Vol 5 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Volume 5

I was never supposed to encounter 'O' I'm a completely ordinary person who can't even fulfill his oishes, let alone someone else's

The supernatural being before me is only interested in Kazu In his (or her) eyes, I'm just a human who's close to Kazu I was only able to obtain this power because he (she) is trying to interfere with Kazu by influencing his environment

Clinging to the 'box' I received so arbitrarily, I'e bin, desperate to find just enough food to get by

Even so, I've decided to rely on this 'box'

'O' watchessmile on his (her) face

”'O', there's so that I fail to understand I adet why you would want to observe hi would care so le human”

”What makes you wonder?”

”Well, I think your actions are strange for a being of such power Si your intentions, you're lowering yourself to the level of a mere human”

”Is there a problem with that? Worshi+p is of no consequence towith Kazuki-kun this way First off, just by appearing before you and conversing like this, I inevitably lose some of my distance from humanity”

”What do you mean?”

”If I wanted to remain transcendental, I could easily display le word After all, themy reasons and intentions clear renders s me closer to the normal world”

After giving me this explanation, 'O' asks me softly:

”I wonder: do you wish I were supernatural? Perhaps you fear that your 'box' rants your wish turns out to be such a cheap trick? If so, I' for”

”Then what are you? If you're not a God, what else could you be?”

With no hesitation whatsoever, 'O' tells me what he (she) is:

”A direction called 'O'”

I fail to cohtforward answer

”A direction? What are you talking about?”

”You've only co 'O' refers to a fraction of the giant entity that 'I' am”

Hearing about an 'O' who's not 'O' all of a sudden leaves me bewildered

”Does that s on a human body?”

”Not quite He pool as an example Pretend that the water is 'me' Now take a cup and scoop some of the water into it That's 'O' The cup that's used to shape me is the direction known as 'O'”

”What do you mean by direction?”

”As the giant being, 'I' do not have a will per se Well, strictly speaking, 'I' do have a will, but you wouldn't be able to tell the difference Therefore, 'I' did not originally have a vector But once so takes on the na It's only natural that this creates a 'direction'”

”So that 'direction' is the reason you devote yourself to Kazu?”

”Exactly I knew you'd be quick on the uptake”

This wasn't praise - 'O' was clearlyme

'O' continuesfun of me:

”But because you're so quick on the uptake, you cannot control your 'box'”

I bite'O' point them out so bluntly is hard to s

”You are unable to perceive the 'box' as the 'box' that it is In order tothat you can understand, you distort it through your own filter What you think a 'box' is, is in fact so! You seem to think that I'm not interested in you at all, but you're mistaken In contrast to Kazuki-kun, who has the ability to fully utilize a 'box', you fall short to a ridiculous extent In a certain way, thatfellow, too,” 'O' says with another char smile ”I'm sure that you'll be the first to understand my true nature”

Shut up already!

If 'O' keeps giving ht be able to deduce who he (she) really is

Sure, 'O' can change his (or her) appearance at will I have no idea what he (she) really looks like I don't even know if 'O' is male or female

But I do have a talent for seeing through deception and getting to the true nature of things I've got too much brainpower in that area

If I fully understand 'O', I will render myself unable to believe in the supernatural powers of my 'box' I am only able to use those special powers because 'O' is a mysterious entity

Therefore, I won't distort 'O' with my interpretations

I will admire and worshi+p him

By keeping aze averted from reality, I'll fulfill my wish

◆◆◆ Daiya Oomine - 09/06 SUN 12:05 ◆◆◆

”I was really shocked, yes Yes Yes Of course I had heard of the 'Dog Hus on TV I never drea Human' would show up in my own backyard!”

The LCD television is showing a woed housewife's voice has been electronically distorted, but her disgusted tone coh loud and clear

”What kind of person was X (name erased by an artificial sound)?”

”Mh pretty norreeted him, he would alwaysor not!”

”Has he done anything that caught your attention?”

”Well, yes Lately, or rather, when his parents disappeared what do they call those people? Shut-ins? I think he secluded hi? Who knows? I have no idea”

”Could you elaborate on the disappearance of his parents?”

”Yes Ah, but I should ht have moved aithout him I just heard a rumor that they disappeared I don't know any details X was never on good terhbors”

”I see Do you knohat trait all the 'Dog Humans' share?”

The ed woman is clearly taken aback

”Yes They're all criht? And their crimes tend to be rather serious”

”X's criminal record is unknown at this point, but do you”

”I , that's all I' more to—”

The ed woman probably ran out of useful information: the camera cut back to the studio and zoomed in on the moderator and a few commentators

No one seemed to knohether to discuss this phenoon this utterly uous nonsense

I shi+ft my position on my bed and smile scornfully

Just as I planned, the variety shows have started to cover the ”Dog Humans” every day

When a person suddenly loses his ability to speak and starts crawling about on all fours for no explicable reason - that's the ”Dog Human” phenomenon No variety shoould want to miss out on such a sensational topic

But nocause won't coet to the bottoardless of their approach, they'll never discover that a 'box' is the cause

Thus, the commentators inevitably disappoint the audience with trite conclusions like ”they are just acting” or ”they talk thes” or ”it's a mental illness” Even the fishy psychic, as probably added to the panel just for laughs,that ”God has inflicted this on us as a trial for the conceited human race, in order to teach us that we are merely animals”

Heh

That's such bullshi+t

If you're discussing ”conceitedness,” then the idea that God would bother to put us on trial is far more conceited I mean, do humans care if vermin are conceited?

Only a hu Humans”

Just as I turned back to the TV, theHuman” special report with some empty words

”We hope with all our hearts that he will recover soon”

”We hope he will recover soon,” huh?

The er

”X” aka ”Katsuya Tamura” is really a criminal who has killed his parents - but his criminal acts are concealed from the public for now Once his actions are revealed, that moderator won't be able to casually wish for his recovery anymore

Right now, only Katsuya Ta, everyone else will find out

Public opinion can't ignore the fact that every ”Dog Human” so far has turned out to be a felon, and the police can't ignore public opinion So, the police will find soate, and will soon discover the bones of Katsuya Taarden

And then Katsuya Tas: to prison No perhaps he'll be sent elsewhere because of his oal isn't to punish criminals ould otherwise remain at liberty

If the Katsuya Ta to plan then I won't have to make any more preparations The power ofHuman” - I deliberately use my power to find people who have committed crimes and only transform those criminals

I do so in order to force public perception to equate ”Dog Human” with ”criminal”

”A s is a criminal”

Once that association spreads, ”Dog Humans” will automatically be treated as lawbreakers

What will be the consequences of ?

Being a ”Dog Huusted by the sight of ”Dog Huround, and barking No one will pity them since they're not considered hu Humans” are criminal scum

Everyone will fear beco Human”

The public will realize that co Hu exactly what causes the transformation, people will have no choice but to avoid criminal activity, and live perfectly innocent lives in order to avoid becoet of public scorn

This will put a stop to crime

Of course the absolute nu Humans” is totally insufficient It is necessary toHu on certainty In order to accoions of them

Once nore this phenomenon anymore

I focus on the TV once again

The topic has changed and a new video has appeared on the screen Some pedestrian probably used his smart phone to record it: the picture is blurry and the surprised voice of the video-taker can be heard in the background

I can see the main street of the Kabukichou district in shi+njuku, where dozens of adult round

It's i to at first glance because thein coular women, and so on

They're gathered around a single individual, and they throw theround before him with tears in their eyes

The cadown at the people around him with cold eyes

Naturally that's me, Daiya Oomine

”—Hmph”

Again, events are proceeding according to my plans I was sure that someone would film it if I set up such a performance on a major street, now that camera phones are ubiquitous

I even planned for the event to end up on TV

The commentators at the studio frown at the video and make assumptions that totally miss the mark, like ”is this some new cult?”

The truth is so entirely different, of course

I created the ”Dog Huenuflection with my powers

No one at the studio has linked these two events yet, but there will be people ill associate these two sensational incidents due to their simultaneous occurrence People on the web have started to suspect so it ht track

That video is a precursor to oals

Once society can no longer ignore the ”Dog Human” phenomenon, I'll teach the masses just who it is that stands in their midst

And at that point, my plan will start in earnest

I leave the business hotel and walk along the streets of shi+njuku

It's Sunday afternoon Crowded Unable to stand this huge mass of people, I'm struck by a dizzy spell

I know by now that most people are sinners My 'box' has forcedpolluted sludge within their bodies

By now, a crowd like this feels no different than a wriggling garbage sack to me

Well, I've gotten used to that, too

It's already Septe it as hot as it was during the middle of summer I look at my watch It's 2 pm

As the sun thens

One after another, the people around me tread on the shadow that I've cast

Which automatically activates my 'box'

Every tiets penetrated by sins Sins, sins, sins

””

When I first started usingBut by now, it's just a er theI have already prevailed over my weakness

This is just an unpleasant chore

”Ugh!”

The ugliness that I' is just too much - I have to cry out

What the fuck is this? What is this repulsive feeling, like someone threw vomit, foul salad oil and insect larvae into a blender and made me drink the results?

What kind of human scum bears such a horrible sin?

I rubin my shadow so I can look him in the face

””

What a surprise

Turns out it's a irl with a black bob cut who could be best described as naive-looking Even though it's the weekend, she's wearing her school uniform Her pure looks are the opposite of a sinner's In fact, she see crowd

Having heard ives lance Tch, who do you think is to blame for this?

Our eyes meet, but she just tries to pass me by

”Give up on your revenge I pity you, but you reap what you sow”

The girl stops and turns to me The reason for her lack of expression is probably that she has yet to realize the situation that she's in

”You uys who pay for your body aren't the saave you AIDS Nor are they sorave as what you plan to do to theh”

Her eyes start to show some confusion, but she otherwise re herself

”So stop selling your body and spreading HIV”

With an utterly deadpan look on her face, she opens her mouth

”Please don't say such nonsense in public”

She speaks at last I have to strain to hear her frail voice Looks like she's also not very energetic

”Don't worry! Look, there's no one paying any attention to us You'd go nuts if you had to pay attention to every single person you pass on the street This bunch wouldn't care if a wanted cri by”

Well, it'd be an entirely different story though if so

”How can you knohat I'?”

”I don't Isin”

Her soe Most likely she wanted to frown, but because she's so bad at expressing herself, she just squints a bit

She turns away fro to escape

”You can't escape You're already under my control”

I close my eyes

I close my vision I close myself

Back when she stepped into my shadow, I absorbed her sin I now reach into the depths of rope for it

A nu pain pierces my innards

While enduring this pain, I search within hts The dirty juhts that are in my head, makes me want to hold ine the contents of a witch's cauldron filled with poisonous plants and lizards

The pain I feel isMy heart is struggling with all itsme pain as a result hell, it's like a host of tapewor inside me

While resisting the waves of disgust, I finally find her thoughts a all the others that I hold in my head They resemble a ”shadow”

Each of these shadow-like thoughts is someone's sin

Reaching even deeper into this repulsive cauldron——I grab her shadow

”Uh, ah!”

Several meters from me, the middle schooler crouches down

I've finished taking control

I open my eyes

I try to forcefully suppress the nuainst my chest, and slowly approach her

”Ah, aaaaahaaaaaah!” she cries and convulses in pain

Her response draws the attention of the people around us, but no one is willing to help her out Everyone is either just ignoring her or watching helplessly

”This distress isdirectly confronted by your sins You realize that, right?”

Without saying a word, she continues to cry

”Don't worry I' Human” Only those who have escaped fro off their brains and no longer retain any feelings of guilt - are the real scum who are lower thanYou have just becorowth But I think you need to be monitored Therefore—”

I throw the shadow of her sin into my mouth

”—become a slave of your sin”

An incredible bitterness spreads in my mouth

By doing so, I have subjugated her

The 'box' I obtained: the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment'

In a nutshell, the power of et to bring him or her under my control

But I have imposed additional conditions upon myself In order to control someone, I have to directly confront their sins This essentially liest parts of people's souls For exaht HIV due to prostitution and despaired As revenge, she has been selling her body to infect theshe experiences due to the guilt of her acts, despite her pangs of remorse, she can't stop herself Her sin has already taken on a life of its own, gone out of control and is da others as well

I burden myself with these sins

I even burden myself with the harmful ill will that is attached to these sins

As a consequence, I also get attacked

But only by doing so can I control et

—A 'box' can grant any 'wish' But there is no one with a perfectly undistorted wish A 'box' grants such distorted 'wishes' in their exact distorted form

I'm no exception to this rule Because ofmyself to fully believe in the power of the 'boxes' I can't help but feel that, on some level, it's just a pipe dream

If you use a 'box' thoughtlessly, your 'wish' will be twisted and not come true

Fortunately though, I are of this rule Thus, I decided against usingit froht a way to master it

Before long, I was given the chance to gain mastery over my 'box' within Koudai Kahtened

You rant your 'wish' directly with the 'box' You have to 'wish' for the rant your 'wish'

Iine that you wanted to destroy the world When you wish directly for that goal, the 'wish' autoue and doubtful at the sa the 'box' Instead, you should take an indirect route and 'wish' for a switch that can trigger a nuclear holocaust Such a 'wish' has enough force to destroy the world and is concrete enough to be easily visualized

Of course that may still be an absurd 'wish' You have to be able to believe that a 'box' has enough power to grant it That said, I have already seen the unbelievable power of the 'boxes' It's no proble as basic as control over existing nuclear arsenals

Even a realist like me can master the 'boxes' in this manner

My true 'wish' is to ”wipe out all those thoughtless fools” I refrained frorant this 'wish' directly and instead asked for a weapon to do so

Controlling others

That's the weapon I've chosen

It's probably rant my 'wish' Anyone else would probably have failed, unable to believe that they can control others But I've always considered it possible to control others with ht or ht not be true, it doesn't matter, because rantsome strict conditions onso, I was finally able to obtain my power

But this power is terribly weak cooal It's a power that requires me to take a ridiculously roundabout approach I have never hated my realist's mindset as much as I do now

That being said, I don't really mind

After all, this power feels extremely fit and proper

And doesn't that mean that it suits me perfectly?

”Will you stop your pointless revenge?” I ask the girl who's still crouching and crying

”Ahaahh,” she pants incoorously

There's no doubt that this girl will stop her self-defeating revenge There seems to be no special need to control her

Since I'm done here, I walk away Suddenly two e students stand in my way

”Hey, what have you done to that girl?”

The speaker's tone is calnation and don't see irl

”I haven't done anything Right?” I say and turn to her

She hurriedly wipes away her tears and stands up

”Yes Nothing at all,” she says as she raises her head

Even though she hasn't done anything unusual, the students shrink back

—Why?

After looking at her, I understand their response - no wonder they shrunk back when they caught a glimpse of her face

Her smile is utterly unnatural - it looks as if the corners of her littering in her eyes

—Oh no, not that pattern

”This man is a God”

Please don't

All I did was stir up her feelings of guilt I prepared to control her, but in the end I didn't But it looks like she was able to reconcile her feelings because I sucked up her remorse and confronted her with it I accidentally provided so session with instant success

Because I accole moment with a mysterious power, she thinks I'm a God It's a pattern that occurs from time to time when I use my 'box'

With this newest develope students seem to have hit their limit and walk aith contorted faces

I, too, contortwildly and s

For heaven's sake, don't callIt feels like soer down my throat I'm not God-like, nor do I want to become a God

But

”——Right I'm a God”

I have to let them call me that

I'm still a wimp I haven't completely throay my ”self” from back when I still believed in the benevolence of hus That's why I suffer somyself with other people's sins

If it's nor that, then IKoudai Kah to overcoain That's how important it is to erase my weakness

I will transcend myself

If I have to becooal, I shall become a God

””

I look at the girl who's worshi+pping me

There's no special need to control her but then there's no reason not to take control of her either How can I beconity and wreck her?

It's child's play to ruin her life

Her life's as good as over anyway Then—

”Abandon everything for me”

I touch the ”Shadow of her Sin” that's withinher

”Ah”

She lets out a sensualto be dominated, she looks up at me with moist eyes

”Rejoice I can give even a filthy whore like you a purpose Well, let's see First of all, lick ht now”

”Oooh, thank you so much! Thank you so much!!!”

Without hesitation, the girl starts to lick the soles of my boots

”I' you put on, even if it's just with ue!”

While bathing in the curiosity and scorn of the surrounding people, I think:

How stupid Making her do so like that only makes me feel embarrassed at best It makes me sick But I have to subdue everyone like that

I have to let go of s

”——Ngh!”

But I a

I—touch one of s

By now, I have a total of six piercings in e to create holes in s

”———”

For some reason, Kokone Kirino's face crosses my mind

Even though I's for her, her face crosses my mind

The Kokone Kirino in hts, however, is not that superficial, Barbie doll of a woes her haircut, and needsfor her makeup

The Kokone Kirino I see is that tiirl who always used to folloherever I went Back then, the self-conscious eyes behind her glasses looked only at me

I shake off e of Kiri's face

Yeah, I know! My attachoal

I gaze down at the girl who is still licking my shoes

I will change the world

I will revolutionize the world!

”Right”

In order to make that possible, I must abandon Kokone Kirino

I will also have to defeat reatest enemy

”I will go meet the zeroth Maria”

A certain siaoal with absolute determination

That specialist in crushi+ng 'wishes' will appear before me without fail This time, he won't be drawn in by a 'box'; instead he'll take action of his own accord and attempt to crush my 'box'

—Kazuki Hoshi+no

I will fight against you

◇◇◇ Kazuki Hoshi+no - 09/06 SUN 14:05 ◇◇◇

Kokone didn't change even after Daiya disappeared

It doesn't matter if she expected Daiya to disappear; her lack of reaction was still extre conclusion:

Kokone's cheery personality is just a facade

Not just right now, but for the entire time that I've known her

Truth be told, I've long been aware that her cheerful attitude is soh Haruaki and Daiya knew her true self, they played along with her forced cheeriness anyway

And I noticed that Daiya always seemed unhappy about the situation

At the sanificant

After all, everyone wears a i-san, for exaled quite a bit in the past to maintain her social contacts ”If Kokone is deliberately trying to beco with her choice”

That's what I thought

But I must have been mistaken

Otherwise the following incident would never have occurred

”No, but seriously Kazu-kun, that ful of you! Itoo gentle, but come on, you understand the position she's in, don't you?”

It was after school when that incident occurred

”You should knoell enough why Kasumi wants to come back to school! Kazu-kun, do you even realize how horribly your behavior has affected her, especially after all the hardshi+ps she's borne while trying to recover?!”

Kokone was scolding o to Maria's apartment instead

”I want you to know: you're seriously mistaken if you think that she's okay just because she seemed cheerful after her accident! No one would be okay with their body in such a state! Kasu because she doesn't want us to worry!”

It was July, just before the suh it was already past 5 p the classroohtly lit It was probably quite hot, too, but I can't really remember

Kokone was desperately trying to hold back her tears I couldn't help but ad as it was forscolded

But I couldn't just nod and smile