconds. In that short period of time, the earth trembled and the iron jungle gym, slides, and swings were distorted into a shadowless figure. All the children were thrown from the playground equipment, and all the mothers around the playground equipment could not stand up and fell.
The children began to cry as if they were on fire.
"Gish..." The warped jungle gym made an eerie noise and tilted further.
"Ruriko! This way!"
Manato raised his voice. Ruriko's daughter clung to the bottom and luckily avoided being kicked out. Ruriko, who had been on her buttocks, stood up as if repelled, grabbed her daughter from both sides of her, and pulled her out of the jungle gym.
Behind Ruriko, who started running with her daughter on her chest, the jungle gym tilted at a fast pace. Immediately after Ruriko caught up with Niki and Manato and covered her daughter, it completely collapsed as rolled a large amount of sand in the park.
Ruriko raised her pale face and looked towards the park that had changed the peaceful landscape of the day.
"The earthquake just now...? I've never seen an earthquake like this before..."
The launch didn't come after the first, but the remnants of the tremor still crackled in the air.
The road outside began to roar with the sirens of ambulances and fire trucks. Trees surrounding the park had also snapped or fallen from their trunks. Buildings emitting black smoke and buildings with collapsed exterior walls could be seen beyond the crooked trees.
There were also cracks in the walls of the multi-tenant building where Manato's store was located. The cabaret club sign on the 7th floor came off the wall, collided with the consumer finance sign on the 6th floor and they both fell. The brand name product recycling store sign on the 5th floor was covered in snow. There was a sign for a ticket shop on the fourth floor.
"Mom, what is that?"
The daughter supported by Ruriko's chest pointed to the sky over her mother's shoulder.
Manato's eyes traced in that direction and reflected a red light.
"Wow. What is it?"
Manato moved his hand to his chin and murmured.
Niki slowly looked up as half of his buttocks had slid off the bench.
A gigantic object suddenly appeared in the void. In the southern sky, it was the direction where he could see the light that he mistook for a balloon burner. A pillar-shaped object engulfed in swirling flames connected the ground and the sky.
The clear blue summer sky reflected the color of the pillar and was eroded by the color of blood.
"What's that...?"
"Was it really an earthquake? It's like the end of the world."
In contrast to Ruriko's trembling voice, Manato's voice was stunned, but there was something lurking in his voice that seemed to anticipate something.
It seemed that the mobile phone was getting difficult to connect. People flocked to phone booths and the lines were growing fast.
"Yeah... it's the end of the world... oh..."
The homeless man sitting in front of a bench knelt while he looked at the southern sky.
"Oh, it is the wrath of God. God has judged. I hope the stupid humans perish!"
He picked up a bottle of whiskey, which was just water, and danced out into the middle of the park. With Sarashina's jacket and Niki's leather shoes. Spinning around like a girl in a fairy tale who can't take off her shoes.
The children cried when they saw the pillar of fire. The mothers were shouting the names of their children.
People were cursing because their phones couldn't connect. Many people were running to the phone booth in a hurry.
A man whose heart was beating at the beginning of something extraordinary. A scared woman. A madman who toasts and dances.
Niki stared at the various reactions of the people in the park with emotionless eyes.
There was also an ugly human pattern unfolding in front of him. A strange sight that rose beyond the sky. The tragedy that was occurring just below that sky.
Nothing aroused Niki's emotion.
There was nothing there to move Niki's emotions.
The ringtone began to play in the pocket of Manato's hoodie.
"Oh, manager... Yes. Yes. I'm safe here. Ruriko-san is close now. Yes. See you."
Manato calmly ended the exchange and hung up the phone as he ignored the damn queue at the phone booth.
"It seems like the PHS tone is more connected. I was lucky I haven't switched to a mobile phone yet."
"Lend it to me."
Niki grabbed Manato's wrist, who was holding a small stick-shaped mobile device. Manato was slightly surprised by the sudden movement.
"Go ahead. Do you want to contact your family?"
He handed it to him.
He entered a phone number by pressing the number pad on a mobile device that fits in one hand with the thumb. Tsu, tsu, tsu, after an inorganic sound wandered looking for the destination for a while, the calling sound began to sound safely.
"Yes. It's Fushimi."
When the call was cut off, a professional female voice answered.
"Kisa-san. Where is the monkey today?"
There was a moment of surprise when Niki suddenly spoke, and then a high-pitched voice returned.
"I don't know. It's Sunday, so he's not home. I'm going to board now, so I'll hang up. Wait a minute. What was that? Aren't you coming back?"
Kisa's voice grew distant, and he could hear the rapid conversation back and forth. Kisa's voice came back on the line with a sense of bewilderment and tension.
"Something happened in eastern Japan. Thanks to you, I'm stuck here."
"Kisa-san, aren't you in Tokyo?"
"I'm going to Los Angeles from Kansai airport via Seoul, but today's work has been cancelled. Where are you now?"
"By the way, what about the monkey? Is he really home?"
"I'll check with Nishida-san. Should I call this phone back? I've been waiting. I'll call you back in five minutes."
The call was cut off. The line at the phone booth continued to grow, but the Manato PHS rang within a quarter of an hour. During that time, Kisa collected as much information as she could about the disasters that had occurred in eastern Japan.
A large explosion occurred somewhere in Kanagawa, and an earthquake was observed over a wide area of eastern Japan. It was reported that the entire Kanagawa area could be devastated.
According to the housekeeper, the earthquake was felt around Tsubakimon's house, but it wasn't severe enough. She saw Saruhiko in the house fifteen minutes before the earthquake occurred, but she noticed that he had run away from the house about five minutes before the earthquake occurred. He must have gone for a walk in silence as usual, and the housekeeper did not rush to find him, thinking that he was a smart boy and that he would come home alone.
"A five-year-old boy doesn't go far in fifteen minutes. At least he wouldn't have been in a place where the damage was so bad. However, Nishida-san is worried about his house, so he will go out today from work."
"I'm going home, I..."
"Are you worried about that child? I made arrangements with the dispatch company to send a representative immediately, and the area around Camellia Gate is safe. The transportation network is now paralyzed. I can't go home soon. It would be foolish that you suffer a secondary disaster. In the event of a disaster, the smartest thing to do is not to run blindly home."
"No way!"
Niki suddenly screamed.
The voice organizing the correct arguments on the phone suddenly stopped.
"I'm going home. I have to see the monkey's face."
Kisa hung up before he could get his voice back.
"Are you going home? In a way, you're a father."
Manato, who received the PHS, shrugged between admiration and boredom.
"It's obvious. Anyone who becomes a father is like that." Ruriko looked at Manato and said to Niki, "Come back whenever you feel like it."
"Well, I don't know if I can continue with the business."
Manato put his hand to his forehead and looked out of the park.
The building in question was in a partially destroyed state. Signs on every floor had collapsed and most of the exterior walls had collapsed, exposing the steel frame.
"It's my rule of thumb, but I've never met a person as a customer "again". Even if you hear the news, he's already dead. Goodbye, take care of yourself and go home. If possible, may you be in good health for forever."
++++++++++
When he started walking in the direction of Camellia Gate, the railway was at a standstill and he couldn't even hail a taxi. The city was full of people acting the exact opposite of what Kisa called "intelligent behavior".
Eventually, the railways in Tokyo seemed to be restored, but he kept walking and in the end it took six hours to get to his house.
He was dizzy because he had only drunk the water the bum gave him six hours ago. He fell against the heavy door and managed to make a hole and roll inside.
He lifted his head as he knelt down. The dim light from the chandelier that did not reach the ground dimly illuminated the entrance hall of the atrium.
As he traced the stairs in front of him with his gaze, he saw a small figure sitting on the edge of the bottom step in a compact residence.
Nikki got up slowly.
The figure was the first to notice that Niki had returned home. The usual reaction used to be to run away, but this time he didn't run away and he was looking at him with round eyes behind the tortoiseshell glasses because of the smallness of his face.
"Are you lonely, monkey? What are you waiting for? Why are you lonely?"
"...Frankenstein."
Saruhiko opened his mouth vaguely.
"Hmm? What did you say?"
"Could it be that you're dead...? Did you die from an explosion...?"
"Eh?"
Saruhiko's eyes turned to Niki's feet.
Those were the feet that had been walking on the asphalt for six hours without shoes. His socks were torn and his toes were badly scraped and bleeding. The hem of his leather pants was also frayed. He still had blood on his temples because he hadn't washed his face since he was beaten in the store last night, and his clothes were a little dirty.
Frankenstein, he agreed with that. He didn't know where Saruhiko got that knowledge at that age.
"Oh, yeah. There was a big explosion today, right? It shook everything. Were you scared?"
Saruhiko shook his head once.
"No way."
"Did you see the huge pillar of fire? Didn't you get scared?"
"I could see it. It didn't scare me at all."
"I see. I was very close to the explosion. So, as the great monkey detective deduced, I died."
Niki spread her hands over his head and showed himself.
"Really...? Did you really die?"
"Oh, so I'll be going to the afterlife soon. Well, in sixty seconds."
Saruhiko's eyes widened. The light from the finely crafted chandelier shone brightly in his eyes. The color of spongy blood inhabited his pale cheeks.
It was clear that the light of hope had shone in Saruhiko's world.
"I came to see the monkey before I went to the other world. So please show me your face up close one last time."
Nikki turned around. Saruhiko hesitated a bit and covered his lips.
"Ok. No, I'm about to disappear. Look, my hand is transparent. You can see it, right?"
Saruhiko showed interest and lifted his hips off the stairs.
"I'm about to disappear! Hey, let's hurry up!"
He fixed his gaze on Niki's outstretched hand, pulled on his socks, grabbed the railing, and lowered himself closer to him. He stopped at the same height as Niki, who was waiting below, and grabbed Niki's thumb and little finger with both hands.
Immediately, his face changed.
Gyu-gyu, he squeezed him a few times to make sure he was real. "Understanding" spread across Saruhiko's face. His face, which had been glowing with hope for a moment, suddenly stiffened and repainted with despair.
"You're not dead!"
Saruhiko let out a hoarse cry and released Niki's chest. The recoil made his socks slip and he landed on the steps behind him. Niki didn't resist and fell backwards into the hall.
"Gyaahahahahahaha! No way! I'm sorry! I was kidding!"
Loud laughter echoed from the vaulted ceiling.
He came home feeling a bit regretful for not having "prepared" anything for that day, but he suddenly thought about it. Anything to scare, annoy or despair the cutest monkey in the world.
However, today seems to have been the best day to return. It was worth waiting until today to "give up the monkey" until he fell into the final stage of withdrawal symptoms.
At the edge of his field of vision, Saruhiko scrambled up the stairs on his back and escaped to the second floor. He couldn't help but laugh at how unnecessarily funny he was.
"Die, die! I'll die laughing! Ahahahahahahaha!"
On July 11, 1999, Niki Fushimi experienced an unprecedented disaster that affected the entire Kanagawa prefecture, outside the disaster area. But that in itself did not arouse any emotion in Niki, nor did it have any effect on him.
The man lived without mixing with the ups and downs of destiny that secretly moved the Dresden Slate.
RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS
CHAPTER 8: LAS VEGAS IS BURNING
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
Mizuchi was lying on the reclining chair and was in an extremely relaxed state of mind.
He put his hands on his dirty lab coat and used his fingers to tap out the rhythm. From the old gramophone, "The Arlesian Woman" Suite 2, No. 4, Georges Bizet's "Farandole", or "The King's March".
Mizuchi stared at him as he indulged in clever classical music.
The battle scene was projected directly into his brain through the eye camera, the image of the "Red King" destroying the "Grasshopper II" and the others.
"Fufufu, fufufufufufufufufufu~"
With trembling shoulders, Mizuchi laughed, letting out a giggly voice. But he wasn't actually laughing. An uncontrollable torrent of emotions was causing such a physical reaction.
Suoh was beautiful.
Like a flexible carnivore, he ran, jumped, swung, and knocked down. With just that, the masterpiece created by Mizuchi quickly turned to scrap. That is why he is the "King" of "Kings". The overwhelming combat power was beyond the reach of extraordinary weapons.
Mizuchi looked "up".
There was nothing there. Not even a fragment of the "Sword of Damocles", the supernatural sword that appears when the "King" draws all his power.
Mizuchi once again tried to let out a laugh-like voice.
"Units 15 and 16 have stopped working! Unit 17's right leg actuator is not receiving signals."
"Doctor! Permission to withdraw!"
He was brought back to reality by the rude scream.
He slowly got up from the recliner and looked around. The three eyeballs captured the figures of the operators who gulped and skipped eye contact.
Mizuchi let out a yawn. One of the operators looked at him,
"Ah, Doctor..."
"What time is it?"
"Eh?"
"The time from the beginning of the battle until now. How long has it been?"
As expected, the American military operator didn't repeat useless questions. He took a quick look at the screen and announcement.
"It's 5 minutes and 47 seconds."
"Hmm. It took five minutes. I see."
Suoh's image was still reflected in Mizuchi's brain. He tore off Unit 16's right leg and used it as a makeshift club to attack Unit 17. Unit 17 fired machine guns as they retreated, but all of them were repelled by the rising aura and the chamber was filled with chunks of iron.
"Unit 17 has stopped working."
Silence descended on the control room at the same time that the operator murmured.
In the midst of that, Mizuchi approached the console with light steps and began to operate it over the operator's shoulder. He downloaded the battle log of how the situation was on his own HUD. He knew very well that scientific progress cannot be achieved without the accumulation of countless failures.
A harsh voice was released from behind them.
"How can you be so cheerful while wasting millions of tax dollars, Mizuchi?"
"Kyuin", the eye camera rotated backwards. It was Jane. Her blue eyes were filled with anger. Mizuchi raised both his hands quite happily.
"Are you in a bad mood, Jane? Did you hear anything from upstairs?"
"It's the other way around. I don't like the fact that the top doesn't say anything about this strategy."
Mizuchi's second eye camera was pointed at Jane. It was due to Mizuchi's intention to record the beautiful spy's anger and frustration in as much detail as possible.
"I will use three "Grasshopper II" to stop Suoh, and in the meantime I'll attack the enemy base. Is something wrong? Defeating each one is the beginning of the tactic, isn't it?"
"This one has been individually destroyed. The "Pyramid" raid has just started, but Suoh already destroyed three of our planes. I'll get them back soon."
"In that case, we have to move forward with the attack. Unfortunately, the AW Anti-Weismann bullet didn't work against the "King". However, against a Clansman, it will be effective enough."
Emotions other than anger and frustration surfaced in Jane's eyes.
With the corners of his mouth turned up, Mizuchi laughed.
"Oh, wow... I wonder if you, who are a CIA agent, are scared? It's not a big deal, is it? Didn't you guys play "March to the Sea" once, too?"
Jane responded with a groan.
"Are you going to start the Civil War again...?! It's insane to sacrifice 2 million people who live in the greater Las Vegas area!"
"That's why it's effective, isn't it? Oh, you can see, Suoh has a certain humanity. People who aren't relatives can be stressful for him... Fufufu."
Mizuchi shook his shoulders and then, with unsteady steps, headed for the exit of the control room.
"Continue to stop Suoh. I should be able to earn a decent amount of time by doing the battle model of "Fireworks Master II". In that gap, if someone kills even a "Homura" clan member, that will complete the first stage of the operation."
Jane's beautiful face distorted with pain. Mizuchi walked out of the control room as he recorded it with two eye cameras.
What they are trying to do is a scorched earth strategy.
A lavish scorched-earth strategy set in the entertainment city of Las Vegas. The goal is to exhaust the "Red King" Suoh Mikoto as much as possible. To do that, the first thing he needed was to target the red Clansman. After the Clansman was killed, he would chase after them without thinking of the damage to his surroundings. While running away from him, Mizuchi and the others would use defense nets and traps to intercept Suoh.
It is unknown how many civilians would be affected. Mizuchi rather hopes that the damage will deal damage to Suoh Mikoto's heart.
That man isn't Genji Kagutsu, he is a monster that has not fully become a monster.
"Otherwise, our purpose will not be fulfilled. Hey, right?"
Speaking into the void, Mizuchi nodded in satisfaction and activated the communication function of the HUD.
"It's me. What's going on with that one?"
"The final functional test is complete, Doctor. You can leave at any time."
"Very well. I'll go there from now on. Prepare for departure."
Walking briskly down the corridor, Mizuchi laughed softly again, then suddenly realized it and opened the strategy map.
A map unfolding around the "Pyramid" was born in the corner of his vision. At a point about 2 km north of the "Pyramid", a marker appeared that meant "Engagement with enemies". Reading the meaning engraved there, Mizuchi cried out with deep emotion.
"Oh, Mr. Edward! What a splendid moment! Will it be wild intuition or Genji Kagutsu's guidance? Fufufufufu, alright, let your life shine to your heart's content!"
"Eh?"
The operator, whose call was still connected, raised a suspicious voice. Without answering that, Mizuchi let out a laugh and increased the speed of his walk.
++++++++++
One of the reasons Tanaka chose the "Pyramid" as his base was the lack of a helipad.
Although "Tokijikuin" has a world-class organizational strength, there are a number of restrictions on its overseas activities. Interference with the sky was one of them, and it was impossible to align the legs of the helicopters in such a short time.
Therefore, Tanaka truncated the sky. No helipad means no enemies in the air. If it's just a ground battle, it can be dealt with only by a person with special abilities. He had those thoughts, but...
It seems that the enemy's intentions were beyond Tanaka's.
"3 helicopters confirmed in the sky! Judging from the shape, the model number appears to be CH49!"
"Six confirmed supernatural weapons at the bottom of the helicopter! They're closing in here!"
Hearing the reports one after another, Tanaka took a deep breath.
Tanaka's expectations were off. They easily jumped over what they had predicted "wouldn't get that far".
This is a clear "military action". If such an action were to take place in the United States, and in Las Vegas, which is a world-famous tourist destination, it would certainly cause a commotion like hitting a honeycomb. Did US government officials foresee this? After going this far, why did he have to plan to "kill the King"?
Tanaka let out a flurry of questions as soon as he exhaled.
"Prepare to escape. Prioritize the protection of the "Homura" members. I will accompany you."
"Understood!"
As the "Tokijikuin" agents began to move at a breakneck pace, Tanaka loosened his tie and tossed it aside as he walked. For the rest of the time, no formalities were required.
When he came out of the corridor, the first thing he saw was the "Homura" member. Totsuka Tatara. Despite being an executive of "Homura", he is a rare existence that is almost the weakest. When he met Tanaka, he smiled.
"Could it be that we are being attacked?"
Tanaka narrowed his eyes and bowed deeply.
"Yes. The enemy seems to have used much bolder methods than he had supposed. Currently, three military helicopters and six "ostriches" have been confirmed in the sky. Urgently, we must escape from this hideout."
Blamed and abused for his own mistakes, Tanaka made a decision.
"Ok. Then I'll tell everyone."
Totsuka said that lightly and went back to his room.
Slightly surprised, Tanaka followed him. Akagi, Dewa, and Fujishima stayed in the suite. Other members were reported to have gone out without permission. Totsuka quickly explained to them.
"That's why we have to escape immediately. Ah, Tanaka-san, do we have time to carry our luggage?"
"No. I want you to evacuate as soon as possible."
When he said that, Dewa let out a sigh.
"Really? I should have done it after buying souvenirs..."
"That's why I told you. Take your luggage."
"Would you like to go fast?"
Fujishima and Akagi also began to rush out of the room. At that quick action, Tanaka blinked.
“How should I put it… everyone, are you used to this kind of situation?”
"Ahaha.", Totsuka laughed.
"It's not like I'm used to it, but we are "Homura"."
Seeing his back leave, Tanaka slightly changed his perception of "Homura".
In an instant, the window exploded.
"......?!"
The "Pyramid" is, as its name suggests, a strange hotel in the shape of a square pyramid. All rooms are located outside and the entire exterior wall is made of tilted glass.
Multiple "ostriches" broke the window glass on one side and invaded.
It took less than a few seconds for the machine gun to lock onto Tanaka and begin firing.
"Eh?!"
Tanaka's arms, which were clad in a golden aura, activated a special ability. "Fixed Zero Point Coordinate". By designating a specific space, all existing kinetic energy in that space is fixed. Tanaka unfolded it in front of him like an absolute shield, trapping all the machine gun bullets, which would hit hundreds of times per second.
In response to that, one of the "ostriches" began to circle to the right.
"Kuh...!"
Tanaka distorted his face and watched his behavior with sideways glances. Tanaka cannot move while "Coordinate Lock" is active. If he gets shot around a specific space, he can't avoid it.
Meanwhile, the "ostrich" stomped on the couch and kicked over the pool table. A machine gun aimed at Tanaka's side.
"Oh, shit!"
Akagi jumped with a determined voice.
A bright red fist hit the "ostrich's" barrel. The blow rocked the turret, and at the same time the machine gun began to fire. Another "ostrich" that was pierced by the bullet jumped onto his knees as he short-circuited and collapsed on the spot.
"Tanaka-san, keep it up!"
Dewa and Fujishima began to run, brushing past Tanaka's flanks. They lowered their bodies until they barely touched the ground and slipped under the "ostrich's" feet.
The "ostrich" conveyed the pilot's confusion in the remote area. Machine guns protruding forward naturally had a limited angle of depression. That gun couldn't shoot straight down.
"Uh... ooooooooohhh!"
Dewa and Fujishima simultaneously grabbed one leg of the "ostrich" and began to lift it up. The glow of supernatural power that covered their entire bodies became dazzlingly strong. As they were, they turned the "ostrich" on its side. A huge steel leg fluttered through the air and the machine gun fired randomly.
"Wow, amazing!"
"Get down, get down!"
Totsuka slipped past the arguing "Homura" members and took a step forward. A phosphorescent red light flew out of both of his hands. Flaming butterflies created with his supernatural powers. They passed through the incredibly random bullets and were sucked into the barrel of the machine gun.
There was a momentary pause.
Then, the three "ostriches" burst out with a roar.
By this time, everyone, including Tanaka, had already left the suite. He endured the impact and the roar that shook his eardrums as he lay down on the ground.
Finally, after everyone calmed down, they got up.
"For now, is this safe?"
Wiping the soot from his cheeks with the back of his hand, Totsuka said that calmly. Akagi nodded, while Dewa and Fujishima looked around.
"Tanaka-san, are there other people attacking us still?"
"I'm worried about Yata-san and the others. I think they'll be fine, but..."
"Can we join them too? Dewa, can you contact them?"
"Ok, I will try."
This time, Tanaka let out a sigh of admiration at the customary exchange.
Clan members aren't necessarily used to rough stuff. Even if they have a power that far exceeds that of ordinary people, it is common for psychics to be unable to do anything due to confusion.
However, that doesn't seem to be the case with "Homura". Either because they have overcome many crises, or because of their strong convictions, they seem able to move with precision even in danger, just like veteran soldiers.
When he tried to praise them out loud, he heard a voice yelling through the headphones in his ear.
"Captain! Enemy reinforcements! Eight more supernatural weapons confirmed! We're surrounded! Order us to stand down!"
Tanaka let out a sigh.
They aren't "rabbits", they are just "Tokijikuin" agents, and their special abilities are not suitable for battle. Besides, it would be better to think that being so upset is useless.
"Bad news for everyone. The enemy has sent more reinforcements. We are surrounded by 11 "ostriches" in total. We must leave here now."
Just as he was about to say that, the door to the suite across the street turned into a honeycomb and flew. Two "ostriches" peeked out from inside, and Tanaka and the others ran back to his room before they could say anything.
A second later, a hail of bullets ripped through the hallway. Tanaka closed the door and fixed it... or at least prevented anyone from coming through the door.
But, if things continue like this, they will eventually be surrounded and annihilated.
The exit had already been blocked. Would it be possible for him to launch a desperate suicide attack and destroy those two bodies? There are 11 newly confirmed "ostriches". To protect "Homura" from them, strength is absolutely insufficient.
"Tanaka-san, Tanaka-san."
Totsuka pushed Tanaka's shoulder. Tanaka frowned and looked at Totsuka.
"What are you doing? Let's run away quickly."
"Eh?"
Tanaka was confused for a moment. Along with Izumo Kusanagi, Totsuka is seen as the brains of "Homura". He shouldn't have known the current situation, but...
However, Totsuka pointed behind himself with a soft smile on his face.
"If it's an exit, it's right there."
Tanaka remained silent and stared at him.
Surely. Speaking of a way out, it's a way out.
A 130-meter-high windblown window that was destroyed by an "ostrich" attack... it was possible for a psychic to escape from there.
++++++++++
Inside the Fontaine store, screams and confusion erupted.
The shattered pieces of the table burst into flames and spread in all directions. The tourists, who were watching the show in peace, were caught in the shrapnel like bullets and collapsed in pain.
However, Yata had no time to worry about such things, because he could feel the immeasurable threat of the man in front of him, who had suddenly changed.
"Protect Anna!"
Screaming, Yata jumped. The mop handle in his hand was wrapped in a red supernatural ability, and he waved it at Ed with all his might.
A blow that would have easily destroyed the skull of an ordinary human was blocked only by Ed's left hand.
"......!"
“Hahaha... Are you going to attack right now?”
Baring his fangs at him, Ed laughed. As he firmly held the mop in his left hand, he swung the long arm of flame.
(Eating this guy is bad!)
An intuition flashed through Yata's mind. He quickly dropped the mop and crossed his arms in front of his face.
A glowing fist of fire struck the center of him.
Yata's body flew out with a jet-like flame.
Yata was thrown into the sky on top of a large fountain, shattering the window glass, along with a piece of glass that sparkled and reflected the light. The ever-changing night sky of Las Vegas, the glitter of the hotel, the column of water that still spouted and the arms of fire.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!"
While he was laughing like crazy, Ed launched a follow-up attack on Yata. Yata spun his body in the air, narrowly avoiding the arm trying to wrap around him as he whipped around.
He fell backwards onto the center stage of the fountain.
"Hahaha...!"
Ed landed a few feet away. With his long arms of billowing flame, his face no longer held a smile as he rose to his feet.
"Haaah... You're weak, Misaki. Are you from the Red Clan? Really?"
Yata stood up as he caught his breath. He looked at Ed, who wasn't even trying to hide his disappointment from him, and yelled.
"What's wrong with you?! What the hell is that power?! Pressure?!"
"Misaki, are you not only weak, but also foolish? You've been saying that for a while. I'm Edward the Red, a member of the Red Clan "Purgatory"."
"......?!"
As far as Yata knows, there is only one red clan. "Homura", to which he belongs, is the only Red Clan.
However, Yata also knew that "Homura" was not the first Red Clan.
The "kings" appeared about half a century ago. The clans have existed ever since, and those clans continued as long as the "King" lived, and most of them disappeared with the "King's" death.
In other words, Ed was...
"Are you the survivor of the previous Red Clan...?"
"Previous, huh?"
Ed's dark expression was filled with killing intent that stung the air.
"We, "Purgatory", are the only red clan in the world. This is proof."
Lifting the scar on his right hand, Ed muttered. The flames that erupted from the burned wounds turned into arms and hit the stage.
"So, Misaki. I can't let you and Mikoto Suoh live. If I left a fake monster like you alone, I would be crushed by the boss in the other world!"
A long arm of fire closed in on Yata at the speed of a snake aiming for prey from him.
"Tsk...!"
With a click of his tongue, Yata managed to dodge it. Even though he was on the fountain stage, it was annoying being submerged up to his shins. Since his mobility had been reduced, the other side with reach had more of an advantage.
Just as he was thinking of a countermeasure, water gushed out from directly below.
As if to divide Yata and Ed, the column of water rose one after another, and the color of the spotlight illuminated it beautifully. The fountain show at the Varangia hotel continued. A column of water that gushed high in the sky obscured the view and Ed was no longer visible. Yata put his fists in a red aura and remained vigilant.
An arm of flame reached out, piercing the column of water.
"Kuh!"
Pounding his fists at him, Yata warded off the blow. It was a heavy blow that could have broken his body if he let his guard down. Arm long as he was, he returned to the other side of the water column while kicking up thick steam.
Yata gritted his teeth as he grew warier of the unseen Ed.
(This guy is strong...!)
As the vanguard of "Homura", Yata has overcome many difficult times. Among them, Ed would definitely be a first class skill. Along with his raging passion, he possesses a veteran combat mentality that cannot be underestimated.
(Or maybe he is stronger than me.)
But... he couldn't afford to lose.
Just as Ed is proud of "Purgatory", Yata is also proud to be a member of "Homura". No matter what the survivors of the past say, he cannot give in. "Homura" is the only Red Clan, and Yata is a member of the clan, defeat would dirty the Clan's billboard.
"That's why I'm going to win...!"
He took a deep breath and let it out. The red supernatural power that inhabited in both of his hands began to shine brighter.
The next blow would be victory. A long-range attack has a big hole in the chest. Yata imagined that scene, slipping under his long arm and throwing his fist at Ed.
At that moment, the flames spread towards Yata's face again.
"Eh?!"
With a momentary sigh, Yata slipped through the blow. He had an ache from the heat in his temples, but not enough to stop him. Yata jumped onto the pillar of the spouting fountain.
A flaming hand grabbed Yata's neck.
"Gah...!"
As he slowly burned his neck, his long arm of fire grabbed Yata's neck and lifted him into the air. Ed smiled as he looked at Yata, who was kicking his legs.
"You're really dumb, Misaki. If you think about it, you can predict the feint of the fireball, right? Well, it might be impossible for a sweetie like you."
The pressure on his neck was getting stronger. It was as if he was about to break his cervical vertebrae along with the guard that was barely stretched by his supernatural power.
"Well. Don't worry, I'll send you to your friends later...!"
Yata heard the sound of his bones crunching from within. Yata gritted his teeth and tried to close his eyes.
The long arm of flames was severed from the wrist.
"Ah...?"
The superpower vanished into thin air and disappeared, and Yata, who had lost support, fell. A figure walked past Yata, who was coughing violently.
The human figure was Fushimi Saruhiko, who rested his saber on his shoulder and let out a deep breath.
"Exactly. You're right. This damn idiot's stupidity is guaranteed."
A growl escaped the back of Ed's throat.
"Scepter 4..."
"Well, I'm as unlucky as this guy's head. On the orders of my unreasonable boss, I traveled to Las Vegas to find a silly charm. Really, I don't like all this at all, but..."
He then pointed the tip of his saber at Ed and said in a disgusted voice.
"This is also a job."
K - ONE YEAR LATER
CHAPTER 7: NIGHT OF MEMORIES (BY TATSUKI MIYAZAWA)
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
A year has passed since then.
The sports store where Misaki Yata is currently working is not a famous store nor is it located in a large shopping mall, it is an old-fashioned two-story community store in a corner of the shopping district.
The store manager is a former professional baseball player and took over the sports store, which is a family business, after he retired. Inevitably, baseball tools are the most substantial, but there are plenty of other sports supplies.
Also, Yata participated in a skateboarding competition, so he was willing to take a break from time to time, and he actively supported him.
In a very understandable workplace, Yata, who had held relatively different part-time jobs, has been working very seriously.
That day, he worked from ten in the morning until night. After getting off work, Yata felt a little peckish, so he ordered a menchikatsu from a nearby garnish shop, and strolled through the shopping district while he munched.
This shopping street in Shizume has many old-fashioned shops, such as a rare cafe, a second-hand bookstore that has been in business for fifty years, and a fishmonger run by a kind-hearted general.
Among them, Yata found a store that caught his attention. It was a toy store with a retro-toned neon sign that said "Retro Store."
If you look in the splash window, you will find the retro anime Chogokin that aired about 20 years ago and board games that have been discontinued long ago.
Yata was curious and entered the store.
Glass covered shelves act as partitions to form narrow aisles. And on the shelves, monster figures, plastic model submarines, and sofubi dolls that couldn't be seen at all, but the characters were stacked and neatly lined up.
To be honest, young Yata did not feel any homesickness because there were only antiques that were out of reach.
However, Yata, who was looking at it with a feeling of "Oh, there is such a thing.", suddenly stopped and said:
"Wow!"
His eyes lit up.
At the end of his gaze was the hardware and some of the computer game software that had once ruled the world. Those mysteriously increased Yata's heartbeat.
"Oh, how nostalgic."
He said that unintentionally. To be precise, these game consoles were top sellers when Yata's parents were children.
However, Yata had a special feeling for this game console. When he first entered "Homura", he got these games in the retro genre at that time, and he was very addicted to staying up all night.
And the existence of a close friend who kept him company even though he complained about his stupidity.
It was an exciting day for Yata.
When he noticed, he was calling for the bearded manager, who was at the counter.
"Hm, how much does it cost to buy all this?"
++++++++++
After finishing his shift, Fushimi Saruhiko dressed in civilian clothes and bought chuhai, beer, and some snacks at a convenience store, then headed to a multi-tenant building on the outskirts of Shizume.
It was 9:30 at night.
Stainless steel tenant signs at the first-floor entrance were lined with obscure company names such as "Waraji Specialty Sales Company", "Ponpon Mail Order" and "Goriki Shoji".
Fushimi took an old-fashioned elevator that made him hesitate to go up and went up to the top floor.
"You Law Office" was written on the frosted glass in front of him. However, it seemed that everyone had already left work, and it was completely dark inside.
Fushimi walked up the stairs on the side of the building slowly and with a serious look.
He pushed open the heavy door. Then, immediately, he could see the ceiling covered in moonlight.
"It's still a strange place."
Fushimi laughed.
The rooftop of this multi-tenant building, about 90 square meters, was the entire residence of Yata Misaki. The only space he could really live in was a small attic in the back that looked like a mountain lodge.
Also, a little further away, there was a locker room-sized bathroom and shower, placed side by side.
In the back space, there were benches and old tires that existed before Yata moved in, bus stop signs for some reason, tattered mannequins, heavily-graffitied beach umbrellas, stone chairs, and large foliage plants.
It was too incoherent and a little scary.
Fushimi said:
"Didn't the real estate agent cheat on you?"
Despite what he told him to his face, Yata liked this living environment.
The reasons can be broadly divided into two: One is that the rent is ridiculously cheap.
Another thing is that the ground floor is unpopular at night, so there were no complaints, even if he was a bit noisy.
Therefore, recently, Yata enlisted the help of Kamamoto and Fujishima, who is good at carpentry, to build his own skateboard track and practice tricks night after night.
Fushimi walked up the handmade wooden skateboard ramp (a structure that looks like an ellipse split in two, which allows for tricks like jumping while sliding left and right on a curved surface) to the attic in the back, then called at the door of cheap construction.
Almost immediately,
"I'm going!"
Yata opened the door with a big smile on his face. As he exhaled, his eyes lit up and he beckoned him with a "pon, pon" gesture.
Fushimi laughed a little, thinking that he was like a dog patiently waiting for his master to return.
The attic where Yata lives has about eight tatami mats, but it also has a mini kitchen and a small loft space. Yata usually puts a futon in the loft space and sleeps there.
Inevitably, the space below was the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Eating and drinking is done at a small chabudai. There are two cushions next to it. One had a cool arabesque pattern and the other was elegant with a cat character.
The difference is that both are gifts.
Speaking of gifts, the big screen television that occupies much of this room was an heirloom from Izumo Kusanagi.
The shelf along the wall is made of pipes, and above it is a wide range of items, from laundry baskets to clear jars filled with sweets once collected, a collection of battle-focused manga, and a wide range of skate magazines.
The small refrigerator was decorated with photos of "Homura" members taken at their travel destinations sandwiched between magnets.
The room was messy as a whole, but the room had a somewhat tidy impression, perhaps reflecting the owner's temperament.
Yata has long since grown up, but his youthful mischief still lingers in the atmosphere of the room.
Fushimi thought, "It's still like a child's room.".
Yata took the plastic bag that Fushimi gave him and...
"Oh, alcohol? Thanks, Saruhiko. But I don't feel like that today."
He said that while he was putting alcohol in the fridge.
"Huh? So how do you feel?"
He invited him saying, "Let's have a drink party.". Fushimi's face turned a bit sullen. Yata was...
"Hehe."
With a mischievous look on his face, he handed Fushimi a can of juice instead of alcoholic beverages.
"A drinking party is a drinking party, but today is this."
Fushimi took the item that was handed to him and...
"Watercarian? Is there a place that still sells this?"
He couldn't help but laugh.
It was the carbonated drink that Yata and Fushimi had become addicted to when they started living together.
The name of the product is Watercarian and the can packaging has red and green stripes, so it looks like watermelon juice, but the aftertaste is strangely medicinal. A strong sour taste hit his nose.
It is still a hot topic on the internet as a representative of "bad juice". At first, both Yata and Fushimi drank it as a punishing game with each other, but they gradually became captivated by its strangely addictive taste and eventually drank it regularly.
"Well, naturally, I somehow stopped drinking Watercarian."
Fushimi muttered under his breath.
It was before the two entered "Homura" together.
He didn't stop drinking that peculiar juice before he knew it.
"Besides, that's not all."
Yata was in a good mood and threw another snack in front of Fushimi.
"Takoyaki and grilled squid sandwiches, huh?"
That was also a sweet that both of them were addicted to at the same time. The rich flavor of the sauce laced his mouth, and it was an odd combination with the watercarian, which tasted extravagant.
"Finally. Check this out."
Yata then pointed to a retro game console that had already been set up in front of the TV.
"Isn't that great? I've already confirmed that it works properly."
"I see."
Fushimi's eyes narrowed as he realized what Yata had prepared for tonight.
"In other words, let's dive into nostalgic stuff."
"Oh, that's right."
"Tsk."
Fushimi clicked his tongue once.
"What nonsense."
But his tone was never harsh.
Fushimi received a set of jerseys from Yata and exchanged them. Instead of wanting to be relaxed, he didn't want his clothes to get dirty while he ate snacks or juice.
Yata also had a similar appearance.
Now that he thought about it, even when they lived together, there was a time when they spent the whole day casually chatting with each other in casual clothes like that.
"Good. This is the first."
Yata first chose a fighting game. He inserted the cassette into the retro game machine.
After turning on and waiting for a while, an old-fashioned dotted image appeared on the TV screen and cheap electronic sound played on the speaker.
"Certainly, it's nostalgic."
Yata laughed when Fushimi muttered that under his breath. This fighting game is a popular series that continues even now, and Yata and Fushimi were direct hits around the fourth and fifth generations.
He recalled that when he was in high school, he honed his interpersonal fighting skills on the Internet and in game centers.
What is currently being shown on television was the first generation of that work.
"Then I'll take this guy as usual."
A macho character to whom Yata makes thorns sprout from his body.
"Well, according to theory, I'm this one."
Fushimi chose a magical character with complicated moves.
Each of them is a popular character that continues to be used in the current series. The game starts with stage selection and the start button.
Yata leaned forward slightly, while Fushimi corrected his posture and concentrated on the game. Every time they waved their fingertips, the characters flew around the screen, throwing punches, emitting beams of light, and burning their opponents with waves of heat.
"Shit, this!"
"......"
Yata's style of play is attractive. Fushimi is cool, but when he's outnumbered, he frowns a bit.
The arms of the two men were even. Currently, in this fighting game, where the player population is spreading all over the world, it is to the extent that it is a good thing.
However, that was enough for the two of them to enjoy themselves.
Initially,
"Oh, yeah! I won."
Yata narrowly won the auction, and then...
"Fu."
Fushimi took advantage of Yata's silly mistake and attacked everyone at once. After that, he enjoyed the game, winning and losing for a while.
Oddly enough, the victory or defeat of these games has rarely caused a dangerous atmosphere for both of them for a long time.
Both Yata and Fushimi weren't fully trained as humans as teenagers, but for some reason, losing to each other didn't bother them as much.
Yata laughed when an unusual move came out, and Fushimi also shook his shoulders in an unusual way, and the game was temporarily interrupted.
And then they took a break.
They ate takoyaki and squid sandwiches and drank watercarian.
The takoyaki and squid sandwiches were delicious even now, but the problem was that they fell apart and the sauce stuck to your hands.
Fushimi frequently wiped his hands with a damp handkerchief, while Yata once vigorously spilled it on the chabudai, then wiped it with his hand and threw it into the trash can he had brought nearby beforehand.
And the watercarian tasted weird like always.
"It's really bad."
"Yes."
Yata and Fushimi nodded to each other, yet drank their respective portions with oddly satisfied expressions.
After eating and drinking, the fighting game resumed.
The two of them enjoyed playing shooting games, racing games, and even novel-type horror games by replacing the cassettes and forgetting about time.
A few hours later, the two of them left the attic and found themselves under the starry sky of the city.
It's not that they were "tired of the game" or "got tired", they were just "satisfied with the game".
It was a feeling of satisfaction.
On the other hand, they were lounging on the couch, which had been out in the open for some time, and were rambling on.
The drinks were chuhai and beer that Fushimi had bought from a store. The snacks were also changing to something that went well with sake, like a variety of nuts and salami.
"It's stupid, why are we so obsessed with such old games?"
Yata looked up at the night sky and said something a bit strange. Looking back, he felt that the time he was actually working was a very short period of time, around three months.
However, during that time, he remembered staying up all night many times.
"Uh."
Fushimi lightly sipped the chuhai before replying.
"I guess it's the same feeling as if you were making fun of a movie. Because it's cheap, there are several complaints, but on the contrary, it's interesting."
"Oh, I kind of understand that."
Yata said that in a slightly sleepy tone.
"That's why it wouldn't be very interesting to do it alone."
Fushimi didn't reply, but Yata didn't seem to care.
He sat up and looked at Fushimi again.
"By the way, how are you doing lately?"
"Eh?"
"In fact, the store manager is inviting me to become a full-time employee."
Fushimi was silent for a moment. Later...
"Isn't it okay if you do what you like?"
For someone who doesn't know Fushimi very well, he gave an answer that sounded cold.
Yata smiled slightly.
"There will be a big competition next time. Either way, I'll wait until it's over. I'll reply to the manager after that."
Fushimi silently tossed the nuts into his mouth. Next, he looked at the skateboard ramp made by Yata and the others.
"So how are you for the final?"
Fushimi asked.
"Nothing bad."
Yata hit his left palm with his right fist. His eyes had the same glee of a bad boy that hadn't changed since they'd met.
"I'm able to do the part I was stuck on before. I'm going to win."
"Uh."
Fushimi said that without any interest.
"Well, do your best."
"Of course."
Yata smiled and showed his white teeth. Later...
"And what about you?"
Fushimi's face became a bit troubled. However, since Yata was looking at him, he couldn't help it.
"I do what I have to do. But that's it."
He responded very nonchalantly.
He looked lethargic as always. However, deep down there was a will that was cold and hard as ice.
Yata nodded loudly.
"You've always been like this, Saruhiko."
At that moment, Fushimi, who had been looking uncomfortably at that conversation, suddenly realized that it was already there and pointed his finger.
"Look. It's dawn."
"Oh, really?"
Yata headed for the east end of the rooftop. Fushimi also followed him. It was certainly dim, but twilight was slowly filtering in from across the street from the building.
Yata and Fushimi watched the scene in silence. The two of them were fascinated by the process in which the city was filled with power as if by magic, as light hit the gradually dawning sky.
Grabbing the rusty handrail, Yata said a bit embarrassed as he looked ahead.
"Saruhiko. Let's be stupid like that again, okay?"
Fushimi answered in an equally soft voice.
"Oh, that's right. Misaki."
"Yes, let's do it!"
Despite those words, Yata energetically raised his arm. Fushimi also swallowed his small yawn.
After sleeping for about three hours, he finished showering and quickly washed his face, and went down to the back of the multi-tenant building. It was eight o'clock in the morning. The streets were already full of travelers.
Yata had to go to work and prepare to open the store. Fushimi returned to the dorm once, changed into his uniform, and had a regular meeting with Awashima.
When they first entered "Homura", it was common for both of them to fall asleep and stay asleep until the afternoon.
But now it was different.
Even when they tried to recreate a nostalgic night, his eyes were already grown-up and sleepy.
"See you later."
Yata raised a small fist. Fushimi hit his fist with his fist.
"Yes."
Then the two started walking in their respective directions. Because there was definitely something in their hearts and they could trust each other.
It will continue in chapter eight: "The place where I belong".
GROUND ZERO: FRAGMENTS
CHAPTER 7: THE END OF DREAMS
* List of Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
It looked like a typhoon.
A large typhoon. A deadly storm that rained fire instead of rain.
As if the change in air pressure signaled his approach, he could clearly feel his approach. Facing the approaching destruction, the "Grey King", Seigo Otori, sighed for a long time.
"Didn't "Scepter 4" arrive on time? Habari... No, it's wrong to blame you."
The gray clan "Cathedral".
In the central chapel of the church, Otori knelt before the cross and offered a deep prayer. As he did so, he endured the current situation with his entire body.
A strong pressure that could crush him if he let his guard down even a little. In the midst of that, he repeated to himself many times what he should do.
Seigo Otori's mission was to protect.
Help the weak, the people gathered in the sanctuary. But that was it.
"What's the answer to "Purgatory"?"
"Ah, no. Even those who went directly to them lost contact."
"What about "Tokijikuin"?"
"They said they would send urgent reinforcements. However, whatever happens, right now..."
"I guess so."
The aide's report was bitterly self-critical.
He knew it. Otori stood up suddenly and turned his sorrowful gaze to the cross. However, he immediately walked away and turned his back on the metaphysical paradise.
"I'm leaving. I'll give you as much time as possible, so proceed with the evacuation with all you might."
"Please wait! Please, 'King', let's evacuate together!"
The helpers correctly understood that Otori's words amounted to a testament. He pleaded while twisting his body... but Otori just smiled silently.
He didn't answer directly.
"Leave it to me."
After saying that, he left the chapel without hesitation. He doesn’t look back even when he stops calling him out.
He knew that this "situation" was due to the intentions of the "faceless man".
However, since the "faceless man" was dead, there was no turning back. No, even if he had lived, he would have been defenseless. It was a "situation" created by such a genius, betting his life, his existence, entirely. It was ridiculous to think that he was inferior in resolve to him, but he had to admit the fact that he wasn't one step closer to insanity.
However, it is up to each one how responds to the "situation" is forced into. He didn't know how far the "faceless man" scenario went, but Otori simply followed his own beliefs.
He left the church.
In the sky high above his head, he enshrined a supernatural giant sword. It was neither black nor white, but a greyish "Sword of Damocles". A strong mist barrier had already been deployed in the surroundings. Sanctum, the sanctuary of absolute defense, the authority of Otori, the "Grey King". However, Otori's expression twisted at the feeling that the myth of "absolute" would collapse that day.
He headed to the edge of Sanctum.
The surrounding area was already screaming. Scared, lamenting and confused by impending death. Meanwhile, the Otori clansman desperately tried to lead the evacuation.
Even in the face of danger that threatened their lives, the clansmen were doing what they should with sincerity and resolve. It was a waste of clansmen for him. Responding to that belief was also Otori's mission.
He wanted as many people as possible to survive. That's why he was taking action.
Then, he come to an open six lane street. It was a vague "city" boundary. But at that moment, a thick fog, more than ten meters high, got in the way of what should have been an ambiguous boundary.
It was a wall of mist built by Otori. A shield with supernatural abilities that confused foreign enemies, crushed them, and engulfed them in smoke. But how much help would the Gray Mist, which had protected him and his clan so many times, be of any help this time?
"...No."
He was wrong. It was not enough to simply rely on the "power" obtained from the Slate. He had to do it himself.
Otori slowly raised his right hand and yanked it down.
At the same time, the wall of thick fog blocking the front split left and right like Moses' flight from Egypt, opening the way.
A heat waves rushed in.
Heat and fire were emitted by a group of men, all dressed in dark suits, who slowly approached the other side of the mist.
They were strange people.
Some were burning with anger, some were laughing, some were staring persistently, and some were crying.
"Purgatory".
Like Otori, they were the members of the Apostle Clan of Fire and Destruction, who were chosen by the Slate and crowned as the "King".
The black hordes approaching from far away could only be mistaken for demons from hell. Following the laws of purgatory that were not of this world, they were trying to invade the Sacred Garden.
"...Ha."
Otori snorted as if to cheer himself up.
He raised his voice, though he knew it was useless.
"From now on, "Cathedral" is a tributary of the royal authority! Those who enter without permission will perish! This is the final warning. Withdraw!"
Of course, it was useless.
After waiting a few seconds, Otori relaxed his shoulders slightly.
He then slowly reached his right hand between his waist and pulled a single revolver from an old holster.
++++++++++
Bam!
A dry sound and a vibration ran through his body like the beating of a heart.
A bullet was ejected, sucked into the distance, and smoke from the explosion shook the ground.
The greatest characteristic of "Purgatory" was its contempt for life. All those who were fascinated by Genji Kagutsu, the "Red King", yawned and threw away their lives out of boredom.
A debauchery that burns his own life and destroys the lives of others around them. Each of them was a single bullet that wanted to burn in an instant.
And at that moment, Otori was completely destroying the pitiful swarm of bullets with bullets with supernatural powers.
Every bullet fired from Otori's gun became a cannonball. Otori overwhelmed the enemy with firepower, like a heavy tank destroying infantry.
The "King's" arrow flew.
A soldier died.
There was no mercy or piety, just efficient work. Beyond the fingertips that squeezed the trigger, many lives exploded and disappeared. Otori was not a cleric in the official sense, but a so-called "Moguri", but that did not mean that it was an acceptable act. He should go to hell. Still, Otori was willing to commit crimes if even one of the people he protected could be saved. Behind Otori, there were innocent people who only trusted him. Not a single strand of their hairs would be burned by the red fire.
Explosive smoke danced, fire danced, blood and flesh shattered, and mist was disturbed. Dodging the approaching scorching chin with a mist of supernatural power, enveloping it, and then simply pulling the trigger, he continued to pull.
"......"
The bullets are over. Silently and fluidly, he reloaded the revolver. He didn't even remember how many times. It did not matter. He had a lot of ammunition. Whether it was a full day, two days, or three days, he was prepared to see it through to the end.
Shoot, shoot, shoot.
Kill, kill, kill.
Amidst the roar and scorching heat, Otori acted cool and racked up kills. Still, the "Purgatory" march did not stop. Angry, laughing, silent, crying, they never stopped coming there.
The simple fact is that "Purgatory" was a gathering of eccentrics, but even so, the guard was down that day. His true nature, his essential "way of being," seemed to be exposed.
He didn't understand it.
At the same time, he felt that he knew something.
Those guys probably lived like that. That "ardor" towards death was probably their lifes. Don't think about it, Otori told himself. All he needed to keep in his heart was his own mission. At that time, other distractions were not only useless, but also harmful. Otori mechanically squeezed the trigger.
At that moment, an explosion was heard.
It wasn't Otori's shots. Far. It was in the direction of nine.
Otori stared. In the distance he could see the walls of mist breaking apart. He didn't break through with a direct attack, but he slipped. An internal orientation, or a conspiracy. Of course, it had to be both. In any case, a red presence had invaded the Sanctum, Otori's shrine, though it was only a small part of it.
It seemed to be a detachment from "Purgatory". Furthermore, the "pressure" transmitted was greater there than that of the clansmen in front of him. There was a controlled presence that was not typical of "Purgatory", he could feel the "will" of the "unit".
"No way?!"
Was the enemy in front of him a distraction? However, it was hard to imagine that "Purgatory" would use such a strategy. He was about to make a quick decision, but before he could come to a conclusion, a man appeared in his mind.
Executive of "Purgatory", Hitoshi Soma. The number two of the clan and staff officer. If it was that man's command... it was very possible.
"Shit!"
After the invasion of "Purgatory" was revealed, Otori immediately prepared multiple escape routes. The wall of mist broke around the main route.
Otori clenched his teeth.
He then engaged the enemy in front of him and fired the remaining two shots in the magazine barrel in rapid succession.
The explosions chained together and the smoke swirled violently. Without even having time to see the result, Otori turned around and started running in the direction of the detachment that had launched a surprise attack.
However, his legs soon stopped.
The smoke caused by Otori's attack was absorbed by the rising heat wave and dispersed in an instant. The wave of heat surged like a raging wave, covering Otori's entire body.
Otori involuntarily turned around at the burning air and at the "sign" of even greater heat.
He then saw it.
"Kagutsu..."
Even the words that should have been embedded in his body didn't come out.
In that place was hell.
There were ruins, death and evil.
The "King" was there.
And then there was "something" that surpassed human understanding, melting and burning them all.
Beyond the gaping wall of mist. What he saw was a sea of flames. A scene from purgatory that resembles a religious painting. In the middle was the silhouette of a red and black pillar. At least the form looked "human". That fact turned out to be a bad joke or something.
Otori sighed in resignation.
He was there.
The owner of "Purgatory".
The "Red King" Genji Kagutsu.
Advancing until just before the attack might have been a distraction just as Otori had imagined.
However, that was, after all, the realm of "people". It was something that Otori and Soma thought stupidly, and it was not something that they knew. He shouldn't mind the speculation of "people".
So it couldn't be helped. Unfortunately, the frustration resolved itself naturally.
He regained his composure. On the other hand, his preparation "team" increased by one.
They had met before. He expected that from his experience. Exaggerated even by himself.
But apparently it was not enough. That was completely beyond his expectations.
So, as expected, it couldn't be helped.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it? God..."
The slowly approaching signs of fire, death, and destruction made the concept itself feel deadly. Both reason and instinct understood that it was "different."
In other words, Seigo Otori's life would end there.
Nevertheless...
It was surprising to him, and he was proud of it, but...
Otori was unwavering in his determination to protect.
That absolute mission supported Otori even in the face of an unprecedented threat.
Delight filled his brain. As "King", he seemed to be able to accomplish his mission. He seemed to be qualified for it. Conveniently, fear, sense of danger, common sense, and survival instincts were paralyzed in the face of unreasonable existence. In that case, he wouldn't think too much, just buy some time. To keep people alive, even for a fraction of a second, he would stop that. All he had to do was put all of his soul into that spot. That simple and direct conclusion gave Otori unexpected relief.
He couldn't put out that "fire" by himself. But he had no intention of giving in to despair. It was not black or white, win or lose. From the beginning, it was Otori Seigo's destiny to walk down that narrow path.
"Well. Do you want to do it...?"
Otori straightened his back and faced the distant ruin head on. He laughed, but it was even exhilarating.
He never dreamed that he would lead a life like that.
It wasn't bad at all. Otori thought honestly and smiled brightly.
But...
"It's useless! Otori!"
A cry of restraint was released from behind. Hearing that familiar voice, Otori flinched and turned around.
A person with a cane in his hand was running towards him. Otori asked him to be his right arm, and he was the only person he could trust "Cathedral" after his death. One of the executives who built the clan together with Otori. Otori's partner.
With Otori facing inevitable death, losing him was the same as losing the clan's future.
"Idiot! Run away!"
Otori's throat was hoarse, but his partner didn't hear a word and ran towards him.
Confusion spread throughout his body, causing confusion in his judgment. As if to take advantage of that fatal gap, of course, he shouldn't have paid attention to such a trivial matter, but a powerful wave of heat surged up like a tsunami.
Otori reflexively unfolded a barrier of mist. The heat waves easily covered the barrier and dragged Otori and his partner along with the barrier.
Hot and strong.
If he hadn't stopped breathing immediately, his lungs would have burned. Otori's body was at the mercy of being swallowed by a pyroclastic flow. Still, he desperately defended himself and his companion who screamed with the mist.
"No, uh...!"
Otori developed a thick fog like tar, resisting the torrent of red. Both feet on the ground. The soles of his shoes slipped violently, but he finally stopped himself. Otori manipulated the mist and shook off the wave of heat surrounding him.
He reloaded and reloaded his favorite weapon at lightning speed. With both hands sticking out, he aimed beyond the open walls.
He fired all the bullets.
Rapid fire at God speed synergizes military power and destruction. Six bullets hit almost simultaneously. Like an airstrike from a bomber, a roaring sound and impact swept through the surroundings, and smoke rose in the distance.
The hidden power of "harm" inherent in the "Grey King", which was originally intended to be "protection".
However, the smoke from the distance was expelled at a speed that exceeded the speed of expansion.
A red flame burst out violently.
Then, after thinking that it had exploded, he suddenly sank to the ground as if he had lost motivation.
Otori never looked ahead.
Beyond the disintegrating mist, he could still see the unchanging sea of flames and the unchanging silhouette. It was as if those attacks and counterattacks had never happened. He could feel the disappointment weighing down on his entire body. Otori swallowed his overflowing pain.
He felt that he was seeing a mythical giant who crushed the earth with a single sneeze. Otori reloaded the weapon as he laughed in his heart. There was no last moment in that movement.
It was very bitter.
But that was the reality. There was no change in the given resolution. There was only what he had to do.
Then his partner gasped and coughed from behind. In other words, it was proof that he was breathing. It was proof that he was alive. Otori once again shouted at his partner behind him without turning around.
"Do you understand? Run away now. I don't want you to die. After that..."
He didn't know if he was trying to say: Leave it to me.
Otori kept looking into the distance, bracing himself for the next heat wave.
"Eh?"
His entire body stiffened. He was so focused on the front that he couldn't resist one bit.
Otori's consciousness was forcibly harvested.
++++++++++
Otori, who boasted such mighty power, collapsed as if he were a normal young man who could be found wherever he looked. Looking at the "King" who was lying on the ground, the man trembled and blamed himself for what he had done.
But that was only for a moment. Before his eyes, infallible death was approaching step by step. The man threw away the stun gun he was given, at least it looked like a commercially available one, and carried an unconscious Otori over his shoulders. Then, without leaning on the cane, he frantically left the place.
As explained beforehand, the "Red King" showed no interest in him running away, even in the unconscious "Grey King". By taking the appointed route, the man escaped death, which should have been infallible, with astonishing ease.
The man walked out of "Cathedral" as he carried the "King" on his shoulders.
Eventually, his physical strength gave out and the man stopped and lowered Otori to the ground. Looking back the way he came as he gasped, he could see that the clan he belonged to, the dependent territory, was stained with red fire.
The man's body trembled once more at the size of what had been destroyed. He was about to be overwhelmed with great regrets... but he knew that even if he could do it all over again, he would make the same choice.
He wanted to save Otori, even if it meant abandoning his comrades and the people he protected, and betraying the trust placed in him. To this man, Otori was like a son.
"Forgive me..."
Immediately after muttering that, he felt ashamed of himself. He shouldn't allow himself that. He didn't even have the right to ask for forgiveness. He had no choice but to bear that sin.
That was why...
"Oh, God."
At that moment, what came out of his mouth was not a plea for forgiveness, but only a pure prayer.
However, as if he answered that call, the cell phone in his pocket rang.
The man shook his entire body. After a few seconds of stiffening, he pulled the cell phone out of him like he was touching a burned stone.
However, before he could operate on it...
"Hey, looks like it went well."
He heard a voice from the other end of his cell phone.
More precisely, he did not know if it came from his cell phone. Anyway, he heard voices. That alone was weird enough, but what was weirder than anything else was that the person he was talking to was already dead. The man was present with Otori at the time of his death. Despite that, he could hear a familiar voice from his cell phone and it didn't change at all.
In other words, it was an "auditory hallucination".
That must be it.
"It was great that you were able to save the "King" as you wished. However, as expected, I wanted you to intervene a bit later. Even though I hit him to warm up, I didn't have enough time to adjust the "Red King's" W deviation. Well, the real thing comes after this."
"......"
The man could not understand the words spoken by the dead man's voice. The other side probably didn't tell the man either because he thought he could understand. In other words, it was a "complaint". However, the voice was clearly enjoying the "situation".
"The faceless man".
That "auditory hallucination" contained a different kind of madness and despair than the "Red King" that he had just glimpsed.
"Anyway, your job is done. Good job. Goodbye. Since it's a big deal, I'll give you one last piece of advice, but after this, you should run far away."
After saying that, the "auditory hallucination" disappeared.
While he was standing, the man slowly lowered the hand holding the cell phone and finally dropped it to the ground, it had never worked.
Before he knew it, all the blood had disappeared from his body. Although the fire spread a little farther, he couldn't feel the heat.
It was strange.
He wondered what he had done.
"Guh..."
Otori let out a low moan. The man came to his senses, shook off his sinister premonitions and great regrets, and carried Otori on his shoulders.
A car was parked up ahead. He would take Otori and leave that place. As for the advice they gave him, he would go as far as he could.
A few hours later, his beloved church clan disappeared from history and maps.
++++++++++
The tomb was on a small hill far from the city.
It was a place where you could see the sea. However, until fourteen years ago, it was not the sea. The Kagutsu Crater. It was a fateful place that claimed many lives. The tomb stared at the excavated land and sea as if in mourning for the lost past.
"It's been a long time, comrade. Come to think of it, the last time I came here was for a funeral, so this is my first time visiting a grave."
As he spoke to the tombstone, Iwafune held out the bouquet he had prepared in front of the tombstone.
He opened the lid of canned beer that he also brought and placed it next to the bouquet. After that, he took out another bottle, opened it and made a small toast.
"If it wasn't for Kagutsu Crater, it would be a nice place with a beautiful view."
With so much irony in his mouth, Iwafune put his mouth on the can.
"The other day, I was asked to talk about the old days... but I couldn't help but remember. Well, it's a good opportunity... I have a lot of free time..."
Iwafune slowly sat down in front of the grave while he made some embarrassed excuses.
Sleeping in the grave in front of him were two priests who worked in a certain church. One was a strong and compassionate giant, and the other was a naive "Moguri" who drowned in undeserved dreams. They were both teacher and disciple, comrades in arms, and perhaps even father and son.
They both died.
Afterwards, he left behind a desolate shell that was only meant for good and sloth.
"It's been a long time. Actually..."
After saying that, Iwafune silently looked at the tombstone for a moment and tilted the can again.
"At that time, I couldn't forgive you. But... now I understand your feelings a little more."
Iwafune now has only one "King". The "King" that he helped and raised. He is the "King" who gave him a second life.
He wants to be the power of that "King". No matter what. The prayer that he once wished to save the weak was now directed at a single young man. So, he understood the thoughts of his partner at that time. The pain that tore through his body and the attachment he couldn't let go of.
"Well, you were tricked quite a bit, but it didn't change that you were adamant until the end."
Iwafune laughed, then slowly undid his smile. He stared silently at the tombstone with a piercing gaze.
If he was put in the same position as him, would he give everything to help the "King" as he did?
Everything, even betraying the will of the "King".
"It's a big deal, so let's go see it. What kind of decision will I make?"
After drinking the canned beer, Iwafune sat up, stretched out his body and looked out at the sea behind him.
The wind blew.
The weather was good. It was a comfortable place.
However, when he closed his eyes, what he remembered was the flames and mist of that day.
Otori Seigo died. However, his regret still burns slightly in Iwafune Tenkei.
"See you."
Bidding farewell, Iwafune left the tomb.
The future was still shrouded in a thick fog.
