Black Bullet - Volume 1 - Chapter Ep

EPILOGUE PUTTING ON A BOLD FRONT

The Seitenshi’s palace was, in a word, magnificent. Turning his head, Rentaro could see the forest of marble pillars, the graceful arch of the domed canopy, and the polished floors with mosaic pictures.

Occasionally, he reached up to fix the collar of the unfamiliar white formal suit, scratching his head. How had it turned out like this? It was not the first time he’d screamed this question in his mind that day.

“Tomorrow is the celebration ceremony, so don’t be late,” Kisara had said the day before, throwing a map and the suit at Rentaro, looking like she couldn’t be bothered.

He thought about being extremely late, but in the end, the next morning, Rentaro found himself changing trains by himself. He frowned, thinking something was strange as he looked at the map, but he was not mistaken—the ceremony was in Tokyo Area’s First District. He was stunned when he realized that it would be smack-dab in the middle of the Seitenshi’s palace.

As Rentaro repeated quietly to himself that this must be some kind of mistake, a guard approached him with eyes that said he thought he was facing a suspicious person. However, the moment Rentaro showed his invitation, it was like he had said, “Open sesame,” and the guard’s face broke out in a smile as he hit Rentaro’s shoulder with friendly, but hard, blows and let him through.

Kisara stood in a dress in front of the large door where the ceremony was being held. She had her hands on her hips and looked unhappy. After seeing Rentaro, all she said was, “You’re late,” which brought them to the present.

“Satomi, you are the guest of honor today,” she said. “Please don’t look around like some tourist. As your employer, you are embarrassing me.”

“Hey, but Kisara, you didn’t say anything about what a big deal this was,” Rentaro protested.

“Oh, didn’t I? Yesterday, I told you that the Seitenshi herself would be decorating those civsec officers responsible for remarkable achievements, so come dressed in your best, didn’t I?”

“No! You threw the map and suit at me like it was too much of a bother to do anything else. That was it.”

“Really? Oh well. Oh, Satomi, your necktie is crooked. I’ll fix it for you, so stay still.”

His heart thumped as hands covered to the elbow with black lace gloves reached for his neck. Kisara was beautiful. After his nervousness faded, he was able to gaze at her again. She was wearing a black dress with frills that looked like bunches of black roses, and she had a matching black ribbon tied in her hair.

She didn’t notice because she was crouched over as if in a fight with Rentaro’s necktie, but from where he was, he had a perfect view of her full chest in her shoulder-baring dress. Kisara’s hair smelled really good. “H-hey…,” said Rentaro. “You know you’re at a terrible angle right now?”

“Don’t talk to me,” said Kisara. “Jeez, why are neckties so hard to tie?”

Rentaro’s fingers opened and closed against his will.

“Maybe like this…?” Kisara pulled at the necktie with amazing force.

“Guh….” Rentaro choked. The tie had tightened around Rentaro’s neck with amazing force.

Kisara closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s not working. I’m not good at stuff like this. Satomi, you look just like the Hanged Man card in my Tarot deck, especially with that unfortunate face of yours. You’ll just have to tie your necktie yourself.”

Right after she said it, she realized how rude it was and covered her hands with her mouth. Kisara looked with conflicted feelings at where Rentaro’s right arm used to be and finally opened her mouth to speak. “Your new artificial arm isn’t ready yet?”

“No, but I think it’s almost ready,” he said.

“Speaking of which, I saw Dr. Sumire the other day. She said, ‘I can’t believe he defeated a Stage Five with a rocket punch. He’s seen too many super-robot cartoons. I thought he was just a regular carefree kid, but he’s an idiot. He’s a carefree idiot. Oh, how funny! How funny!’” She ended with an impression of Sumire’s laugh.

“Why is it that even though I saved Tokyo Area, I have to be made fun of this much?”

“How should I know?” Kisara pulled a pocket watch out of her pocket. “It’s time. Now, listen carefully. I told you earlier, but I’m going to tell you again. The Seitenshi is taking valuable time from dealing with state affairs to conduct this ceremony, so there’s a silent understanding that these kinds of ceremonies should be done as quickly as possible. So when she asks you a question, you should reply with concise answers like Yes or No. And don’t ask any questions. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good answer.”

Rentaro stood in front of the large door and took a deep breath. He prepared himself and pushed open the door. It felt cold but was lighter than he expected. Belts of light shone in inside. As he looked back, Kisara smiled at him kindly. “Under the circumstances, you did a good job this time. Good boy. Please continue to work hard and fight, my knight.”

Emotions welled up in his heart, and he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out right away. The large door closed, and looking around, he saw a red carpet and a slightly winding marble staircase stretched out in front of him. The Seitenshi sat comfortably at the throne at the top.

It was a spacious room with high ceilings. Next to the honor guard were ladies and gentlemen around a table looking down at them.

“Satomi, thank you for coming.” The Seitenshi came down the stairs wearing a slight smile on her face. “Have your wounds healed?”

“Yes, thank you,” Rentaro answered formally. “They are a lot better.”

“How does it feel to be the savior of Tokyo Area?”

A few days had passed already. Even though it was a plan that deployed a large number of civil officers, the details remained hidden to the public. For some reason, a civsec officer happened to be nearby to bring down the Gastrea Scorpion that suddenly attacked Tokyo Area with a super-long-range attack.

“The reactions of those around me have changed a little, so it’s a little embarrassing,” Rentaro said.

“I’m sure it is,” said the Seitenshi. “That’s not surprising. Just remembering the scene makes me tremble.”

The shot that Rentaro and Enju fired at a great speed flew straight into the Scorpion’s head and made a giant hole, blowing away its brains.

The Varanium’s regeneration interference worked, and it should have died instantly. However, with supernatural strength, right before it died, it swung its upper body and looked in Rentaro’s direction.

Its half-closed eye sockets seemed to shake as if making an appeal to Rentaro, and when it finally shut them, it fell sideways into the water, and a giant tsunami broke on the shore of Tokyo Bay.

“I am proud that someone with your abilities was there at that time,” the Seitenshi continued. “Satomi, will you offer your assistance to Tokyo Area in the future, as well?”

Rentaro kneeled as he had been instructed. “Yes, even if it means my life.”

The Seitenshi raised both hands high overhead and proclaimed solemnly, “To all who are gathered here today, hear my words. The hero here has sworn to fight for the sake of Tokyo Area. He destroyed the Zodiac Scorpion and the Kagetane Hiruko and Kohina Hiruko pair, who formerly held an IP Rank of 134. In light of those accomplishments, after discussion with the IISO, we have decided to consider this a Special First Level Battle Result and promoted the Rentaro Satomi and Enju Aihara pair to an IP Rank of 1,000.”

The spectators suddenly let out shouts of joy. The Seitenshi smiled as she shifted her gaze to Rentaro. “Rentaro Satomi, do you accept this decision?”

“Yes, with pleasure,” he answered.

The Seitenshi smiled mischievously and continued in a small voice. “The Satomi-Aihara pair originally had a rank of 123,452, so this is a significant promotion. It’s probably the first of its kind in history. You might even make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Well then, do you have any final words you would like to say?”

“No, I don’t.” If he had said that, everything would have ended smoothly. Rentaro made a silent apology to Kisara as he raised his head.

“There is,” he said.

The Seitenshi’s eyes opened in surprise, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became so tense that his skin prickled.

“Let us hear it,” she said.

“I saw what was in that case,” said Rentaro.

The Seitenshi’s eyes widened again. The people around them could not tell where he was going with this and started murmuring in confusion.

Rentaro remained kneeling as he continued. “I know I shouldn’t have. After defeating the Gastrea Zodiac, in the short time before the missiles burned down the church, I opened the case that was recovered and looked inside. I saw…”

Rentaro hesitated for a moment before continuing. “…a broken tricycle inside. What is the meaning of this? How did that become the catalyst to summon a Stage Five Gastrea? No, what are the Gastrea—the enemy organisms who suddenly appeared in this world—in the first place? What happened in this world ten years ago? Please tell me, Lady Seitenshi.”

The noise that broke out became so great that it was out of control.

The Seitenshi made her face blank and murmured in a low voice so that only Rentaro could hear. “The Inheritance of the Seven Stars was hidden outside Tokyo Area in the Unexplored Territory, but one of them was stolen during this incident. If that had been destroyed, I cannot imagine what would have happened. The Zodiac came to get it back. I cannot tell you any more.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?” said Rentaro.

The Seitenshi closed her eyes for a long time. Finally, she exhaled and opened her eyelids. “Those Initiator girls are possibilities. As you know, as civil officer pairs are promoted, they also receive certain rights. You obtain a certain social class, but above all, the access key to top-secret information should be tempting. Because you are currently ranked 1,000, you are now at access Level 3. If you defeat your present rivals and get into the top ten, you will receive the highest access key, Level 12.

“Satomi, please win. Defeat the other eight Zodiacs besides the missing Zodiac, Cancer, and rise in the ranks with Enju Aihara. Then, you will know. You will know what you are and what you were born to do. Please become strong and aim to be the best. If you would call yourself the son of Takaharu and Mafuyu Satomi, then you have a responsibility to know the truth.”

Rentaro sprang to his feet and pressed the Seitenshi for an answer. “What are you talking about?! Why are my parents’ names coming up now?!”

No matter how long he waited, there was no answer. He became angry and reached out, about to grab the Seitenshi by the collar. Right before he touched her, the Seitenshi shot him a cold glare and his hand stopped. “Stop. If you grab me now, you will be executed for treason.”

At that moment, he realized that the room was filled with enough murderous intent to make his blood grow cold, and cold sweat dripped down his cheek.

He didn’t know where the source of it was. However, it wasn’t a joke or an exaggeration that there was a fighting master who could cut off Rentaro’s head or torso in a split second.

Rentaro gritted his teeth. His fist shook as he lowered it. “My apologies…”

He somehow mustered enough strength for that before he threw his body into the large door to open it and left the Seitenshi without looking back.

Rentaro went to the Tendo residence. The main Tendo residence was a luxurious house located in the best residential neighborhood of the First District of Tokyo Area, with Western-style architecture reminiscent of a country house. This was also the house where the young Rentaro had been taken in and raised. Currently, Rentaro was living two people to a one-room, eight-tatami-mat apartment, and Kisara had also left the main house to be independent. It had been a long time since he visited this house like this.

Even though all the citizens of the country were complaining about the lack of land, there was easily a hundred meters between the entrance and the actual building of the house, as if trying to rub it in. The trees in the garden were neatly pruned by the gardener, and they were composed in complete symmetry. A fountain with angels bathing in it was covered with shell inlay.

Going inside with a spare key, Rentaro went straight up to the second floor, heading for the room he had come here for. In the hallway, he passed the elderly housekeeper. Seeing Rentaro, she murmured, “Young master, is that you…?” and looked like she was about to drop the linens she held.

He wanted so much to stop and apologize for not contacting her for so long, but if he didn’t hurry, that man would come home. Rentaro lowered his face, pretending he didn’t know what she was talking about, and rushed past her.

When he finally came to the door of the room, he pulled out his XD, used his teeth and knee to deftly attach the silencer, and fired a few consecutive shots, breaking off the hinge. Thinking that it really was inconvenient to not have his artificial arm, he took off the silencer, picked up the empty casings, knocked down the door, and went inside.

It was spacious inside, with a warm carpet and a bookshelf covering half the wall. And in the middle was a work desk made of rosewood. Wanting to get it over with as soon as possible, Rentaro opened a drawer and started examining the papers inside.

Rentaro’s cell phone chose that moment to vibrate. It was an unknown number. Damn, why did it have to ring at a time like this? Rentaro hesitated for a moment but then put the receiver to his ear.

“Hello, Satomi. Good afternoon.” A chill ran down his spine. Rentaro tried to calm his wildly pounding heart and let out a deep breath.

“You’re alive, Kagetane?” Rentaro’s feet felt restless as he remembered what it felt like when he sent Kagetane Hiruko flying with his kick.

After that fight, Kohina had gotten up with a selfless expression, slipping past Rentaro to Kagetane’s aid. Kagetane probably did not survive that. That’s what Rentaro had thought at the time even though he wasn’t sure.

“Yeah, somehow,” said Kagetane. “But it was pretty effective. I’ve been ordered to rest for now. I won’t be able to work for a while. It’s a bother.”

“Work murdering people?” said Rentaro. “Why don’t you take this as an opportunity to quit that line of work?”

“No, work my day job. I’m sure we’ll meet again eventually. I just wanted to tell you that today. I won’t lose the next time we meet.”

“Yeah, I won’t lose either.” In reality, in that fight, Rentaro was only barely able to win because of the pile of clever tricks he’d used to outsmart his enemy. He wasn’t sure what he could do if he had to fight a completely prepared Kagetane pair head-on.

“Also, I thought it was about time I introduced you to my client.”

Damn it, that was what it was? Hearing the sound of a gun cock behind his back, Rentaro threw the phone down and drew his XD without looking back. He pointed it at the sound. Standing up slowly, Rentaro prepared himself as he turned around.

Pointed at his nose was a gun with double Magnum barrels. Rentaro had his finger on his own trigger, at a distance that couldn’t be avoided.

“Sneaking around like a thief, Rentaro?” said the man holding the gun.

“You’re home already?” said Rentaro. “I thought you wouldn’t be back until tonight, Lord Tendo.”

Kikunojo Tendo was wearing a formal Japanese hakama on his toned body, and stood almost 180 centimeters tall. His back was completely straight, and even though his beard and hair were white, the sharp, glittering eyes that Kisara had inherited were serious. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“I was looking for things that could be used as evidence,” said Rentaro. “But I don’t need to anymore. Asking the person himself is faster. Kikunojo Tendo—on the surface, the recent incident was settled with the reckless behavior of Defense Minister Kutsuwada. But I don’t think that was the end. The mastermind behind these events was you, Kikunojo Tendo.”

Kikunojo didn’t move an eyebrow. However, his finger on the trigger tightened slightly, making Rentaro’s heart race faster. With their guns pointed at each other, they moved in a small circle around the fulcrum of the point where their arms crossed. It was a suffocating dance in bad taste that took place on top of the carpet.

“Did Kisara instigate this?” Kikunojo asked.

“I’m acting on my own judgment,” said Rentaro.

When he said that, Kikunojo snorted derisively. “Oh? Why did you suspect me?”

Rentaro was taken aback. “You’re…not going to deny it?”

Kikunojo’s shoulders shook as he scoffed at him. “If I did, would you believe me?”

“No……” But he had still wanted Kikunojo to deny it. He started saying so before he closed his mouth. Rentaro lifted his face. “Defense Minister Kutsuwada died. He hung himself at home while out on bail!”

“I know that. What about it?”

“What do you mean, ‘What about it’? I saw the joint compact. It’s true that everyone whose name was written on it was arrested… But the real ringleader’s name wasn’t even on there. I was surprised when I saw the names written on the joint compact. Every single one of them was either in your faction or had been connected to your faction in the past. When I was younger, I greeted all of them at the evening parties held in this house. What is the meaning of this?!”

“This child seems so wise. Only to be expected from a child adopted by Master Tendo.”

“I’m sure you’ll be an excellent politician when you grow up, Rentaro.”

Thinking back on their words, Rentaro’s eyes prickled with tears. His hand shook with anger as he held his gun, and he felt like he could almost pull the trigger.

“Everyone was kind,” Rentaro continued. “They all respected you! How could I believe that you, their chief, was the only one not part of this plan? Mr. Kutsuwada hanged himself to stop the investigation against you. The second he died, all the people who were arrested immediately used him as a scapegoat. There’s no way I can know what you’re thinking. But… But, after all this, you’re not embarrassed to continue acting arrogantly, Kikunojo Tendo?!” Rentaro said all this, panting.

But Kikunojo’s face only twisted slightly with the faintest bit of self-deprecation. “Why would I do such a thing? Are you saying that my goal was the destruction of Tokyo Area, then? That’s absurd.”

“I didn’t know why at first, either. But when Kagetane stole the case and went to the Unexplored Territory to summon the Stage Five, for some reason, that information was almost systematically leaked. If that happened, Tokyo Area would’ve fallen into a ruinous panic, and no one stood to benefit from that.”

“Did you figure it out?”

“The New Gastrea Law.”

Kikunojo’s eyebrow twitched in surprise.

“The bill the Seitenshi is pushing to pass despite the resistance from those around her. A law that would improve the social positions of Initiators and allow the Cursed Children to coexist with everyone else. Ever since your wife was killed by a Gastrea in the Great War ten years ago, you’ve been a staunch advocate of discrimination against Initiators.

“I don’t know what kind of deal you made with Kagetane, and I don’t want to imagine. However, Kagetane, the Gastrea elite who think it would be disgraceful for humans and Initiators to coexist, shares with you a mutual interest in crushing that bill. If it were leaked to the press that Kohina Hiruko, one of the Cursed Children, was participating in terrorist activities to destroy Tokyo Area, then there would be no one supporting the girls in public opinion. You weren’t planning on destroying Tokyo Area from the start, you coward.”

Without warning, Rentaro was kicked in the stomach, struck with enough force to make him feel like regurgitating the contents of his stomach. A gun was pressed against his throat, and he was pushed like that into the bookshelf. The moment his back hit, hardcover books began thumping to the floor.

Kikunojo pressed the gun against Rentaro with a look of rage. “Try saying that again!”

“I’ll say it as many times as you want!” said Rentaro. “This is how the incident progressed. You had one of your subordinates go to the Unexplored Territory to get the catalyst to summon the Stage Five, what the Seitenshi called the Inheritance of the Seven Stars. He successfully acquired the catalyst and was supposed to hand the case over to Kagetane, thus finishing everything smoothly.

“However, on his way back from the Unexplored Territory, your subordinate was attacked by a Gastrea and took in its bodily fluids. Your subordinate barely escaped alive running back into the Monolith barrier, but there, he unfortunately turned into a Gastrea. He became a Model Spider Gastrea and infected a human. As evidence, one person whose name was written on the joint compact is still missing even now. I’m sure he was the source Gastrea that Enju and I defeated.

“In the end, Kagetane was somehow able to get the case, but now the information that was supposed to have been leaked was quickly sealed off with a news blackout by the Seitenshi. So in order to make people remember their fear of the Gastrea and crush the New Gastrea Law, you approved the actual summoning of the Stage Five.”

“That’s right!” Suddenly, Kikunojo yelled like he was on metaphorical fire. “It was all to wake up those complacent fools. How could they forget? How? Ten years ago on that day, the sun set, the earth split apart, and humans were driven out of their own world! Demon brats with the blood of those worms are strutting around town with innocent looks on their faces, you know. Those Red-Eyes are demons who will destroy the whole world. How can you be so calm about it? You want to give them human rights? Don’t be ridiculous.”

Rentaro took the space of a moment to brush away the hand with the gun. When he did, the sound of a gunshot boomed and the bullet grazed Rentaro’s cheek. As Rentaro swept Kikunojo’s legs from under him, he drove his knee into the older man’s ribs. The feeling was a familiar one to Rentaro, and Kikunojo raised his voice in anguish.

“Everyone’s like that!” Rentaro said. “It’s true that your wife was killed. But Kisara’s parents were killed. You lost your lover. But everyone, everyone lives coming to terms with their past. You’re a ghost, Kikunojo Tendo! You’re a ghost being dragged along by hatred from ten years ago. Even in your position of aide to the Seitenshi, you try to forestall her. Do you hate the Seitenshi?”

Kikunojo coughed violently as he declared, “Don’t say ridiculous things. I regard her with respect and affection. Of all the Seitenshis, she is the only one who could be called a match for the wise monarchs of the past. She is a queen I truly want to serve.”

“Then…”

“That’s why there are things I cannot forgive!”

Rentaro kept his XD sighted on Kikunojo’s forehead as he looked at the man’s fiery eyes. He could not see any affectation in them at all. This man held in equal parts devotion to the Seitenshi and hatred for the Gastrea, and it was driving him mad.

“I’m sure Kisara has also realized the truth,” said Rentaro.

“I’m sure she has,” said Kikunojo. “But you have no proof. You can’t do anything.”

Rentaro met Kikunojo’s eyes for a long time. When he finally moved his knee, Rentaro tucked the XD in his belt and turned on his heel.

“What are you planning?” said Kikunojo. “If you don’t kill me now, you’ll regret it.”

“I’m already regretting it, ’cause you’re Kisara’s greatest enemy,” said Rentaro.

“What about you, Rentaro…?”

“What?”

When he turned around, Kikunojo had on a fierce expression with his wrinkles scrunched in the middle of his face. “What about you, Rentaro? Your arm and leg were eaten, and you lost Takaharu and Mafuyu, didn’t you? How can you forgive them? You don’t resent them?”

“I do resent them! Tearing them apart from limb to limb wouldn’t be enough. I thought I would kill all the Gastrea and the Cursed Children with these hands!”

“Then why?!”

“Have you talked to even one of those girls? They cry at the smallest things, laugh, sulk—they’re filled with human warmth. You called them worms? I say they’re humans. I, Rentaro Satomi, believe in Enju Aihara!”

“Rentaro… You…”

Rentaro closed his eyes slowly. “You saved my life. You told me, ‘If you do not want to die, survive, Rentaro.’ So concise, and so very like you. At times when I closed both eyes in despair, I would remember these words, and they would help me push through. I remember every single day what happened that day ten years ago. Thank you… Good-bye, Father.”

Rentaro left the house.

“Hey, Rentaroooo! Over heeeeere!” Enju, dressed in a thin hospital gown, was hopping and yelling loudly enough to be heard throughout the district. A surprised old woman strained her back, a three-year-old girl peed her pants, and an old man’s dentures and wig were blown off at the same time.

“A-at least be quiet inside a hospital, you dummy,” said Rentaro. “Do you know what the word manners means…?”

Before he could finish, there was a thud as Enju thrust her face into his chest. “Rentaro, Rentaro, Rentaro! Big news! During the checkup, I got my body measurements, too, and my boobs got a little bigger! Aren’t you happy, Rentaro?”

Looking at Enju proudly sticking out her flat chest, he almost let slip a “Huh, where?”

“Don’t you think I should wear a brassiere soon?”

“Y-yeah. Maybe in about five years?” Rentaro nonchalantly said something mean.

“How was the ceremony thing? Were you praised? Did they say ‘Good job’? My checkup was so boring. I wanted to go see, too. Oh, that suit makes you look cool, Rentaro!” Enju’s eyes sparkled as she asked Rentaro question after question.

“Enju, what were the results of the checkup?”

Her eyes suddenly glittering, she made a victory sign as if saying, Listen to this! “Twenty-four point nine percent. It barely changed.”

Rentaro almost involuntarily let out a groan, but he somehow swallowed it. “I… I see…”

“Rentaro, I’m gonna change now, ’kay?”

When Rentaro looked up, he saw the unusual sight of Sumire Muroto out of her basement room beckoning him. “I’m going to go hear what annoying things Doc has to say.”

“Then I’ll wait for you at the park in front of the hospital.” Saying that, Enju raced down the hall. As Rentaro watched her leave, he went to the room where Sumire was waiting.

In the park, there was nothing to block the sunlight, and it was a very comfortably warm day for April. Even though the peak of the cherry blossom season was over, the cherry trees squeezed out the last of their strength to bloom proudly. Rentaro and Enju strolled along a walking path that was scattered with flower petals every time the wind blew. The smell of sprouting plants filled his nostrils.

“Oh ho, so our IP Rank went up that much?” said Enju.

“Yeah,” said Rentaro. “They said it was the first time in history anyone went up that fast. We’ll get the official notification next week.”

As Enju spotted an ice cream stand in the corner of the park, she said, “Can I buy some, Rentaro?”

Thinking that they were expensive, Rentaro reluctantly opened his wallet and let out an involuntary groan. Even if their ranking went up, the inside of his wallet still continued to be as empty as ever.

Rentaro sighed. Grabbing hold of the bill with a shaking hand, he slipped it into Enju’s hand. “This needs to cover this month’s living expenses, so use it wisely.”

“I understand,” said Enju. “I should buy as much ice cream as I can with this, right?”

“Why did you take it that way? Hey, wait! Enju!”

Already not listening to the yelling Rentaro’s words, Enju ran away. Rentaro looked at her retreating back in shock.

He smiled unwittingly. He was alive. He was hungry. What a wonderful thing.

Enju didn’t know. In the peacefulness of Tokyo Area, she didn’t know that one more precious life had been sacrificed.

After operating the railgun, Rentaro put Enju, deep asleep, gently onto the floor, and then slipped outside the facility. Looking at the sky, he saw that the night sky was slowly starting to grow lighter. Because of the high altitude, his breath had been white, and he’d kept rubbing his hands as he made his way down the bare rock.

Once he was some distance away from the facility and looked back at the Stairway to Heaven, he could clearly see that the rail part where the projectile was accelerated was crushed. The rail was not strong enough to withstand the sudden acceleration of a projectile after all.

As Rentaro walked, something he had been trying hard not to think about came back into his mind. Gastrea were very sensitive to loud noises. Depending on the Gastrea, there were some that would gather after hearing a sound a few kilometers away.

During his fight to the death with Kagetane, and when he fired the railgun, thunderous roars should have echoed throughout the Unexplored Territory. However, in the end, his duel ended uninterrupted and the railgun’s firing sequence ended without being delayed. It was obviously a strange situation. Someone had stopped the large wave of Gastrea that should have surged toward them.

Eventually, the smell of blood grew stronger. Rentaro went behind a large rock, and then he held his breath.

In front of his eyes was the corpse of a giant Gastrea. The body, which was like a Komodo dragon that had been turned ten times as large as normal, was missing its front legs, and its lower jaw had been blown away.

And that wasn’t the only corpse.

There were Gastrea that looked like insects, Gastrea entwined with plantlike vines, snake types and frog types, and many others that had been changed so much that their origins were unclear. There were also many different shapes and sizes, from large Gastrea to small Gastrea, Stage One to Stage Four. What they all had in common was that the spark of life was gone from every Gastrea.

Rentaro walked among the dead bodies. Finally, he saw a human leg with its shoe still on strewn casually on the ground. Near it was an empty magazine. A little farther, and he found the remains of a fully automatic shotgun that had been broken cleanly in two. Rentaro desperately held back a sob as he walked through the mountain of corpses. In deathly silence that almost made his ears hurt, all Rentaro could hear was his shoes stepping on the gravel.

And then, he found her. Unfortunately, he found her.

Rentaro shook his head gently. His voice felt like shaky, and his hands were clenched into fists. “Why…? Why didn’t you run? Didn’t you say you would run when you were at a disadvantage?!”

Kayo Senju, who was being propped up by a large rock, looked up at Rentaro with fading eyes. “I couldn’t…do that…”

Her left arm and right leg were missing. Her white dress was stained with blood, and she had bite marks all over. Her injuries were healing unbelievably fast. Not only were they healing, but her missing arm and leg were regenerating, as well. But this was not a welcome situation at all.

“Satomi…I’m…?” she started.

Rentaro forced his pounding heart to calm down and said, “Your body’s corrosion rate is probably over fifty percent.”

The Cursed Children were constantly taking massive doses of corrosion-inhibiting medication to control the Gastrea inside their bodies, but it still only inhibited and did not stop the corrosion completely. Because the girls carried the inhibiting gene, they did not turn into Gastrea immediately like normal people, but if they suddenly used a lot of their power, or if Gastrea bodily fluids got inside them, then their corrosion rate would slowly increase.

And then, like a normal person, if their corrosion rate went above fifty percent, then the corrosion would start, and they would not be able to keep their human form any longer. There was nothing that current medical technologies could do to change that limit.

Rentaro took his XD gun out and checked how many bullets he had left. He had exactly one Varanium bullet left in the chamber. Rentaro put the silencer on and aimed at her forehead. He knew what he had to do. Kayo Senju could not be saved. She had to die right here, right now.

“Satomi, what happened to Shogen?” Kayo asked.

“He’s fine,” said Rentaro.

When their eyes met, she lowered her lashes in relief. “Satomi, please. Please let me die as a human.”

His breath shook as he exhaled. It wasn’t because he was cold. The muzzle of the gun jumped around, and his aim was all over the place. Even though he was so close, there was a possibility that he would miss. What a joke.

Suddenly, remembering the irreplaceable time they had spent together surrounded by firewood and talking, his heart was so filled with affection that it tore at his chest. Damn it, damn it!

“Satomi, please, don’t cry…,” said Kayo.

Rentaro ground his teeth so hard his molars felt like they would break, and he smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not crying. This isn’t my first time.”

“You affirmed my existence. I didn’t want to let you die. That is why I tried hard. My heart is full of gratitude right now. Thank you, Satomi.”

Rentaro had no words and could only shake his head left and right.

Kayo continued. “Hey, Satomi, you don’t have many friends, do you?”

“Huh?”

“You’re hopeless, so I’ll be your friend.”

Rentaro’s and Kayo’s eyes met for a brief moment. “Yeah, it’s sad how few friends I have. Thanks.” His hand stopped shaking. His heart calmed.

“You are my irreplaceable friend. I will never forget you.”

He lifted his gun and aimed for the space between her eyebrows. Her eyes were not focused. Her voice was hoarse.

“Satomi, after this… I imagine you will face many trials. If you lose your way and are lost in the darkness, follow the compass in your heart…to…to the light… Satom……save…this…world……”

He pulled the trigger. The .40-caliber recoil made his arm kick back. There was the sound of a muffled gunshot, and a single empty casing was expelled. His slide stop came up and locked.

The girl’s transformation stopped. There was an acrid smell in the back of his nose; he must have inhaled some gunsmoke. When he turned around at the sound of a helicopter, he could see the red sunrise shining in from beyond the faraway mountain range. Her fight was over. Another Initiator had died in battle, unseen.

Enju looked like she was still having fun choosing her ice cream. Looking up, Rentaro slowly raised his palm to shade his eyes from the sun and thought as he squinted at the bright light of the sun. What are humans, anyway?

They can speak, they walk on two legs, they wear clothes. But that didn’t prove that they were human. And humans only had at most twice as many genes as flies.

Then, what are the Cursed Children?

Sumire Muroto called them “God’s substitutes as messengers between humans and Gastrea.”

The Seitenshi had said, “Those Initiator girls are possibilities.”

Kikunojo Tendo called them “demons who will destroy the whole world.”

Human beings once lived on the earth invincible, proud, and rejoicing that they were the prime of creation. However, that ended with the appearance of the Gastrea. It could be said that about ninety percent of the surviving humans in this degenerate world had latent prejudice against the Initiators.

More and more children were abandoned because, with the contamination of their DNA, their paternity couldn’t be proven. Abandoned to the darkness before they could even open their eyes, they rubbed shoulders in a corner of Tokyo Area, children who just wanted to be loved.

The girls faced unending prejudice and ceaseless enmity. Were they just a new classification of human beings?

Rentaro closed his eyes quietly.

Enju Aihara said, “I am human!”

I will believe Enju.

Those girls were the ones who’d broken through the human shell and gazed out over the world, looking down at mankind as it trod a path of destruction, humans killing each other over differences in race, religion, or language. The Cursed Children were a “new humanity” that could bring a new perspective.

Kikunojo, who was so torn up by despair that he spit ill omens and cursed everything on earth, could have been Rentaro if he had not met Enju.

Like Kisara Tendo, who could not live without her hemodialysis—

Like Enju Aihara, who could not live without her dose of corrosion-inhibiting medication—

—Rentaro Satomi surely could not live another second without Enju Aihara’s smile.

Those girls were definitely not worms.

“Rentaro, are you feeling unwell after all?” By the time he returned to himself, Enju was looking at him with mountains of ice cream in each hand.

“N-no! Look, see? I’m so happy that our rank went up that I’m jumping.” He forced a laugh and ran up on a nearby bench and started to jump off.

Enju’s eyes widened for a second at Rentaro’s strange behavior, but she soon burst into laughter. “Weirdo.”

At that moment, the clear sound of something metal hitting the stone pavement stopped time. Rentaro looked back and forth at his own left arm and the ground, dumbfounded. On the ground were fragments of a bracelet. They had chrome silver-plating over an engraved design.

That’s right. Enju had bought this for him. If he remembered correctly, it was a toy from a cartoon…

“What’s that?”

“It’s the bracelet that the Tenchu Girls wear. It’s proof that the forty-seven warriors are friends, and it cracks when a friend tricks another friend or lies to them, so they can tell when a friend is lying.”

Rentaro exhaled with a shaking breath and stared at the fragments of the broken bracelet.

ENJU AIHARA’S DIAGNOSIS CHART –

PRIMARY PHYSICIAN, SUMIRE MUROTO

• Enju Aihara has a Gastrea virus corrosion rate of 42.8%

• An estimated 7.2% left until shape collapse

• Comments from the physician—Extremely dangerous territory. To prevent the patient from being too shocked, I reported a lower number to her. According to regulations, notification of the patient is at the discretion of the Promoter.

This part is written not in my capacity as a doctor, but is my advice as a friend:

Don’t let her fight anymore, Rentaro.