Vol 9 Chapter 11 (1/2)
So this was No 6
CHAPTER 1
I should report that which I say I saw,
-Macbeth, Act V Scene V
They were falling Falling, al shi+on had iined He kneas impossible, but he heard the sound of the wind It was the saht
It was September 7, 2013―shi+on's twelfth birthday The Holy City of No 6 had been directly hit by a hurricane The rain was pounding on the ground, and the as roaring The trees in his yard careened wildly, and leafy branches broke off and whipped through the air It was an extree and severe hurricane, a kind not seen in recent years, but he was sure that no one living in Chronos felt threatened or anxious shi+on and his mother, Karan, had been the same
This was No 6 A utopian city, the results of huy And in that utopia, Chronos was in the highest ranks a the luxury residences, a tohere only the chosen ones were allowed to live Mere natural disasters could not disturb it
Everyone had believed so without a doubt They had been allowed to believe otherwise
That storht Why did I open that ? Was it because I was excited at nature's madness, and I was stimulated, or I was stirred by a violent impulse―was that it? I certainly did open the , and I yelled I screa out all of the ferocity inside me If I didn't scream, I felt like I would shatter to bits In my oay, I felt a fear that I would be entrapped and taue fear― that you wouldn't be acquainted with, Nezu I was scared I wanted to scream
That hy I opened the asn't it?
No
That's not it
You called toh the rain, and came to me
You called me, and I was called by you
That's why I opened theI flung it open wide to the outdoors
I extended h? Would that breathtaking smile cross your face as you sneer at raceful way of yours?
'Meaningless fancies An intolerable mass of self-consciousness, like a half-baked artist's work'―would you spit those words at h You can dismiss them as my delusions; I don't care
But it's the truth
You called ht my arm I opened theso I could meet you
That's our truth, Nezu in his ears It wasn't the whirl of the wind It was the sound of sliding through a plastic tube But what if this tube was not a garbage chute, but a steep slope that led straight to hell?
Suddenly his consciousness began to fade All the wounds he had suffered on his entire body grew hot and throbbed The strength left hi to hell doesn't see, then? Why don't I just give up on struggling, on fighting, on wanting to live?
If I let myself black out now, I'll be free from this pain, this weariness
shi+on closed his eyes Darkness fanned out before hih,” Nezuhtning flaring up in a night sky, it tore the darkness away from his consciousness
damnit shi+on bit his lip and inflicted pain on himself He scolded hi? You can't give up now Live Survive We have a place to return to, and we have to get there in one piece
He had made that vow He had vowed to hih to the end, and survive this ordeal together
His hand slipped Nezumi's blood was caked on his palarbage chute wall It wasn't falling; it was definitely running
Tsukiyo, I' on you Tell Inukashi+ that we're alive
shi+on jaritted his teeth He focused all the strength in his body on his legs His bones creaked Their falling speed decreased so froive in yet shi+on chewed his lip still harder He did not taste the blood His tongue was already numbed to its rusty metallic taste
Inukashi+―Inukashi+, help us
Inukashi+!
Rikiga fell into a fit of coughing He recovered and breathed raggedly
”Inukashi+, I can't do it anymore I'm at my limit”
”Limit of what?” Inukashi+ said tersely
”I can't breathe Are you planning on suffocating ood is it to iant inheritance? The most you'd probably leave behind is a pile of empty booze bottles”
”Hriping, Rikiga did not try to flee He was still stacking e chute With each asped and wheezed, and griped soement rooulfed by thick, grey s hushed Even the littleclamorously at each other were now huddled ht, the li on the sh his throat well His heart pounded frantically
It hurts
The air is stuck in my throat
But he was not miserable He was not in despair On the contrary, a part of his heart was pounding, soaring in anticipation
What is this smoke? This hot air that blows at me from time to time? The restless buzz that comes with its snarl?
A clear precursor to destruction The Correctional Facility is raising its last dying shriek
Many ti out of excitement He wanted to bark and howl until his throat trembled Just once, he opened his mouth wide, but he only choked on the smoke that rushed into histhe mattresses If I can't bark, the least I can do is lickbefore his eyes
Will you look at that Is that what life is, Nezuht me what it is to be alive You never knohat happens There's nothing absolute about what huuys have caused me too much hassle You'll never hear a word of thanks coive you uys turned out as decent as ard for you I'm impressed―just a tiny bit
The se A tear rolled down his cheek It was just the s his eyes
You come back, you hear me? If you don't, I can't praise you Hurry, hurry, while my breath can still last me Hurry
Inukashi+! So on the floor He was holding a white cloth to hishis bent back
”Call me?”
”―What?”
”Did you call a wheezed ”You want ?”
”Knock it off That's creepy, even for a joke”
”I' whether it's creepy Really, I can't stand this anyoes out to you, man But it's a bit too late to repent A et any closer to Heaven, no matter how hard you try”
”dainto the air The dog with patched fur raised its head Terror swas did notfor hting their fear of death Dogs never abandoned their master They never betrayed him
I can't murder them like this
”Go” Inukashi+ pointed at the entrance door ”Escape by yourselves”
But the dogs did not get to their feet They re Inukashi+
”What? I' you to leave Get out of here, quickly” HeIts eyes were serene The shadow of fear that had crossed his eyes o iped cleanly away
”I see” You won't onna tell onna tell et the hell out of here if you want to You wouldn't be any use if you stayed”
”Inukashi+”
”What?”
”Do you plan to die here?”
”Die? Why would I?”
”There's barely any chance that those two shi+on and Eve are going to coaa yourself”
No way Heaven and earth can turn upside-down, but I' the spectacle of a lifetime The destruction of the Correctional Facility was only the beginning It was only the preamble The devastation of No 6 itself hat caet to see the veryhly enjoy its final act
Heh heh heh
Lighthearted laughter rang at his ear No, it was in his ear―inside his head So It was carefree and joyful, yet an icy laughter
”Who is it?”
His gaze darted about instinctively and caught a s?
The shadoas soon sed up by the shter ceased Were they both hallucinations? There's no way a bug could be flying around in this smoke
shi+ver A chill ran down his spine
Screech, screech, chit-chit!
Cheep-cheep-cheep-cheep-cheep Squeak!