I walk upon the earth of the scarred and lonely land, my feet not upon pebbles, but upon broken bones. The wind carried the inevitable stench of death, threatening the entire world.
It was an era of upheaval and conflict. People picked up weapons when they were invulnerable and knew the face of death by observing their opponents 'eyes. Wars were everywhere, leaving behind traces of people who had been cruelly abandoned. Moreover, the evidence of the freedom of the strong to torture the weak was obvious to anyone who could still see.
The question was no longer who killed who, or whether the battle was fair or not, but who died, and whether anyone witnessed the last breath. I heard the place where the battle started, so I followed. My feet lift me where the riot is brewing. Sometimes I arrived before the battle had even begun, and sometimes long after the battle had ended. But the result was always the same: Reapers working in groups.
It comes for all of us, no matter how loudly a father surrenders to heaven, how much a mother cries for her son, or how a son dies with a smile on his face, even if he dies of hunger. It creeps into our private rooms, and when the candles are extinguished and the shadows grow larger, it renders the struggles of moral men meaningless.
Though I know all this, my journey goes on. However, what I saw made my memory never return to the scene of the massacre. They could not be saved. Mankind cannot be saved, though their prayers to Superman would say otherwise. This was because humans were creatures that should not be saved. Instead, they should end it and use the despair of the present to hide the fear of the past. And when I realized this, I realized that I was useless.
I can't save anyone, because I'm alone. But if this is predestined, then perhaps I may be permitted, at least, to record death, to create a morbid history of the cycle of the soul. I will prove the end and pain of life.
And so, my Chronicle of Death began.
The man was awoken by a drop of water and then heard steam hissing. Seren Araya stood up quietly, feeling dizzy as if he had just woken up from a dream.
"I didn't know I was having a dream. Though it's a remnant of the past, my dear,"the wizard said to himself. But he was not alone. In a sense, he was surrounded by the " residents " of the apartment building. Closer to him was a can-shaped glass container, sealed and placed nearby like a prize. It was filled with liquid, and a head floated calmly inside, its eyes closed as if it were sleeping. Aosaki's head.
The sound of rising steam broke the silence again. The only light in the room came from the flat iron surface placed in the center of the room. Its red glow blocked the nearby shadows.
The mage had nothing to do now and could only wait. Shiki Ryoki and Toko Aizaki were both taken care of, and their bodies were destroyed, or in Shiki's case, their bodies were fixed until the goal was achieved. No one had the ability to threaten him. So he waited.
"Araya!" When the red-robed mage announced his existence, he called out to him uninvited. "Why are you delaying here? You still have things to do, you can't relax.”
"Done, cornelius. There was no need to search Aizaki Shun's temple. Although I have already released Zhi Mei and Enjie, he will not bring us any trouble. Learn to recognize these things and accept them.”
"These two reasons are certain. But Xiang Qingxia's problem still existed. You just made her lose consciousness, didn't you? If she woke up, she would obviously try to escape. We don't have time to deal with this when it happens, so maybe it's wise to look after her?”
"Unfounded fear, that's all. She wasn't limited to just one room and could roam freely. I controlled her in the space between spaces, a pocket domain in the structure. After all, this is the purpose of my art of weaving her. Besides, her body was weak. Even if she regained consciousness, she could only put in a little effort.”She wanted to escape, but she would not.”
Cornelius looked at Araya's troubled face with a dissatisfied expression. "Alright then. I will believe you. Anyway, I don't care about that Reggie girl. If you remember, I accepted your offer for a different reason.”His gaze turned to the glass jar on the table next to Araya. "You didn't agree to this, Alaya. Do you think I'm the one who killed Aosaki, or is that a lie?”
"You missed your chance, and you paid the price for it. I had no choice but to knock her down.”
"Beat her? Don't make me laugh. I know the nature of those canisters better than you do. That thing was still alive. Perhaps there is a weakness beneath your hard exterior, is there?”
There was only a low hum from Araya at the question, and he could not be sure whether it was a yes or a no. However, they all knew that in a sense, Aizaki was still alive. At least, it was her brain. It just couldn't speak or think. If this could be called a state of life, then they had recognized this point.
" Looks like I'm not the only one who missed the opportunity," he hinted. "Remember the academy, Araya. She was wild red, or as people used to call her in fear. Always a fox, always cunning. If anyone was planning to start the plan outside the tomb, it would be her. We should kill her."
"You're a fool to call her that, cornelius.”
"What…what?" the mage with the red coating stammered. Araya ignored the momentary carelessness, grabbed the glass jar beside him, and reached out to cornelius. "Take it and go, if it can fulfill our promise. I don't care what kind of pervert you want to see in it.”He handed it to the mage without reservation. Cornelius held the enormous jar in both hands, his eyes seeming to be lost in the gifts, his face almost unable to keep from grinning.
"I'm happy to accept. So you don't care what I do with it, right?”"Do as you wish. Because in fact, you have already written your own destiny.”Araya's silent but heavy words fell on deaf ears. As he began to walk out of the room, he was ecstatic, his every step filled with satisfaction.
Paragon Spiral-VI
The metal bolt felt like it was hitting my head in a steady rhythmic pattern. The headache was getting worse by the minute. But now, I can't seem to focus on it. My teeth were trembling wildly. I hugged my knees and leaned against the wall in a fetal position. As I stared blankly at the opposite wall, I slipped in and out of my memories.
Damn it. How many hours had it been since the crazy incident at the Gawa apartment, or was it only a few minutes? I can't follow him anymore.
Reggie and Alea started fighting. I stood there motionless like a rock, unable to do anything but watch. Alaya is dead. I can see so much at first. Lizzie drove the knife deep into his chest and neck. It would be a terrible thing for him to survive such an attack. But he did it. I saw the knife stuck at the bottom of his neck slide out gently. I watched in disgust and morbid fascination as his muscles moved spontaneously, slowly squeezing the invading blade out of his own flesh, until finally the knife fell to the ground and bounced gently at me with a neat metallic sound.
Then, Araya took a breath gently, as if he had never stopped breathing, and took another breath. The sound of the knife brought me back to consciousness. Since Araya didn't seem to move or notice me, I thought it would be okay to crawl carefully to the knife and take it. I held it with both hands and looked up at Araya's still body, only to find that his fearful gaze met mine.
I screamed without thinking, rejecting the idea of using the knife to make up for Reggie's sacrifice. I was stunned and ran away. I ran as fast as I could, thinking that Araya would chase me. If he did that, I would definitely be dead. But it didn't happen. I escaped from the building, panting, but I didn't stop until I found the motorcycle parked outside. With it, I fled, trying to get as far away as possible from the looming shadow of the tower. Thus, I came here and returned to Reggie's room. The owner of that room had just been captured…or killed.
I had always felt that the room was a little monotonous, but now it gave me a sense of security, no matter how fake it was.
Damn it. Night news. It kept repeating in my mind, warning me what a scum I was. Because in the end, like a coward, I left Ricky there to die. I saw my parents, or whoever they were, die in front of me again, but it was not so clear in my mind. I saw my nightmare come true before my eyes, and I didn't know what to think. At least I've discovered their true colors, but the events of the past few hours have left me with nothing but one thought.
"Dammit!" I whispered now. My trembling won't stop, even now I'm sure I'm alone. Ha. What has my isolation brought me so far? What can I do alone? Not helping Reggie, that was for sure.
"Damn it!" I shouted. Every syllable was a mocking sound that made my head hurt even more. If I had to fight Alaya, saving Reggie would be suicide. How could I do that when that person's memory brought me closer and made the shadow more threatening? No, I didn't even think about saving her.
A highly tuned and repetitive clockwork sound came from a place I couldn't track. I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I must have bumped into something when I was running. I'm tired. He was too tired. The headache would not stop, the joint pain would last forever, even breathing seemed difficult for me, it became so unbearable that a tear ran down my cheek. My knees clenched, and I began to cry alone, making pitiful grunts. In the end, like everyone else, I never escaped the disguise. I wanted to be as real as Reggie, but it turns out you can't run away from yourself.
I have one last chance to become a reality. My eyes found myself lying on the bed, as usual, with Reggie sleeping soundly, and for some reason it was unsettling. In its place was the sword that she had just assembled and thrown on the bed a few hours ago. She saved me. She believed me when I told her I was a murderer. She even made me feel that it wasn't that bad. It made me want to be with her, like a relative. This is the last thing about me that isn't fake, and I'm sticking to it. She's done so much, I can't leave her like I did before.
"What-" I whispered, trying to think of a way to complete the question in my mind. Why should I risk my life? What do I want to protect? What am I thinking? I'm not sure yet, but this is the first time I've thought of not thinking for myself. Riogi represented something much bigger than me. It was the first time I ran away from home. My hands were covered in blood and I needed help. She gave it to me, and now she needs me.
Then will you die for me? Her question came back to me, and I remembered how confident I was when I answered it. I think I already know what I have to do. Then what the f * ck am I doing sitting here? Even if it was because of a false belief, I still needed to stand up and walk out of that door. "I know what I said, Reggie. If it helps you in any way, I'll die for you,"I whispered to myself as I retrieved the knife she had used, hoping I could hold it as firmly as she did.
I began to walk toward the door when the doorbell rang loudly and distinctly, breaking the silence that had pervaded the room since I had entered. I immediately froze and raised my knife in a futile attempt to imitate a defensive posture. Is Alaya following me, or is he just a visitor? No, I know Reggie doesn't have visitors. Then, Araya. Would I remain silent and pretend that no one was home? No, Alaya would not be driven away so easily. Damn it, I've decided to do this. I will. I was going to attack him as soon as I opened the door. Maybe I'll kill him, or at least drive him away for now. The chances are slim, but this is my only chance.
I raised my knife, readied it, approached the door, and turned the doorknob. I opened the door as hard as I could and grabbed the man on the other side with my bare hands. I immediately dragged him into the room. He hit the linoleared floor hard and I gave him a little push with my heel to close the door. Before he understood, I got the upper hand, sat on top of him, raised the knife over his head-
- Stop it.
The man who was lying under me with his mouth agape and eyes blinking was wearing black-rimmed glasses and his hair was just as black. He didn't look threatening at all. Although he did look a bit older than me and wore an odd all-black suit, he didn't look hostile at all; In fact, he looked angrier than anything else. I looked at him suspiciously and whispered,"Who the hell are you? Do you know Reggie?"
"Yes, I am. You're Xiang Qingxia's, what, friend?”he asked, in a tone that would have made you think he had not been dragged to the floor but had met me in the street.
"Me? I, er-"What could I answer? "F * ck him. Most importantly, Reggie was not here. Get lost." I stood up and allowed him to leave, but he didn't. Instead, he stared at my hand. "What? Autumn harmed you? Look, I'm sorry for the rude greeting, okay? But I don't have time to play with you now.”
"That's Xiang Qingxia's saber. What does it have to do with you?" he asked, his voice suddenly sharp. There was only a short pause before I lied.
"She lent it to me for safekeeping. It's none of your business.”I tried to look at something else as I spoke, determined not to let him read me, but it was no use. He stood up and looked straight at me.
"This is my business. She almost didn't let anyone lay a finger on her blade, let alone that special knife. "Either Xiang Qingxia changed her special policy overnight-" He grabbed my shirt collar with an unexpected force. "Or you took it from her. Please forgive me for thinking it was the latter."
I shook his hand off his collar and looked away from him again, not because I didn't want him to look at my face, but because I couldn't stand the honesty in his eyes.
"Not really. The truth is, she dropped the knife, which is why I need to return it to him quickly.”With my back to him, I went back to my room to prepare what I needed to bring when I left.
"Wait, so you're not one of them?”I heard him ask from behind me. I had intended to ignore him, but there was something in his question that annoyed me. "Which 'they' are we talking about here?”
"The weirdo from the Okawa apartment.”The mention of this ominous name touched my heart like a whisper, and it made me stop. Simply put, I think he might be bluffing, but why would he be? In the end, he explained in his own way why I lacked an answer.
" That's true." He sighed heavily. "Xiang Qingxia was really kidnapped." He walked towards the door.
"Hey!" I shouted to stop him. If I'm right, I know what he's up to. But I can't let him go alone. First of all, I'm glad I found a potential ally who will leave alone when we have the same goal. I crossed the room and returned to the door. "Hey, wait!" I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him before he went out. Once again, we found ourselves standing at the door, but this time, I hoped, we were standing on a completely different stand.
Once I told him that we wanted the same thing, it was easy for us to get him to listen, so we explained our situation. Strangely, we both forgot to share each other's names. He explained that he was a friend of Xiang Qingxia's when she was in high school, but he did not reveal too many details. Apparently, earlier this afternoon, a red-robed man named A Erba had announced to him that they had Reggie.
At first, I thought it was strange. It happened in the afternoon. Reggie and I would definitely go to the building at night, but when I looked at the clock beside her bed, it showed that it was around seven o'clock in the evening, which meant that I had been in this room for almost the whole day. I didn't notice it until I suddenly walked out of the room.
He explained that he knew a woman named Toko who had gone to Okawa's apartment for him, and he said he believed she would let Ryoko come back. But as time passed, he suspected that she might have been ambushed, captured, or killed. He couldn't just sit around and wait. Instead, he decided to take action himself.
I explained everything that happened last night. It was about the east and west buildings of the apartment. I should have stayed in two units. How Raj was captured by Araya. Reluctantly, I told him about my parents I had killed, and how Reggie had found me wandering the city. He listened to me without flinching or doubting me the whole time, even though I, in the center of all this madness, thought the words coming out of my mouth almost like the last punchline of an old joke.
After I explained my situation, he asked me with a serious expression," What do you think?”
"It's not a big deal now. The most important thing now was to get Reggie out of here.”
"I'm not talking about her now, am I? I'm asking your parents. Which one of them do you think is real?”
I didn't even think too much about it, but here he was worrying about it, as if it was his own problem. incredible
"There's no difference. Don't worry about it now."
"In fact, this might be different. If what Toko said was true, then the apartment building would probably drive you crazy. It might not even be your fault that you killed your parents. Maybe the building just screwed you up.”His eyes didn't leave me, his sharp eyes carrying a different expression, even the opposite of Ryogi's intensity. However, what he said was of no help to me. I know what these hands have done.
"No, I killed them. I should accept it. I can never wash the blood off my mother's hands. Running away from all this will only make me a coward.”
"What about your father? So far, you've only been talking about your mother. He thought about it carefully. Maybe you just killed your mother."
"I fucking gave up! He was already dead, alright! I saw the fucking body-"I hesitated. I did see his body, but did I really kill him? If I think back to that night, I remember clearly how my mother lived, but now that I remember, I don't remember how I killed my father at all. Maybe it's because, just like what Reggie and I found in the east building, the half-year-old corpse said…
…Mother had already killed him. By the same logic, the fake mother of the fake Enjie's family on the other side of the building would definitely kill him again at this moment. She would definitely kill the fake me in the next few minutes or so. She would not fail every night.
That's why I've never run away from a terrible dream. Just to escape the worse reality, I used these hands to try to end it. It took me a while to notice that my teeth were beginning to chatter.
"For God's sake, leave it alone," I tried to stress, but it was more intense than I had expected. "Perhaps you've forgotten why we're here.”I temporarily put my parents 'thoughts in my mind. I'll definitely have more time to deal with this problem in the future. "So you have a plan, right? If you planned to go alone from the beginning, then you should be prepared.”
"Well, maybe," he said hesitantly. "I don't know, maybe we can take this to the blue uniforms or something.”
What was he doing?
"Oh, of course. Let's call them and tell them we're having some magical problems. Even if they do believe us, there is little time left. Are you serious?"
He shrugged, hinting that this was the answer he was looking forward to. "It's not true, but I have to hear it directly from you. Look, you're obviously a little anxious to break in without a plan, but be realistic here. I know Xiang Qingxia is very important, but your life is equally precious.”
"Hah! You were ready to do the same thing minutes ago. As if you would understand. It's nothing to me. No one can help me, and no one can help me, except Reggie. I swore I'd help her, you know. You better bet that I will. This is the last time-"
I felt a lump in my throat, and for some reason, I couldn't finish the sentence. I had the same feeling as when I swore to Reggie at the tip of my knife. I only want to help her, and perhaps even die to help her. There was no point in living a life full of worries, looking back constantly, no reason for me to move on. No, I'm done. But death was not necessarily worthless. The last thing that gave me meaning was saving Reggie. After all, what could be better than dying for the girl you liked? This guy…he knows what I'm talking about. He knew what I wanted to do even before I said it, with his pointy eyes.
" Well, I don't know if you know what I mean," I mumbled weakly. This is the only thing I can say. He rose slowly from the floor, without making a sound. "Hmm…maybe I know, maybe I don't. But we'll find out soon enough, won't we? Before Xiang Qingxia returns, we must go to this place that I know of. Follow me, TomoeeEnjō.”
He rushed to the door, opened it, and walked out faster than I could ask him how he knew my name. When I followed him back to Cradle Night in the city, the question quickly disappeared from my mind.
I left Reggie's apartment with that guy and went to the nearest train station in the bustling business district. I followed him in an unexpected direction away from the gawa apartment, and finally we got off at a lazy bus stop. This was part of a residential project, far away from the crowds in the city center. If it weren't for the occasional flashing fluorescent lights, even the unmaintained floors and revolving doors of the station would appear empty. In front of it stood two quaint little convenience stores, standing solemnly together, though they looked empty and dead.
" This way," the bespectacled man said after studying the local street layout of the station. He began to walk briskly, and I tried to follow him. We maintained our pace for a few minutes and he took the lead. No matter how far we walked, I could only see the houses on our left and right in various states of repair. They were quiet with one or two lights on. All the houses might have just finished dinner and people were already resting. Our footsteps on the concrete pavement were the only thing we could hear, and it made us feel as if the whole area was covered by some sort of vow of silence we were breaking. The streets were narrow, making the sidewalks even narrower. The pool of light formed by the dim street lamps could barely block the darkness. The occasional trash can provided shelter for stray dogs wandering around, but elsewhere, the streets were covered with human feces.
I think this is the first time this guy has been around here. At first, I thought that this side trip was to prepare for the rescue of Reggie, but now it seems that this is not the case. I've been generous enough to keep quiet since we left Reggie's apartment, but now I'm starting to get angry. We really don't have time to wander around. "Well, cut the crap," I said, breaking the silence. "You can tell me where we are going now.”
" A little further," he replied without looking back. " Look, over there." He pointed at the houses in front. "This is a park. There is an empty space beside it."
As I followed him, we finally passed the park he had mentioned, which seemed to be as deserted as the rest of the area, though for some reason I thought it was just as deserted during the day. Inside it, there was a playground with flat ground. There were no half-decent playgrounds with a slide and jungle gym. The iron bars that supported the two swings were red with rust, which was a terrible excuse. All these years, they might not have reflected anything.
"Wait a minute-" Something flashed through my mind.
I know this park…from my childhood memories. There were memories there, memories of playing on the mud and sand. I stood still in front of the park and let the man continue walking, not noticing that I had stopped. He stopped in front of a house in the open space next to the park. It took me a moment to compose myself and I hurried after him.
When I approached him, he looked at me with sad, almost remorseful eyes. Stimulated by this, I turned my eyes to the house he had been staring at. Now I could see it more clearly in front of us.
My heart skipped a beat.
It was a small and quaint bungalow. Half of the door was gone, as if it had been torn from the scene. The other half was rusted iron. The little garden between the gate and the house was a mess, overgrown with weeds that grew tall and wild and invaded the walls of the house, which themselves suffered from peeling, peeling, or cracking paint. Ruins. When was the last time someone lived there?
I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I kept staring at the ruins that had been forgotten for a long time. I didn't know that I was crying. It was not a cry of sadness, regret, or pain, but tears that I could not stop. It was different. Everything was different. But his soul remembered. It's something I can hide but never forget, even after ten, twenty, or thirty years. This place might catch up to me forever.
My first home.
I lived in the house until I was eight, but it seemed to be an eternal life for me, and I had almost forgotten about it a day ago.
Tell me, Enjie. Where is your home? Once, when I answered this seemingly simple question, she shook her head and looked very dissatisfied, even disappointed. That was not what I wanted. I'm asking you where you really want to go. Well, if you don't know, I can't say I didn't expect it.
Is that what you mean, Reggie?
But what else was there other than a dilapidated house? There were only memories. There was a time when I remembered what my parents looked like before I killed them: An abusing father rules like a king, while a taciturn mother only says yes when ordered. Those parents did not give me food to warm my stomach, nor did they give me clothes to warm my body. My parents did nothing but become a burden to me, and I cared less about their deaths than Reggie. If this is true, why am I still crying?
When I saw their dried shells at the Ohgawa apartment, there was a feeling of numbness similar to mine now, and I couldn't make myself move, as if I had forgotten something important, and it bothered me. But now, with a difficulty that made my feet feel like they were in water, I walked through the gate and into the narrow garden. When I was a child, it looked bigger.
The broad garden, the father who patted me on the head with a smile; The mother who sent me to school smiled. That's all I remember now. The current reality almost makes me doubt its authenticity. It's like you have a beautiful and real dream, but when you wake up, you find something that's more like a lie than a dream. But I knew what my thoughts could evoke, and all of this was not a lie, but a clear joy hidden deep in the neurons and the nerves.
Tomoe, I heard a voice say, somewhere in the past. When I turned to face it, I saw the front door of the house and a determined face. Come here. I want to give you something special. A child, a boy with red hair and as thin as a girl, walked toward the tall man.
What is this, Dad?
The key to the house. Don't lose it, okay? Even if you are still a boy, you can still use it to protect your mother.
But this was only a key.
The key to the house protects our family, so even if Mom and Dad are not at home, everything will be fine. This proves that we are a family and we protect each other.
How much could this boy understand from his father's words? However, he took the key from his father's hand and held it tightly as he answered.
I understand now. I won't lose it. Don't worry, Dad. I'll keep the house safe, even if I'm alone.
All the strength left my legs and I tripped on my back. I tried to stand up, but my legs refused. Her memories were so clear now. The key was important because it protected my family, which proved that a family that needed protection even existed. It was like a curse had fallen upon us, and when I could no longer remember, the family began to break apart.
In the past, my mother could still be kind, my father could still be kind, and when they both cherished their sons, it was a clearer fact. As time passed, when the truth disappeared, it was time for me to believe that everything was a lie. I'm a complete idiot. I just live day after day thinking my parents are worthless because I think they can't treat themselves right. I isolated myself from their little movements, from my mother, who looked as if she wanted to say something, but every time I came home from work, I couldn't say it. But I never thought about what had happened to them, how Dad could have been constantly rejected and never found a job because of the record of that accident, how the people around him could have pressured him. Or rather, how Mom kept going despite the rumors and gossip about her getting and losing minimum-wage jobs over and over again. They did it for me, but I forgot that and became the criminal instead of the victim. I ignored them, we forgot each other. Mom felt worse than me. She was abused by Dad at night and worked silently during the day. She never had anyone to contact. When I dirtied my hands with her blood, we both broke down, but she was the worst.
If I go back and talk to her once, maybe…maybe we can get through all of this.
"I'm here. I'm an extremely selfish idiot." I covered my face, trying to stop my tears, or at least hide them. Now it is time for me to confess my crimes in their memories. It wasn't a dream, and it wasn't that crazy apartment that made me kill them. Yes, it was. I'm alone. I can't help them at all. But to make up for it, I had to go to Reggie and get her out-
I put a tearful hand on the ground where I was sitting and grabbed a handful of dirt. The tears had stopped, but the weight of their deaths still hung. I clutched the dirt with my fist, almost ritually. My own final ritual to end this brief stay. The wind stopped; it was a signal for me to go. Start sprinting like I always wanted to, no longer starting with what I'm doing, but seeing it end.
When I looked down at the ground, I saw the shadow of the bespectacled man standing a few feet away from me. He said nothing, but looked at me with a strong gaze when I was calm. He was right. I had to come here. Because he knew that, I knew I could count on him as an ally. Besides, it's better than making enemies with the boyfriend of the girl you like.
I didn't turn around. I smiled and said,"What else do you think I am?"”
Beside me, I saw his shadow shaking his head in pain. "I'm sorry, I know your history, but I don't think it's right to say anything. I was lucky enough to be born in a good house with good parents, so it doesn't feel right.”A good person, this. At least he knew that sometimes comforting words sounded more like lies. But I also know that when I need sympathy, don't refuse.
"Then stop talking, okay? Respect the moment, brother. "I think I like you better not talk," I said, but I couldn't help laughing.
"Well, I've got to say this, though," the man began,"and God knows how many times I've said this to someone more than I think: If you think you have nothing, then all you have is you. It would be a huge mistake to commit suicide without a good reason.”
On a cloudy night, the moonlight was weak, but it illuminated the soil of the garden. I remember that one night, I told Reggie that I would die for her, but she ignored me, as if she didn't want to. It was only now that I realized she was saying the same thing, and that the fact that I was being reprimanded by someone who had the same important point as her was probably a sign. I laughed even harder at the thought of it.
"Do you think you can stand up by yourself?”That guy stretched out his hand and asked me. "Or do you need help?"
My laughter finally died down. I looked at his hand and gently pushed it away. Although all the joints in my body had been screaming in pain since the night before, my stubbornness had some reason. So, Tomoee Enjō stood up.
"Thank you, but I don't need it. After all, up until now, I've been doing it alone.”The man nodded and pushed his glasses up.
"Yes, I thought I knew you would say that.”he said with a smile. There was no obvious reason. I returned it.
We went back to this guy's house, an apartment in the city center, and went to get his car. He was currently driving slowly and steadily toward the gawa apartment. There was a duffle bag in his car that contained the tools we used to rescue Reggie.
He explained his simple plan as he drove. Going in through the front door will easily attract our attention. So this guy was going to be the bait. When I started combing Ryogi's place, starting from the tenth floor, she was most likely locked up there because that was the most difficult place to get to. The only reason I was able to find Reggie was because Alaya would pay more attention to someone he didn't know, not me. He didn't know me, and I didn't know what I could do to stop him.
"Still," I began,"wouldn't I be as easily discovered as you?”"If you go underground, you won't be discovered. This is the layout of the building." He put one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand into the bag on my lap. He took out a large piece of paper and placed it above the bag for me to see. It showed the floor plan and cross-section of the Ohgawa apartment. He pointed at it. "Look here. There was an underground parking lot in this place. There's an access hole inside. You can enter from another access hole outside the building. I don't believe that the parking lot is really in use now, so it should be clean.”
It was true. Although the elevator in the building has a 'B' button, it doesn't work, so I don't think it's built yet. he continued. "That's probably where they do all the dirty work, they need to keep the apartment running. This made sense, because the noise would not go away, and no one would suspect anything.”
"I'm guessing the jack, screwdriver, crowbar, and manway hook here are for me to open the manway cover?”I asked as I rummaged through my luggage to see what else was inside. The guy nodded solemnly.
A few minutes later, we finally arrived at Kayamihama, a reclaimed land with the ogawa apartments. He stopped at an intersection about a kilometer away from the apartment and we got off. It was already ten o'clock, and there was no one on the street, even though it was one of the better places in the town. The fellow pointed at a road quite a distance from where we were standing.
"The manholes you need are over there. When you enter, head west along the current and count the number of manholes above you as you go. The seventh manhole should be the exit to the underground parking lot.”
" Yes, yes, I also looked at the street infrastructure map in the bag, you know," I complained as I carefully checked the equipment in the luggage bag. I reached into my pocket to see if Reggie's knife was still there. From the car, I found the sword that we took from Reggie's room before we came here. If I were to face Alaya, having sufficient weapons in my hands would not be a disadvantage.
"I walked into the building around 10:30," he said without hesitation."You were supposed to be there, across the parking lot.”。
"You sound like you're used to this kind of thing.”
"Believe me, I'm not."
"Then you must tell me what happened between you and Reggie that made you go so far for her.”So I finally asked a question that had been lingering in my mind for a long time. In the blink of an eye, I saw the guy frowning, but he didn't answer. "Hey, we might die here! Aren't you afraid at all? Why did he do this? What is your relationship with her?"
"Of course I'm scared. I don't do regular rescue work.”He closed his eyes and spoke in a low, almost cautious voice. "I was obviously not born for this kind of thing. I risked my life. But I remember the girl that Xiang Qingxia and I met. A fortune-teller who could see the future.”
"What?" Of course, this was a sudden change in the topic.
"I remember that the child said that if I continue to have any relationship with Xiang Qingxia, I will risk my life. I will bet my life on Xiang Qingxia.”He did not smile when he said this, not even a self-deprecating smile, so I looked at him as seriously as he did.
"So you think that's what we're doing now? So, what does the child think of your future?”
That guy just shook his head and shrugged. "Yes, she didn't say if I would die. So I think it's still possible, isn't it? I just think it's one reason why I should rush things for her. This was a fortune waiting to be told.”Now he said with a smile. From my understanding of this fellow, this reason is indeed very similar to his. Satisfied, I picked up my luggage and threw it over my shoulder. I'm about to run away.
" Thank you," I said awkwardly. "Oh, I almost forgot. We haven't introduced ourselves, have we? His name was Tomoe Enjō. Are you?" I knew he already knew my name, but I only said it to force him to say it.
“MikiyaKokutō。”The name of Ryōgi was mentioned in passing. "Hah. She was right. Your surname does sound like the name of a poet I've heard somewhere.”We shook hands and I handed him a key. The key to Reggie's room that I no longer need. From where I stood, it was almost like the same tiny piece of metal that I had once treasured. "What is this?" he asked.
"Take it. From now on, you need to protect it.”I tried my best to make it smile sincerely. I don't know if I have. "When all this is over, we shouldn't meet again. Don't even try to find him. Liking the same girl was the reason why we separated.”
The guy raised his eyebrows and wanted to say something, but he interrupted himself. Perhaps he really understood.
"That's it," I continued. "I don't know you, and you don't know me. That's why we shouldn't worry about who dies, who's responsible, and all of that after the fact.”I turned around and started walking toward the manholes to start the whole thing. That guy sent me off. I turned around and waved goodbye for the last time.
"Goodbye, buddy! I'll start over when it's over. I really love Reggie, but she doesn't need me. She has you. I don't think you're particularly suited for each other, but hey, that's life, isn't it? I'm happy to meet someone like her, someone like me. That's why I know that man is our lunatic like you.”"This is what we need."
With my back to him, I sprinted with all the strength and speed my legs and lungs could support. I never looked back.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。