Utsuro no Hako:Volume4 Prologue

I'm in a scene I can only remember in my dreams.

"To be honest, I'm not pleased about this development of things."

I still don't know what kind of face he has, even though I should have become used to seeing him by now.

"Ironically, this development was called forth by Daiya Oomine-kun, though he's supposed to be your enemy. ...No, maybe it's more accurate to say that he did so because he's your enemy."

But even while saying such things, he (she?) is still smiling full of composure. He's disgusting as always.

"Your goal and mine resemble one another after all."

Goal?

This word makes me suspicious. To me it doesn't look like he had a goal. It looked like he has just been playing with us.

So I won't believe that. Isn't it rather the opposite? Hasn't he always tried to destroy the everyday life I've been trying to preserve?

"If it were like that, would I have really helped you destroy the 'box' when your body was taken over?"

You did that just in order to observe me, didn't you?

"Hehe... that's just a pastime for me and not my goal. No, maybe you could say that having such a pastime itself is my goal."

I don't get what your goal ultimately is.

"But isn't it the same for you? You, too, are saying something ambiguous like wanting to preserve your everyday life. Is that a clear goal?"

I've unknowingly closed my mouth.

"Because it's hard to understand, it's also hard to maintain. Therefore, I truly respect Daiya-kun for making use of that weak point of yours! Even so, I think that your nature won't change yet!"

While feeling arising irritation at his cryptic choice of words, I ask for their basis, but...

"If you were such a simple human, I wouldn't be able to notice you like this."

He continues, still smiling.

"Daiya-kun told you that you are «an existence that tramples down others' wishes», right? I think he's perfectly right! His accurateness is truly interesting, really. But that is just a one-sided way of perceiving you. I think that answer lacks something. You are an existence that tramples down others' wishes---"

He says to me with a triumphant look.

"But you can also be an existence that grants someone's wish."

An irritating smell like diluent is in the air.

A harmful smell that causes delusions and breaks people. But one also becomes addicted to this smell.

This is a pleasant space, like a sauna that was built just for me. But it's not pleasant in the sense of comfortable.

It's a space in which I can easily consume my life.

My life gets consumed before my very eyes. In a shape that's as easy to understand as the balance in a bankbook that's approaching 0 at high speed.

Aah... this feels good.

Consuming is a pleasure after all. People who suffer from shopping addiction don't actually want to have new things; they just calm themselves down by spending money. Although they know this is going to drive them into a corner eventually, they can't get away from the pleasure of consuming.

This 'box' is the same.

It may sound paradoxical, but I attain pleasure and a sense of security by putting my life at risk, by consuming it.

Is this foolish?

I bet it is. But I don't care. No matter what kind of life we spend, eventually we all get thrown into some retirement home and end up getting our asses wiped by some annoyed sick nurse. If that's what awaits us, it's much better to seek pleasure than spending a meaningless life of pain that's called endeavor. Or am I wrong?

While considering even this thinking meaningless, I recall that inhuman guy who gave me this 'box'.

"Do you have a wish?"

I immediately realized that he was abnormal in a way. I cannot even recall his gender; well, I didn't care about that to begin with. But that abnormality of his was more than enough to stimulate my curiosity.

I think I answered him with something like «I can't think of any wish, but this world is awfully boring». When I said that, he flashed a mysterious smile and held out a 'box'.

I immediately understood that it really would grant any 'wish'.

I reflexively pondered whether I wanted it or not, but I didn't come to a clear conclusion. But, well, I accepted it lightheartedly with the feelings of not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Like accepting a tissue-pack with an advertisement for some prep school on it.

While pretending to listen to his explanation, I thought about pre-ordering a game I had seen that day in that week's Famitsu because it looked funny.

But then I imagined a game that seemed even funnier.

So I thought: why not take that?

And thus the 'Game of Idleness' was born; just for playing a game called 'Kingdom Royale'. In place of a game that had not been released yet.

Alright, then.

"I will win against you, Daiya!"

Kazuki Hoshino said that.

I couldn't help but laugh out.

"Absolutely impossible."

I am confident. Kazuki Hoshino has no chance of reaching his goal.

Back to Game Explanation

Return to Main Page

Forward to Chapter 1