Vol 8 Chapter 22 (2/2)
”The lights We turned the lights on”
”So what? When it's dark, we turn on the lights Electric laht be a luxury in the West Block, but here in No 6 they're co about!” Inukashi+ said testily ”What are we gonna do if soht?”
Even in the darkness, he could see Rikiga's features tense Inukashi+'s eyes were naturally used to the dark dahts in the first place
”It'll be alright,” Rikiga muttered His voice was hoarse and hard to hear, like he had forced it out of his throat ”No need to get so juht was on forto care if the hygiene ement room burns down? You said it yourself: this place is like Paradise It doesn't even have surveillance cameras”
”It has been, up until now”
On one hand, Getsuyaku had been marked as a suspicious person, and had been shot and killed On the other, Nezumi and shi+on had been able to infiltrate the Correctional Facility successfully This connection had raised the question of whether the cleaning staff were on the saether
If that was so, was not this rooerous territory than a Paradise? It was likely that surveillance had been tightened around the area It was very likely
The black dog suddenly got to its feet It cast its eyes around with a lol Its gaze quickly trained on one point―the door The door connecting to the Correctional Facility The black dog continued growling at the metal door that only opened from the Facility side
shi+t
Inukashi+ snatched a gun and hurled it at Rikiga Rikiga barely caught the outdated carbine in his hands His lips tre to happen?”
”A visitor, old man An unwanted one at that”
Thud This time, there was a sound behind the presence of people through the worn grey door
”A pincer attack You ain We'veone Inukashi+ chewed his lip He kneas useless He could chew his lip to shreds and it would undo none of the
Nezurets aren't going to open a path for you, but one act will Move Just move
Why do I hear his voice? Even at a time like this―no, maybe it's because we're in this situation that I hear it
Move Search for the path to life
Shut up, Nezumi I've learned rasped the bag
”This way”
He rammed his body into the door that led to the waste collection area The door did not budge An alar up He could see the tips of a touched the switch on the wall The doors slid sideways
”Alright!” Inukashi+ roared to cheer his swara Hah, it sht; there was an odour The stench of rotting meat juices filled the air It was no doubt the odour froiven Getsuyaku The capsule had been sucked in through a vacuu with other waste If he had not been shot through the chest, Getsuyaku would probably be sorting through this pile of trash tomorrow He would have been at his usual job
”Makes ht flared inside Inukashi+'s head He swung around to see Security Bureau officials with guns in hand beyond the glass They had stormed into the small room
One, two, three, four four people
”Follow me, old man”
There was a small power shovel in a corner of the collection depot, near the waste outlet With this, Getsuyaku would deposit the waste onto the conveyor belt and take it to the incinerator Inukashi+ hid hihts calare
Why do people froht idly Why do they hate what they can't see, places light can't reach, and the fact that darkness exists? Why do they try to illuminate it all?
Security Bureau officials opened the door and stepped in Suddenly, they covered their noses and mouths with their hands and bent over double
”What is this?”
”It stinks”
All four of them retreated All of their faces were contorted One of therinned in satisfaction, and still grinning, aiun
Hah, what kind of Security Bureau officials are these? They've got huge egos but no balls to go along with the such a fuss over a little smell Hmph, so that uys should all go hoer
An impact slammed into him He felt like he had been hit hard in the forehead He tu froot?” Rikiga shouted
”Cut , old h I could never fire at other humans, even if they're Bureau officials”
”I'd like to see you hit your target at least two, three times before you make a sick joke like that”
The Security Bureau officials fled desperately from the stench They would probably not set foot into this place again without gas ile they were
They were not civilians; they were specially trained Security Bureau officials Yet, they could not even endure a mild odour like this
But at this point in time, Inukashi+ wanted to thank theility The officials had bought theh to be relieved, thinking that danger had passed But bought tiht time He could draw a breath
But what'll I do with the tiht?
After I catch my breath, what'll I do next?
He licked his bottoue ran across the dry membrane
This room had only one entrance and exit: it was the door they had coh The Security Bureau officials―their enemy―were stationed outside They were in a sealed roooing to attack us When that happens―
The ht about it, the more hopeless the situation seee There's no e'll end like this Isn't that right, Nezu in Nezumi or himself But he knew that he believed He believed―so he did not give up
We'll e We'll make do We won't be finished off like this
”Inukashi+” Rikiga grabbed his shoulder ”What are they planning to do?”
”Huh?”
Inukashi+ glanced at the small room, and inhaled sharply He stood rooted to the spot
The Security Bureau officials were loading in an odd-looking device It was about as big as the black dog growling fiercely at his feet One end of it fanned out widely, and the other end narrowed to about a third of the width Numerous spiralled tubes extended from it, but Inukashi+ could not see where they led The body, as well as inside the rey and blue, and shone in the light It rehly- polished brass instrua's face relaxed comically, but his voice was a mixture of tension and fear ”They should have toldto be a recital I would have worn e to respond to Rikiga's joke He couldn't s the breath caught in his throat The thudding of his heart rang in his ears so loudly, he felt like his eardrums would burst
Various scenes in the West Block caht after the Hunt His surroundings were an expanse of rubble
Thethe barracks, tents, and two-storey brick houses that lined the street, was razed completely All had turned to debris
This destruction did not co explosives There had been no distinctive ses There had been no e smoke No 6 had not used firearms as it usually did for this Hunt He even felt like No 6 had used a giant hand to crush the whole iant hand?
”Acoustic shockwaves”
Rikiga's ear twitched”Wait, what did you just say?”
”No 6 used acoustic shockwaves for the Hunt Like spleen whales do, or sperm whales, or whatever they're called”
”What are acoustic shockwaves? Where did the whales come from? Can you explain it in a way I can understand?”
”I can't I' what Nezumi's told me Old man, you saw for yourself what happened to the marketplace”
”Yeah―it was a clean sweep The perfectthey used acoustic shockwaves for that?”
”Yeah”
Rikiga's eyes opened wide They bulged sohis eyeball
”Inukashi+, so you're saying that weird truht be a smaller version of what they used in the West Block”
Might be? Hey, Inukashi+, you can't fool yourself anymore That has to be a
”And―and they're going to fire that on us?” Rikiga bellowed
”Don't ask a growled still Through the darkness, Inukashi+ could see his face growing pale Inukashi+ airey weapon of destruction before hireat effort, he held his ground and maintained his posture
He could not discern where the bullet had hit Perhaps it had not hit anything Perhaps it had floay into the distance like a whimsical crow
”Couldn't you have attached an autorumbled
”Do you think the West Block would have such a luxury item?”
”Hah, I'm sure you pinched as many pennies as you could Look what you've ended up with: soun's fault It's your aim”
They peeked out from behind the power shovel at the s busily They showed no signs of retaliation They did not fire a single shot back
They don't need to They did not need to hit a wretchedhis execution That was probably their concept
How cos tears to my eyes
”Inukashi+, hey, Inukashi+ What are we going to do? If we go on like this, we'll be―” Rikiga yelled and ducked down He cradled his head and arranged hi
There's no way I'onna die here I haven't been born into this world to die in a place like this
Violent eht about why he had come into this world Not once It had seemed so trivial, he had never felt the need to think about it To Inukashi+, finding a reason for being born was nothing ame He had been born into this world, and that hy he was going to live in it That was it His life was no one's but his own
I' to decide whether I throw this life away or protect it It's no one else's business
He fired wildly Shooting skills? Go to hell The glass dividing the roohty crash The Bureau officials' panic was apparent
The stench had beco into the small room
Move! Nezumi's hand thumped his back Move, Inukashi+ Act in order to live!
Just what I was planning to do, Inukashi+ answered in his head
He sprinted up
The black dog bounded past hih the broken , ht for the Bureau officials
Notes
Read Chapter 3