Vol 6 Chapter 3.1 (1/2)

CHAPTER 3

When people built the public office

so it could take away their perils

But the citizens suffer hards.h.i.+p, and the officials bloat with riches

of the citizens can voice their woe

Safu let out a scream.

Why, why, why...

”Safu, are you awake? Good morning. How do you feel? Ah, I see all your cognitive senses have returned to normal. Splendid.”

No, this isn't me.

This isn't me.

”What are you talking about? Look. You are beautiful. Not only beautiful―yes, soon you will have both beauty and power in your hands. And immortal life. Brilliant, is it not?”

Help me.

Turn me back to who I was.

”Safu. You cannot let yourself get over-excited. It hurts, doesn't it? Yes, when your emotions are agitated, it causes pain. Headaches. So, calm. Calm down. Calm down, and think of the appropriate state you should be in. Yes... good girl. I will help you. Yes, calm down...”

Where is s.h.i.+on?

”Forget him. You have been reborn. Forget everything from before. Everything. No people, no names, or memories are of use to you anymore, Safu.”

I can't forget.

s.h.i.+on.

s.h.i.+on, where are you?

”Festivals are utter foolishness. Everyone makes a senseless ruckus and they don't even realize what they're celebrating for. Foolish, aren't they? It would be troublesome if they weren't, however. Ha ha ha.... The real Holy ones are right here. You and I. Shall we give a toast, Safu? Will you have wine?”

I will not forget you.

I would never be able to forget you.

”Safu, why are you expressing sadness? I'm planning a very splendid gift for you, you know. Soon. I will lead you to become an existence everyone would admire.”

Because this is my own heart.

I will not... forget.

”How troublesome. I thought you would be less of an obstinate child. I'm a little disappointed, Safu. Very well, then. Soon you will see the extent of my magnanimity. Then you will prostrate yourself and feel grat.i.tude for me. See, Safu? Oh, yes, we'll no longer need this name anymore either. Let us throw it away. A new future is waiting for you, after all. See? Doesn't it excite you just thinking about it?”

I will not lose my memories.

s.h.i.+on,

where...

”Come on. Come over here.”

s.h.i.+on finished talking. He recalled, in as much detail as possible, the past few years starting from the stormy night when he met Nezumi, to where he stood today. He knew no amount of talking could tell his whole story. He didn't have the confidence that he could accurately tell all that had caused him such turmoil. But he told anyway. Rooting out the buds of countless emotions that had begun to sprout in his soul, to the best of his ability, he calmly and objectively told of his own experiences, what he had seen and heard, the scenery which spread before his eyes, and the sounds which had travelled through his eardrums. At least he had meant to.

But still, his voice shook at the end. He couldn't help the plea from creeping into his tone.

I am weak. So powerless. I can't even repress my emotions with my own strength.

He clenched his fist.

You knew, s.h.i.+on. You've known this for a long time. You've been forced to face the reality of how weak you really are, over and over, before you came here. What's the use being afraid of your own powerlessness and ignorance now? You can be ashamed, but you can't be afraid. If you falter, you won't be able to move forward again. You've come this far. You can't turn back. You're not that weak.

s.h.i.+on took a deep breath, and continued his words.

”I want to help Safu. I'll do anything to get her out. That's what I've come here for. Nezumi brought me here. I can't begin to imagine where this is, or how I can infiltrate the Correctional Facility from here. But no matter what, I have to accomplish it. That much I can be certain of. And... I'm the one that got Nezumi involved. Nezumi risked danger for me... that's also the truth.”

The elder remained silent. They were wrapped in stillness. The silence was heavy on them, and s.h.i.+on felt like he could even feel his bones creaking.

Beside him, Nezumi crouched. He picked up the s.h.i.+rt which had slid from s.h.i.+on's hand without him knowing, and handed it back to him.

”Thanks.”

Heh.

Nezumi chuckled.

”Your manners don't leave you in this situation either, do they, young master? Maybe add 'ignorant brat who thinks highly of himself' to that nickname, while you're at it.”

”Me? Think highly of myself?”

”Yeah. I didn't come here for you. Don't flatter yourself too much, young master.”

Before s.h.i.+on could respond, Nezumi turned aside. His expressionless profile rejected s.h.i.+on's gaze and words.

”Rou.” The elder didn't respond to Nezumi's call. He remained unmoving, with his eyes closed. He looked like he was either meditating, or reciting a prayer in his head.

”Rou, there's nothing false about s.h.i.+on's story. It's all truth. There have been casualties in No. 6 from parasite wasps. s.h.i.+on was spared. But most of everyone else won't be. They all die strangely―” Here Nezumi shut his mouth, and glanced at s.h.i.+on. A shadow of doubt wavered in his eyes, though only very slightly.

”Rou? Are you listening to me?”

The elder's head nodded slightly. ”I am. Your voice projects well, and reaches the ears of your listeners very clearly.”

”Has it reached your heart?”

”Of course.”

”Then I want you to answer me. I want you to tell me.”

”The fate of No. 6?”

”No, I don't need to ask anyone to find that out. I know what's gonna happen to it: destruction and extinction. I'll be the one to pull the trigger.”

”Then... what do you wish to ask?”

”What the parasite wasps really are.”

s.h.i.+on let out a soft cry. He looked at Nezumi's profile wide-eyed, and then s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the elder.

”You are telling me to divulge the truth about the parasite wasps?” the elder said.

”Yeah.”

”Why... do you ask me this?”

”Because you know,” Nezumi answered. ”I have a feeling you do. I've been thinking all this time: maybe, just maybe... you know most of everything I'd want to know.” Nezumi exhaled. The stiff angles of his profile gave way, and doubt shaded his face even more darkly.

”You know, because you were formerly of No. 6, as a citizen... no, as a creator. Am I wrong?”

This time, no voice escaped s.h.i.+on's lips. It was caught in his throat.

Creator? This elderly man?

”Is what I'm saying incorrect? Rou.”

The elder didn't reply. Nezumi turned his face up at the ceiling. There was only a pool of dusky gloom. But Nezumi blinked at it rapidly, as if he were staring at something blinding. Then with an unusually languid movement, he raised his arm up.

”This.” He was holding a square piece of paper between his fingers. He pa.s.sed it to the elder. It was a photo, an outdated one that was still printed on special photo paper.

”The alcoholic old man had it. Your mama's in it too,” he said to s.h.i.+on. ”I took the liberty of borrowing it from his files.”

”Oh, that...” It was one of the photos that had been mixed in with the jumbled contents of several folders. They had been strewn about on the floor when the two had last visited Rikiga from the directions on Karan's memo. In the photo were his mother and her friends, several decades younger. He remembered hearing Rikiga, a former journalist, say that this was the photo he took the last time he ever entered into No. 6.

Back in those days, No. 6 hadn't been as closed off. There was no law yet that required a city-issued permit to enter or exit, and it wasn't like now where anyone who didn't possess a permit was prohibited from entering under any reason or circ.u.mstance. The special gates and alloy walls also hadn't been completed yet. Rikiga had said that it was still a time when travelling to and from No. 6's surroundings had been relatively easy.

”The young woman in the centre is s.h.i.+on's mother. Her name is Karan.”

”Karan.”

”You know her, don't you? You're in the picture with her. Or have you long forgotten her?”

”With her? This man, with my mother?” s.h.i.+on was surprised. He could tell his mouth was gaping open. He couldn't help but stare openly at the snowy-haired elder. He knew how insolent his gaze was, but he could not avert it.

He knows my mother? To think that this man who had settled in these underground caves, was called ”elder” by the others, was connected to Karan. It was unbelievable, if nothing else.

Unbelievable, how can that...? For an instant, the surprise hit him so hard he felt like the core of his brain was tingling.

Since meeting Nezumi, the boundaries of his world had broken. The world he had lived in before had all but collapsed. Everything was full of surprises. Things he had believed in, had never had a doubt about, inverted and showed an opposite face. He experienced this heart-stopping realization many, many times.