Mushi:Vol5 Epilogue 06

EPILOGUE 06: The Hunter

Epilogue 06 – The Hunter

Omitted ---

Sterilization Disinfection is the Digestive Organ. Unpleasant Counter-Current is the Excretory Organ. Melodia NoiseTear Song is the Sensory Organ. PoisonCatastrophe is the Communication Organ. Ultimate ShieldThe Weakest is the Flesh and Bones. God Mushi Emperor is the Blood and Lymph. Single Room is the Brain and Spine. Those seven major elements of legends – corresponded with the body parts of us humans, and their corresponding functions also respected the part of the body they echoed. Unpleasant Counter-Current, the Reproductive and Excretory Organ, came from the legend of Sodom and Gomorrah. God gave severe scrutiny to those who deserved to keep living, and established the correct reproductive behaviors. The chances of male sperm surviving in the female uterus was a hundred million to one, and the number of people who successfully escaped from Sodom and Gomorrah was also only three. The declaration of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, and the records of Abraham’s wife giving birth when she was far past childbearing age, were both powerful evidence of the activities of the Biblical angel who shouldered the duty of Unpleasant Counter-Current.

That was how legends recorded the changes and metamorphoses of the human body. After all, the concept of a ‘legend’ was merely how one turned the stories of making human lives into meaningful tales.

Then, the person taking on the role of God according to the legends that correspond to our lives, is ‘me’.

This ‘me’ is not the Digestive Organ, nor the Execratory Organ, nor the Brain. ‘I’ am the body that encompasses all the seven split entities of God, the sense of self that resided in its center, at the very heart of its ‘thoughts’. It’s not entirely appropriate to call that the soul, but at the end, we are simply ‘selves’ who move because of the collection of all parts of our physical flesh. ‘I’ am not Sterilization Disinfection, nor am ‘I’ Unpleasant Counter-Current. Compared to these boring concepts of roles, ‘I’ simultaneously hold the powers of Sterilization Disinfection and Unpleasant Counter-Current. Meanwhile, ‘I’ am also broken into seven different fragments, a legend that is collected together – the ‘me’ who was formed by the lives we lived. The seven Greater Fragments continuously functioned according to their own roles, and that is the aim of ‘my’ continued proper existence, the purpose of ‘God’.

That is the only purpose of ‘my’ existence as ‘God’. Both the body and flesh are involved with each other to fulfill that. If there are any differences, then ‘I’ am only an individual in the end. In comparison, ‘God’ is the collective entity of all of ‘me’, or the existence which collected and averaged everything.

Therefore, there are certainly some differences between ‘me’ and ‘God’. ‘God’ is only an ordinary existence who is vague and non-substantial. There are always exceptions, indeed. Humans born through a Caesarian section are not born through the ‘legend of the flood’ I mentioned before, and they are therefore unrelated to the cause and effects between birth and the flood, and are not fitting for my argument.

Those are the exceptions. Everyone has their multitude of differences, but even so, I am proposing this –

- This unified structure between God and me.

No one has dared to imagine themselves as the absolute existence – that is, the one who resides high above, the omnipotent and omniscient God. That is a delusion, an existence that we cannot achieve except through delusions. The complete God is a delusion. All the miracles in this world are incidents. All the legends are but stories. And I am God. We became Gods because we have understand this.

If you feel pessimistic about this world, then consider how you are as a person before you pray to God. The world will change according to the self’s subjective feelings. If you are going through a lucky period of time, then the entire world will feel lucky. If you think the world turns with you at its center, then the world really will do that with regard to you, and you will become God. You can become the center of the world, become the hero of the legend. The moment that God, which only exists within your concept of self, descends unto you, is the moment when you feel that the entire world is under your control. That’s what you should feel.

Awaken, O all ye Gods who remain in slumber!

Understand this unified structure between God and Me, and slay that empty God who resides inside our delusions!

The Unified Structure between God and Me – by Akutagawa Shirayuki, Class 1-D of the Municipal Kanayagi High School

Back in the days she always felt that even though the word ‘Dragon’ was in her name, it still had an inferior presence to the ‘Dragon’ in her older brother’s name.

Now she thought about it, it was really silly.

Names had nothing to do with anything. It didn't matter if she couldn't become God, either.

If she was a dragon, then she could just live happily as a dragon.

"Mitaka. Mitaka? If you don't get up soon, you're gonna be late for school.

Kuroki Tatsue left her own mansion and wandered into the corridors of the houses occupied by the servants, and knocked gently on the door with the name' Takamikado Mitaka' written on the plate hanging over it. However, she received no reply. She tilted her head, her expression obviously saying 'Mitaka, you bastard, you dare to make me wait for you?". She puffed up her cheeks in anger, as if she was just a little child.

Tatsue was dressed completely in black. Her long dress and her hair decorations were both completely black, and her hair and eyes were also sparkling with an ebony sheen. Although this outfit looked rather like a mourning dress, she managed to make it carry a feeling of nobility. However, since she wore this kind of clothing on a daily basis, it might be that Tatsue only wore this because of her own twisted sense of fashion, and not because she wanted to appear regal.

No matter what, Takamikado Mitaka was raised to be the servant of Tatsue, who was the only child of the extravagantly rich Kuroki family. They went to the same school, and despite their differences in age, they always went to school together.

It was Mitaka who usually visited Tatsue and picked her up to go to school in the morning. However, Tatsue waited for a long time today and he never showed up. She was concerned that maybe he left her and went to school on his own and ran over to his room, feeling very worried.

He was an existence who seemed he would disappear if she didn't hug him tightly in her arms. He lived in the gap between the ordinary and the extraordinary, and was a very strange boy. Tatsue was no longer surprised to see supernatural events happening around him.

"Mitaka? I'm coming in."

She opened the door, and the room was very dark. This room used to be very messy, with his possessions scattered everywhere. Now, after Mitaka made a thorough cleanup, it was no longer as repulsive as before.

This room was much smaller than Tatsue's bedroom. There was a bundle of sheets on the bed in the corner of the room, as if Mitaka was still sleeping. That was rare for him, who was slightly obsessed with routine and meticulousness. Tatsue sighed as she thought of this, and walked up to the bed.

She sat on the bed with a creaking sound, and said loudly as if she was pulling a prank or singing:

"How long do you plan to sleep, Mitaka? My darling sleepy little snake, if you don't wake up soon, an upset dragon might just bite off your head!"

Even so, she did not get a response. Tatsue had no other choice but to lift up the blanket. Mitaka was sleeping in the fetal position, completely oblivious to Tatsue going crazy beside him, and was breathing evenly and softly in his sleep. Having run out of all other options, Tatsue took out her fan and started to fan him.

"Seriously, Mitaka, you're making me wait for you. Who do you think you are? You're even sleeping so deeply..."

As she said this, Tatsue inspected Mitaka's sleeping face intently. It had been a long time since she saw him without his glasses. He usually looked so cold and stern, but now that he was asleep his face was very innocent, and surprisingly cute.

She felt a ticklish urge in her.

"..."

Tatsue's heart started to beat rapidly. She slowly climbed on top of him, and put her face close to Mitaka's. Tatsue lowered her body until she was close enough to almost feel his breath, and she held that pose, waiting in silence.

"Mitaka..."

She caressed his hair and whispered. "I'm really... going to bite off your head."

“Oh, I’m really surprised that Tatsue has a cannibalism hobby.”

Mitaka suddenly opened his golden eyes and spoke as he looked at Tatsue. Tatsue immediately blushed all over and fell backwards.

“Mi – Mitaka! Get up if you’re already awake! You’re such a pervert!”

“Ah, Tatsue, can you please not yell so loud. My head hurts…”

Mitaka moaned and furrowed his brows as if he was really in pain. Tatsue immediately took back her irrational attitude and placed her hand on his forehead.

“Does your head hurt? Is it really serious, Mitaka? You don’t have to go to school if you’re not feeling well.”

“No –“

Mitaka shook her head. Although his expression still looked painful, he stood up and smiled in order to make Tatsue feel better.

“It’s not so serious that I can’t go to school. What should I say – it’s probably because I had a strange dream. I am more affected by dreams than normal people… but a headache from dreams usually doesn’t last a long time. Don’t worry.”

“Really? Is it really ok?”

Even so, Tatsue didn’t look relieved. Mitaka just casually replied affirmatively and took off his pajamas. Tatsue’s entire face blushed crimson as she watched Mitaka take off his clothes and exposed his naked white body.

“Mi – Mitaka?! Why are you taking your clothes off?!”

“Hmm? Aren’t we going to school? I need to change for that.”

“Even if you want to change, why are you doing that in front of a girl… seriously, I’m such an idiot. Why am I even worried about you?! Mitaka has always been an idiot!”

Tatsue suddenly ran away in a rage. Meanwhile, with a voice that would surely enrage Tatsue even more, Mitaka mumbled blankly:

“… Am I an idiot?”

They realized something was wrong by the time they reached the shopping street.

They got out of the subway station after getting on the subway from Tatsue’s house, and then rented a bicycle from the shop next to the station. Of course, it was Mitaka who was riding the bike. Tatsue sat side-saddle on the rack behind the bike seat. She said that she was wearing a skirt and that it would be very inconvenient and awkward to ride a bike. Mitaka was also her servant. He shouldn’t complain about serving his master like this.

Mitaka just agreed and nodded. Tatsue was simply afraid of falling off, and hugged his waist tightly.

“It’s so weird.”

Mitaka muttered lowly, puzzled. Tatsue was a bit confused and looked at Mitaka, then she tilted her head and took into account her surroundings.

“What’s wrong? Uh, what’s so strange?”

“Why isn’t anyone here?”

It was indeed very weird. It was almost unlike the bustling and busy shopping street they used to know. Tatsue didn’t notice it before, but there were nobody on the streets at all –

It was as if the entire town was still asleep, or rather, silent as death. All the shops along the road had their steel rollers down. Those shopkeepers who usually hollered to their customers loudly, those office workers who commuted around the subway station, and the school students who were heading to school just like Tatsue… no one was here at all. There were no sounds, and all was quiet.

Tatsue furrowed her brows and felt very weird. She lifted up her head and looked at this empty world.

“Really… What is going on?”

No one was here. Mitaka suddenly scanned their surroundings, as sharp as a snake. His expression was very alarmed. Tatsue also jumped down from the bicycle after he stopped it. The morning air was very cold, and the bitumen road she stood on was frozen solid.

She couldn’t help but put her hand into Mitaka’s to seek some warmth. His elongated and elegant eyes, hiding behind his glasses, were shining with a very stern light. He said softly:

“Careful, Tatsue. I feel there’s something wrong.”

“Something wrong? Do you feel monsters are coming?”

Tatsue instinctively took out the black fan she used as her weapon, and prepared herself for a fight.

Contrary to his appearances, Mitaka was more than just an ordinary human. He was the descendent of a mythological clan of snakes. Compared to normal humans, his ability to sense monsters was far sharper.

Monsters were repulsive creatures that only existed to eat humans. They were mankind’s arch-nemesis. Even their exterior appearances were nightmarishly disgusting, and just one look at them would cause an evil chill to rise up in one’s mind. Even though Tatsue wasn’t an ordinary human either, she still didn’t want to meet those creatures.

“What’s going on?”

Mitaka looked very stern.

“These aren’t powerful monsters, but there are so many of them. How should I put them… it’s like the entire world is full of them – “

Mitaka paused, then continued in a low voice, his throat dry.

“Anyways, now isn’t the time for us to leisurely go to school anymore. Something extraordinary must have happened. I need to talk to Mitsuki and Mina about this strange situation.”

“… I understand. Let’s go to Mitsuki’s apartment then. I can figure out what’s going on by manipulating the air, but that would really exhaust my Apple’s power supply.”

Tatsue gave him a sign of assent as she said this, putting all her trust in him.

Mitaka never joked, and Tatsue always believed wholeheartedly in his intuitions. Something had definitely happened in this town. Moreover, compared to powerful monsters and to those non-humans with Greater Fragments, Tatsue and Mitaka weren’t much different from normal humans and couldn’t do anything. They could only seek help from powerful allies such as Mina and Mitsuki.

They quickly decided on their next move and got on the bike again, but Tatsue still felt an anxious sense of unease in her chest.

The sky was completely overcast and the morning blue sky was nowhere to be seen. Her mood also felt down. It was as if they were in the last act of a play, when the story had already ended and the curtains came down. It was a dead and gloomy sky.

Tatsue hugged Mitaka tightly from behind as she thought this.

“Hehehehe…”

A laugh could suddenly be heard.

Where - ?

There was no need to scan their surroundings anymore. When they realized it, someone was already sitting in front of Mitaka and Tatsue.

It was a girl who wore the Kannonsakazaki High School uniform and had a plain face. She had smooth and short black hair, and a dangerous light shone in her elongated and beautiful eyes.

This unknown girl was just sitting in the middle of the road as she giggled. Her legs were casually spread apart, and she was not looking at their direction.

Her face was full of a happy expression as she looked at the empty, death-like town.

"Tatsue."

Mitaka's voice was very nervous. Tatsue couldn't help but feel a chill heading down her back.

"Run away. This girl isn't human."

As if she heard Mitaka's whisper, the girl slowly stood up and put her hands behind her, then lazily looked towards them as if she didn't feel like doing anything. Her face was full of smiles, as if she was wearing a mask, and it make Tatsue feel an unprecedented anxiety.

"... Ha."

As if she was talking to herself, she mumbled with a gloomy and almost inaudible voice:

"Natsuko-san, I seem to feel the aura of a Greater Fragment, but it was a sickly little kid and one of our kin. I'm actually a bit disappointed."

"Oho, don't get too angry, Ame-chan."

There was a reply coming from behind them. They turned around, and saw that they were in front of the cafe that Tatsue and others often visited, that place famous for its chocolate sundaes - Indian Bar. The door was open, and a doll-like woman appeared.

That person - Tatsue remembered she was that cafe's owner. She didn't remember her name anymore. She was wearing inconspicuous clothing and an apron, looking very plain. She looked like there was a plastered fake smile on her face, just like that girl whom she called Ame-chan.

"Our duty is to kill any existence who dares to approach Kannonsakazaki High School, be it human or monster. If we don't kill them just because you like them -"

"I understand. It would be more fun to do that. I've lived in the shadows till now. It is about time for the final battle. I can finally play to my heart's content, right?"

The woman and girl talked to each other with strange smiles on their faces, and completely ignored Tatsue and Mitaka who stood between them. Tatsue and Mitaka's escape paths were completely blocked off too. These two women looked completely inconspicuous, and they physically appeared very weak even though they were adults. Judging purely by appearances, Tatsue and Mitaka would definitely suffer if they fight with these two immortals.

What should they do? How would they be able to run away?

It was impossible to fight. They would undoubtedly be killed. It was not that easy to fight monsters and those immortals. Tatsue already felt this strongly when she got involved with the Eternity Institute. They would be killed instantly if they even relaxed for a little bit. Even if they put their entire minds into it, they would still be killed eventually as they ran out of energy. It was impossible to win. Humans could not win against monsters.

Even so, she didn't want to die so easily.

Tatsue opened her fan and made a fighting pose as usual.

Ame-chan noticed this. As if she was very excited, she stretched her hands out forward.

"Aha. A little bunny being hunted upon actually dares to threaten the hunter. Can I kill her, Natsuko-san?"

"You won't even leave any meat behind if I let you do it. No. I am... rather hungry."

The joints of the woman named Natsuko started to bend with a cracking sound. Then, as if the flesh all over her body were boiling underneath her skin, they all swelled up incredulously, and she became an alien monster in the blink of an eye. The clothes and shoes she wore also tore apart and scattered all around her. Tatsue and Mitaka stood there gaping in surprise.

Natusko's body, with black bands across her torso, started to harden and develop a carapace as if she was an insect. Her segmented limbs also started to stiffen with the movement of her muscles and ligaments. As if she was a samurai who put on his armor, her entire body swelled up to be as big as the store next to her. Having completed her metamorphosis, she gave out a strong oppressive feeling, making the ground and the air around her shake as if in fear.

Three feelers grow out of her forehead. It was a monster with a dark red light sparkling in her eyes...

"I am the King of Summer! I am the King of Insects! I am the Beetle, Minazuki Natsuko - I am a warrior of the metamorphosis kind, and my power will crush you all! Despair! Scream! Hurry and make it more entertaining! Here is where you will die! Food should make dying cries befitting of food! Let the predators feel the joy!"

Suddenly, a black hole appeared in Ame's hand, who was standing beside Natsuko and has been making a ruckus all this time. A pale green liquid squirted powerfully out of her hand. The liquid came out fast as a bullet and landed on the wall of the bookshop next to Tatsue, and instantly melted the material.

"Hehehehe."

The high school girl who squirted corrosive liquid from her hand looked very happy as she gazed at Mitaka and Tatsue, who were both pallid with terror. The girl started slowly:

"Well, I am an honor student in the special abilities department. Please call me darling Nagumo Ame-chan, the Poison Demon. My favorite ability is Sulfuric Rain. I will dissolve you until even your bones are gone!"

"I won't allow you to dissolve them."

The earth reverberated as Natsuko, in her hideous monster form, stepped forward. Her voice was the only thing that still remained the same.

"I am still very hungry!"

It was different from the confusion of being surrounded by predators. They were being met with a pincer attack by two monsters. The street was full of shops to their left and right, and Mitaka and Tatsue didn't have the ability to jump over these buildings. They could not escape. They could only do their best at defeating either Natsuko or Ame and run away.

"Tatsue, just forget about fighting them! It's a stupid idea!"

Mitaka said this in a low voice, but Tatsue pouted.

"But I don't think they will be so kind as to just let us run away!"

Heavy thuds came from behind them. Natsuko's giant torso was walking slowly towards them, approaching them casually and at ease. If this went on, then they have no choice but to face death. She was walking up to them slowly. She would stomp them into mincemeat. Tatsue and Mitaka didn't have the power to attack the monster, nor did they have a plan to defeat it.

Yes, this wasn't a fight, but a one-way hunt.

Their opponent had overwhelming advantages, and entertained herself by tormenting her puny and powerless prey. If Natsuko so much as changed her mind and decided to end this game early, then Tatsue and Mitaka would instantly die.

Even their courage to resist the monster was beginning to wither away as they looked at that incredulous giant, more monstrous than a monster. It was more perilous for them than a game between a cat and a mouse. How could they possibly fight back against a carnivorous monster as big as a building?

And then that person called Ame… She had rather strange abilities. Although she looked like an ordinary girl, they still would not be able to win against her.

“Hey hey.”

Someone patted Tatsue’s shoulder. Huh? Tatsue wasn’t expecting that at all.

She turned her head, and Ame was standing there giggling, as if she was in control of everything. She was definitely still standing in front of Tatsue just a minute ago. Did she have teleportation powers too?

“Woah!”

Out of reflex, Tatsue fluttered her fan and instantly disrupted the air in front of her, creating a small tornado. She named this ability after the katana passed down the Kuroki family as an heirloom – Dragon’s Breath. The tornado, or rather the storm that she created, instantly blew away her opponent. It wasn’t very destructive or lethal, but it was also very hard to dodge as it was invisible.

“Hehehehe.”

However, Ame easily dodged the attack from the storm. As if she only left a mirage as unchanging as the smile plastered on her face, Ame already returned to her previous position when Tatsue realized what was going on – she was facing them again.

“Ahahaha, so dangerous. Oho, you actually have rather interesting abilities!”

As if talking to herself, Ame stated those obvious facts without much thought.

“Sulfuric Rain vs Terrifying Storm? What’s this? I’m pretty sure some legends have a tale like this too. Oh? Something like the North Wind and the Sun? Then, then, let us create a new legend together!”

This person was a predator too. Tatsue understood this. She was a much more lively and flirtatious girl than Natsuko, who approached them from behind. However, Ame was not in any way less dangerous than Natsuko. She might even be more dangerous than the other woman.

A chilling spasm rose up along Tatsue’s back. She wasn’t someone who liked violence. She was just a simple girl who hated pain, hated seeing blood, and cared a lot about whether she was hurting other people. Tatsue didn’t like to fight monsters either. She was someone who only dared to imagine pain on herself or others, but never wanted to experience it.

“Tatsue.”

The person standing next to her said in a low voice. He was her childhood friend, and the person she loved the most – Mitaka. He was not human, and he still managed to keep a clear head in this situation and kept thinking calmly. He could even still let Tatsue feel his emotions towards her in his words.

“I don’t know what she is. I don’t know what is happening in this town and what’s that got to do with the school. I don’t want to know either. I don’t care about the fate of the world or a conspiracy on a cosmic scale – we aren’t powerful people who are related to those things. I’ve had enough of villains or warriors of justice, and I don’t want anything to do with them anymore.”

Tatsue could see her own terrified face reflected in his unique golden irises.

“And we’re not going to die either, right?”

Yes, they can’t die. How could they die? Tatsue’s existence had already collapsed once, and her body was no longer mortal. But there was a girl once upon a time, someone who still wanted to survive even if her hands were diced into innumerable pieces. And there was a bloodstained boy who once stood in front of Tatsue, who spread his arms to protect her life.

Her life, which she managed to extend till this day because of how hard she fought for it, was not going to be over!

Tatsue has a responsibility to keep living with her dignity intact.

“Tatsue. We’re going to fight now. Come here.”

She heard his words. Tatsue now had the resolve to keep living. Just like when they were back down in that disgusting Institute, those who will survive this would are the ones with the strongest resolve.

Tatsue clutched her fan tightly and nodded resolutely.

“What are you doing? You’re all whispering to each other?!”

A boiling liquid erupted out of Ame’s hand. The strong acid landed squarely at the electricity pole next to Tatsue and instantly melt it through. The pole collapsed together with the wires it ripped down. The electricity from them burst into countless sparks and fell towards Natsuko.

“Hold on, Ame-chan. I’m still here too… careful!”

Even though she said this, Natsuko still sounded rather calm. She moved her forelimbs a little and instantly smashed the wires and the pole. She did feel a little sizzle from the electricity, but there was no pain whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Ame didn’t seem concerned at all, and laughed loudly while waving her hands around.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ve never been good with working with others! Is that called ‘teamwork’ or something? Or is it ‘co-operation’? It doesn’t matter. I’m just not used to it.”

She said all that in a voice dripping with distain.

“But Natsuko-san… those two are completely ignoring me. They are just whispering to each other all the time. Urk, I’m really upset. Ame is really angry. I was like this before as well. Doesn’t matter if it was at school or at home, everyone, everyone… why is everyone ignoring me?! You are the ones who are rubbish! You are the idiots! Do you want to kick me out of your company? I am greater than all of you. You just need to praise me more and more.”

Ame became excited from her own words and her cheeks swelled crimson. She kept waving her limbs around and spurted sulfuric acid everywhere wantonly, dissolving everything around her.

“Ahaha! But I am not a melancholic girl who will just sit quietly in the corner of the classroom when you ignore me! I will completely crush this ugly world with the power of the Devil, and remake it into a world more impartial for me! The Last Judgment will be marvelous! I have finally been chosen by this fair world!”

She was saying something abnormal and incomprehensible. Tatsue and Mitaka didn’t know how to respond, either. The Last Judgment? A more impartial world? What did all that mean? They couldn’t understand that, but they could guess that Ame was originally an ordinary human who was very unhappy with how the world was run.

Then someone bestowed power upon her and poisoned her mind with certain ideas.

Perhaps that person – was their true enemy all along.

Ame stretched out her hand. Perhaps because she rarely smiled when she was still a human, she was not very good at the act… The smile on her face looked very grotesque.

“I am someone chosen by God!”

As she said this, a torrent of sulfuric acid poured towards Mitaka and Tatsue. Tatsue detected rage and an even deeper sorrow in Ame’s tone, and Tatsue chose to dodge her attack – by moving forward.

The turgid liquid approached her as if it could burn through even the air itself. Tatsue twirled and turned the pitch black fan she held in her hands. Ame's words touched her more and more. Those were the words Tatsue used to speak. She wanted to be chosen by someone. She wanted to consider herself as unique, as deserving of praise. She worked so hard just for that. But...

There were no meanings behind that.

"Even if I'm not chosen by the likes of God -"

Reality was as clear as a play.

"I will be happy as long as I'm with someone who choose to love me."

The sulfuric acid that approached Tatsue as they twisted and turned with life suddenly froze, and completely stopped mid-air. Ame opened her eyes and, for the first time, looked like she was about to have a mental breakdown.

"Ah - this!"

The corrosive acid, infused with her endless vengeance, surged forward. Even Tatsue felt the scorching heat within it. The hatred it contained made Tatsue's mind feel restless as well.

But there was no way the acid was going to hurt Tatsue. Every drop flew past her uselessly.

"What's going on!? Stop this!"

Ame kept attacking, but no matter how much acid she sprayed, it was all useless.

This was the ability sealed into Tatsue's body, the manipulation of space unique to Melodia NoiseTear Song. She had also countered the incredible power exhibited by Unpleasant Counter-Current when Mitsuki turned into a fallen angel in the Eternity Institute. These feelings of hatred from Ame were not even worth of mentioning compared to the despise Mitsuki threw at Tatsue then. Both the desire for praise that Ame had, and the displeasure Ame felt towards other people and the world, were truly too inconsequential in comparison.

"I don't know what kind of a person you were before."

Tatsue didn't feel sad. She just spoke her thoughts in a low voice.

"But no matter what kind of abilities you received, no matter if you were chosen by God or what... you will never grasp happiness if you heart does not change."

As if she was confessing to her father, who became mad due to his persistence towards his ideals - or as if she was confessing to a younger version of herself - Tatsue said with a genuine expression:

"Pitiful humans."

All expression disappeared from Ame's face. Her body shook uncontrollably. Her hands were clutched into fists, and sulfuric acid seeped out from between her fingers. Tatsue could not take her eyes away from Ame. She was just like how Tatsue had been before. Tatsue understood that kind of pain. It was as if no one needed her. It was a sad despair, in which she firmly believed she would leave no trace upon this world if she were to disappear.

"Ame-chan! Don't slow your attacks! She can't keep up her spatial manipulation for a long time! I can take over if you don't want to continue!"

Nastuko, who was behind Tatsue and Mitaka, seemed to sense how Ame's heart wavered. She suddenly attacked the duo, not giving them any time to rest. Tatsue yelled without hesitation. This woman was definitely not evil, either. It was only because she had been turned into a monster. If this was the final judgment - if this was the fair world they spoke of -

"I have absolutely no interest in those things!"

Tatsue then turned quickly to face Natsuko. She held her fan tightly, as if she wanted to protect the person she loved, who was standing next to her. Resolve and an intent to kill burned in her eyes, as if she harbored a living fire.

“Ah – “

But such an expression only lasted briefly on Tatsue’s face, as Ame started to cry out sadly behind her.

“Stop! Natsuko-san, her target is – “

Natsuko ignored Ame. Her fly-like complex eyes were already crimson red. Her gigantic body started to move forward, and she rushed over to Tatsue as if she was going to trample her into the ground.

However, Tatsue didn’t look scared at all. Indeed, she wore a faint smile on her face.

“There were many things a dragon’s breath was said to be capable of throughout the legends in every culture. Some considered them able to stir up tornados, or to invoke mighty flames and scorch the earth. Others thought that a dragon’s breath turned living humans into sacks of poison, or that they spewed forth acid that could corrode everything – “

“Natsuko-san, run!”

Ame cried in a frenzy and sprayed out sulfuric acid everywhere with her hands, but she only managed to achieve the opposite of what she wanted. Neither Ame nor Natsuko were experienced fighters. Although Tatsue wouldn’t want to get too arrogant, she had indeed defeated monsters such as Mitsuki before – she felt rather assured of herself.

She certainly did not have mighty powers or an invincible capacity for destruction.

However, she could kill people even with a ribbon if she wanted to.

The differences between experience, knowledge, and preparation – those are the things that determine the outcome of battles.

The roiling sulfuric acid gathered in the air as if it was but candy floss. Tatsue observed her enemy as she controlled those droplets circling in the air.

She had no idea what kind of relationship existed between Ame and Natsuko. They were probably quite close as the café was near Kannonsakazaki High School. She could instantly see the scene now. A sad high school girl who was not welcomed at school drinking her coffee in Natsuko’s shop as a faint smile surfaced on her face.

Tears streaked down Tatsue’s face.

Honestly, she still didn’t like to fight.

“Dragon’s – Breath!”

She expanded her ability to control space, and all the air around her started to move. The large amounts of sulfuric acid that Ame released started to build up around Tatsue – they glided and flew in the air according to Tatsue’s will, then sprang towards Natsuko, who was about to run up to Tatsue to melee her into oblivion.

The acid instantly melted half of Natsuko’s body and blew her away.

A dying wail started to echo around them. The thick stench of blood and Ame’s shrieks could then be sensed. The ground was littered with pieces of meat and blood stains, and the shopping street was completely ruined. Black carapace cracked and shattered. Minazuki Natsuko, whose entire body had changed into a monster, exploded into a mist of blood, and instantly disappeared.

“Natsuko-san!”

Ame had a look of disbelief on her face and yelled in despair at Tatsue. Tatsue had killed someone Ame cared for deeply using her ability. Tatsue was really the worst, the most outrageous person ever.

Tatsue knew she used a despicable tactic. Her pride as the daughter of the most prominent financial empire in Japan instantly evaporated. She felt a deep sense of regret as a human being.

“Ah, ah – aaaah!”

Ame looked hopelessly for Natsuko everywhere. She then put her hands over her head and screamed.

“What on Earth did you do!?”

Ame’s body disappeared again. Did she teleport again? Tatsue didn’t know what to do. She initiated Melodia NoiseTear Song’s ability to analyze the space around her to find Ame’s location, only to find that Ame appeared to be underneath them.

"Below...?"

Before she understood what was going on, Ame erupted from the stone and bitumen of the road and flew out at them savagely. She had corroded the ground using the acid from her hands, and dug a tunnel using her power, allowing her to attack from below Tatsue.

It would have been a very powerful surprise attack.

Tatsue paled in surprise, and flew to her side at the last minute and barely managed to dodge the attack. She rolled on the ground and tried to stop the acid from pouring down. Ame was also yelling angrily at her direction, but everything was so loud, and she couldn't hear her clearly.

As Tatsue's gaze flickered, the frothing acids scattered away powerlessly. It was so sad and weak. Tatsue felt a tinge of guilt. She felt a silly and weak idea, that maybe she should let her opponent's attack work just a little. But she knew it would be meaningless to even consider these thoughts.

She had to kill her.

It would be as easy as squishing a bug or swallowing a piece of meat.

She had to do it.

As if they were ice blocks exposed under the scorching sun, all the shops around her were starting to melt. Tatsue just quietly looked at the girl before her. Her attacks couldn't reach Tatsue, and Ame started to scratch her face in anxiety. Tatsue stared straight at her and said:

"I'm sorry."

Ame could have been happy. However, in order for Tatsue to survive, she had to kill Ame here. It was justified personal defense. Excuses such as 'the opponent is a monster' were meaningless.

This was her punishment. Sin and punishment were just, but humans would never receive happiness in a fair manner. Tatsue had also started to hate this world full of evil.

"Please - die."

Tatsue made up her mind and flapped her fan forward.

The isolating membrane that came from Manipulation of Space disappeared. Ame had unleashed countless attacks at it, without managing to pierce it. Although her body was immune to the acid, the overflowing chemical covered the skin around her eyes and her face, making it look like Ame was crying.

Tatsue said again softly, facing Ame directly:

"I'm sorry."

"...?"

Suddenly, as if she felt something odd, Ame opened her eyes.

"Huh?"

She tilted her head and scanned her surroundings. As she looked anxious, she started to mumble:

"There was someone else here... Where did that boy go?"

The moment Ame's gaze left her, Tatsue's hands suddenly punched forward, mimicking the action Ame had made when she attacked. However, there were no sulfuric acid pouring from Tatsue's hand.

Just a black snake coming out of her sleeve -

She used the ability to manipulate space and made a hole in her protective membrane, with the black snake's slender body flowing into it... Ame noticed the Snake and screamed. But it was too late, as the reptile flew into Ame's wide open mouth without hesitation.

"Gulp?!"

Ame instantly twisted her body and leaned backwards. Her hands flew to her throat, and she started to struggle. Sulfuric acid poured out of her hands and dripped to the ground, evaporating the earth into nothingness. Ame rolled around, screaming at the top of her lungs. She kicked her legs, looking like she was in excruciating pain.

"Urgh!? Ur...Ughn!!"

As if some hidden disease was acting up within her body, Ame moaned and put her hands to her face, as her body contorted. Her stomach could not contract due to the forced distention caused by the alien creature within it. Her abdomen bulged up disturbingly, and something long and thick was wriggling beneath her skin.

Tears welled up in Ame's eyes. She bit her lip hard as she endured the pain, and blisters formed as she moaned.

She was really suffering.

Tatsue stood up slowly and lowered her head, looking at Ame.

She could still vaguely see the tail of the black snake within the moaning girl's mouth. She was struggling painfully. Tatsue looked away as the black snake slithered into the esophagus from her mouth and gnawed through the stomach, moving everywhere within the abdominal cavity.

"... What should I do?"

Ame was sweating profusely and her eyes, which were looking this way, already had dilated pupils. Tatsue sighed. She shuddered just from the thought of how painful and disgusting it must be to swallow a black snake whole.

Ame's shoulders started to shake with a gurgle.

The snake's tail had now completely disappeared within her throat. Ame's eyes were full of hatred as she looked sideways at Tatsue, being unable to stand up due to her full abdomen.

"You... You bastard!"

Ame spat out those words one by one, her voice full of pain.

"I curse you... someone like you, won't be forgiven..."

Yes, Tatsue agreed. Being hurt, feeling the pain, and being cursed for it - that was truly annoying. Therefore, Tatsue hated to fight, and abhorred this destiny forcing them to battle each other. The wounds they received would never heal. Blood would seep out of their hearts and gradually dye them crimson red.

Tatsue lamented her own sins as she watched Ame's body tense up. She let out a long breath.

"Mitaka."

She showed an expression of fake kindness, then followed with mean words: "Let her be free."

There was a disgusting squelch. Blood seeped out between Ame's lips. Her hands were on her chest and she rubbed her skin continuously - then she stopped moving. Mitaka probably chewed a hole in her heart.

It was Tatsue who wanted to do this. It was Tatsue who killed her.

Although it was her first time ending a life, she might have been forever denied Heaven because of this.

Tatsue lifted her head and looked up at the sky while standing before the corpse of the girl.

She told herself that she would not feel sorrow even if she were sent to the depths of Hell, as long as she remained with her beloved Snake.

Saibara Mitsuki furrowed her brows. No, it was the Greater Fragment called Ultimate ShieldThe Weakest who had changed into Mitsuki's form - no, that was incorrect as well. Her name was Moon, though she had succumbed to the siren song of the Greater Fragment within her, and had completely fallen under its sway, becoming the Jealous Queen. She looked very unhappy, and her face was full of an annoying expression. She muttered softly:

"Useless trash."

Her words were filled with a rage completely incongruous with Mitsuki's gentle image, for the girl she borrowed the form of wouldn't even kill a bug. Moon stood at the top of an electrical pole in silence and bathed in the light of the dawn, looking out over the township of Kannonsakazaki. Her gaze pierced through the school building and looked out as the battle in the distant shopping district gradually ended. She reached up and pressed down on the hat that the wind threatened to blow off, and muttered to herself:

"... The Poison-Demon Nagumo and the Beetle Minazuki were defeated so easily. Their opponents weren't shapeshifters or other powerful entities with abilities - they weren't even Greater Fragments. They were just a defenseless version of Tear SongMelodia Noise and a Snake."

There was no emotion in her voice, not even a sliver. There was no sorrow from knowing her subordinates had failed – had died. There was also absolutely no intention to pray for them in the afterlife.

She simply felt a sense of disgust from the bottom of her heart. Her mind was so full of rage that she even started to feel dizzy.

Moon sighed and saw an incredible red light coming out of Nagumo Ame's dead body, which flew towards the direction of the Kannonsakazaki High School.

"Mmm, never mind. I have never expected much of other people. As long as no unrelated folks approach the school, go and do as you wish... All ye chosen ladies and gentlemen!"

Moon cackled, as she gazed fixedly towards the school. The school was enveloped in a carmine light in the rising sun, as if it was an over-ripe apple. And in the middle of all that, at a spot sparkling with a blood-red sheen due to her will alone, hordes of monsters gathered there and moved restlessly.

Monsters. Monsters.

Due to Moon's ability to alter her own body, her sight had also improved exponentially. She gazed at these monsters gradually approaching the school and greedy seeking out light. They were not people like Nagumo Ame and Minazuki Natsuko, whom Moon had gathered under her wing after using Modification of the Flesh to make them into monsters.

"... Mushi."

Moon made a mocking snicker from her nose and stretched out her arms, looking down upon the entire world. As if no one else could understand her, she quietly recounted the contents of myths on her own:

"Little Mushi became monsters - but God showed no signs of resistance. The world wouldn't be able to maintain itself anymore... Seriously, don't joke with me. How can we welcome the end like this?"

As if Moon was chanting, she roared out at the world approaching its end:

"I will become the hero! The hero of the entire world! Everyone will praise my name. The future will become a beautiful world where people will praise me endlessly for all eternity!"

As if she was drunk, she yelled in madness. Then she suddenly bent over and pulled her hair out of disgust.

“I’ve started to talk to myself again… Ahaha, ahahahaha! Who am I trying to impress? I killed Ume-chan! My own hands killed Joker too! Nothing matters anymore! I don’t care if none of those people praise me! The entire world will praise me, sooner or later~~ Ahaha – Ahahahahahaha!”

Moon started to laugh loudly as if she was mad. As if that jealous and lonely queen finally obtained praise from the Mirror of Truth about her beauty, a self-satisfied smile surfaced on her face.

“Ahahaha! It’s useless to feel regret! You bastards! Your points of view are too perfect – you are too worthy of envy, so it’s your fault that I’m jealous of you!”

In the middle of the world, in the middle of the Apple sparkling with a dark red sheen, Usagawa Rinne did not respond at all. She only rested within the glass coffin, and simply waited for her prince to arrive.

She dreamed.

It was a dream of the past.

“…”

It was a distant dream from a long long time ago, and its memory was already vague and fuzzy. It was when Guriko was still called Yono. She was still a human back then. She could still taste food. She could still feel stuffy when the summers became too hot. She could still cry when it got too cold in winter. This was from a long long time ago, when she still had her body and heart.

Was it Mom?

She had wanted to ask something since a long time ago.

Was it Dad?

Those two travelers who rescued her from the Mushi and travelled with her – or had Guriko wanted to go with them? – and who had finally entrusted their Apples to her and disappeared.

Kudan and Kirigirisu.

She didn’t know whether those were their original names. Maybe those were just names they had casually made up. Guriko wasn’t interested in their names anyways, and she didn’t deliberately seek them out. What Guriko wanted to ask them was simply a painful question that she could not articulate. Just that one question.

Are you –

How long did she spend travelling with them?

– My Dad? Or my Mom?

Yono was a child who had been discarded. She was a child who no one wanted, who had just been found outside the village. It would have been fine as long as Yono was the only unfortunate one. No one considered her family, and no one wanted to be her friend. Perhaps no one even considered Yono a fellow human.

Those two people, the travelers Kudan and Kirigirisu, were the first and only people who had ever helped Yono, had called her by name, patted her head, talked about all sorts of things with her, fussed over her health, and taken care of her when she fell sick.

Therefore, poor Yono had a delusion. She logically started to question the warmth those people gave her. Yono felt no one should be giving her this much kindness without a cause, that there must be a reason behind it which forced them to be so nice to her.

Guriko thought of this hard, becoming more and more suspicions, though in the end, she just became very confused.

She endlessly pursued the reason behind their kindness towards her, and she finally came up with this question:

“You…”

Guriko screamed in pain in her dream, wanting to prevent Yono from asking that question. She couldn’t ask such a question. It would hurt other people. Also, if she understood true loneliness, then she would sink into absolute despair.

However, in her dream, Yono ignored Guriko’s screams and asked in a small voice:

“Are you my Mom? Are you my Dad?”

She wanted to believe that she was not alone no matter what, even if no one wanted her, even if they discarded her. She must have had a real family somewhere. They had just had to discard her because of some special reasons, but they would definitely come and take her back sometime soon. They would actually love Yono. Yes, it was a delusion – but if she didn’t cling to this delusion, then she would definitely crumble.

She thought Kudan and Kirigirisu would definitely be her parents. She felt they were similar to her. However, they showed a sad expression and shook their heads.

Huh? Yono was confused. She had been almost completely convinced they were her parents. For a long time, she’d held onto that belief, thinking that this must be how it was. Yono believed firmly in this despite the lack of evidence.

That was sad. Even if they lied to her, Yono still wanted to nod as she listened to these sweet words.

Yono cried. She had waited on her own. She had endured betrayal on her own. Then she had cried. It had been a long time ago since she last cried. The last time she cried was when the Mushi killed her and made her an inhuman existence.

Kudan softly said something towards Yono, who was crying.

She couldn’t remember the details anymore. The only thing she could firmly recall was something he’d said.

True loneliness –

True loneliness was perhaps not to be a man, but to be a monster.

Yono-chan, do you remember what I told you about heaven and reincarnation? When someone dies, their soul will leave the body and become a completely different individual in their next life. They will keep living somewhere on this world for all eternity. That is reincarnation. Heaven is regarded as some happy utopia somewhere, and the souls of the dead would live there forever. That was it.

But both versions were simply inventions made to lessen our anxiety towards death.

Death is terrifying. It is scary for our own lives to disappear. Humans are scared of the unknown. We feel restless towards the unknown, and we dislike thinking of such concepts. We consumed the fruit of knowledge back in the distant past and gained our wisdom, then we foolishly proceeded to imagine what might happen after death. But that was the best we could do. If this is the punishment towards humans for gaining wisdom, then God is truly too mean-spirited. God made all of humanity aware of their death penalty from the moment they were born.

It was terrifying. No one had experienced death. We could only imagine what it was like, since we can never experience it. However, the objective evaluation was simply the complete disappearance of the entirely of our existence. This was the worst situation for creatures like us, something we simply could not be optimistic about.

We made up the concepts of ‘soul’, reincarnation, and Heaven to appease this fear. It was a delusion that our soul would remain even if we die, and that we can exist forever.

What is the soul, then? I believe it is the process of thought itself. ‘Thought’ is neither the body nor the brain. It is the basic unit that constructed the concept of ‘me’. It is only a concept, but it became the pillar of ‘my’ existence because it is only a concept.

Your face still looked like it was full of questions from listening to me. You will understand when you become an adult.

Anyways, the phenomenon of ‘death’ wasn’t simply damage to the body or to the brain. You can consider it as the end of thought. No matter what part of the body stops functioning, as long as ‘I’ am still thinking, it is proof enough that ‘I’ am still alive.

Therefore, rather than considering Heaven, reincarnation and rebirth delusions, they could be considered possible, actual existences.

Heaven is simply ‘me’ maintaining ‘my’ appearance and eternally thinking. Reincarnation, on the other hand, is when ‘I’ became another ‘me' and kept thinking in that new state. With regard to reincarnation, it is safe to assume that the ‘me’ who dies completely disappears. The initial ‘me’ would exist within the ‘me’ who was born again – no, it would simply be that ‘I’ have completely forgotten all memories of the previous life. Objectively speaking, the initial ‘me’ has not died, but simply cannot remember.

Reincarnation is truly an interesting concept.

However – the truth was that heaven and reincarnation were all delusions. ‘I’ will completely disappear upon death and become absolute nothingness. Even if we can briefly feel the joy of Heaven or reincarnation, we will still greet the end sooner or later, and face ‘my’ death.

Many legends hint at the annihilation of the world at the very end. Neither Heaven nor reincarnation were considered to be truly eternal, hinting towards the fact that humans will die sooner or later. Monsters, malevolent gods or demons, will be the ones who shall destroy the world. That is what I believe.

How lonely. It won’t be the ‘me’ who was already died.

I must be killed, even if I am not a monster –

“…”

Gankyū Eguriko startled awake and jumped up in a hurry, looking all around her. She didn’t understand what was going on around her at all, therefore she looked everywhere as if she was a terrified little animal, and finally lowered her head.

“I… fell asleep?”

“Oho, you’re awake, Guriko-chan!”

She woke up in an apartment. It was a small room measuring only four-and-a-half tatamis. It was Mina’s room. This place was extremely messy. There were empty dishes, dirty clothes, and dead potted plants littered all over the floor. Guriko was sleeping in a corner of the room, wrapped in blankets in this space filled with all sorts of trash. Mina was wearing a set of extremely wrinkled pajamas, and she lowered her head and looked at Guriko.

A reddish light was seeping through the windows. It looked to be early morning. It was rather odd that there was no birdsong, but this was not the time to be thinking of these things. How did she fall asleep?

“Mina, how did Gu – Gu – Waaah?!”

Guriko suddenly couldn’t see anything anymore. She fell backwards and knocked her head against the wall. Mina seemed to have thrown something at her. Guriko blushed as she took those things off her face, realizing that it was Mina’s discarded clothes that covered her eyes.

Mina started to change her clothes, completely ignoring Guriko. She made no move to cover up her body, nor did she want to cover up Guriko’s young, androgenous body. They were both girls, and there was nothing to be embarrassed about, but Guriko still moved her gaze away slightly.

Mina made a big yawn and mumbled as if she was still half asleep:

“Stop being so anxious. I’ll tell you everything in detail. Rather… I want you to explain some things to me. You suddenly fainted when you met up with Mitsuki and me, and you haven’t woken up since then. You were covered in blood, and you probably lost a lot of blood too.”

Mina quickly finished changing. Her unbraided hair casually spread out behind her and she started to brush it. Looking at Mina’s leisurely pose, Guriko suddenly sat up.

“I was fighting Melodia NoiseTear Song, and I defeated her. Then I went to help Rinne. What happened then? Suddenly, there were Mushi everywhere. And then… Single Room and PoisonCatastrophe – woah!?”

As if the other woman thought she was being too annoying, there were more clothes thrown at Guriko’s face. Guriko blushed all the way up to her ears as she protested:

“Answer me seriously, Sterilization Disinfection! If you don’t do as I say, then I’m gonna gouge out your eyeballs!”

"You're so annoying... I have low blood pressure. I'm putting this out here. If you are not in that monster form, then you are always weaker than me. So watch yourself when you speak to me!"

Guriko threw a spoon towards her without hesitation. Mina's ability was to destroy all her opponents without regard to barriers or any such concept. A gust of cold wind blew past them, bringing the scent of flowers like those cheap deodorants sold at the roadside. Guriko didn't feel any heavy impact.

"Ack... cough cough. What is this? Are you an idiot?!"

Guriko was choked by some flowery scent as she coughed. What was this stupid woman trying to do...? Guriko coughed so much that tears came out of her eyes. She finally shut up as socks and shorts were thrown on her face.

"Alright alright... hurry up and put on some clothes yourself. Stop looking like a savage kid. You are a girl after all, and you should pay some attention to your appearance."

Guriko finally noticed her clothing was all ripped up after Mina told her off, and her body was completely covered in blood. Guriko's body had swollen up when she became that crimson red monster, and her clothing had been torn apart because of that. Although she was not completely naked, she was still in an embarrassing state.

Guriko obediently took off her clothing, but still got angry due to Mina's words and furrowed her brows.

"... I'm not a girl. I'm a savage kid!"

"Ok ok, do you really like to put yourself down this much?"

Mina made a snorting laugh as if she thought of Guriko as an idiot. Her brows also came up. Guriko was really an annoying girl.

But was she putting herself down? Yes, she was. What Mina said was hard to stomach, but it was right. Guriko felt inferior because she was a monster. Other people had told her numerous times that ‘it should be fine if you’re the only unfortunate one.” She felt she was an inferior being compared to all the people around her.

That was not true. The gentle woman and youth who had treated her as a normal human being were not with her anymore. Guriko didn’t behave as she usually did. She lowered her head and started to cry while hugging the clothes she took off.

It was so strange. She was so soft and weak.

“Ah, um –”

Mina looked like she didn’t know what to say. She quietly plaited her braid gently next to Guriko and smiled.

“Sorry. I’ve always been a woman with a sharp tongue… don’t pay too much mind to it.”

“…”

Guriko wiped at her eyes and suddenly smiled. Her expression then returned to her usual coldness.

“Seriously, you’re such a gloomy woman. You got white hairs at such a young age because you have a bad personality.”

“What did you say? You bastard brain.”

“… You are a useless nurse who can’t even take care of your daily life. You’re just someone useless who’s drinking all the time.”

“You don’t have any capacity to take care of your daily life either! Besides, I am a good nurse!”

“Who knows? I seem to remember you got plenty of people killed because of medical accidents. No, you outright killed them. You should be apologizing properly to the relatives of the victims, you murderess nurse.”

“You little bastard… There are some things you should never say to other people. I really shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have worried about an ungrateful brat like you! Hurry and repay my kindness! How can there be kids as nasty as you? You are truly horrible!”

“You are the horrible one. It’s disgusting. I should be fine even if you don’t worry about me. Stop feeling all sympathetic, you idiot. I’m gonna contract your idiot virus and become an idiot too, idiot.”

“Ah, you two are really good friends!!”

As if throwing more wood on the fire between the two who were already yelling at each other, the people appearing before the open door giggled.

Mina and Guriko quieted down immediately. They both felt they were regarded as idiots. The two of them narrowed their eyes and looked towards the door. Guriko would usually have instantly rebuked anyone who said Mina and her were friends. However, when they saw who were standing at the door, both of them just gaped, unable to say anything. They then yelled out their visitors’ names out loud immediately.

“PoisonCatastrophe… Single room…”

It was the odd duo they had wanted to forget, but had never quite managed to.

The tall foreign woman with green hair and dark eyes.

The short boy of an unknown ethnicity, with hair bright red as flames and cute incisor teeth.

They were PoisonCatastrophe Breaksun Hanselmine and Single Room – Nikuyama Kajiri. They had been their comrades during the battle with Melodia NoiseTear Song, and had collaborated with and helped them out – they were not good friends, but they were not outright enemies. More than just the incredible feeling of oddity, they felt like they could space out even in the middle of the battlefield. They were completely detached from the tension of the battle. They were really strange people.

These two people – Breaksun and Kajiri – walked slowly into the room and sat down as if no one else was in the room. They looked at Mina and Guriko. Mina shrugged slightly.

“Right – where should we start explaining? I met up with them as soon as you collapsed. Single Room thought I should leave the school as soon as possible, then he carried you on his back and ran fast as lightning to my apartment. At least thank him a bit. I thought it would be fine if we left you there.”

“We left the school…?”

Guriko ignored Mina’s tone of voice and stared at Kajiri with a look of blame in her eyes.

“Rinne was still in the school! Why would you say something like that… Huh? Sin-Single Room?”

He opened his eyes and furrowed his brows with an obvious look of complaint.

“Is he doing ok?”

“Hmm?”

Kajiri looked very serious. He lowered his head and sat on the ground cross-legged. He looked quite sick, actually. No, his face looked like that of a corpse. His breathing was also very shallow and his cheeks were shrunken. He looked to be in a great deal of pain. It had been a long time since they ended the ferocious battle in the school – what had happened to his body in this short duration of time?

He was the final hope for Rinne to return to how she was before. He was also a friend who fought against Melodia NoiseTear Song with them. She wasn’t very used to calling him her friend – and she didn’t understand the concept either – but at least they took care of each other.

She suddenly had a repulsive premonition.

“Why does this feel as heavy as death?” She said.

“Heavy as death? Doesn’t this feel even heavier than death?”

He giggled as if it was very fun and unconsciously spoke some words with mysterious implications. Kajiri laughed, and then suddenly became serious again. The pupils in his black eyes stared at them all. Mina crossed her legs next to the low table. Breaksun looked like she might not have heard him at all, and kept wobbling her head.

Guriko, on the other hand, noticed Kajiri’s self-deprecating attitude.

“What’s wrong, Single Room? You look very odd.”

He had always been a boy with a belief that he would not give up, whose looks were incongruous with his personality. He was similar to Guriko. He still looked like he didn’t fit anywhere. He was a slightly shy and very sensitive child, but his heart was very weak –

It wasn't like she felt close to him. She just felt bad that that he, an existence so close to God, could be bothered like this.

Just as she vaguely realized it wouldn't help to think like this, Kajiri yawned loudly, and mumbled:

"Ahh, such a strange bastard. It's really a bastard. Damn it, shit, this super bad. Do you understand now, Guriko?"

"I don't understand you at all, and don't you call me Guriko!"

Eguriko rolled up her sleeves in front of Kajiri and pouted with an annoyed expression all over her face - Breaksun smiled and tilted her head in a nonchalant way:

"Kajiri has been like this for a while. His words are way sharper than usual these days. It's really annoying... is he starting to think about girls?"

"Please ignore everything she says. Anyways -"

As if he finally gave up, Kajiri tilted up his head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Everything is horribly wrong."

"So... what exactly do you want to say?"

They couldn't understand what he was trying to say at all. When they asked him, he looked lost, and remained silent as if he was afraid. His face looked extremely tired, and now there was also a shade of despair in his expression. Just what exactly had he come to realize? Eguriko wanted him to tell her the truth, yet at the same time wanted him to stay silent like this.

Her chest felt constricted.

She was anxious, uneasy, and couldn't calm herself down.

Kajiri waved his hand as he looked at Eguriko, who was staring at him. He moved his crossed legs slightly.

"Mmm... what is it? I could say everything right now, but you won't believe me so easily. Besides, even if we don't know the actual situation, we're fine to just stay here."

It was like he was talking to himself. Eguriko still didn't know what he was saying at all.

"Hey, stop pretending you're so smart and all and explain yourself. I've got a rash personality. Why did we have to leave the school and leave Rinne behind? I don't understand that at all!"

"Oh? Ahh... that was easy. Look."

Kajiri stood up very seriously and opened the window, looking at the situation outside. The red dawn shone into the room - no.

"What's going on?"

A red dawn is a meteorological phenomenon only present during the short period of time after sunrise. However, the sun rose a long time ago. She looked at the clock to make sure of the time. It was definitely already 7 am.

Although it was already well into the morning, the world was still dyed red.

Everywhere she could see was full of a red light. The red beams of light danced and fluttered in the air, and disappeared in the heart of the radiance. The crimson light increased in strength and moved as if it possessed life, illuminating the entire world. This red river... this radiance that rivaled the sun swallowed everything.

What... was this?

Eguriko's cheeks were also dyed red from the light, and the haphazardly placed things in the room cast deep shadows under the radiance of the bright red light. It was as if it was something ominous - the mood was very terrible.

It was as if this was made of blood. Seriously, it was a bloody shade of red.

It was as if the entire world had been dyed with blood. It was disgusting. Eguriko immediately averted her gaze.

"What's going on? What's up with this red?"

Eguriko become rather lost due to surprise and horror. Kajiri said softly:

"The color isn't the problem. That shiny stuff is the actual danger."

Kajiri showed his incisor teeth and looked at the horrifying crimson light sideways. He then closed his eyes.

"Hmm, it's too bothersome to explain everything in detail to you. I'll just talk about the important parts. I just analyzed this red light using Single Room's ability. I am not as perfect as Melodia NoiseTear Song when it comes to analyzing space - but my ability lends towards investigation, too. Anyways, I read into the light, and the 'definition' of your friend is in the center of it all!"

Single Room had the power to change any form and concept in this world just from describing something. He possessed the power of Genesis. He was the mage closest to God in this world, and he could change any 'definitions'. At the same time, he had the power to decipher the 'definitions' of this world. Eguriko found it hard to imagine just what kind of state he exists in.

If this entire world were to be compared to a game, then he was the mage who could control – and change – the game’s rules.

Just what had Single Room, Kajiri, deciphered?

"Mmm, I'll briefly explain the truth. That red light is the root of all our lives."

"I don't understand."

She couldn't understand anything when faced with these riddle-like words. She'd never be able to understand these super hard stuff. What made Eguriko really angry was that her grades at school were also terrible, and her memory was also bad.

"Mmm..."

Kajiri's face was full of an annoyed expression, and he scratched his face as he sighed.

"Um - ah, hmm, well, let's regard that light as the existence of God."

"God?"

Breaksun instantly reacted to that term. She probably wasn't listening properly before anyways. She brought her hands together as she turned towards the window, and smiled happily.

"Indeed, there are many places in the world that naturally regarded dawn and dusk as God. Oh? But this light isn't from the dawn right now. Ahhhhh?! My God!"

"Listen properly if you don't understand. Stop mumbling over there."

As if he was chewing on an insect, Kajiri's facial expression was a very irritated one. He lifted up his face towards Eguriko and Mina's faces, who were looking at him with complete incomprehension. They both looked like they were idiot students who had a very poor capacity to understand anything. Kajiri had a lost expression and couldn't help but sigh.

"Urk. There are so many questions anyways. Why don't you just swallow this fact and remember that this light is God. We will all become that light if we die and get absorbed by that God. This gathered red light is life force of the dead."

Eguriko looked outside the window once again. It was a fantastical landscape. Swathes of crimson red fell like they were a part of a comet belt. Were those the lives of people who had died somewhere?

She couldn't help but shiver as she thought of this. If this was true, then right now, at this very instant - innumerable people were actually losing their lives, thick as rain drops, and their lives were absorbed by God.

"But -"

Mina gave out a very tough question as she wore a serious expression on her face.

"I never knew that this was the construct of the World. Why is God sucking away our souls with such eagerness - no, sucking away our lives? Why is He absorbing our lives?"

"These are but the final throes of the dying God."

Kajiri pouted and mumbled as he looked repulsed. Facing his funny act and the lines he delivered with it, the other three burst into roaring laughter.

"Why are you laughing, you bastards... I'm not joking. This is really bad. God is already on the verge of death right now. If God were to die, the entire world would face the same fate at the same time and die with Him."

"... Why?"

Kajiri shifted his eyes away and also shifted the topic of the conversation as Eguriko questioned him.

"Mmm... well, I'll explain it if you are so interested in this. After all, it's best not to think anything right now. You just need to remember and understand this current situation, Anyways, this God, on the verge of death, is currently absorbing the lives of the humans and animals that keep reincarnating and cycling within this world. He can barely keep Himself alive with that. That is the current situation. Every one of us is just a split part of God. If we approach the school and get close to the body of God Himself, then we will be swallowed as well."

"???"

She still could not remember what he meant. Eguriko did not understand the definition of God at all. Maybe it was because she was like a monster. They would die immediately if they approached the school, and their souls would be sucked away once they die, and that was because God was almost dead - that was roughly what she heard, and she still did not understand this at all.

"Mmm, anyways, just remember, something horrible will happen if we approach Kannonsakazaki High School. That is it. We will die immediately as soon as we get close enough to it. Moreover, perhaps the surrounding areas of the school was already full of monsters."

"Monsters?"

His explanation could not keep up with the speed of the others' questions. She could not understand at all why there were monsters appearing. Monsters exist in the narrow cleft between Hell and Earth, and the rare times that they showed themselves were all to consume humans and they were mankind's arch-enemy. They were creatures of evil that Eguriko had fought against and slew numerous times.

What do these animals have to do with the current situation?

"Um -"

Kajiri mumbled in a low voice with anxiety:

"It's because - God is being eaten by those hordes of monsters."

Even if he said that was the reason, she couldn't acknowledge it either. Guriko couldn't understand this at all.

Mina was also half-cooked when it came to it, and she made a silly laugh from her nose:

"So even God Himself is currently getting eaten by the likes of monsters. Is that so?"

"Ah, you're laughing again. Don't laugh, bastard. These monsters are swelling up at an unbelievable rate, and they have all gathered in the school building and are greedily gnawing away at God!"

"Gnawing away at God? Isn't God that omnipotent and omniscient, all-powerful existence?"

That seemed to be Breaksun's Western views, but this time Kajiri laughed at her.

"There is no such thing as an absolutely immortal being. Even God can die... No matter what, monsters are enemies beyond the realm that God can control in this silly world. God arrived here with the knowledge that He will die. He is currently trying His best not to get eaten or killed by those bastards."

Kajiri opened his surprisingly clear eyes wide and continued speaking as he met everyone's eyes:

"This is Armageddon. The war between God and monsters has continued from the dawn of time till now, and it's finally time for the last battle. Our bodies will be pulled into this too... because we are all parts of God."

"..."

Eguriko didn't know what to say - she became very unsettled. She seemed to feel that Kajiri hadn’t explained some fundamental things. He deliberately mixed up the truth and simply talked about the current situation. She couldn't accept or understand this. She felt very restless and ill at ease.

Although she knew he was tricking her, she could not recognize his lies.

Indeed, death was gradually approaching. Right now was the moment when they had to make a decision, and the crisis was so near that no one could avoid it any more. The sense of crisis and the repulsion made her incredibly anxious.

She wanted to know the truth that Kajiri was hiding from her. She wanted to know the truth. She would feel much better if she knew this, but she was somewhat scared as well. She was afraid that it was a terrifying truth that she wouldn't be able to accept. If only she had a machine that wouldn't have doubts to anything, and could smash all problems that appear in front of her. How happy she would be if she could live like that.

Two different kinds of emotions mixed together in Eguriko and kept conflicting with each other. Kajiri continued talking with a fiery light in his eyes:

"But there are ways to completely shatter this crazy situation."

He continued speaking these unbelievable words:

"At the same time - there are ways to save your friend."

"Rinne?"

Eguriko's expression softened due to what Kajiri said. There was hope. There was still hope. There was perhaps a miracle that could overturn this despairing dead end that they have arrived at without knowing what was going on.

"But... um, Guriko, it's best if you think everything through before you come to a decision."

He took the crucifix that he had hanging off his neck and pointed the sharp end towards her throat. Kajiri then declared:

"Would saving your friend really help her?"

"...?"

What did that mean? Saving her would be helping her. She pitied her friend, who had been killed and made into a living corpse. She didn't understand the concept of friendship before, but she could not just stand aside and watch as someone as gentle and pitiable as Rinne suffer from misfortune.

But - But -

What if Rinne didn't want anyone to save her? What if Eguriko took her away from her happiness by 'saving' her?

No, no, what was she thinking? There was no way Rinne wouldn't want to be saved from such a dire situation.

She wanted to save her.

Kajiri shrugged as he looked at Rinne, who appeared to be both making up her mind and deep in thought.

"Urk, take your time to think this through, Poisoned Apple. Your duty is to protect Her."

Kajiri uttered this incredible name as he stabbed at his own abdomen with the crucifix without hesitation. It was so rapid. No one could stop him.

The splattering mist of blood immediately scattered, and stuck to the walls and the tatami as if it was a living creature. This was the process of 'feeling' something, the first stage of Single Room using his abilities, this enormous Fragment closest to God. He had begun to decipher the 'definitions' of this world to its minutest detail, and change it according to his will. It was his omnipotent power of Genesis.

"Welcome to my room... Urk, argh, so disgusting."

All the colors around him suddenly disappeared. Kajiri gathered his swelling blood into the center of his palm. That redness, which gave out a faint light, gradually solidified and became four stones.

"This is a RPG. My role is that of the 'king'. The king who gave the legendary sword that could defeat the dragon to the brave adventurer. How does it sound, adventurers? Do you dare to hold this sword in your hands, and go forth to save the world?"

Eguriko and Mina looked at each other. The legendary sword that could save the world? The way to save the world and save God? Just with these red gems that Kajiri produced? These inorganic minerals sparkled with a startling light, as if they were solid drops of blood. What kind of power resided in these things?

Kajiri laughed as if he was playing a trick on them, and placed the gemstones on the bed and started to play with them.

"It's up to you to decide whether you want to join this game. However, if you decide to join, then you must have an iron resolve. This is a game at the absolute hardest difficulty. Your enemies are countless monsters. You will receive little to no help. Moreover, we are already in the countdown to the end of the world."

The boy named Single Room only looked at Eguriko. His expression looked like he was joking, but he still said in a sincere voice:

“Moreover, I really can’t change this, but the reward you get for playing this game is just being able to help the poor princess, who was hurt by the monsters.

Princess… was that Rinne? Just what kind of a ‘role’ was she playing this world? Eguriko knew nothing about this. She had never been good at this kind of difficult question. However, she still grasped one of the gemstones tightly in her hand without hesitation.

“I will participate.”

Even though she was not good at playing games, she would still try her best. Eguriko’s actions will probably confuse the Rinne she knew, but Eguriko wanted to save Rinne even so.

Eguriko was prepared to kill Rinne the first time they met. Eguriko already understood then that there would be no good outcome from this, and she was used to being hated. She lived like she was a machine incapable of thought. She lived with the sole purpose of capturing eternal life, lived like a hypocritical reaper.

Rinne was really a very strange girl.

She often cried or laughed for no reason. It was so strange and incomprehensible, but Eguriko didn’t feel repulsed. Instead, she liked her, and felt Rinne was someone important to her.

She shared a pillow with Rinne and slept in the same bed as her.

She stayed in the same classroom as Rinne and went to school with her.

She listened to Rinne’s worries and accepted her embrace. The scars within Eguriko’s heart also gradually started to heal.

It was as if they were – family.

They were also friends. They were good friends who lived together. She often recalled the words Rinne spoke to her, and could never forget Rinne’s gentleness.

Rinne tried her best to defend Eguriko before Sakaki, who had his doubts about Eguriko.

Can I become someone important to you, Guriko-chan? Rinne said this to Eguriko in a matter-of-fact way. She was so happy. Rinne’s existence and her words gave salvation to Eguriko’s soul, which had died a thousand years ago.

Therefore, she wanted to repay Rinne. She wanted to say thank you to Rinne so many times.

“Rinne…”

Rinne. Rinne. I want to see you. I want to go back to how it was before.

The three of them would walk on the road towards the school. They would laugh and cry together. She wanted that peaceful life back again.

“I see…”

Kajiri smiled. He felt a little dizzy. As he wobbled, he kept explaining:

“The way to save the world will be easy, but difficult at the same time. It’s easily doable, but definitely not reliable. The rates of success may be a hundred percent, or it could be zero percent. I can’t make any predictions. We can only pray.”

Kajiri faced Eguriko, who kept a tight grasp on the gemstone. He tried his best to hide his worsening condition, and put on a determined face as he said to her:

“Go find Usagawa Rinne. She is within the bowels of the school. You won’t be absorbed even if you approach that place, as long as you bring this gemstone with you. That’s our current ‘game setting’. However – your opponent is God Himself. I can’t guarantee that place will remain the same for a long time. You must be at your sharpest and go seek her immediately.”

She really couldn’t understand anything at all. Why would saving Rinne be involved with saving the world? Seriously. She didn’t understand at all. He was forcibly writing the rules as he pleased, and she joined this game even without knowing the actual purpose. It was really puzzling.

However, Kajiri’s expression was very serious, even more than usual. That itself contained very important information for Eguriko.

“Would this really…”

Eguriko asked in a low voice as she faced Kajiri, who had a faint sense of expectation on his face. The fatigue that came after a prolonged battle was also mixed in her tone.

“… would this really manage to save Rinne?”

Kajiri shook his head at this hesitant question.

“I don’t know. If this doesn’t work, then everything will be over. It will be over for us, for your friend – and even for the entire world.”

“…”

The room was momentarily plunged into silence. The lonely silence felt unbearable, and everyone couldn’t help but stare at each other. Eguriko’s palms started to sweat with her nervousness. She twirled the gemstone in her hand and contemplated in silence. She thought of what she needed to do, the meaning of Kajiri’s words, and what Rinne would feel.

Moments later, Mina stretched out her hand and took a gemstone. Breaksun took one up as well.

“You…”

Eguriko yelled out in surprise. Mina, on the other hand, sighed as if she found everything to be a bother.

“I’ll go with you no matter what. After all, I was the one who killed Rinne-chan back then. I watched you getting so anxious and wanting to save Rinne-chan, and I felt this annoying sense of guilt. There was no way I was going to allow that kind of depression to stay around me.”

“Mmm, yes. I’m a support character. Um, I’m just like an ordinary human, so I shouldn’t be a bother for you guys.”

Breaksun smiled softly, even though she undoubtedly felt scared at the same time. She – no, those like Eguriko – were different from normal humans due to the Apples within their bodies. However, they were not legendary heroes or warriors. They were not those extraordinary people. They had the same worries as other people, they were also full of flaws, and they wanted others to carry the duty of fighting for the world too.

But there was no one left. Eguriko and her friends would have to do it.

They would have to head forth, for they couldn’t allow the world to be end here. Perhaps this world was the exact world that Rinne liked, the world where Rinne lived happily with Eguriko and Sakaki. The world where the three of them could still live happily like before, a world full of hope.

"Indeed..."

Rinne, I'll definitely come to save you. That means I will save the entire world. If I can, I will maintain this peace eternally. Although she didn't know if she was capable of it, Eguriko will set forth to do it.

The nightmare commenced from the moment Eguriko made up the mind to do it.

Snatch - the final gemstone was taken by a hand that stretched out towards them. It was a white wrist wearing huge gloves. It looked like Mitsuki, Mina's younger sister, who often appeared in this place but had been missing for some time. She took hold of that gemstone.

A smile surfaced on her smile afterwards. It was a repulsive smile. It was completely different from her usual innocent and optimist personality. It was a cruel smile.

"... Mi-chan?"

Her sister Mina furrowed her brows and was about to say something. At that moment, both Kajiri and Eguriko responded to this too. Just what was this unpleasant feeling? It was so familiar. They instinctively felt a chill. Could it be - !?

"Ah."

Mitsuki looked very confused and shook her little head towards the occupants in the room, which had suddenly filled up with tension.

"You were still not fooled? I was planning to confuse you and make it hard for you to recognize me. Would you really realize I'm someone else when you see me in person?"

"She's not Mitsuki!"

Eguriko couldn't help but yell out. She opened her eyes wide, and her brain felt like it couldn't keep up with how the situation was changing. She was feeling confused. She suddenly switched to her battle stance, and took out spoons in order to protect the friends who were still in a daze -

At the same time.

"Be it heroes or protagonists, I am the only one you need."

She chuckled.

"So... all of you, die!"

Shining thorns suddenly erupted out all over Mitsuki's body.

These thorns made of flesh exploded outward, with repulsive speed. They stretched towards everyone in the room, stabbing rapidly towards everyone as if they were going to penetrate Mina, Kajiri, Breaksun, and Eguriko.

"This - "

In that brief moment, as if the time of his entire world had just stopped, Kajiri suddenly felt his cranial artery being pierced. The spraying blood flew everywhere at a speed even faster than those thorns of flesh. The crimson color that sprayed out from the greatest blood pump, spraying out straight from the heart, instantly dyed the entire world a startling shade.

"Kajiri!?"

Breaksun let out a despairing wail. Eguriko didn't have any time to check up on him. The rapidly approaching thorns of flesh made it impossible to dodge them, as if they were going to instantly swallow her whole. However, the instant they touched Eguriko's skin, the thorns of flesh shattered as if they were sculptures of ice.

The flesh-colored fragments scattered everywhere. The person most in shock was not Eguriko nor Mina, however. It was Mitsuki, who attacked them - no, it was the person with Mitsuki's appearance.

"It got rewritten - !?"

Eguriko rapidly threw out her spoon before she understood that sentence. Mina also took an unmarked spray can from who knows where, and instantly sprayed out a thick mist.

The moment the silver spoon and the pristine thick fog flew out, their enemy was also rapidly dissolving and disintegrating. It was a completely unexpected way to dodge. The spoon hit the wall, and the thick fog was sprayed onto the tatami instead as well. The sound of something shattering and the suddenly tense atmosphere made Eguriko's heart beat rapidly.

The white fog that Mina kept letting out was chasing the incredible liquid creature that wriggled all over the room, but it just could not reach it -

"Ahaha. This is dangerous... you're not letting it go at all."

It successfully dodged those attacks. That fake Mitsuki, with its form becoming like water, suddenly reverted to the form of a person.

Mina, who was next to her, kicked at her violently. The enemy's face became that of an alien woman. Her abdomen was kicked by Mina's full force, and flew out of the room after smashing through the main door.

"You bastard!"

Mina once again let out the Genocide JusticeAnnihilation Mist, the magical mist that could ignore all concepts and opposition and strike the enemy. The door and the floor around it all disappeared instantly.

Even so, the enemy successfully dodged Mina's attack.

"Ahaha!"

A happy expression appeared on the face of the woman no one recognized. She placed the key item that enabled them to approach the school - the red gemstone - into her mouth and swallowed it.

"It would be great to finish off some of you at the same time I obtain this. It was all your fault! Let's end here for now, and I'll let you go!"

"Are you still dreaming of escaping?"

Mina showed an extremely angry expression that was rare for her. Her Genocide JusticeAnnihilation Mist that she kept letting out had already massively changed the geography of the area around her. Roads have collapsed and power poles have been snapped in half, and it collapsed as it let out countless sparks.

It was all crimson outside the room. It was a shade of crimson as dark as fresh blood that gathered the source of all life. It was all shades of red - carmine, maroon - it was a crazy scene that hurt their eyes. Eguriko shrank back after just walking for a few steps into it.

However, Mina chased their enemy without a care in the world as if she had given up on everything. Her originally pale cheeks were now red, and she yelled with wide open eyes:

"Bastard, what did you do with Ki-chan?!"

"Ahahaha!"

The woman drew out the distance between them with her unbelievable jump. The woman who was rapidly leaping changed back to Mitsuki's form. The cute little girl twirled the round tail she had and waved her fingers as if it became very fun for her:

"What did you think happened to her? Hey, what did you think happened?"

"---"

Mina felt a little rested, but she was also more enraged due to her opponent’s provocations. She opened her eyes wide and leaped forward as far as she could.

Eguriko could not go back anymore. It was impossible now. She had completely lost her sense of self. Guriko looked at the enemy, who was heading further and further away with a terrifying speed, and Mina who was chasing her as much as she could. She was going to chase after them – but the pained cries behind her made her stop.

“Wait…”

It was a low, soft, and heartbroken sound.

“Kajiri… Kajiri…”

Eguriko turned around at the door.

Kajiri was lying on crimson-stained ground. His face was pallid, as if he was dead.

Return to EPILOGUE 03: The Mirror of Truth

Back to Main Page

Forward to EPILOGUE 09: The Seven Dwarfs