Chapter 6
Sagakure Yui
Sagakure Yui was a kunoichi. She did not remember what she was like in the other world. However, her role in this neighboring world was clear.
Collect information and send it to “Princess”, to act as her sword or her hands and feet.
This meaning behind her existence was her sole joy.
Well, perhaps she was a kunoichi on the other side as well. Or perhaps she was a corporate slave by nature. What a life to be had to be a corporate slave already by high school age.
Even if headstrong, frivolous, playful, and unpredictable, there was no other Quasi-Spirit suitable
for the name of “Princess”. That strength and beauty were unmistakably genuine.
The problem with the Dominion of the tenth region Malkuth, Doll Master, was that she never showed her appearance, always participating using a doll as a proxy even during discussions between Dominions.
“Isn’t it something that you can do? So, investigate the true identity of that doll.”
The princess’s orders were absolute and it was only natural to put her life on the line for it. Because of being a kunoichi, she did not have an obsession of being victorious in battle.
Although she had decided to participate in the killing, she had planned to run away at the appropriate timing. The escape route had already been established.
She had intended to escape. She had intended on doing so. She was now chased and forced into a desperate situation.
There are ten regions in the neighboring world. There are some areas that no one has ever seen; other areas where many Quasi-Spirits gather. While some areas are devoted to fighting, others have Dominions conclude an alliance and never fight.
In the tenth region Malkuth, strength is the ability to survive a battle. Therefore, the rumors of various Quasi-Spirits would circulate.
There are rumors that she has power comparable to a Spirit.
There are rumors of being challenged by 100 Quasi-Spirits, with not a single one returning home.
Many of them were rumors that Quasi-Spirits loved to gossip about. However, very rarely there was a kernel of truth within such legends.
There was a girl who could crush everything with a single blow. It seemed that she could break apart everything as casually as splitting a biscuit.
“Haah, haah, haah……!”
When arriving at the top floor, Sagakure Yui believed herself to be fortunate. <Idzuna>, Hidden Form Spirit dress No. 34, although it’s defensive capabilities were low, it had the secret art of invisibility. Commencing a surprise attack without missing an instantaneous chance moment, it was a daily routine for Sagakure Yui to use that to decapitate her foes.
Of course, Sagakure knew who Tsuan was. She was Biscuit Smasher, an outstanding Quasi- Spirit suddenly emerged.
To be crushed like a biscuit??Sagakure felt very resentful of herself for having laughed at this nightmarish joke before.
A single swing from that halberd could smash someone to the other side of the world. The
invisible sneak attack dealt by Sagakure was indeed successful. However, that was all……it
barely succeeded in landing a hit.
Tsuan’s <Brinicle>, Extreme Death Spirit Dress no. 15, although she didn’t know its special characteristics, it simply boasted a high defensive power. Sagakure’s best efforts only got her bruised. Originally, that level of power would have shattered the skull and severed everything above the neck.
And then, Tsuan, who noticed the surprised attack, began to wield her halberd at a furious momentum.
Sagakure, who was taken aback, immediately bent down. The position where her head was just at was torn down with a thunderous roar.
Every single blow was quick, heavy, and sharp.
Even if she searched for cover, Tsuan would immediately break down that cover. Although it was possible for her to use her Astral Dress for stealth, there were no more chances at finding a momentary gap. So, in short she could only escape. However, that girl’s tracking speed was horrifyingly fast.
No, rather than speed, it was the detection range of reiryoku that should be called abnormal.
“I heard that hound’s sense of smell was a hundred million times of an ordinary human being……”
Her reiryoku detection skills may be comparable to the same degree as the other Quasi-Spirits.
In any case, she must first gain some distance……!
Sagakure thought up of several plans and choose the one with the highest level of certainty among them.
“Cursed wave style??empty fowl’s ribcage!”
Tsuan felt a chill, but after understanding that there was no impact, she immediately initiated a dash attack.
“Let’s go.”
The halberd swung down with an air of indifference. It shattered Sagakure Yui’s body just like a
biscuit??or at least it was supposed to.
“Finished……no?”
Tsuan slightly slanted her head. There was no Sephira Crystal fragment that every Quasi-Spirit should carry. More importantly, the feeling was too light. When crushing a Quasi-Spirits, there was more weight on her hands. If the usual could be compared to a biscuit, then today it was about the level of a cracker.
In other words, this was a fake.
When Tsuan noticed this, Sagakure had already retreated to a safer place.
Even if she had a hound’s nose, it would be extremely difficult to find a completely hidden Sagakure. However, it was true that she would be found sooner or later.
Sagakure estimated that it would take roughly ten minutes to be found.
“……Five minutes should be enough.”
She took a pencil on hand and wrote down all of the information gathered so far on a piece of
paper, and then she didn’t hesitate to cut off a piece of her Astral Dress. “<Idzuna>??go.”
The piece of the Astral Dress transformed into a ferret. As soon as it retrieved the paper from Sagakure, it quickly ran away from the spot.
“……Although it wasn’t complete, I’ve handed all of the information I’ve gathered with this.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief. However, due to the dispersion of reiryoku, her invisibility power became slightly disheveled. Being disheveled meant being sensed.
“But, I know what I need to do.”
After adjusting her breathing, she raised her specialized weapon <Shichih?giy?jiya>. “If faced with a frontal attack……this is also a countermeasure.”
She took a deep breath.
Not afraid, she jumped out of the shadow of the building to face Tsuan. There, she moved straight forward towards her.
Of course, that girl changed posture to intercept that attack. Sagakure took out 7 large kunai from her holsters.
Tsuan gently shook her brow. There was definitely some confusion at such a move. For the other party to choose a frontal assault, she must be aware that an ordinary attack wouldn’t work and decided on a rush attack.
However, Tsuan must attack. There was no other way of dealing with it.
“<Shichih?giy?jiya>??Demon.”
Fragmenting all things, it could be described as a single blow to cut apart the void.
“……!”
The seven kunai landed around Tsuan’s surroundings. At the same time, the power of the Unsigned Angel was invoked. Tsuan’s vision, hearing, smell, touch??all five senses, super perceptions like intuition, as well as reiryoku itself, were all temporarily sealed.
Even if temporary for a Quasi-Spirit, they would be completely disabled. This was Sagakure Yui’s trump card. Beyond using it as a countermeasure at the very least, it was not a skill that should be used for the first round.
But here this trick was used to break through this dilemma.
Moreover, it was not just a matter of killing; it was a means of escape…..!
However, it was still more important to survive. She did not participate in this killing game for its original intention. She didn’t think she would survive up until the very end. There was only one more important matter to her, and it was not to fight that girl.
The girl who self-proclaimed herself to be a Spirit, Tokisaki Kurumi, was the subject to a new investigation. However, even compared to that, detachment from this game was a priority.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. Before she moves again, even a little bit more distance away??!
“…………………….Ah?”
Suddenly, there was no strength left in her feet. After turning around to confirm the situation, Sagakure immediately understood. Indeed, she had accepted it as soon as possible.
Slightly far away, everything below her waist was now about one meter away.
Then, looking on ahead, Tsuan’s halberd was sticking on the ground. Perhaps, she had thrown it. With such a silly attack easily destroying her body, should she admire it or should she despair? “Could this fill the requirement for assisted suicide?”
Being well verse in Japanese culture, Sagakure thought indifferently while making strained smile.
This kind of thing always happened during missions. There were as many dead Quasi-Spirits as there were stars in the sky.
It is said that??death was not the same in the neighboring world. Originally, they had no physical body in this world. Will they return back to the other side after dying or return back into being an empty shell?
However, Sagakure was confident.
Even if she died like this, there will be a next time.
“……Please.”
At the same time as that, Sagakure’s Sephira Crystal was extracted. Her consciousness was cut off in a flash. There wasn’t even enough time to say thank you.
“……The best……”
Swallowing the Sephira Crystal, Tsuan nodded several times in satisfaction. She soon fell asleep after being satisfied. To start sleeping so quickly, it was impossible to not think of taking advantage of that in this killing game.
However, no Quasi-Spirit watching her battle with Sagakure made a move. No one was stupid enough to wake up the sleeping tiger.
As if suddenly noticed, an ambient orange light was beginning to dye the sky.
“After Aiai-san, it was great to not have anything big to do. There was only that brief skirmish
with that person covered bandages.”
Empty let out a leisurely voice as if content with her position. It seemed she had adapted quite a bit to this game. After defeating Nogi Aiai, a person with bandages covering their face, False, or someone else, launched a surprise attack at them.
Despite her feet being tangled by bandages and being slammed against the wall, Kurumi easily reversed the situation but was satisfied with letting the other side escape after firing a shot.
“As expected for the first day.” Kurumi responded in a calm voice “Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Well, tomorrow and the day after that, until someone wins.”
A slightly gloomy look was seen on Kurumi face as she muttered. In the town, the sound of a chime resounded.
Kurumi had taught Empty that this was to inform a temporary end to the game. “It’s similar to an agreement. Only during nighttime, battles are forbidden.” “What will happen if you break that agreement?”
“Of course there will be punishment. If attempted, night attacks against another Quasi-Spirit
means being purged by the organizer of the game.”
“Even so, how does that make sense? Sure enough, the winner will become king regardless.”
“In order to prevent that, the dolls are always monitoring. As soon as a night raid is launched,
that girl will not be able to win.”
Kurumi giggled as Empty tilted her head. “Uhh, sorry. Let me resay that again.” “Yes, please go on.”
“Kurumi-san is a Spirit and stronger than other Quasi-Spirit, right?
“Yes, that is naturally so.”
”So, the Dominion who manages this game is a Quasi-Spirit, right?” “That’s right.”
“Why would a Spirit obey a rule made by a Quasi-Spirit? Hey? Isn’t that a little bit strange? I
can understand why the other girls would obey. But……”
Hearing that, Kurumi smiled while putting her fingers against Empty’s lips. The cold and pleasant feeling caused her to close her mouth automatically. “It’s a whim of mine. If the rules aren’t followed, then it’ll be boring.” “……”
Kurumi smiled. But her expression was as cold as her fingertips, brimming with a sense of isolation.
“Don’t forget that you are also alive because of my whims.”
Empty nodded silently. Feeling satisfied, Kurumi lifted her finger. Being alive due to a whim, it was also possible for Empty to be killed by another whim.
“……Is here alright?”
“Eh? Here?”
Kurumi stopped in front of a single family house that looked to have everything needed for the night.
Wondering what to do, Empty looked on at Kurumi as she casually opened the door and went in.
“H-Hold on Kurumi-san! Ku??ru??mi??san??! Here is someone else’s??”
Chasing after her into the home, Empty was at a loss for words.
It was empty inside. Inside the interior, there was a huge vacuous space as large as the exterior.
“There is no such thing as someone else’s home. As long as it has the appearance of a house, it
can be established in this town here. Because there are no residents here.” “Haha……”
Indeed, Empty pondered that over as she slanted her head to the side.
“Well, this is a bit inconvenient. At least building a little more would be better.”
After whispering, Kurumi crouched down and placed her hand on the white space they were standing on. Could it have been was using magic, or was it an incantation? Or it could have been using a magical (programming) language to rearrange the information of this space.
“Te??”
Hearing that one syllable without any enthusiasm, Empty felt a little bit disappointed.
Immediately afterwards, the white space transformed. Color was added, the interior became furnished, changing appearance into a place suitable for people to live in.
“I’m going to rest.”
“Ah, okay. Do you want to take a bath? If you want to, we can wash together!” Seeing Empty flutter her hands around, Kurumi frowned with a blunt face. “No. If you want to wash, go by yourself.”
Blunt words used in a not at all good nature tone.
“Ah, alright……good night.”
Kurumi quickly retreated into a bedroom-like room deep within the house. After thinking over it for a while, Empty decided to take a bath first. After turning the lights on in the bathroom, she turned the faucet on the bathtub to begin accumulating hot water. Whether Kurumi wanted to
take a bath or not, it should be fine regardless. As a Spirit, that person wouldn’t stink even after
not taking a bath.
“That’s nice; a Spirit doesn’t need to take a bath.”
While taking to herself, Empty took off her white dress. Her underwear was also white. How much did she like white? A more variety of color would be richer, or at least Empty thought so.
Suddenly, she noticed a strange person standing in front of the mirror.
“……!”
……No, that wasn’t it. This was me (Empty). This was the first time I had seen my own face. I didn’t really understand this face. For a comparison, it looked just like blank white sheet of paper.
I didn’t know what was being drawn there, even if it was depicting something I didn’t know that
either.
What existed here was an ordinary face that could be seen everywhere: girl who should be buried as part of the background.
“……Who am I?”
No answer. Empty had no reply prepared.
“……Where did I come from?”
No answer. From herself without any memory, the past did not exist.
“……Why am I here?”
No memories, no past. There was no meaning behind her existence. Although she wanted to cry, she endured it. Anyway, first, uh.
“Okay, let’s take first a bath and completely forget all those troublesome things!”
In the past, she may have hated taking bathes, but that was trivial now. After all being only an Empty, she had no choice but to remain positive.
Fortunately, the bathtub was designed also for water storage. As expected of Kurumi, it was finely calculated……Empty thought about it very loudly in her heart. If her heart was ever read, then she would definitely be dead.
After washing the dirt off her body, Empty gently stepped into the bathtub.
“Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
Good bye me until now. Hello me starting from today.
Anyhow, she was going to live leaping into tomorrow as well. Bathing was the best.
“……Am I settling in too well?”
The future that seemed to be ahead was yet to be seen. First, she needed to calm down and take a closer look at herself now.
There was no memories, also not a human but a Quasi-Spirit; no one knew anything about
herself (probably), the killing game……caught up in a battlefield while only relying on the Spirit Tokisaki Kurumi.
“Ha??……”
The problem at the moment was that she did not understand why Tokisaki Kurumi was carrying her along.
She had said that it for using as bait, but it didn’t feel as if she needed to do that.
After all, why else would she use someone who gave the impression of “that guy is weak” at a
first glance?
……To solve these doubts, a substitute method of thinking was necessary. But even that was impossible due to not knowing how she would act even when placed under the same circumstances.
Because that way of thinking wouldn’t make sense either, Empty tossed it aside.
“Tomorrow……can I survive……?”
Tomorrow as well, will it still be possible to thinking about these various things while taking a bath?
Or will she be just like Nogi Aiai??turning to dust and disappearing.
After getting out and re-wearing her underwear…….she wanted to change into new underwear
tomorrow. Also, if her white dress got dirtier, it couldn’t be helped that she also wanted to buy a new one……
Anyway, with her mood refreshed, Empty turned off the light.
Their surroundings were inhabited by no one. This town, this house, everywhere was silent. To say good-bye before going to sleep, Empty thought up some extraneous matter.
“No, because if she said ‘I have no obligation to support someone as rude as not to even say
good-night’, that would be troubling……”
Empty muttered as she peeped into the bedroom......not there.
“Huh.”
On the bed, under the bed, in the closet, she was nowhere to be found.
No way, could she have escaped while leaving her behind? No, no, no, that shouldn’t be it. “………………………………………”
From above, there was a faint voice.
Speaking of which, Empty remembered. To be sure, this house was two stories high. When spreading the reiryokuken, perhaps even a second floor was built.
Empty went up the stairs……slowly, without making a sound. “……Ah……aah……!”
Who was in that room? The door was opened. Empty carefully walked through the dark corridor, sneaking a glance into the room from the crack; afterwards, she was able to see through.
She saw it.
“Aah……gu……ah……aah……!”
Biting her teeth, but even then the crying wouldn’t stop. Since there was nothing else to cling
onto, she was hugging a pillow within her arms. Tokisaki Kurumi was crying.
For Empty, this was like a shock where the world had turned on its head. She would smile, get angry, and sometimes displayed a sadistic expression.
However, she shouldn’t cry. Granted even if there were tears from laughing too much, with this degree of sorrow and tears, that was absolutely impossible.
Empty had such trust embraced onto Kurumi during the daytime. But now, the scene in front of her had perfectly crushed this fantasy.
Her tears were constantly overflowing and couldn’t stop. Her lips were oozing some blood from being tightly bitten. Likely, Kurumi’s own will prevent herself from stopping.
Grief and passion, something even beyond even despair, both positive and negative feelings were intertwined.
Why are you crying? Empty didn’t know the reason. However, she knew that she was being shaken by something where she couldn’t display tears in front of other people.
If thought about later, this must have been the moment.
How the perception of her changed, up until when the final decision was made.
Empty gently left that spot. Since Kurumi was using the bedroom, Empty decided to sleep on the sofa in the living room.
Closing her eyelids, she recalled the scene of Kurumi cruelly shooting Nogi Aiai to death and the first scene of her crying being seen.
No matter which appearances, both were part of a single aspect.
The matter of ruthlessly shooting someone to death, Empty had not accepted that.
But, aah, but??
If those tears are another aspect of her, then it really wasn’t only a vain performance displayed to
others.
Even though it was impossible to accept the shooting, even though she displayed a scathingly harsh expression, even if it meant being publically declared of being a decoy.
Despite all that, Empty was still not going to leave Tokisaki Kurumi. She had already decided.
Until this wonderful anxiety and uncontrollable desire of seeking the truth was fulfilled, she would accompany her.
Even better, as a reward of its own, she wanted to help her. While thinking of such a cheeky thing, Empty fell asleep.
The next morning.
Empty smiled and greeted Kurumi after she woke up.
“Good morning, Kurumi-san.” “……What is this?”
Looking back at Kurumi’s surprised look, Empty smiled again. “Because it was put away, I tried baking bread.”
“Fu……”
“And coffee as well. Sure enough the Japanese must have a cup of coffee in the morning.” “……No, I feel that you are mistaken about this……”
While saying so, Kurumi placed sugar in her coffee. Seeing that glance, Empty scratched her head.
“Is it strange? Even if we don’t get hungry, eating bread is still delicious.”
“We are not eating bread, but rather it is eating the idea of bread itself.” “? ? ?”
Kurumi was convinced that she did not understand.
“……If a Quasi-Spirit has no dreams, they will not survive. This is not a metaphor or something,
but a fact.”
Kurumi slowly stated the cruel fact.
“A lot of girls have strayed into this neighboring world. Most of them??disappeared because of
not having any dreams. Well, at that point it can’t be helped anymore.” “……Why will you disappear?”
“I don’t know the reason. But, it is certain that the relative importance and influence of the body is weaker in this world compared to the other world. You won’t starve even if you don’t eat. You won’t die even if you don’t sleep. You won’t get old. It’s not a joke to describe it as perpetual youth.”
“Perpetual??youth.”
“But, if you don’t do anything for a long time, your mind will be cut off. So here, the mind is
more concerned with life and death than the body. And the most important thing is a dream.”
I want to do something. I want to do this. I want to have this. I want to that. Pure desire, an innocent hope.
Alternatively, a pitch black desire is fine as well. By this, the heart is eager to move forward and that produces a strong will to live.
Conversely speaking, the opposite is also true.
“It is really is easy to live here, but the neighboring world does not tolerate such laziness.” “Laziness??”
No dreams, no strong desire to live on, and feeling that satisfied with only continuing to exist.
“The flesh will collapse and the mind will break down??becoming a presence isolated from
others before eventually disappearing.
“Ha??ha……”
Noticing this grave matter, Empty nodded. While nodding, a sense of trepidation suddenly creeped through her back.
“I think that it will start tomorrow.”
That low whisper, she remembered that she said if she didn’t fight, she will die……returning
back to the present conversation, was that what Ibusuki Panie was feeling apprehensive about?
“??Look, your left hand.” “………………Ah.”
She couldn’t breathe. The sense of security just now was uprooted. Yes, she didn’t have a dream. She didn’t want a particular dream. For herself without any memories, this cannot be an exception.
“Ayaaaaah……!”
A hoarse scream, the left hand had become translucent. It was disappearing, this existence
seemed to be disappearing right now……! “Alright. Calm down. It’s only the left hand.” “Buuuut! But??!”
“Come back.”
“Even my left hand disappeared……………………wait, return? It came back!”
For a moment, the left hand that had disappeared had easily regained its appearance. Just to be sure, she tried closing and opening her hand, the perception was quite clear. However, after a while, the left hand began to disappear again.
“So, please find a dream. That way you can completely change back. That left hand as well.”
Although it appeared that the chirp of a sparrow was heard, it was actually a quiet morning devoid of the sound of any animal.
Empty asked while trembling.
“……With no memories at all? Without knowing what I am good at? Besides, under these circumstances of your status in participating in the killing? You want me to think about my future dreams?”
Tokisaki Kurumi responded with the highest smile while lacking commitment.
“Yes, yes, that’s right.”
It was unreasonable. It was truly unreasonable. But?there was no other choice.
“By the time this killing game is over, Empty-san will fall into nothingness. By then, I hope you will find a dream.”
……Silence.
For a moment, Tokisaki Kurumi expressed an ill look that would infuriate others. Of course people would take offense to that remark.
But there was no choice but to accept that. She would have to work hard.
“……I understand. I will try hard.” “Be positive.”
“Ahahaha. I cannot do it unless I am already positive!”
Although it was only halfway self-discipline, little by little various things began to accumulate in the empty vessel.
This was by no means only despair. Joy, expectations, and of course the desire to move forward, a little bit of everything still existed.
“So, Kurumi-san. Where are we going today?”
“That’s right……is there anything that Empty-san wants to have?” “I want freedom, memories, and safety.”
“Unfortunately, those are not sold at all. What else?”
It seemed that those concepts did not exist here. As Empty was thinking it over, she noticed the stains on the cuff of her clothes.
“Ah??......clothes and underwear. If I slip or get caught in a fight, the stains on these white
clothes will be quite noticeable.”
Since the piece was pure white, any stains will be unusually eye-catching.
“If my clothes are okay, can you lend me yours?” “Eh.”
Speaking of Kurumi’s clothes, of course it was a radiant and glistening pitch darkness gothic Lolita style.
“……No, that…..is too much, don’t dare, hey, ah, uhh……”
Perhaps satisfied with the incoherent answer, Empty quickly interjected a “no way?” as Kurumi
nodded back.
“In any case, let’s head to the shopping mall. Clothes and underwear are there.” “Eh, a shopping mall? Is there such a thing?”
“Yes, and there’s also a salesperson to receive guests.”
“T-that’s wonderful!” But a shopping clerk, I thought there were no other living things except Quasi-Spirits.”
“It’s similar to a robot-like creature, so there’s no problem.” “And money is??”
“In this world, money isn’t even worth being paper to blow your nose.”
“The end of the crazy century!” (According to the Chinese TL, this is a Fist of the North Star reference)
Despite lacking her memories, only unusual knowledge continually poured out of Empty like a muddy stream.
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