#as i said b4: i do like him dying and his corpse being used as a weapon

[byfulcrums]

See, the thing is, I do like the angst (I wouldn't be a JJK fan if I didn't). In fact, I love it! I love tragedies and stories that make me cry. However, all this feels so unnecessary and meaningless

It doesn't really make much sense, either. This might be me being petty, but (also based on proof that was previously stated as canon) Gojo should've won lmao

Before, the tragedy was so good. Satosugu and Itafushi parallels. Nanami and Nobara dying. Junpei. Yuta and Rika. Etc, etc, etc. It was well written, it was interesting, and I liked seeing it. Most of all, it was creative

Now it just feels like Gege is pulling all of that bullshit out of his ass to school their audience, or something

Every single chapter has been just "[X] goes to fight Sukuna, [X] dies" and then it just repeats and repeats and repeats. It's always the same goddamn thing. The blatant favoritism towards Sukuna is kinda ruining the entire series for me

[apriumjam]

Satsuriku no Tenshi Light Novel Volume 1 - B3 (Part 2)

Satsuriku no Tenshi - Until Death Do Them Part - B3 (Part 2)

Story by Makoto Sanada, written by Chiren Kina, illustrations by Negiyan, translations by me.

If you want to help out with translations, feel free to contact me!

Prologue | B7 | B6 | B5 | B4 (Part 1 / Part 2) | B3 (Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4) | Zack’s Memory || Index

And, as they enter the room, the door, of course, locks. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that it has been locked by someone.

“Ah…” Ray unintentionally lets out a small noise. There are no other doors in this room, as far as she can see.

(What should we do? We’re locked in…)

She’s enveloped by a strange uneasiness. The entrance has a sign that says “open/closed”, and there is what looks like a card reader near it.

(…Is there a card somewhere?)

She abruptly remembers how she had obtained a card from the computer on B7.

“It’s not really surprisin’ for the door t’ lock anymore,” Zack says, unbothered.

“Yeah…” Despite feeling anxious, Ray looks around the room. There are numerous wall-mounted televisions affixed high up, though there is no ladder to reach them. It almost makes the room look like some kind of electronics store. Peering closer, she sees some of the TVs have various scratches and marks, as if someone had tried to pull them down.

(I wonder what those are.)

In the very centre of the room is a human-shaped, black and red object.

(A body…)

It seems it’s been left there for a long time, because it’s already decaying.

(What’s that…?)

“The man who lies here…”

But the rest of the words are covered by the corpse, unreadable.

(…I wonder what’s written there…)

Absentmindedly thinking to herself, the girl proceeds further into the room. There’s a safe about as large as a refrigerator. Opening it, she finds a single, old-looking gas mask.

(A gas mask…)

She suddenly has a bad feeling. Or rather, she’s had a bad feeling ever since they came into this room.

“This room…kinda stinks.” Zack sighs, almost as if he senses Ray’s unease. Being locked up in all sorts of rooms has left him feeling rather disgusted.

(Ah?)

He feels as if he’s just stepped on something. Lifting his foot, he sees a remote control. It’s probably for the televisions.

…Come to think of it, how many years has it been since I last saw a TV?

Leaning down, he picks up the controller and automatically points it at the televisions lining the wall.  Then, he presses the on button. In that instant, the television screens flicker on, showing the form of the woman they had seen earlier.

Hello, how are you today? This video is addressed to my lovely sinners!

I’m going to explain the purpose of this room now. So if you don’t want to die, better listen up, all right?

The execution method of this room is rather luxurious, if I do say so myself.

It’s tightly sealed, and the air absolutely does not leak outside. And it’s going to be filled with something very wonderful!

And that wonderful thing is…a very special poison gas to give sinners like you a gentle, endless sleep! ♪

There is, of course, a way to escape. And I’m very kind, so I’ve specially prepared a nearly useless gas mask just for you! Try to find it, okay?

Escaped prisoners are quite fascinating sinners as well…I like them, too ♪

But if you don’t feel like being interesting, just die to the poison gas, okay…?

Oh, that’s right. It’s boring if you don’t die right away, so I’ve given you a time limit.

If you go over the limit, I’ll give you an even stronger poisonous gas as a present!

Well then, in just a few moments, the poison gas will start to come into the room. Have a wonderful time!

Beep, beep!

That recording had likely been prepared in advance. As soon as it ends, a shrill siren sounds out within the room. The televisions now display an hourglass. It’s easy for Ray to guess that the time left on the hourglass must be inversely proportional to the poison gas in the room.

“…Hey, what are we gonna do?” Zack asks, his countenance somewhat deferential. No matter how stupid he believes himself to be, even someone like him can grasp the danger of the situation they’re in right now.

“She said that there’s a way to get out. So we have to work hard to find it. For now, you should hurry and put the mask on…” Walking up to the safe, Ray pulls out the old gas mask and holds it out to Zack.

“What, I’m gonna put it on?” A proverbial question mark floats above his head. It seems obvious to him that Ray should be the one to put the mask on, since she is smaller than him.

“Yes. …If you die, that’ll be a problem. That’s why you should use it.” Her voice sounds unconcerned. She can sense the gas beginning to flow into the room. It’s an odd scent that feels like it might scramble her brain.

“And what happens when you die?” Zack asks coldly.

“…I don’t know.” Ray looks away. The manner in which she answers his question makes it sound as if she thinks this is not her problem.

“Bullshit! If you die, I won’t be able t’ get outta here! Think of something!” he snarls, voice roughening due to his anger at her irresponsible attitude.

Does she really want me to kill her?!

(Maybe she just wants to have a pleasant death…?)

Though he looks into her almost artificially blue eyes, he can’t feel any emotion from them. He doesn’t even know what she’s thinking in the first place. Just that she wants to die. But he doesn’t have time to think about this, nor does he need to. But wondering about why Ray wants to be killed by him sometimes makes him feel like his heart has grown clouded with some sort of fog.

(After all, I’ve never been needed by anyone.)

“…Then, we’ll switch when it hurts,” Ray suggests, after thinking for a bit.

“Ya know, you might not care if ya die, but that’ll be a problem to me if ya do. So say somethin’ before it starts hurtin’!” Zack snaps back. He almost sounds as if he’s reprimanding her. No matter what Ray thinks, if they can’t get out of here, nothing will come out of their wishes. He most certainly does not want to die in this building.

“I get it. I’ll tell you before it hurts. So quickly, put it on.”

She’s not afraid of dying. She’s more afraid of living. But, if possible, she wants Zack to kill her. She doesn’t know why she thinks this so strongly – they had just met recently, after all. Even if she thinks about it, she wouldn’t be able to come up with a theory explaining this.

But ever since she had started thinking she wanted Zack to kill her, that has become her wish.

And Zack had also sworn.

(To God…)

So, I want to be useful to him. I have to be useful.

“…So, how are we gonna get out?” Putting on the rather unreliable-looking mask, Zack asks this in a somewhat uneasy tone of voice. There’s no way he could ever think of a way to get out of a room like this. He has to rely on Ray.

“There must be a hint. We have to find it.” She keenly feels just how much the man depends upon her. Despite her expressionless face, she earnestly feels she must do her best.

“Well then, hurry up. We don’t got much time.”

“Okay.” With a small nod, she rushes over to the dead body.

(There’s something written under this…)

She’s been curious about those words ever since they got into this room. There might be some kind of hint. Filled with this expectation, she attempts to move the corpse.

(…It’s heavy.)

But it’s more difficult than she thought. With her strength, she only manages to move it very slightly. It practically seems to be affixed to the floor.

The man who lies here is a foolish…

At least she manages to confirm that there is indeed something else written beneath the body.

“Zack?”

“What?”

“I want you to move the body. There’s something written on the floor.”

“Hah? Ya can’t even move this? Damn, brats are annoying.”

Zack’s complaint is intermingled with a joke. Lifting the body up, he moves it to the side. Though he can’t use his head like Ray, manual labour of this sort is easy.

“Oh…the leg came off.”

But at that moment, the right leg simply falls off from the corpse.

(Fuckin’ gross…)

Ray feels somewhat uncomfortable. She feels like the colour of that leg is different from the rest of the body.

(Did it rot before turning into a corpse…?)

“So, what’s written there?”

The letters continue on from where the corpse had lain before. But Zack is unable to read it.

The man who lies here is a foolish, spineless murderer who tramples upon his own life with his own two feet. Though he suffers, aware of his unsightly sin, and knows that all he must do is abandon those feet, he cannot accomplish even this. In the end, he is nothing more than a foolish sinner, his legs only to be used for wandering hell for all eternity.

Ray reads the red letters to herself.

(What does this mean…?)

Abandon his feet… Does this have anything to do with the leg…?

Near the corpse is a large puddle of blood. As she stares at it for a little longer, she realises that beneath the blood is yet something else written.

(Is there more…?)

However, only parts of the words are readable.

“Zack, I want you to look for something I can use to wipe the floor with.” If she can read it, she might able to find another hint. That’s why Ray asks him to do this.

“I ain’t a wizard, ya know.” Zack’s eyebrows furrow. Perhaps because of his idiocy, he can’t keep up with what Ray is thinking at all. And of course, there doesn’t seem to be anything he can use for that nearby.

“I know.”

“Anyway, what are ya gonna wipe the floor for? Why?”

“I want to clear up the blood here. Because there’s something written there. There might be a dust cloth somewhere or something…”

“I don’t have anything like that. You don’t got a handkerchief or somethin’ in that bag of yours?”

“…I have…a handkerchief.” Ray’s gaze is gloomy as she casts a glance toward her purse.

“Then ya can use that, yeah?”

“…Yeah.”

(But…if I use this, then…)

For an instant, her vision sways terribly. A faint blue gleam shines within her eyes. And when she blinks, it’s gone.

“What’s wrong?” Zack peers into her face. He thought her expression had changed for a moment.

“Um…I think I might be hurting a bit…from the poison gas.” Looking up at Zack’s face, who has noticed her discomfort, she answers in just the same voice as usual.

“Hah?! I told ya t’ tell me before it hurts!” Zack scowls, immediately pulling the gas mask off and shoving it upon Ray’s face.

“But, I can’t know it hurts until it actually hurts,” Ray mumbles. The mask covers her entire face. But perhaps, rather than hurting…it feels like her head is about to float away, like her feet aren’t on solid ground. It’s a strange sensation.

“Damnit, yer so quiet, I dunno if yer dead or alive!”

“It’s okay, I’m alive.”

“I know that!”

“You said you don’t know…”

“Ugh…stop yammerin’. Just breathe!” Zack barks. It seems like she just has have a response to every little thing he says.

“Okay. But we have to clean that up, quick…I’m sure it’s a hint of some kind.”

“I get it. I’ll do it, just give me the cloth!” Zack snaps, his voice growing desperate toward the end. He’ll be troubled if Ray dies. He has no idea what sort of poison gas this is, but he’s still doing all right. That’s why what he needs to do is put his physical strength to work. That’s what he instinctively thinks.

“Okay.” Ray slips her hand into her pocket in order to take out the handkerchief. But as she does so, she suddenly feels the way she had that night. However, now is not the time to hesitate. Ray pulls the handkerchief out – unwrapping the thing that had been held in it all this time, from that day, and passes it to Zack.

“Ah…so all I gotta do is wipe the blood up with this?” Zack asks, hesitating slightly as he stares down at the cute, light blue cloth.

“Yeah. I’ll help you. I have a toothbrush too,” she mumbles as she searches in her pouch.

(…It kinda feels like she’s just puttin’ on a face.)

“Anyway, why…what’s the point in wearin’ that?” The gas mask is clearly too large for Ray’s face. There are large gaps on each side of her head.

“I don’t know…I feel like it’s already broken,” Ray says. In fact, it hurts a little more to breathe than before.

“Huh? Then just throw it away! It just causes too many problems. If it hurts, just breathe less.”

“…? But you just told me to concentrate on breathing.” For some reason, Ray tilts her head.

“Ah?! If ya don’t got the mask, all ya can do is try t’ stop breathin’!” Zack scowls slightly. It’s weird that Ray doesn’t have a grasp on this, despite being smarter than him.

“…Okay,” Ray mutters meaninglessly. She doesn’t quite understand why, but she feels rather odd because of their unusual situation. Her mouth curves downwards.

“Did ya get poisoned?” Zack tilts his head slightly. For some reason, she sort of looks like she’s having fun.

“I feel kind of weird?” She tilts her head in turn.

(Weird?)

He looks are her closely. She looks the same as usual, but she also feels different. The fact that she’s utterly expressionless hasn’t changed, however.

But it’s weird that something changed at all…

“…I dunno. Anyway, yer always weird.” He’s annoyed of thinking.

“Am I?” Despite her slightly astonished expression, Ray speaks as monotonously as usual as she looks up at Zack. Her eyes are utterly hollow.

(Is she high ‘cause of the drugs or somethin’?)

Is she okay…?

“Anyway, we don’t got much time. I’m gonna clean the floor.” They don’t have time for these silly conversations. He’s fine right now, but if more poison gas comes into the room, he might not last. Determined to escape from the room as quickly as possible, he quickly begins to wipe up the floor.

(Still, this is damn annoying. I’ve never even cleaned anything before…)

With a great sigh, he continues to vigorously wipe the mess up.

(…There really is something written there.)

Ray scrubs the parts she can see clean with the toothbrush in order to see them better.

After wiping the floor clean, it really does appear that the writing earlier has a continuation.

If you have understanding of what part of your flesh has committed a sin, slice it off. Then, weight it upon the scale, along with the weight of your sin. Make them even. But know that if that happens to be your very soul, your wish will not come to pass.

(Weigh them on the scale, and make them even.)

“Zack, I want you to put that leg onto the scale,” Ray says immediately.

“Hah?! Why do I have to touch that gross shit?!” Zack automatically snarls. He doesn’t really like touching corpses. He has never liked the smell of them, either.

“Okay then.” Ray’s listless words make it sound as if she’s abandoned him.

(…?!)

Zack’s eyes narrow. That reaction is different from what Ray would normally do. That’s what he feels.

(This gas really does have somethin’ weird in it.)

As Zack stares at her in amazement, Ray walks up to the corpse and picks up the severed leg.

(…It’s heavy.)

In fact, it’s far heavier than she had expected. Perhaps because of the gas, she’s completely unable to lift it at all.

“Ugh, move! All I gotta do is put it on the scale, right?!” Zack snaps. He’s unable to bear looking at her like that. Pulling the limb out of her hands, he approaches the scale that she points out. Then he sets it upon it with a low thump. It doesn’t take him very long. And Ray becomes annoyed, perceiving herself as being useless.

(Make them even…)

Ray picks up the plates on the other side of the scale, and places them on the other side until the weights begin to match. The moment they align perfectly – there’s a sound of something unlocking in the loft above.

“Something opened?”

“Probably.”

The two of them look up toward the loft. It’s about three metres high up. And there isn’t a ladder they can climb. Even Zack can’t see what the loft looks like.

“Go check if there’s somethin’ up there.”

“How?”

“…Yeah…c’mere.” After thinking a moment, a strange glint flashes through the man’s eyes. Zack guides Ray underneath the loft. And, without any warning whatsoever, he firmly grasps Ray around the hips with his bony hands –

“Then, let’s go.”

“Eh?”

Then, easily lifts her up like a tool of some sort, and tosses her small form up into the loft.

(…?!)

Ray has absolutely no idea what just occurred. She’d just been floating in space for a second, and now she finds herself in the loft.

“Hey! Stop spacin’ out, go look for somethin’! Ya want t’ be useful, right?!” Zack urges her on in a somewhat annoyed tone of voice. She’s too still, trying to process what had just happened.

“Okay.”

That’s right… I’m going to be useful to Zack.

(I think the noise…came from further within…)

Likely because it hadn’t been cleaned in a while, the loft is full of dust. The gap to the ceiling is only about fifteen centimetres. Despite feeling a little apprehensive, Ray crawls further inside. Upon doing so, she finds a small box.

(It’s open…I wonder if the sound was this box opening…)

Inside is a small mechanism. It says “dost thou believe in God?”. Below that question is a “yes” button and a “no” button.

(…God.)

There is no indication of whose God the question refers to. But because of the gas, Ray has no strength to think clearly. She simply, immediately thinks of her own God, and presses the “yes” button. The machine emits a beep, and a card slides out of it. Ray thinks it must be for the card reader at the entrance.

(We’ll be able to get out with this.)

“Zack, I found a card.” Ray peers out from the loft to look down at him.

“Oh, good job! We can get outta this damn room.” He looks up at her proudly. However, he then realises that she doesn’t appear to be coming down.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Um…I can’t get down…” With an expression just a little bit girlishly frightened, she looks down at the floor.

“Hah?! Just jump down!”

“…I think I’ll break some bones if I do that. And…I’m a bit scared.” Despite her blank face, she speaks her true feelings. She’s not very fond of tall places.

“What the hell…ya really are troublesome.” Zack sighs. “Haah…c’mon, give me yer hand.”

“…Hand?” Ray tilts her head.

“Ya can’t get down, right?!”

“I can’t.”

“So do it!” Zack snaps, annoyed at how slow she is to understand. He holds out one of his own bandaged hands.

“Okay.” Putting the card into her pocket, Ray slowly reaches out her hand toward Zack. Grasping onto her, Zack pulls her down and holds her up for only a moment, before unceremoniously placing her on the ground.

“Thank you,” Ray whispers, somewhat unsteady on her feet.

“It’s nothin’. So, where’s the card?” Zack averts his gaze from her with a huff.

“I think that if we put this into that card reader, we’ll be able to get out.” Ray pulls the card out of her pocket and shows it to him.

“Then go on’n’do it.”

“Right.”

(…Huh?)

However, the moment she makes to walk toward the door, she’s assailed by a terrible vertigo that makes her unable to stand. She slowly sinks to the floor.

The hourglass on the televisions is about two-thirds down. Which means that the air in the room is two-thirds poisonous gas.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Zack asks, kneeling down to try to meet her gaze.

She stares up into his bandaged face with hollow eyes.

“…Damnit, ya got poisoned.”

With a tch, Zack pulls the card out of her hand and turns to the device near the door.

“I just gotta put the card in, right?”

“…Yeah.” Ray gives a small nod. Running up to the card reader, Zack attempts to do just that. But it doesn’t seem to want to go into the slot very easily.

“Aah?! Why won’t it go in?!” Unbelievably irritated, he begins to shove the card in forcibly. And then – there’s an ominous crack, as the card breaks right in half.

“Ah…?” Not quite understanding the situation yet, Zack emits a foolish sound.

“Ah…” And Ray’s mouth hangs upon wordlessly as she witnesses something she didn’t even expect.

((Ahahahah!))

In that moment, the room echoes with the laugh of that woman. The televisions once again begin to display her. It would appear that this isn’t a recording this time.

((I can’t believe it! I didn’t expect you to give yourself a game over! I’ll let you know a little something, Zack. You were putting the card in the wrong way. It’s so funny, I just can’t stop laughing! I haven’t gotten enough of punishing you yet, but…sinners have to follow the rules. After all, this was your own doing. But since you’re still looking all right, Zack…I’ll give you both a present of some even stronger gas. It’s my special gift, all right? It’s veeeery expensive. You’re such lucky sinners! Now then, make sure to suffer for me!))

The woman disconnects the feed once again.

(…I really did want to have more fun with you, Zack, but I can’t do anything about you getting a game over.)

And then, she presses a button upon her machine panel, and the gas begins to flow into the room.

▲▽

A sound almost like rain reaches their ears.

Instead of an hourglass, the television now displays a sandstorm so fierce it’s almost painful to look at.

“Arrgh! We came all this way, just open the fuckin’ door!” Zack snarls, kicking the card reader. Hearing that grating voice make fun of him just makes him even angrier. He’s additionally enraged at his own worthlessness.

(Ahh, shit…! I’m gonna die!)

He swallows harshly. He’s in an undeniably terrible predicament.

“Zack.” Ray’s voice is somewhat rough as she slowly stands up and calls his name.

“What?” Despite his rage, he turns to look at her.

“Our promise won’t be fulfilled unless we get out of here, right…?” She looks up at him with a strange expression.

“Hah?! What are ya talkin’ about at a time like this?!”

“Answer me,” Ray says firmly, staring at him with hollow eyes.

“Yeah, that’s right. The bear minimum condition is that I get outta here alive!” Zack asserts strongly, as if answering to that resolve.

“…Okay. I’ll try. But I don’t know if this will help. Is that okay?” Ray asks, her gaze far more earnest than ever before.

However, that isn’t because she’s afraid to die, or because she wants to stay alive. She simply wants to get out of here and be killed by Zack. She feels certain that, so long as Zack kills her, she will be able to go to heaven.

“Well…we might die anyway. Doesn’t matter what it is, just do it!” Zack snaps. As he looks into Ray’s eyes, it seems like a bit of light has returned to them. It’s not in his nature to wait for death to come to him. If he’s going to die, doing something is better than doing nothing at all.

“Okay. I’ll try.” Ray nods, mustering the rest of her strength.

(This gas might be flammable…if I’m able to make it catch fire, it might cause an explosion.)

Recalling a chemistry book she had read several years ago, Ray takes the batteries out of the remote controller, wraps the wire from the safe around them, and takes something that might be able to ignite – the handkerchief used to wipe the floor – and fixes it in place with the wire. Then she gently places it near the wall.

“The hell is that?” Zack has a bad feeling as he looks down at the strange object.

“…If this catches fire, it might explode,” Ray says calmly as she tilts her head to the side.

“What the fuck?! We’ll die!” Zack snaps, his eyes looking odd for a moment.

(What’s the point in speedin’ up our deaths…?!)

Ah…gettin’ killed by that crazy bitch is disgusting.

However, Ray has no time to feel dejected. She begins to calmly give directions to Zack, who hangs his head.

“So let’s quickly go somewhere we can hide.”

“Hah? Where?”

“Over there…” Ray casts a look toward the safe. It’s approximately as large as a refrigerator.

“Are we even gonna fit in there?!” Zack’s eyebrows furrow as he stares at the safe. It looks cramped. It’s large enough to just barely hold Zack’s thin form and Ray’s small body.

“Yeah.” Ray goes into the safe and urges the man inside.

“If you don’t come quickly, it’ll explode.”

“…Ugh, all right!” Feeling strangely embarrassed for some reason, Zack squeezes himself into the safe as well and shuts the door.

“Are we really gonna be okay in here?”

“Probably. It looks pretty durable.”

“I won’t forgive ya if we won’t be okay!”

The two whisper quietly in the narrow, dark safe.

“Okay. But, Zack, I want you to move a bit. I’m crushed.”

“Hah?! I can’t do anythin’ about that, this place is too small!” Zack’s voice grows louder at Ray’s unreasonable request.

“…I’m going to go deaf.”

“You brat…you’ve just been complainin’ on’n’on. D’ya really want me t’ kill ya?!”

“I do. Because you’re the only one who can kill me.”

“Then talk t’ me with that kinda attitude!”

“What do you mean…?”

“Figure it out yerself!”

Zack and Ray embark on a seemingly endless conversation within the safe, unseen by any cameras.

In that moment, they hear a terribly loud sound, and the safe begins to shake wildly. The object Ray had made had exploded due to the gas. A faint hot air blows into the safe through the crevices of the door. But the only one who feels it is Zack. He stands with his back to the door, almost as if shielding Ray.

“It’s damn hot…”

For an instant, he’s reminded of his burn scars. His fingers reflexively begin to tremble. But the sensation back then had been far more terrible. So, this is nothing to him. This is what Zack tells himself.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah…this is nothin’. So, did it explode yet?” Trembling slightly, Zack attempts to play dumb, and peers through the gaps in the door.

“It seems like it.”

Once the room outside grows completely quiet, the two of them slowly and quietly creep out of the safe.

“…Seriously.”

Zack is at a loss of words for the sight that spreads out before him. The room has been charred entirely black.

“It looks like we can get out,” Ray says. In the place the explosion had occurred is a hole large enough for a person to fit through.

“Yeah, we can finally get out!”

“Yeah…”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Um, was I useful?” Ray asks with upturned eyes.

“Huh? Ya blew the place t’ bits. Ya did good!”

“…I see. That’s good.” Ray’s voice is relieved as she hears how satisfied the man sounds. She feels her consciousness drifting way.

(I was useful…)

Perhaps Ray considers this a mission of sorts. This is the first time she has ever felt this way – this strange feeling of completion. She feels like her heart has been satisfied. However, her body feels otherwise – due to the poison gas she inhaled, she feels wobbly and dizzy.

“Hey, don’t die here, okay?” Zack says, seeing her face lose its vitality.

“…I’m okay.” Ray’s voice is feeble.

“Then let’s go. I can’t have ya dyin’, but we gotta move forward, too.”

“Okay.”

And so, the two of them pass through the large hole, and finally advance down the hallway.

▲▽

“I bet she never thought this’d happen!” Zack gives a hearty laugh as he recalls the burnt remains of that room.

“Yeah…” Ray nods, staring at Zack with eyes that might close at any second.

I wonder why…everything’s spinning…

(I was okay until just now…)

Ray stares at the ground. She can’t keep her eyes open. All her energy has left her; just keeping herself standing sends wave of fatigue through her body.

(I’m kind of sleepy…)

“Hey, can ya walk?” Zack stares at her with a dubious expression.

“Yes…I’ll try,” Ray replies, looking back at him with vacant eyes. But it’s not really a response. They’re merely canned words.

“…’Kay.”

Zack turns to walk down the dark hallway. Ray totters unsteadily behind like, almost as if sleepwalking.

She absolutely intends to walk on her own. But it’s as if she’s in that dream; it’s difficult to go forward. Her vision grows dim and hazy, and she can’t tell if she’s sleeping or awake.

(Damnit…she’s so slow…)

“Argh! Shit! How are we supposed t’ keep goin’ at this pace?!” Pulled back by Ray’s slowness, Zack whirls around and snaps at her.

“You go…by yourself?” she suggests blankly. She can’t think.

“I would if I could. But I wouldn’t be able t’ by myself.” He sighs. And – for some reason, he doesn’t like the idea of leaving her on her own on this dangerous floor.

(There’s no tellin’ when that psycho bitch’ll come out.)

“It’s okay…I can walk…” Ray sounds as if she’s trying to convince herself.

“I can’t believe ya when ya got that kinda face. Yer not okay.” He sighs lightly. There’s no way they can go further like this.

“…I’ll try,” she mumbles again. Her voice sounds like it might fade any second.

“What’s with that ‘I’ll try’ crap? Even if you try, you’ll die when yer gonna die. That might be what you want, but if that happens, my wish’ll come t’ nothin’!”

(…Wish…)

The words mysteriously resonate within her.

“That’s true…so, I’ll try even harder,” Ray says, one foot yet in a dream.

“Yer smart, but ya say the same thing over’n’over, just like a doll…” He sounds exasperated.

(…Just like a doll.)

“…What should I do?” she asks him, stock still.

“Shut up. If yer a human, think for yerself,” he answers briskly.

(If I’m human…)

I am…alive. So I’m not a doll. I’m not a doll, that’s why, I’m so tired right now…

“I think that if we stop for a bit, I’ll be okay.”

Reacting to his cold words, she finally puts the feelings in her heart into words.

“Haah. Damnit, ya should’ve said that in the first place.”

“…Yeah.”

Caught as she is between a dream and reality, Zack seems like a completely different person to her right now. Though his words are harsh, he doesn’t try to deny her. And he doesn’t expect or demand anything of her, like Doctor Danny did. Ray feels as if she can remain as herself around Zack. It’s the first time she has ever felt like this in her life.

(I wonder why Zack listens to me…)

No one in that house ever listened to what I had to say.

Her empty eyes don’t tell him a single thing about what she might be thinking about. Sighing lightly, Zack grasps her thin wrist and pulls her along. Walking quickly down the hallway, he pulls her into an alcove where the cameras can’t see them, and sits cross-legged on the floor.

“The cameras don’t see us here. I’ll wait. So do it quick.”

“…Okay.” Giving a small nod, she plops down to kneel next to him. The moment she closes her eyes, she drifts off to a peaceful sleep. It’s a sleep so deep that for a moment, Zack isn’t sure if she’s still alive.

“Hey, Ray. Make sure t’ rest so ya can walk around…yer already sleepin’!” Somewhat astonished she can fall asleep so quickly, the man blinks his long eyelashes. He stares at the girl’s lovely form. Her beautiful face looks like an angel’s as she sleeps.

(She’s so pale, she looks even more like a doll…)

I don’t like cuttin’ up dolls…

Will she be able to smile when they get out of this building…?

(Her eyes are dead, and all she says is okay and I’ll try, she’s so boring…)

“Haah…well, can’t think about dumb pointless stuff forever…guess I’ll rest a bit, too.” With a large yawn, Zack closes his eyes.

Abruptly, he feels Ray leaning against him. But it’s too much of a bother to push her off, so he simply shuts his eyes again.

Though he thinks of himself as fine, it’s still a fact that he also inhaled the poisonous gas. So he quickly falls asleep.

▲▽

And, he has a dream.

He hasn’t had a dream in years. Or if he had, they were only sad dreams full of darkness.

The dream unfolding before his eyes now is a nightmare, not even worth calling a sad dream.

But once a dream starts, it doesn’t simply end. After all, when you’re dreaming, you don’t realise it.

And so, the dream pushes itself upon him.

When Zack was a young boy, he was in an orphanage. Just remembering that appalling institution makes him nauseous. In front of Zack’s eyes, the owners of that institution, a married couple, sit upon a couch in the living room. Their conversation isn’t normal in the slightest, yet they talk nonchalantly.

It’s like a vivid movie…unfolding before his very eyes. A re-enactment of old memories he had forgotten.

“Listen, dear. The child who came in this month…when I peeked into his room because of the stench, I saw he had already become useless.”

“Oh, I see.”

“So…what do you want to do?”

“Just bury him in the garden.”

“Again? Is that okay?”

“No one’s going to look for the children here – especially since they were just thrown away here for some money.”

“…But I don’t want to. I don’t like touching decaying things.”

“How selfish…Oh, come to think about it. Is that one still alive?”

“That one?”

“You know, that one. That brat with the burns, the one that looks like a monster.”

“Oh, that? …It is. Even though I haven’t given it anything to eat…it probably digs through the trash for leftovers. So disgusting.”

“So just make it bury him. It’s fine for a brat to take care of another brat.”

“…That’s true.”

“To tell you the truth, I had it do this for me, too. Just dug like I told it to.”

“Oh? Really?”

“Perfect, right? And by picking up the leftovers, it’s just making the place stink less. We don’t have much other help, and even a monster can be useful if you let it live. Just like a tool. A fitting post for a monster.”

“You’re right about that.”

“Well then, the problem’s settled. I’m gonna watch a movie now. Don’t bother me.”

“…Oh, no, it’s that slasher horror again, isn’t it?”

“I like that movie. Get a nice kick outta those frivolous idiots getting killed.”

“What bad taste. I don’t like that movie. The murderer doesn’t even die.”

“It’s fine. Just don’t bother me. Go tell it to take care of the dead body.”

(…Monster…)

That’s right. I’m a monster. I know this. But I wasn’t born to be your tool…

(Aah…I want to kill…I’ll kill them…)

In that dream enveloped in darkness, Zack is still a boy, yet in the middle of growing. In his small hand, he grips a large kitchen knife.

“Zack…”

I hear a voice.

Ah…?

Whose…voice is this…?

Oh…that’s right.

It’s Ray…

Ray’s calling.

My name…

“…Zack.”

The moment he realises that her voice is real, that nightmare that won’t fade from his memories slowly dims.

▲▽

“…Zack.”

Ray had woken up just a bit before him. Seeing that his sleeping face is warped as if somehow in pain, she gently calls his name.

“Ngh…”

Responding to her voice, Zack slowly opens his eyes.

“…Did you wake up?”

“…Yeah.” His voice is still slightly sleepy. He feels like his brain has been eaten by worms. He feels sick.

That’s right…he’d had an awful dream.

(Why did I have t’ see that…?)

He’d forgotten it for so long – he hadn’t had to remember.

“Um…Zack, you’re a bit heavy.” Ray casts Zack a sideways glance. He hasn’t completely woken up yet.

“Ah?”

On second thought, Ray’s face is strangely close.

(…?!)

At some point when he had been asleep, he had started to completely lean upon her shoulder.

“You were clingin’ on to me first!” he snaps, pulling away.

“…Was I?” Ray’s head tilts to the side disinterestedly. Having been deep asleep, she can’t remember such a thing.

“That’s right! Definitely!”

“…I see.”

“Anyway, can we go now?” he asks, standing up.

“Yes. I feel mostly refreshed.” Her voice is clear, completely devoid of sleepiness.

“Then let’s go. We can’t take so much time.”

“Okay.”

▲▽

Zack proceeds quickly down the dark hallway without looking back.

(Shit…)

He can’t help how angry he is because of that disgusting dream. But, even if it frustrates him, he can’t do anything about the past. And that couple is already dead. After all, he killed them both himself that night –

Further down the hall is the nauseating, grotesque smell of dead bodies. That’s undoubtedly what that scent is. He’s smelt it many times, so there’s no way he could be mistaken. There is also a creepy groaning sound resonating down the hall, almost like a tremor through the walls.

(What is that…)

Straining her ears to listen to the sounds, Ray quickens her pace to catch up to Zack.

Uwaaaah…

As they go forward, the groans become even louder.

(Zack hasn’t said even a single word for a while…he really is angry that I slept…)

Somewhat anxious, Ray’s eyebrows furrow slightly.

“Zack…”

The moment she calls out, as if to stop Zack from leaving her, sirens blare through the speakers. It’s another broadcast from that woman.

((Hello! How are you two doing? In any case, you two are quite late. Just what were you doing?))

The woman’s voice is full of malice. She has an approximate understanding of where they had been resting despite the cameras not showing them to her.

“We weren’t doin’ anything,” Zack answers harshly, ever annoyed by her ever-present good mood.

((Hmph. Still, I’m surprised you managed to escape! I’ll give you a bit of praise. Heheh. I’m quite annoyed, but you deserve it!))

(I can have even more fun now.)

The woman claps her hands in applause.

((Well then, since you’ve come all this way, I thought I’d ask one more time. How about spending the rest of your lives in a jail cell?))

The woman smiles coquettishly as she sees just how angry Zack looks.

Further down the hall are the cells exclusively for her pets. None of them will ever be able to get out. The groans Zack and Ray had heard were from the sinners there, forever waiting for death.

“I already told ya I ain’t gettin’ in! Damn stubborn. And I already know it ain’t anything good, so quit askin’ me!”

((Oh my, how cold. Come now, Zack. Won’t you entertain me and become my tool?))

“Aah? Tool?” Zack scowls. That word is terribly bad for his temper.

“Even a monster can be useful if you let it live. Just like a tool. A fitting post for a monster.”

That nightmare comes to mind, whether he wants it to or not.

((Yes, that’s right. A tool. But don’t misunderstand me. When I’m talking about tools, I also mean the both of you.))

The woman’s tone and expression are quite similar to that old woman. Zack’s head hurts, like he’s just been hit in the head.

((After all, watching you two is so amusing! You made quite a strange promise, right? A dangerous, mutually selfish wish that only pushes responsibilities upon the other…you both seem to be gaining something from this, but, the two of you are nothing more than tools. Though…which one of you is the real tool, I wonder?))

The woman giggles.

(Why don’t they realise that their promise is so pointless…?)

“Ah? What d’ya mean?” It’s not that he doesn’t know the words she’s used. However, he was unable to understand.

((Oh my, you don’t know? That’s fine. You’ll understand soon. And I do like stupid children…they’re quite cute. Right, Zack? Eheheh. Now then, enjoy your next punishment ♪))

The woman cuts off the transmission.

…A tool, huh.

(…Am I really nothing more than someone’s tool?)

“Ah, I feel sick.” Zack scratches at his head irritably, looking down.

“…Zack?” Ray looks up at his face. As usual, he has no idea what she’s thinking. And he can’t see any emotions in her gaze.

(So does she just see me as…a tool that’ll kill her…?)

I don’t know. I don’t want to think right now. About anything.

“…Don’t talk t’ me right now. Let’s go.” Zack’s tone is closed-off as he speaks. He turns away as if to block everything from his sight.

“Okay…” Ray gives a small nod.

(…Zack’s kind of angry.)

She doesn’t know why. But she can tell that he’s extremely irritated.

Is it because I fell asleep…? Or is it because of that woman…

“…mutually selfish wish that only pushes responsibilities upon the other…”

(…No.)

That’s not it. The promise Zack and I made isn’t anything like that…

▲▽

Their footsteps resound down the hall.

Uoooh, uooooh…

The further they go, the louder that awful sound becomes.

(…It reeks.)

She nearly stops breathing as they turn the corner. In front of them is a wall of iron bars with no way to come in or out. There are cells on either side of the hallway, about ten each.

(This is the jail…)

There’s the scent of something rotting filling the air. There are no lights in the cells, and the hallway is still gloomy despite being lit by bulbs interspersed in the ceiling at regular intervals. Squinting into the cells, Ray can see human-like shapes crouched over on the ground.

But Zack appears disinterested, proceeding down the hall without even looking to either side.

Ray chases after him, glancing into each of the jail cells as she goes.

“…!”

And, peering into the deepest jail cell, she unintentionally lets out a cry of “wah!” and shuffles back. Something has grabbed her through the bars of the cell.

(What?)

Staring at it makes it clear that it’s a red hand that looks like nothing more than a lump of flesh. That hand desperately grasps at Ray’s thin ankle, as if asking for help.

“Ah? What is it?” Zack asks, turning back after Ray shrieks.

“A hand…” Ray whispers, staring at that reddish limb as it writhes like some sort of caterpillar.

“…Pets for the rest of their lives, huh.” Zack glowers at the hand, still laying its fingers upon Ray’s ankle. He stomps on it.

“Hah…just steppin’ on ‘em crushes ‘em up. Disgusting. They ended up like that ‘cause they chose to be her pets. Damn useless. Even worse than tools…there are people even dumber than me.” Zack laughs fearlessly, mocking the prisoners.

As he speaks, Ray stares at the hand beneath his foot. It practically looks like it’s been minced up.

(I wonder if he wanted help…)

Suddenly thinking this, Ray crouches down to touch that hand.

“Hey, don’t pay attention to ‘im. He’s gonna die anyway.” Zack sounds strangely upset by Ray’s actions.

“…He’s already dead.”

There’s no way she can help anymore. The hand won’t even twitch.

The person behind the bars isn’t breathing anymore either. She can faintly see his reddish black flesh in the dim light. Or maybe he hadn’t been breathing in the first place. After all, having been reduced to this pitiful form, like a lump of meat – he wasn’t human anymore.

“…That so.” The man sounds indifferent.

“Hey, Zack…do ghosts really not exist?” she asks quietly.

“’Course not. Ya only ask pointless stuff. This place stinks, so let’s go. We can’t waste time.”

“…Okay.”

Sensing Zack’s unusually angry demeanour, Ray can do nothing more than nod and follow him.

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