Vol 8 Chapter 22 (1/2)
This is a continuation of PART A
”How long do we have to stay like this for?” Rikiga stifled a yawn He fished out a flat metal bottle fro Inukashi+'s nose
”That stinks What's in there?” he asked as he pinched his nose
”Do you want to know?” Rikiga flashed a vulgar grin, and lightly shook the bottle Inukashi+ could hear liquid sloshi+ng inside
”I don't even have to ask It stinks of cheap booze Ugh, that smell! Makes me wanna throw up” He pulled his face into a scowl It was no act The bottle was not even open, but the nauseating odour radiating from it assaulted his nose
”Don't ask if you already know,” Rikiga said
”I was bored, alright?” Inukashi+ retorted ”Unfortunately for eezer Can't start a conversation without a topic, right? I' a lot of work on a jerked his chin underneath the desk A large black dog was stretched out on the floor In a corner of the roo in various comfortable positions The small mice were curled up and asleep on the back of a black and white patched dog In a way, it was a peaceful pastoral scene
Rikiga did not seerowled
”Take your choice of the dogs or the mice as your conversational pals They suit you”
”It's iet their rest I don't wanna disturb 'e, huh? As if this roo over the space I'm human; why do I have to curl up in this tiny chair?”
”It's a matter of rank”
”Rank?”
”I her level than a drunkwhat you will You're just an underdog howling about its loss” Rikiga shrugged, and emptied the contents of the bottle into hisyour white flag already Let : if we've come this far and we lose, iton top of the desk Rikiga glared at him with bloodshot eyes
”If we lose, itotten how to speak like a proper hu every day Soon you'll grow a tail, turn furry, and start prowling around on your hands and feet Ha ha ha!”
Inukashi+ glanced at Rikiga's flushed face, and clicked his tongue softly
”Beco better If I could turn into a dog by praying, I'd pray to any God out there” He was almost serious
If I were to be reincarnated, would I choose to be a dog or a human? What would I say if someone―or even God―asked me? I would probably puzzle over it, unable to come up with an answer
He could not say that hus Inukashi+ knew of both the noble souls of dogs and the foolish hearts of huh to keep thereed knew no boundaries Once a man's belly was full, he desired wealth; when he had wealth, he desired ent and sound in judgment? They knehen they were fulfilled, whereas hua burped rudely
”They're ent than this old ?”
”Nothing I was just speaking in Dog”
”Hah So, as that? If we lose, ill happen to us?”
”We'll becoa's hand froze, his bottle poised mid-air Whiskey spilled from the mouth and splashed on the floor
”We'll turn into corpses and be dragged across ground,” Inukashi+ continued ”Or round before we become corpses Either way, it doesn't a answered He twisted the cap tightly on the bottle, and tossed it back into his pocket He seeh the chest, and his sagging cheeks began to trea was afraid of death Inukashi+ didn't have the heart to sneer at him and call him a coward Inukashi+ was afraid of death as well He was afraid of it
Getsuyaku had died al In a sense, his last risly deaths, a painless death was like a gift fro to die anyway, he wanted to die without pain But if it was possible for hi he could to live If only death awaited at the end of his suffering, he wanted none of it But if suffering meant he could live, he could bear it He would endure, and live on
He did not want to become like Getsuyaku
I won't become like Getsuyaku I won't let No 6 kill me so easily I'd like to see the, and exarenades and azines of ammunition All were outdated secondhand items
”Pathetic,” Inukashi+ a didn't ot complaints about it, secure us sonantly ”How hard do you think I had to work to prepare that many weapons, huh? Tell me where in the West Block I would be able to buy the latest photon or electric gun, or a controlled-detonation automatic microbomb I'd like you to introduce ot contacts”
”Huh, well I thought getting weapons would be nothing with uess I overesti that delightsyou never to expect anything froet sick ofexpectations for me”
”No need to worry, the ladies are probably sick of you already” Inukashi+ dis the automatic rifle
”Inukashi+”
”What?”
”Do you kno to use a gun?”
”We'll see”
”Have you well, it doesn't even have to be a person Have you ever shot a dog or cat, even a rat?”
”I've been shot at before, by the old butcher guy It hen I nicked a joint ofhis rifle I almost came aith a hole in my forehead Thank heavens I didn't”
”Well, that's unfortunate,” Rikiga replied sarcastically ”Maybe a few holes would have aired out that brain of yours Then you'd learn how to speak to people properly”
”Hah, well, too bad for you As you can see, my skull is still chock full with brains The old butcher, on the other hand, is probably turning into a rotting hunk ofthe Hunt?”
”Yeah Looked like his arm was torn clean off I don't think he'd ever be able to fire a rifle with that”
Rikiga wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and questioned Inukashi+ again ”So, what about you? Have you ever fired a gun, even once?”
”No”
Rikiga's pupils darted about His uncertainty was apparent in his roving gaze
”How about you, oldromp with any of these ladies?”
”I can't say I haven't But letskills are no better than a blindfoldedmodest”
”Besides, why did Eve e us ith these weapons?”
Inukashi+ suddenly spun around, gun in hand He aligned the sight with the chest of thein front of him, and stood poised
”This is it, old man”
”What? H-Hey, Inukashi+, what's this about?”
”This is what it's about Relax, I won't round in one shot”
”H-Hey, idiot, stop it I said stop!” Rikiga yelled, and sprang to his feet His momentum made him stumble, and he fell to the floor
”No, Inukashi+ Have you gone insane? Stop!”
”Bang!” Inukashi+ pointed the barrel at the ceiling and grinned ”Oops I forgot to load it”
Rikiga looked up at hiet carried away What would you get out of teasing ive you a little scare I didn't realize you'd live up to my expectations thisaround, day boy get the better ofalone with you in this stinking place I can't take it I'one” He appeared serious, for he stood up and made for the door
”If you take one step out that door―” Inukashi+ aiain ”I'll shoot for real this time”
”It's not loaded”
”Know a joke when you hear one,” Inukashi+ retorted ”Sure, Iexperience But even a blindfolded a clucked his tongue Cluck cluck cluck Then he looked around, and gave a sigh
”It's dark” Rikiga's fat fingers felt for the light switch The lights caht for Inukashi+'s eyes which were used to being guided by the un was violently yanked froered, took a step forward, and was struck across the face For a moment, his mind went blank This time, Inukashi+ was the one to land with his bottoan to shower hi brat,” he roared ”As soon as I' you're entitled to everything”
The black dog snarled s also acted swiftly They circled around Rikiga, growling softly The mice huddled in a corner of the roos
”Stupid mutts, don't underestimate us huh your master's head”
”Wow, old man Those were some iving you too ht now You're a fast drunkard, aren't ya?”
”Go on saying all the crap you want I' two or three punches into that face Hmph, you better watch yourself”
”Unfortunately―” Inukashi+ ser down the barrel ”There aren't any bullets in here after all, Mr Rikiga” Then he whistled lightly The tension in the dogs unravelled immediately, and they rolled onto their sides on the spot The black dog wagged its bushy tail No hint of its previous aggression reo too far with my joke? Sorry, old a His battered cheek still burned
”Goodness” Rikiga threw his gun down onto the desk, and collapsed into a chair like a brokenhere? In a place like this forced to do nothing only to sit still and wait”
”Can't bear it?”
”If I said I couldn't, would you laugh?”
”Nah I don't think I can bring h, old man I'm not in the position to Which means I feel the same way”
”Ho You and I are at a consensus for the first tiain This must be some kind of evil oht of it, but histo be so hard
They were to wait for Nezumi and shi+on in this room, which had been Getsuyaku's workplace
That was all he knew right now Inukashi+ couldn't even ia, of course, knew even less Maybe even Nezumi himself wasn't sure of the details Yes―what if neither Nezumi nor shi+on arrived? What if they waited and waited, still waited, and were fruitless in the end―? Stop it, don't even jinx yourself This willfor sure I don't want to be a loser before the fight even begins
But it was hard
How long did he have to wait? What was about to happen? It was hard to ithout being able to predict the future It was like being pricked by countless transparent needles It was like being broiled over an illusory fire His heart, which had been so jaunty when he had set foot into the room, had now shrunken and shrivelled like an exhausted old man He was ashamed He was embarrassed He felt lame, and he kneas But
His heart was resolute; he had prepared hi of time made doubt creep into his decision and set will He didn't want to quote Rikiga, but he wanted to get out of here He was also worried about shi+onn It was almost time for him to wake up
shi+onn would probably cry if he woke up and didn't seeforforever, protected by the dogs, but of course things aren't always going to go that well
He shook his head
I can't think about shi+onn It'llback hoet Think think of Nezumi's letter He put a hand on his chest
On Nezue which ordered them to prepare weapons to defend themselves with
Would that ht be with Security Bureau officials stationed at the Correctional Facility? But there was no way Bureau officials would coement room The one man who had worked in this room had been killed He was already a corpse No one would have business here
He sed his saliva Wait with utuard down Inukashi+ pounced on the wall switch, and turned the lights off
”Hey, as that for? Now I can't see anything,” Rikiga complained
”That was bad”
”Bad? What was?”