Vol 6 Chapter 1.2 (2/2)
”I have told you not to become trapped. I have told you to live unfettered. If you did not, you would not be able to survive; I understood this well. That was why I released you into the outer world. But to think that you would come back...”
”I've realized.”
”Realized?”
”I've realized your words were nothing but white lies.”
The air wavered in agitation. Voices which were barely voices traversed between the people nestled in the rocky walls, looking down at them.
”Your words were white lies. False. There was no way I could live without being trapped. On the contrary, I had to be trapped. Even if I deceived myself, pretending I was free, I would still be in chains anyway. From now on, I'll acquire real freedom with my own hands. I'll set myself free. That's why I came back.”
”Is this freedom you speak of fighting with No. 6?”
”It means fighting and winning. Erasing it clean from this land. The day I see the Holy City arrive at its end is when I'd be free for the first time. I'd be able to live a truly free life. I would be able to leave this place... of my own will.”
”Nezumi!” s.h.i.+on yelled without thinking. As he yelled, grabbed Nezumi's shoulder. ”What do you mean by that? Leave this place? What―”
”s.h.i.+on.” Nezumi's eyes blinked rapidly. ”The rope... how did you―?”
”Huh?”
”The ropes. How did you get out of them? You don't have a knife on you.”
”What? Oh, the rats chewed them apart for me.”
”The rats? No way, you must be―”
s.h.i.+on thrust an end of the rope to Nezumi, and waved it before his eyes.
”Look. They all chewed at it together. It happened in no time. Impressive, isn't it?”
Nezumi's eyes flitted to the jagged end of the chewed rope before furrowing his brow.
”You have that much control over those rats?”
”Me? No, of course not. I couldn't pull tricks like that. The rats did it on their own. They're all very kind and intelligent,” s.h.i.+on said proudly.
”Kind and intelligent, huh. So your rats chew apart the ropes their master has tied. He's right; they are kind and intelligent. You've trained them to be very well-behaved, Sasori.”
The man―the sand-coloured man called Sasori―only fidgeted a little, and didn't reply. Instead, the elder let out a short breath.
”Enough sarcasm, Nezumi. It is a bad habit of yours. It seems your tendencies have not changed, despite how much you have grown physically. A problem, indeed.”
There was warmth in the elder's tone. He was like a father smiling exasperatedly over his child's antics. His voice radiated with the source of its warmth―love.
This man felt tenderness for Nezumi.
s.h.i.+on gazed at the elder on his palanquin. This is my first time, he thought. It was his first time meeting someone who expressed a peaceful and warm att.i.tude to Nezumi.
Nezumi had always been alone. He had always lived alone. There was never anyone by his side. He didn't let anyone approach him. s.h.i.+on yearned for Nezumi in his own way, and he was also entranced by Nezumi's resilience, litheness and beauty. He hoped to remain by Nezumi's side. These feelings certainly existed inside him as unmovable fact; however, it was also fact that he was uncertain of what name to give those feelings.
Admiration, friends.h.i.+p, deference, love.... He was uncertain; he couldn't help it.
But what he felt from the elder on the palanquin was definite affection. It was like a parent bestowing affection upon a child.
To think Nezumi had someone like this.
”s.h.i.+on,” the elder called.
”Yes.”
”Come here.”
”Yes, sir.”
”Wait,” Sasori stepped forward and grabbed s.h.i.+on's arm. ”Rou, this boy is dangerous. He is cloaked in evil. You cannot let him near you.”
”Evil―this boy?”
”He is not just a boy. He is a demon. He will destroy everything. I can see it. Why can you not, Rou?”
It was hard not to get angry when this much was being said about him. s.h.i.+on tried to shake off the hand that held his arm. Sasori's fingers showed no signs of moving, and squeezed even harder, choking its hold.
”I see no problem. Bring s.h.i.+on here.”
”Rou.”
”I see no problem. Good and evil, virtue and wickedness, truth and lies―they are all very similar. So similar, in fact, that it is often hard to tell them apart. True, is it not, Nezumi?”
”I see what you're saying.”
”It is a boy whom you have brought. Surely he is neither entirely wicked, nor entirely virtuous. Now, s.h.i.+on: here, if you will.”
The fingers drew away from his arm. Sasori retreated a few steps, growling lowly. His sand-coloured limbs blended into the darkness. s.h.i.+on approached the palanquin slowly. Several rats scurried around his feet.
The elder had clear, dark eyes. They harboured a twinkling light as he gazed unflinchingly at s.h.i.+on.
This man....
s.h.i.+on felt like this man was younger than he had originally thought. He had a.s.sumed―from the man's name as ”elder” and the white hair that framed his face―that he was an aged man. But the strength of the light in his eyes was not that of an ageing person.
The elder raised his hand. It was thin and pale.
”Your head.”
”I'm sorry?”
”Will you let me touch your hair? It is a rather odd colour.”
s.h.i.+on crouched, and bowed his head forward. The elder reached and gently ran a hand through his hair in a circular motion. It tickled a little. s.h.i.+on felt a little sheepish, like he was being patted on the head.
”Why?” the elder said, with added heaviness to his voice. His voice trailed off hoa.r.s.ely. Its gentleness was gone; now it sounded tense.
”Why has your hair―”
”It's not only his hair.” Nezumi strode purposefully forward. ”s.h.i.+on, show him your red snake.”
”Huh? No way.”
”Why not?”
”I'd have to take off my clothes. I don't want to be naked in front of so many people.”
”Dumba.s.s,” Nezumi clicked his tongue. ”What kingdom are you from, Princess? This isn't the time to be a blus.h.i.+ng maiden. Quickly! Show him what you've had to endure.”
Nezumi's fingers flipped his s.h.i.+rt up. s.h.i.+on hastily recoiled.
”I get it! I'll do it myself. I don't need help undressing.”
”Is that so? I'm impressed. Worthy of praise.”
Nezumi's eyes were not as buoyant as his voice. They were tense and sharp. s.h.i.+on cast his s.h.i.+rt aside, and took another half-step towards the elder.
The elder drew a breath. His trembling fingers traced the crimson band that had scarred his chest.
”These... these scars...”
Nezumi jerked his chin as if to encourage s.h.i.+on.
Can I tell him?
”These marks, why―” the elder said. ”No, it couldn't be...”
”They're from a parasite wasp.”
”Parasite wasp,” the elder repeated.
”They feed off humans. They ultimately kill their host before hatching. I―was able to survive. The result of it are these scars, and my blanched hair.”
The elder's mouth twisted. His eyes, set in his face among countless wrinkles, glittered unnaturally bright. Nezumi grabbed s.h.i.+on's shoulder roughly.
”Rou, No. 6 will disintegrate. One day, it'll crumble not only from the outside, but from its own powers working inside. These are the first signs.”
”A parasite wasp which lodges in humans... I see... they have begun to appear inside the city.”
”Yeah. And apparently out of sudden coincidence. They appeared unexpectedly; even the guys holding the reins of No. 6 couldn't predict it. Several citizens have died in strange ways. The authorities haven't been able to prevent it. I don't see them desperately trying to, either. Maybe they don't have a grasp of how serious the situation is yet. They've become complacent.”
”Complacent...”
”They're complacent because they think the world will run according to their plans. They're arrogant enough to believe that they can be a universal and omnipotent ruler... they've been blinded by their own delusions, and can't see the truth of reality. They're losing the eyesight to see through the facade.”
Even when it seemed to sc.r.a.pe across the ground, Nezumi's voice nevertheless reached the ears of his listeners crystal clear. In the darkness, only his low, resounding voice filled the air.
”Things are still quiet inside the city. They're still managing to maintain peace and daily routine. But it's like a cup that's been filled to the brim with water, about to spill over any second. It's maintaining its balance, but barely.”
”One has only to stimulate it slightly, and everything will spill over... is that what you mean?”
”It would burst. It would destroy the cup and come gus.h.i.+ng out.”
The elder muttered something softly. Then, he locked his fingers together as if in prayer.
”Let us hear it, then―everything, from the beginning.”
A pair of glittering eyes trained steadily on s.h.i.+on.
-- END OF CHAPTER --
Read Chapter 2.
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