Mushi to Medama Vol 3 Chapter 4

Night 4: Temporary halt?

The Meat Doll was very happy.

She didn't know how others would judge her, but she was very happy.

"Aaaa - uaaaa, aaaa!"

The Meat Doll emitted meaningless whimpers and opened her mouth.

If she did that, then the handsome blond man sitting opposite her would gently place the spoon between her lips.

It was afternoon.

"Sensei" was feeding the Meat Doll his homemade hot soup, since she could eat on her own. The Meat Doll smiled because of the good taste, and spoke unconsciously: "Yummy."

These words didn't have any meaning.

The Meat Doll could even understand language. Her tongue only instinctively p.r.o.nounced the words she thought of.

Even so, Sensei still smiles at me.

The Meat Doll could not even detect the unmistakable sorrow mixed into that smile.

Her favorite Sensei cooked for her, fed her, and most importantly, stayed beside her. This made the Meat Doll very happy and contented. She hoped this could last forever.

The 'self' of the Meat Doll, which was more ambiguous than that of humans, was willingly enduring this happy 'temporary halt' in a way.

"Milady, you shouldn't talk when you're eating." A fake smile was barely staying on Sensei's face as he wiped away the drool and soup coming out the corner of the Meat Doll’s mouth with a handkerchief.

She let him do this, feeling happy and content under his touch and his care.

"Aaaaum - "

"Sensei", with his tired face and black rings around his eyes, looked at the Meat Doll’s reaction painfully.

He had stayed beside the Meat Doll for a few months now, taking care of Rinne, who was completely altered. There was no point in doing this.

A completely collapsed personality would never revert to its initial form.

"Sensei"’s shoulders drooped and his head fell, but he still grasped the spoon as if doing so would grant him atonement for his sins. He had failed to protect the Meat Doll, and therefore must be punished.

Yes.

He said he loved me.

He said he would protect me.

But I am all broken.

Therefore, Sensei, don't leave me ever again. Stay with me for your whole life. Don't look away even for a second. Only think of me. Only love me.

"Milady, here, open your mouth."

"Aaaa - "

The Meat Doll ate the food he cooked and smiled radiantly.

This time belonged only to the two of them. No one would disturb them.

Yes, indeed, this was so-called happiness.

The Meat Doll was very happy.

Although some thing seemed to be wrong, she was still very happy.

They ran out of food one day, and "Sensei" left to buy groceries from the town. He told her never to leave the room, so the Meat Doll laid down on the tatamis.

The cracks on the tatami mats felt p.r.i.c.kly. The Meat Doll quietly enjoyed that sensation for a little while.

But she soon became bored, so she sat up and looked around the room.

An incongruously big television was placed in this small 4-tatami room.

There were many photos on the wall of Sensei with her joyous previous self, that girl called Usagawa Rinne.

They were at the amus.e.m.e.nt park, the aquarium, and at the beach. Sensei and herself looked very happy in each and every one of the photos.

She suddenly felt the corners of her eyes grow hot and her throat constrict. The Meat Doll couldn't help but let out a moan.

A warm liquid flowed down her cheeks - tears.

Why was she crying?

This temporarily halted paradise should be the best for the two of us. We will never leave each other. Sensei will do everything for me, and I will listen to everything Sensei tells me to do. No one else has the right to intrude upon our world, where there is only happiness -

We should be happy.

So why can't I stop crying?

"Uuuu, mmmmm, aaaaaa!"

The Meat Doll walked up to the wall and tore off the pictures on the wall. She couldn't bear it any longer. Her heart felt like it was going to burst open. Why?

She brusquely brushed off her tears and moaned.

"Uuuuummm - mmmmmmm.”

A bottomless fear flitted past her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed meaninglessly.

"Aaaa –”

She then p.r.o.nounced words that she had not spoken for a long time.

Is this 'my' happiness? Is this what I wanted? I believe so, because I am happy. Sensei loves me, is always with me, so I should be happy. There is nothing to be upset about. However, however -

I keep feeling there is something wrong.

Is this really the kind of happiness I was hoping for?

She suddenly heard a sound from outside the door. Someone was moaning and asking for help in a low voice, either from fear or pain.

That had nothing to do with her. She didn't need to care about it. Sensei said not to go outside. It was very scary outside. As long as she remained in this paradise, she wouldn’t get hurt or broken again. She could happily stay with Sensei -

"I..."

The Meat Doll opened her eyes wide and crawled towards the exit.

"I - hate, I, am, not, such, a, despicable - person..."

As if asking for help, the Meat Doll once named Usagawa Rinne stretched her hand towards the door.

The Long-Armed Demon.

The serial killer who had murdered dozens of people a few months ago and plunged Kannonsakazaki into a spiral of terror was currently facing an extreme crisis. She wasn't been attacked by monsters, nor was she sick with a disease.

"Aaaa, aaaaauuuu, uuuuuummmm."

The Long-Armed Demon – Aizawa Ume – rubbed her head against the tatami as she wriggled in a strange manner.

"Idiot, idiot, why aren't you back yet, Kurukiyo! Ssssssss, uuuuu, he must have forgotten about me... You tied the collar leash so tightly on the stick so I can't move, and you haven't been back for three or four days! Die, die, die! If you died, then I'll hate you, curse you, haunt you. Kurukiyo you b.a.s.t.a.r.d..."

Ume looked very ordinary – apart from her two absent arms. Her short hair was tied up into two ponytails, and she wore a cute outfit befitting her young age. However, Ume did not attend elementary school despite being only eleven years old. Instead, she was imprisoned by a perverted detective.

Nageki Kurukiyo, the strange detective in question, had caught Ume in the incident a few months back. Ume had lost the ability to kill using her invisible arms, and he restricted her activities by imprisoning her in this old and decrepit apartment. Having lost her ability, Ume could not resist, and she was collared and couldn't move. But –

"Aaah, haaah, can't, can't handle it anymore. Uwah, someone – someone come help me, aaaa."

Since she can't move, she was unable to eat. Of course – she couldn't go to the restroom either.

Ume's bladder had reached its limit since Nageki was back last. She had endured long enough. She endured it the best she could and waited for Nageki to return as if she was waiting for an angel to save her.

But it was too much.

Ume's thighs were stiff and tears streamed down her cheeks like waterfalls. She screamed: "G.o.d! Buddha! I won't do anything bad anymore! Help me – forgive me! Why? Why do I have such bad luck? Dad, Mom, Zekiguchi, Kurukiyo! Someone, help me, help me!!!"

Click. Someone opened the door.

Ume thought she must be hallucinating as her sanity went over the edge. Someone couldn’t have possibly opened the door at such an opportune time.

The sun outside of the door shone into the room, so she couldn’t see her visitor’s face. The only thing she could be sure of was that the person was not Nageki, but a short young girl.

She felt as if she had seen this girl somewhere before, but she was too busy to think about that right now.

Ume displayed the most brilliant smile she had ever had in her life and called out to the other girl, who was looking silently into the room: “Ah – I, I’m saved! You! You, standing over there! Help me remove the collar!”

“Coll…ar?” As if saying a word she had never heard before, the girl replied with an incredulous tone. She then walked towards Ume and stared unblinkingly at her.

Ume kicked her legs in desperation and yelled at her anxiously: “Hey, what is this? What are you doing? Don’t you understand? This. Untie this thing! I can repay you however you like after you untie this thing! Hurry hurry! Hurry up, I can’t hold on anymore!”

The girl looked at Ume with a confused expression. Ume, in turn, was desperately stretching her neck to show her the collar. Luckily it seemed the girl understood, stretching her hands towards it. The knot was quite loose as Nageki knew Ume won’t be able to untie it anyways, so it came apart very easily in the girl’s hands.

“Thank you!” Ume yelled as she charged towards the restroom like a lightning bolt. I don’t know who she is, but she was such a big help. Thank you, G.o.d! Thank you, Buddha!

“Thank…you.” The girl repeated, as if considering Ume’s words.

She then smiled beautifully like a blossoming flower, but Ume could not see her sweet smile from where she was.

Whimpers.

A sound one would make when enduring unbearable pain, and also the sound of immense hatred.

Takamikado Mitaka slowly opened his eyes to see a dirty floor under him. He seemed to have fainted. He felt cold, and all his muscles felt weak. Mitaka tried to push himself up with his hands, but a piercing pain from his left hand made him collapse back down.

His left hand – if memory served, Gankyū Eguriko dug a hole in it. Right, so where was Gankyū Eguriko? Where was Tatsue? Mitsuki? Mina? Sakaki Ganhō?

“Urk…”

This is not the time to collapse, Mitaka thought.

He pushed himself up with his remaining hand.

This seemed to be a prison? It was dark. The stale air was full of the thick smell of blood. The iron bars before him reflected a dull light.

How long did I sleep for? Where am I? He tried to think, and was at a complete loss. The only thing he knew was that he had been pulled into the worst situation possible.

“Where am I? d.a.m.n it – Sakaki Ganhō! Show yourself! Why are you locking me in here? Where did you put everyone else?”

Mitaka kept shaking the iron bars. However, he could not break these bars with a merely human body and strength. As he tried and tried, the skin on his palms peeled off, so he stopped. Defeated, he sank into silence, feeling utterly empty inside.

“Ahh...”

He suddenly heard something.

“Mi-chan, are you there?” The voice was weak and soft, but he recognized that voice.

“Mitsuki? Where are you?” Her voice was echoing in this small place, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Mitaka was planning to look through this darkness with his reptilian eyesight, but stopped when Mitsuki spoke with a troubled voice.

“No, it’s better if you don’t look.” He heard her coa.r.s.e, dying voice.

Mitaka couldn’t help but s.h.i.+ver. He instinctively felt something bad was going on.

“It’s terrible, isn’t it, Mi-chan?” Even her laughter sounded weak: “They won’t treat my wounds because I have a Fragment – and just left me lying here. Um, I don’t quite look like a human anymore… hehe, so I don’t want you to see me.” It was that same innocent, half-joking tone.

“I was – examined? Dissected? – while Mi-chan was unconscious. Slicy slicy with the surgical blades, snapy snapy with the pincers. It was terrible… and Mi-chan, it was humans who did it, too.”

Mitaka was so surprised that he could only respond with a questioning gaze. Mitsuki gave out a low laugh: “It was humans. EVERYBODY in this inst.i.tute is an ordinary human. They all want to live forever, want to be stronger, and want to retain their youth. Such weak and pitiable humans. I am absolutely terrified of them.”

Her voice was shaking, gradually losing its optimistic and angelic tone.

“They were ordinary humans. These men and women cut me up only because they were afraid of death. But it wasn’t only me, right? Because they want to keep living, because they don’t want to die – that was why humans tore open the earth, destroyed the environment, polluted the ocean, corrupted the air, made species extinct, and kept betraying their brethren – huh, that won’t do at all. They’ve never evolved after Noah’s time.”

“Mitsuki?”

It was pitch-black. He could not see Mitsuki’s expression.

It was no longer Mitaka’s friend, Saibara Mitsuki, lying in the darkness.

“Ahahahaha, this human race deserves to be annihilated, doesn’t it? If humans are only capable of continuing to hurt each other and making mistakes, then they are not needed. They should be destroyed. So scary. So much hate. I want to vomit. I want to vomit. I want to vomit. I want to vomit.”

Unpleasant Counter-Current, Saibara Mitsuki, calmly said: “Aah, malevolence – it’s coming.”

“Mitsuki?”

Mitaka shook the bars, yelling at Mitsuki, who he couldn’t even see.

“What’s wrong, Mitsuki?! What are you talking about?”

There was no reply.

What did those people do to Mitsuki? She said ‘inst.i.tute’ – what kind of place is that? He hated himself for falling unconscious. Mitaka didn’t care about humans. Indeed, for his reptilian race, humans were arguably his most detestable enemies, having eaten the Apple and being chased out of the Garden of Eden.

But Tatsue was one of those humans.

There were probably also other humans who were trying their best to keep living.

It was wrong to destroy the human race just because one hated some humans.

This thought would never have crossed Mitaka’s mind half a year ago, but now he genuinely believed it. No. Everything was going in a bad direction. He had to leave this place. He needed to calm down Mitsuki’s malevolence, then save Tatsue and Mina from somewhere within this place, then –

He heard a click.

When he turned around – like a mirage, someone was suddenly standing in front of Mitaka, who was facing the bars.

“Joker. That’s my name.”

The person gave a name without being asked for it, and continued in a low voice: “that’s my true name, but no one would believe it, so it became a nickname. It doesn’t matter. I’ve already told you my name, and allowed you to see my face.”

It was a beautiful foreigner who appeared to resemble someone Mitaka knew.

Her blonde hair reached her thighs, and bells were tied to her hair for some reason. She had blue eyes, her lips had red lipstick on, she was dressed in a black suit and black boots, and held a pair of sungla.s.ses in her hand. She was a woman, but her speech and mannerism were very masculine – no, the impression of masculinity was imperfect.

“I doubted my luck the first time I saw you, but you really are the Snake. I am so lucky.” She smiled as the bells in her hair rang.

“The coward had shown you her name and face. You better understand what this means and its value, and reply to my questions truthfully.”

Ignoring Mitaka, the woman called Joker murmured.

“The remnant of the house of Snakes, which has survived despicably till now – I ask of you, does G.o.d exist?”

She asked with an even but somewhat pa.s.sionate tone. Mitaka couldn’t respond. This question, so childlike and simple, was very difficult. He frowned with confusion.

“Why –”

“Don’t ask why. Answer me!” Joker hysterically stomped her feet and approached Mitaka.

“Is there a G.o.d? Is there a Divine Will? Are Miracles real? Is there a Paradise?” As if asking for help, as if praying, pleading, needing, she asked this over and over.

“Hey! – Snake, did G.o.d really exist back in the distant past? Did your ancestors feel for even once that G.o.d really existed?”

Looking at Mitaka, who remained silent and turned his face away with some fear, Joker sighed.

“So you don’t know either.” She turned around, muttering to herself.

“Heh. Calmness, peace, Utopia – where are they? Scary, scary, scary scary, this world is so scary.”

“You –”

Mitaka s.h.i.+vered when he heard her twisted words: “Who are you? Sakaki Ganhō’s accomplice?”

“Ganhō…” She stopped, looking back at him: “he must be the greatest coward in the world. I believe he is trying his best to find a way to protect himself and remove himself from danger because of his cowardice, which is why I am helping him. This inst.i.tute is the Second Babel that he had built, based on the information that I gave him.”

She stared at him as she said some rather incomprehensible things.

“I a.s.sist him, and sometimes lend him the name of Tear song, to let him perform the ‘role’ of the Savior. I am very scared of showing myself before other people… terrified of that even now. Just now, you heard the old voice that was different from Ganhō’s voice. That was my altered voice after I made myself invisible. I was also the one who attacked the s.p.a.ce Gankyū Eguriko was in and made her faint.”

“You…”

Mitaka couldn’t understand this. He kept asking: “What are you? What are you?”

“I am Joker, just a coward. Others call me Tear song.” She smiled and merged into one with the darkness.

“Snake, your family was right. You don’t want to die, you want to live forever; what’s wrong with that wish? What’s wrong with praying for eternal peace?” Only her obsessive voice echoed in the narrow prison cell.

“G.o.d! If you exist, then love me! Elevate me, grant me peace, give me eternal life! I am prepared to sacrifice everything except me to achieve that goal!”

The woman with a ridiculous name disappeared as she kept shouting.

Mitaka felt like vomiting. He felt he had just glimpsed the kind of creature he himself was.

“Mi-chan.” He heard Saibara Mitsuki calling towards him: “Run away. The iron bars… are tough. Humans can’t break those, but you are the Snake, so you could get out. Run – away – quickly. Please… help Tatsu-chan and big sis. I, can’t, hold on.”

“Mitsuki – hey, please don’t!” He decided not to think too much and screamed into the darkness: “I hate owing favors to other people, but you helped me escape from Gankyū Eguriko, didn’t you? Hey, what now? Now I need to repay the favor. If I don’t save you, then I’d be worried about owing you a favor, and I won’t be able to sleep!”

“Hehe.” Mitsuki laughed in a disturbing manner.

“Mi-chan is so manly. I’d fall in love with you if Tatsu-chan wasn’t already your lover.”

“Don’t be stupid. Come, Mitsuki, we’re escaping! Mitsuki is the invincible Unpleasant Counter-Current, no? You always said that. Let’s break these iron bars with a snap! Come!”

Mitaka yelled, but Mitsuki only laughed weakly.

“No… I feel like I’m going to disappear soon. It’s all in my heart. The spite, hatred, and terror are all mixed up inside. I’m probably… going to disappear.”

Mitsuki said this matter-of-factly, then continued calmly: “I let out some black liquid when I lost control in the tram, didn’t I? That’s malevolence, my own malevolence. That’s the power of the Greater Fragment – the power of the fallen angel Unpleasant Counter-Current, which can destroy the world and eliminate humanity. I feel the malevolence I have this time isn’t even on the same scale. I will definitely deal out destruction, slaughter people, and be finished off for my ‘evil’. Even if that doesn’t happen, my normal personality as an angel is likely to be wiped out by that of the fallen angel and disappear.” She muttered with a smile.

“I am very happy. I should have died a few years ago, but I am still alive. I could live with big sis, I could go to school and meet Mi-chan and Tatsu-chan – I am so happy. That was a wonderful time. It is incredible. I feel happy when I think of the time spent with you – even though I’m in such a bad position.”

Then, Mitsuki said firmly with her habitual innocence, as if it was the final chirp of a cicada: “I am very happy.”

Then, she said quietly: “Mi-chan, run away. Run away while those happy memories of living with you are still suppressing my malevolence – hey, whether I am controlled by the fallen angel and lose my consciousness, or I die from exhaustion, we will probably… never meet again.”

Just as Mitaka was considering what to say, a familiar pair of big gloves appeared between the bars. She was actually very close to him.

“So… don’t look at my body, hold my hand, hold it tight. Just for one last time. Just remember this touch. That would be enough for me not be afraid of disappearing. I like this world.”

Mitaka held Mitsuki’s hand. Her fingers twitched slightly: “And I love humans.”

Mitaka obeyed Mitsuki’s wishes and did not look at the red and black object lying in the darkness.

“I hate being like that. I don’t want to hate, I don’t want to destroy. More importantly… I don’t want to disappear. I don’t want to, I don’t want to disappear, I don’t want to die. I want to stay with everybody. Mi-chan, Tatsu-chan, sis –”

She looked at Mitaka, and a solitary tear slid down her cheek.

This is despicable.

She had goose b.u.mps everywhere. An unpleasant feeling crept up her throat with every breath. Kuroki Tatsue whimpered with a pallid countenance.

“Devil…”

Her hands were tied behind her, and she could not wipe away the burning tears flowing past her cheeks. Her sight was hazy, and even the figure of the handsome man standing before her – Sakaki Ganhō – was gradually distorted.

“Devil, Devil!” She yelled at the top of her lungs. Tatsue gasped from this unfamiliar roaring.

But that was not enough for her. Her brain continuously supplied her with repulsive phrases and hateful words. As she considered which one she would use to spit her bile at the man before her, Ganhō laughed loudly: “Hwahahaha! Devil? You’re calling me the Devil?”

Ganhō looked arrogantly at her with an oppressive gaze reserved for those who ruled over others, as if she was lower than the dirt itself.

“Tatsue, the Devil isn’t my ‘role’. My duty is to a.s.sist the Savior, Tear song. I am her disciple – an angel! Swear at me, call me an angel! Everything must be correct!”

This was an alien place.

They were in a circular room, and innumerable screens covered every inch of the walls. No, not just the walls, Even the floor and ceiling were also displaying images. Holograms? Special effects? Tatsue couldn’t help but think this when she first saw what was on display.

Strange monsters. Precise machinery. Broken corpses. Researchers clad in white lab coats. These images on the small screens where like those Tatsue occasionally saw on the television, and she thought those were very life-like acts.

But –

“Waaaaaaa.”

Tatsue’s hands were tied behind her and she was sitting on the ground, and she cried while in that pose: “How, how could you be an angel… you’re even lower than a human. Why –”

She strained her voice and roared hoa.r.s.ely: “Why – How can do you something so cruel?”

The most terrible image was being displayed in the biggest screen in front of Ganhō.

She was tied to the operating table with powerful wires and was under the gaze of a group of expressionless, white-clad men – Saibara Mitsuki was being dissected alive.

She was crying, screaming, calling out for Tatsue, Mina, and Mitaka.

But blades and pincers mercilessly kept tearing into her flesh. Even Mitsuki, who was capable of removing the feeling of pain, probably could not endure the sensation of her own body being toyed with like that – her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

But those men did not stop. They continued to dissect.

Blood. Blood. Blood.

“So that was what is behind Unpleasant Counter-Currents abilities. She reflects malevolence, but not without limits – looks like she must use those gloves to grab malevolence, then let the mouth in her stomach eat it. If she tries to revert malevolence in other ways, it would cause too much damage – is that so? This ability is quite inconvenient. How is that invincible… how dare she threatens me.”

Ganhō kept talking to himself as he looked at the image in front of him. The researchers in white lab coats were intensely discussing something around the operation table, which had but a few pieces of Mitsuki’s body left on it. Tatsue had almost gone mad from having seen Mitsuki being cut up. The unending tears made her voice thick with a nasal tw.a.n.g. She screamed at Ganhō: “Why –”

She tore off her fake mask and cried like a baby, without regarding her appearances.

“Why did you do that? Did Ki-chan ever do anything bad? What is this place? Please answer me – Father!”

“Don’t fret like a little bird.” Ganhō turned to look at Tatsue and smiled elegantly.

“This is the Eternity Inst.i.tute.”

Tatsue’s anguished expression became mixed with confusion upon hearing that phrase.

“Eternity – Inst.i.tute?”

“Hey, Tatsue, do you think humans are happy?” Ganhō asked with full seriousness.

The flickering images around him were portraying an abysmal scene. Someone died every few minutes, their spluttering blood dirtying the camera. Dying screams came out one after the other. Anguish, hatred, rage and horror gathered and condensed here. This was h.e.l.l.

“Hey, Tatsue, I am probably the richest human on earth.”

“Clunk Clunk.” The sound of leather boots stepping on the floor accompanied Ganhō’s elegant gait as he paced in the room.

“If I – Sakaki Ganhō, CEO of the Sakaki Organization, the dominator of the world – so wished, then I could obtain all the happiness in the world. Gourmet food, a beautiful appearance, the mysteries of the world, all the wonders of nature. Entire countries, fame, even human lives – if I wanted them, then they would immediately be presented to me.”

He suddenly stopped in front of Tatsue and put his face close to her: “But Tatsue – my wishes are never-ending.”

“Aaaah.” He groaned and looked at the ceiling.

“Eternal life. This is what made the first Emperor of China, a man who possessed a vast empire and enjoyed all the happiness on earth, worry till his death. If you knew that I remain unsatisfied after eating the ‘Apple of Eden’Tear song gave me and obtaining immortality, would you be surprised?”

Tatsue was silent. Sakaki Ganhō was her goal. She always swore that she would one day surpa.s.s her magnificent brother, inherit everything from Ganhō, and became the ruler of the world.

But I can no longer desire his position like I did before.

I already knew what true happiness is.

“Even if I obtain everything on earth, I would lose them all once my life ends. I am scared of that. Even with an Apple, I will die if my heart is removed from me. There is no absolute, perfect a.s.surance. That is why I desire, why I crave eternity –”

Was that Sakaki Ganhō’s goal?

“What we investigate in this inst.i.tute is the eternal happiness that I wish for, something the rest of the world undoubtedly also wishes for. Why can we not enjoy happiness unperturbed? Because of fear. What are we afraid of? We are afraid of the unknown. We do not know if there is a world after death, so we fear death. Omniscience – that is the road sign towards eternal happiness.”

Ganhō smiled and pointed to a monitor. A strange monster was giving out an ominous roar.

“Something like monsters.”

The image on the monitor changed. It was a crying human whose skin was pierced – the image continued to switch as if it was a rewinding tape.

“Something like Apple Holders.”

Ganhō opened his arms. Any residual reason in his eyes had completely disappeared. He shouted: “What is a Fragment? What are the Seven Kobitos? What are the reasons for monster activities? And at last – what is G.o.d?”

He put his hand over his heart and smiled like a gentleman.

“After I solve all these mysterious and understand the entire structure of the world, I will receive a perfect and immortal body and all the happiness in the world. Don’t you think that would be true satisfaction? That that would be the pinnacle of humanity?”

Tatsue couldn’t help but hide her face, looking at Ganhō’s roaring laugh.

That.

That –

That kind of a reason –

“That’s why you did those horrible things to Ki-chan –”

“Ki-chan? Oh, Saibara Mitsuki. Unpleasant Counter-Current, one of the Seven Kobitos. I was very much looking forward to her due to rumors of her invincibility, and I even dissected her. But there was not much to be learned. I plan to have her fight Gankyū Eguriko, whom I tried so hard to catch. That should reduce Unpleasant Counter-Current’s power.”

It was a very cold voice.

He didn’t know how Mitsuki laughed, how she happily talked about even the most meaningless things. He didn’t know Mitsuki’s happy expressions when she was eating delicious food, and her occasional gentle expression. That was why he could treat her like an object, completely insensitive to her pain and anguish.

He didn’t regard other humans as equals. His heart was so cold.

Tatsue felt her heart was rapidly approaching a kind of clarity. She s.h.i.+vered, her body shook, and her dry, tearless eyes looked at Ganhō as the latter kept talking.

“We also captured many monsters that swelled out due to Sterilization Disinfection’s absence. We tried to get humans to eat their body parts and did some dissections, along with many other types of experiments. There are no breakthroughs so far – but we don’t need to worry about running out of materials. If we show humans the evils done by monsters, we can abduct as many humans as we want, hehehe.”

So it was the Eternity Inst.i.tute that was abducting humans.

This Inst.i.tute must also have committed uncountable sins. She wouldn’t be able to retain her mind if she knew all the truths hidden here.

“Tatsue, why are you looking so serious?” Ganhō looked towards Tatsue with a puzzled expression. “No matter how many ordinary humans die, it doesn’t bother us, who rule. Rejoice, Tatsue. It was destiny for you to come into contact with Apples and the Kobitos. If I fall in the middle of accomplis.h.i.+ng my goal, then you can inherit this inst.i.tute. The public Sakaki Organization can be given to Guryū – Oh? Tatsue, shouldn’t you be happy? This is a very good thing. Thanks to me, you will come to know about true happiness.”

“Shut up, fool.” Her voice was very low.

Tatsue growled this piercing sentence with an icy tone.

Ganhō’s self-possessed expression froze in place, as if he couldn't believe what he heard. He asked with a shaking voice: “Tatsue, what did you say?”

Tatsue matched his frozen expression with hatred, glaring at him with an anger beyond words. Her voice was low, ominous, and too precise for perfect calm.

“I already know what true happiness is. I don’t need other people to teach me.”

There was a strong will in her unsteady gaze.

“Father… you were once a divine figure to me.” She said calmly, closing her eyes.

“I idolized you. I did that because I had never met you, and I only knew you were the director of an organization mightier than countries, a power that controlled the world. I believed Father must not be as confused and troubled as I am. I believed you were a perfect being.”

She opened her eyes. Her voice contained no irony or scorn, only pity. “But – looking at your face and listening to you talk disillusioned me. When I think of what kind of a person Father really was, I can only think you're a fool. A fool who could not even comprehend the meaning of happiness, which even a baby with limited intelligence could understand!”

Ganhō’s expression became serious and he made a long step towards Tatsue.

He was terrifying.

Tatsue wasn’t brave. A tall man approaching her like this was enough to scare her to death. But she could not - would not - retreat now.

She gathered all the courage within her and indicted the head of the Sakaki Organization: “A fool like you will never obtain satisfaction and happiness. Even if you possess an immortal body, control the entire world, know all the rules that govern this earth, you will still be unsatisfied!”

Ganhō put his fingertip to his chin and stared at Tatsue silently.

Tatsue could not even move her limbs. Her entire body shook, but she did not look away, did not stop her words.

“Do you know why humans want eternal life and seek to possess more and more, even after they have gained the whole world? Do you know why humans struggle, hope, and pray to keep living?” Even if her teeth cluttered, her tongue became stiff, and it became difficult to speak, she refused to be silent. “It seems you do not know this. Let me tell you then, Father. We want to be loved. We are solely alive for that instant when we know we are loved, when we feel that happiness.”

Once upon a time, Tatsue wanted to dominate the world. She wanted to surpa.s.s her brother, she wanted to obtain the Sakaki Organization – but this illusory dream was not real.

Mitaka said he was always chasing after everlasting life, but he didn’t seem to know why he wanted immortality and why he was born.

Mitaka, the answer is simple.

Don’t worry.

The instant you embrace your beloved, the instant you speak to people you care about – humans are alive just for that one split second of happiness. Right then, even if it was just for one moment, you would be satisfied – you would feel it is good to be alive.

Why did Tatsue want to dominate the world?

She didn’t want anything. She didn’t want to have power.

– Mom, praise me.

That innocent wish Tatsue p.r.o.nounced in her childhood was the truth.

Tatsue wished to be praised by others, and wanted to be acknowledged.

Tatsue was simply someone who deeply wished for others to regard her as ‘Tatsue’. She believed that could only be achieved by exceeding her brother, inheriting her father’s role, and becoming the leader of the Sakaki Organization. She had to leave behind her ident.i.ty as ‘insurance’ and obtain the Sakaki Organization according to her mother’s wishes.

Only then could she be praised and acknowledged.

No. Only then could she be loved.

That was probably the final goal of humanity.

We labor to earn money and hope for an elevated position just so we can be praised by others, just so we can be loved. We pray for eternity only because we want more time to be loved.

Humans feel happy from the bottom of their hearts when they are loved.

That was what she thought.

That was why Tatsue declared: “You who do not love others, who do not respect others, and who carelessly murdered others because of your pointless research – a man as devoid of love as you will never be happy! You cannot feel others’ love, cannot care for others, and will never be loved. You will never be satisfied!”

“Hey.” Ganhō grabbed hold of Tatsue’s face and growled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you – you should watch your tone, girl. I can’t be happy? I, Sakaki Ganhō, the richest man on Earth, the man closest to G.o.d, the man with eternal life? How can a little girl like you understand anything like this… Tatsue, you should a.s.sess your own social position before you speak up. If you are obedient, then I’ve already promised you this wonderful inst.i.tute! Don’t elevate yourself above your position – there are plenty of people who can take your place!”

Even when scolded, Tatsue still shook her head and flung Ganhō’s hand away.

“No –”

Incidentally, her eyes caught one image – it was a soft, slithering snake – and she smiled.

She knew about that familiar black skin. That was… that skin – trying not to let Ganhō notice, she continued talking as if trying to tell the black snake: “No one can subst.i.tute for me. I am who I am. I am Kuroki Tatsue, and I will exist as long as there is a person who acknowledges me as such!”

She glared at Ganhō and declared firmly: “I am ten times – no, hundreds of times happier than you! Envy me! You can keep painstakingly worrying about and misunderstanding happiness, my pitiable Father!”

“Little wench – do you want to be cut into pieces?!!” Ganhō’s eyes widened as he roared. Tatsue was not scared. She was no longer shaking. Her arrogant gaze ardently followed the black snake that gradually disappeared out of the corner of the monitor.

At the same time, something was happening on the third floor of the apartment building that could have been mistaken as a big piece of junk had it been any smaller.

Someone thanked the Meat Doll. If each thanks counted as flowers, then the Meat Doll felt like she was placed into a flower garden.

“Thank you very much. You didn’t save my life, but… you really helped me out. I will have to respect you from now on.”

The girl without arms bowed energetically to the Meat Doll. She was slightly shorter than the Meat Doll, and her cute whirls of hair could be seen as they sat face to face.

The Meat Doll stretched her hand towards the girl’s slightly shaking ponytails and made “aaahhh” sounds with her mouth. The girl smiled and gave her name.

“My name is Aizawa Ume. I actually have a more scary name. Hmm, that’s a secret. What’s your name? Do you live here?”

Hearing the Meat Doll making throaty sounds, Aizawa Ume looked confused. She then proceeded to talk to herself.

“The people living here are really cold. I shouted so much for someone to come help me, and no one turned up. This is the sickness of the modern world and no one cares about anyone else…”

She continued, talking about something difficult that the Meat Doll couldn’t understand. Or perhaps she couldn’t think what should follow this information. The little girl shook her head and looked at the Meat Doll.

“Hmm, but this feels strange. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere. Where could it have been? Is this the first time we met?”

“The first time.”

The Meat Doll copied Ume’s words without comprehension. Ume nodded in agreement.

“Hmm, it is indeed the first time we met. Hehe, I’m not very good with faces or names.”

As she said this, she got up nimbly on her legs and walked anxiously towards the door. Using her body to turn the doork.n.o.b, she slowly opened the door and looked out.

Then she closed the door silently, as if being guarded against something. She went back into the room, collapsed on the ground, and said softly with a touch of loneliness in her voice: “Why isn’t Kurukiyo back yet?”

“Kurukiyo?”

Seeing the Meat Doll was confused, Ume furrowed her brows and said: “That perverted detective.”

“Perverted detective.”

Gradually, tears welled up in Ume’s eyes. She curled up like a little kid and lied down on the floor.

“He said he’d be back on the next day. Liar. Where has he been for the last three or four days? Did he get killed by a monster? A guy like that deserves to die.” She murmured and sobbed.

“Sob sob.”

She started to cry. Warm tears flew past her cheeks. Ume tilted her head in surprise.

“Huh? Uwaaaa, why am I crying… I’m acting like a fool, like a fool!”

“Ume-chan?” The Meat Doll blurred out those words and stretched out her hand.

Why? Her own personality was already shattered, but she still felt painful whenever she saw others shed tears.

She caressed Ume’s back, and Ume looked up at her awkwardly.

“Uwah, uuuwaahhh!” She cried in loneliness, as if she was just a lost child.

“Uwahh, uwaaaaahhhhh!”

The Meat Doll stared at her. Warm liquid was flowing down from her eyes, her throat was slightly shaking, and she cried pitifully.

The Meat Doll’s heart hurt… She couldn’t bear to keep looking at this.

“Don’t, cry.”

The Meat Doll mumbled softly. She couldn’t even understand the meaning of her words, but she kept saying: “Don’t cry.”

She patted Ume’s head.

She seemed to recall that she had seen Ume before when she was still Usagawa Rinne. Back then, she was asking for help – she had an unstable, lonely expression.

Seeing Ume like this hurt the Meat Doll.

The Meat Doll comforted Ume as she took some time to contemplate.

Although it was something more primitive than human thought, something more instinctive, something that couldn’t even be called ‘thought’.

Why do I feel sad when I see other people crying or hurt?

Other people have nothing to do with me. No matter how hurt they are physically or mentally, that won’t hurt me. It should have nothing to do with me.

But I feel hurt when I see her cry.

Her pain is my pain.

We are the same.

The Meat Doll felt confused when she reached this train of thought. We – are – the –same.

The door then opened.

“Kurukiyo?”

Ume responded like a little animal and lifted up her tear-streaked face. Before her eyes –

“Hihihi.”

The door was opened.

A head of long black hair, tied into intricate patterns, moved slightly in the wind that blew in through the open door. Ume stared at that unnaturally tall man, who bent down to come through the door.

“Ah!”

She opened her mouth wide and her expression froze, as if she saw a ghost in broad daylight.

The man had an almost holy aura, but his eyes were sharp and piercing like a wolf’s. He smirked and looked towards Ume with an enigmatic expression, and clapped exaggeratedly.

“Oho, how strange. I’m getting a really cold reception. What should I do? What I should do? Is it really true that girls would forget their ex-boyfriends in one day?”

“Aaah – erm.”

Ume’s tears and moans have both stopped, and she lifted up her pale face to look at the man. “Zeki-kun.”

“Mmmm. A pleasure to meet you. I am Zekiguchi Nas.h.i.+nori.”

The words he spoke as he bent down in greeting could be interpreted to mean something unpleasant. He then turned nonchalantly: “Ah, right… I shouldn’t forget this. This is a present, Ume-chan.”

He was carrying someone over his shoulder. As he muttered these words, this man calling himself Zekiguchi elegantly put the person down on the tatami and shrugged casually.

“At least he’s still alive.”

“Kurukiyo?”

Ume screamed and ran towards the man who was put down on the floor. The man wore an old jacket. He was not as tall as Zekiguchi, and his long fringe covered up his face, making it impossible to distinguish his features. Ume called his name with emotion and sobbed.

As Zekiguchi had said, that man seemed to still be alive.

However, his entire body was covered with some black substance, which could either have been mud of blood. He had also fainted, and may well have been wounded.

Ume’s face was pallid as if all the blood had been drawn away from her body. She looked at Zekiguchi, who was still giggling.

“Zeki-kun… Did Zeki-kun do this?”

“Oh?” Zekiguchi made a silly sound, then broke into a meaningless, roaring laughter. He shook his hand.

“Ahahaha, idiot, why should I go bully a human? It’s because of that thing, that inst.i.tute Tearsong has running.”

Zekiguchi frowned as if trying to think of something, then he p.r.o.nounced that name.

“What was it called – the Eternity Inst.i.tute? I felt something was wrong over there, so I set up surveillance. Then this guy suddenly popped up, and had a very interesting conversation with Tearsong. I was looking on the sidelines, but he was getting into a very dangerous situation, so I ended up saving him.”

“Hihihi,” Zekiguchi laughed with an unnatural sound and looked down on the man on the floor.

“Then he started calling for your name, someone whom I haven’t been able to find and am very concerned with. I wanted to just leave him somewhere, but now I found him really interesting. I found out his address from his driver’s license, and I took him home. That’s how we ended up with this touching reunion, OK? Did you get that?”

Ume’s previously happy expression suddenly disappeared. Like a child who was afraid of being chided, she had an anguished expression on her face.

“Zeki-kun…”

She lowered her head and mumbled: “Um – uwah, my arms… no… uwah – they disappeared. It’s not how you think it is. A woman took them away. It’s not my fault.”

“Oh? Your arms disappeared? Really?”

Looking surprised, Zekiguchi lifted up one eyebrow and poked Ume’s forehead once.

It was a very natural movement. Did that mean anything in particular?

But Zekiguchi still looked unperturbed and maintained his smile: “Ah, so this is it? No problem. They didn’t disappear, didn’t disappear at all.”

“Huh?” This time it was Ume who was surprised. She opened and closed her mouth incessantly.

“Re – really? The Long-Armed Demon’s two arms are still here?”

“Yep. Hihihi, Sterilization Disinfection did this, didn’t she?”

Zekiguchi smiled and hugged himself, nodding continuously as if he understood something.

“I think it was because Sterilization Disinfection’s ability completely destroyed your ‘arms’, which were dense crystallizations of energy. Then the ‘soul’ within your sensory organ almost completely disappeared, so you’re no longer able to manifest new arms? It was simply a matter of you having ran out of energy… therefore, if I just do this –”

He casually said this as he put his hand on top of her head. For a brief moment, a faint light enveloped the entire room.

“I’ll give you an Apple. I’ve only got one with me. Supply has been tight. How is it now? You should be able to use your arms now?”

Ume heard this, and stared nervously at an empty vitamin bottle lying in the corner of the room.

Instantly – “BAM” – with a deafening sound, the dark-colored gla.s.s bottle completely shattered.

“Aha – !” Ume smiled like the light of spring replacing the cold winter, and she jumped up and down in joy.

“Awesome, awesome! My arms are back! Zeki-kun, you’re the best!”

The Meat Doll couldn’t understand their conversation at all, but she felt an odd feeling and couldn’t help but s.h.i.+ft back away from them.

Zekiguchi looked at the Meat Doll, and a dangerous glint briefly pa.s.sed in his eyes.

“Oho.” A happy smile re-surfaced on his face as he turned towards the door.

“Well – since you’re back in action, why don’t you come help me? Ume-chan – no, my darling Long-Armed Demon. Tearsong and her happy friends just had to choose Unpleasant Counter-Current to play with, even though I told her not to touch the Seven Kobito. The alliance is over now, and so does my a.s.sistance towards her. Before Unpleasant Counter-Current wakes up, we must destroy that Inst.i.tute, kill Tearsong and everyone involved in the project!”

Ume’s body shook a little.

“We will, kill… Mmm – yes.”

With doubt in her eyes, she looked around the small room and the man lying on the ground. Then she shook her head.

“Mmm, Long-Armed Demon will try her best. So –” At the end, a fragile expression briefly pa.s.sed over her face, as if she was going to cry.

“Zeki-kun, please praise me lots and lots.”

She said this softly, as if to herself, and looked back toward the room.

“I’m sorry, Kurukiyo. It seems I really can’t keep living as a human anymore. But I am very happy to have lived as Aizawa Ume with you, however brief that may be.”

The girl calling herself the Long-Armed Demon shed one single tear, and walked into the open door.

Zekiguchi watched her and opened his arms happily.

“Ah, right. No one has confirmed this, but I have information that says the Inst.i.tute also captured Yono. d.a.m.n them. If they dare to harm my Yono, I won’t forgive them. Aha, you probably don’t know who ‘Yono’ is – she’s Gankyū Eguriko.”

“Gankyū-san?”

Ume was very surprised. Somehow, the Meat Doll also responded to these words: “Gankyū – Eguriko. Guriko, chan.”

Zekiguchi smiled with his lupine eyes. No one knew if he heard that reply or not.

“Mmm, I must save her, my darling Poisoned Apple. If Yono dies in there – then everything would be ruined.”

“No.” The Meat Doll said concisely. “Don’t, save her.”

“What?” With a genuine happiness, Zakiguchi looked at the Meat Doll: “What did you say, miss?”

“No –”

The Meat Doll didn’t know the meaning of what she was about to say: “No. If Guriko-chan – comes back, stay with us, then Sensei will – always, talk to Guriko-chan. I want – him, to only look at, me… huh?”

The Meat Doll moved her hand to touch her lips and her eyes widened.

Then she smiled amid her confusion.

“No. Everyone – get along well. That’s the best.”

“Hihihi.” Zekiguchi showed a devilish smile as he stared at the Meat Doll.

“You’re coming along very well in your broken state. Are you almost completely gone now? But – hmm, before I prepare the dinner and finish everything, why don’t you keep sleeping, Snow White.”

The devil disappeared with his demon after saying those enigmatic words.

The Meat Doll silently watched them depart, and casually looked down on her palms. Suddenly, tears welled from her eyes, and the Meat Doll started crying for no reason.