Vol 2 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Night 3: Boudoir

She was tired and she didn’t knohy Would it be better off if she was angry? Or sad? She didn’t know the answer to that Her mind was muddled, her was head dizzy, and she wanted to throw up

Guriko slumped down onto the sofa when she returned ho She took out a spoon al the laht

Hino and Kio would probably be upset if they knew she fought Long-Armed Demon today – no, they’d definitely be upset She had broken that most basic promise of ‘do not harm others’

“But –”

What should I have done then?

She was conflicted She felt there were two of her, both of which believed in justice

The Guriko anted to protect Rinne, protect the people in the school, and protect those in the town

And the Guriko who decided not to harm others, who etched that resolve deep into her heart

Though those two sides cannot be reconciled, they were nonetheless both ht, but I thought fighting was the best course of action at the ti else I could have done Besides, I still feel I was the only one who could defeat Long-Armed Demon

“So you must choose your future before you meet Sterilization Disinfection Will you live on as a monster, or as a human?”

The words spoken by the fake priest with feral eyes continued to echo within her mind

She realized that the oriko’ did indeed exist within her heart when she fought Long-Ar-Ar out the other’s eyeballs But Rinne… she was only standing behind Guriko, yet that was enough to ignite her desire to kill Though it wasn’t the real Rinne, it looked exactly the same – and should therefore have been the same

She just happened to realize –

That she was certainly not a human

She was anothing else but digging out eyeballs Even an inorganic thing can become a demon after a century, so this thousand-year-old ancient husk should have left huo

Even her heart –

Had been that of atime

Guriko now understood that Feeling depressed, she gazed lazily at the spoon, for its light was the only thing that remained eternally steadfast

She had always gazed, beseechingly, at this light in her world full of despair, where nothing was ever important to her

She could only feel alive when she dug out other people’s eyeballs and took their lives A es out eyeballs – that is who I am

She remembered that She actually remembered that

“Urgh”

To hell with this co

What a bore! That’s a training designed for a human

Who aer, a cruelother hu-Armed Demon

Guriko gritted her teeth so hard that they creaked, and she rose up froe uptown aparthed softly in the dark living roolass walls

Yono had always been the outsider I was adopted, and I had no place in the fa under the nauriko, and happened to accidentally find my place in the world thanks to Rinne and Sakaki Then I just depended on them –

Countless eyeballs were crawling in the world within Guriko’s mind

Those were the eyeballs that she gouged out from other people in the past Those eht at her emotionlessly

The eyeballs of those she killed before their Apples took root; the eyeballs of those who attacked her in their pursuit for the secret of immortality; the eyeballs of those who only accidentally became her enemy… those were the eyeballs of innumerable humans… and countless Mushi+

– I…

That’s right

– I never deserved to obtain happiness

I have no such rights Ain darkness till death But I left the darkness, and I allowed entleness So, I feel that I am dirty, shameful, detestable I’d rather die

It was the first time she felt like this

Ahhh, Rinne isn’t here She's not here to shts

The man olf-like eyes had suddenly appeared after she finished fighting and took Long-Armed Demon back He had left Guriko with her face full of confusion as the only one standing at the battlefield

Zekiguchi Nashi+nori – the h she did not know his true identity, every one of his words left its mark on Guriko’s soul

I lost ured out a solution this tier I became weaker, much weaker than before Since e, it wasn’t due tofewer Apples

However, I still became weaker

She gave Nageki’s unconscious body to a passerby and asked the ht home because of a sudden bout of annoyance Now she was home alone Her ‘parents’, Hino and Kio, had yet to return to this apartment especially prepared for the ‘co’

She had lived with the unnaturally excitable duo for three weeks already

It’d be a lie to say she wasn’t happy In fact, Guriko smiled much more often now

But this is a fake life, a fake happiness My true parents gave up their duties of nurturing me as a baby and discarded their child My step parents didn’t love me even once before the Mushi+ killed theer wish to have parents

In the lightless rooly at the dark and dead TV screen She felt terrible She had felt nothing except an unco-Armed Demon

“Click”, the light was turned on

Hino and Kio stood un room like wraiths, their faces devoid of any ereeted the? Why so quiet today?”

“…”

Hino started to move soundlessly Odd, ith her doll-like face? Her face, which always blosso blankly at Guriko as the older woman slowly raised her head

Then, as if someone suddenly switched her on: “Wow, Guriko-chan! There you are!”

At the same time, Kio also burst out: “Ahaha, I didn’t notice you at all! Are you hungry, Guriko? I’ dinner today What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you!”

They spoke with unnatural light-heartedness

That was odd Though they had always acted in a funnyimpression

Guriko sighed She didn’t want to talk to them anyways now

“Be quiet”

She closed her eyes, crossed her ar dinner tonight I don’t feel like it Sorry, please just have it between yourselves”

“Oh my!”

As a result, Hino jueratedly

“Are you alright, Guriko-chan? You’re not eating! You’re not eating! Ohh, I’, are you sick? Are you not feeling well? Aaaah, Guriko-chan! Guriko-chan is going to die?!”

Shut up

Guriko shut her eyes more forcibly, and replied coldly with a displeased expression: “Be quiet I can have s too”

She couldn’t talk like this Her h

“So leave me alone”

“No! If anything happens to Guriko-chan, then Mom will die!”

Mom?

“Dad won’t be able to work either! Guriko, are you really really alright? Do you need to see a doctor? Or do you –”

Dad?

What’s that? How can a monster like me have parents?!

She suddenly felt a na up inside her, felt an irritation that had no cause She was probably letting her anger out on theenuinely worried about her, but she so With a sharp and sour tone, Guriko rebuked coldly: “Shut up! Stop yelling so loudly!”

“Guriko-chan…”

Honestly Please, stop being so nice to such a crass kid Hino showed a worried expression as if she were truly troubled She approached the cold : “No fever, at least”

– An action that could really make Guriko believe the illusion that Hino was truly her ‘mother’

Stop it!

That’s enough, stop!

I don’t have that right I’ve killed many people, I’ve eliminated many many people They were someone’s parents, someone’s children

A ently accepted this awa Rinne and Sakaki Guryū But I–I–I am obviously a monster, a monster who doesn’t deserve happiness

Co such an ordinary life, the Guriko who fought fellow monsters in a bloodbath like today’s is -Armed Demon who had killed ten people

“Don’t touch me!”

Guriko screae Shocked, Hino’s face paled and she slowly stepped away The room was immediately immersed in silence

“Guriko?”

Hearing Kio’s voice, Guriko put her hands to her face and moaned She couldn’t take this anymore

“Stop it That’s enough, stop it! It hurts to pretend to be a family It hurts!”

The ed eyeballs denied all that she now possessed

I don’t want to think any more I’m tired I’m dizzy I want to throw up I want to die

Noah’s Ark is a rather famous myth that came from the Bible Put up your hand if you know about it Oh, that’s a surprisingly large amount of people It’s probably not because the japanese all started to believe in Christianity, but because we knew of it froirls, the boys with their hands up right now are the fabled otaku who’re into games and anime Hey, you over there, don’t put your hand down! There’s nothing wrong with being an otaku! I like those things too!

The Age of Gods was an age when even the plants spoke and the existencethat time, hueable corruption They stopped trusting others, indulged in wanton pleasure, and were content with just satisfying the desires of the flesh – and they even slaughtered each other They had silently – but undoubtedly – fallen

Beholding such a scene, God was enraged, and called upon a great flood to eliminate all of hu,I see Do you desire so ht, I’ll take a deep breath in and say it out loud Milady Usarin, I – love – you!

“Kya~, sensei, please don’t do this! Why is sensei so excited today? What happened in the story afterwards?”

No need to be embarrassed

“Sensei – I would hate you if you do that! Um, sensei, I have a question If all humans died in that flood, then ouldn’t have been born”

Ahaha,too polite Looks like you’ve put some distance between us Now I feel lonely Anyways, God wasn’t that cruel However, judging frohter humans, we can definitely question whether He has any sense of ethics or hter Hames you otakus are so fond of Hey, otaku there, don’t space out Now, God created a h to withstand the flood He o on board with his family

All other aniether with humans as well Perhaps God felt that to be too cruel, so He saved one pair of each animal and sent them on the boat Therefore, the Ark that carried the husbands and wives that would create a neorld set off, and all that was left behind perished in the flood

In a world that had all its civilizations utterly annihilated, the residents of the Ark began their lives anew after the flood receded – that is the myth of Noah’s Flood This was probably hter us with a flood’ However, if a flood powerful enough to destroy all the races in the world was actually unleashed, then Earth itself would have been eliminated Without plants, the producers, it would become a dead and ashen world There would have been no food left on the Ark, so carnivorous aniun to devour herbivores The Ark would then have devolved into a hellish scene of slaughter, bathed in blood –

“Um, sensei?”

Oh? What’s wrong, milady?”

“Sensei, does this have anything to do with our class? Right now is Math class…”

There there All knowledge has so to do with the class of ‘life’ What? What are you guys laughing at? I just said so brilliant!

Having finished all her classes, Usagawa Rinne walked alone on her way horavel of the country road, sharp like bullets, haainst her exposed flesh

But Rinne paid no attention to the wind or the gravel Looking troubled, she only mumbled to herself

“Should I call? – can I call? – ”

Guriko didn’t come to school today

She didn’t see Guriko thisShe didn’t think that person would skip school However, the girl with the wolf-like haircut didn’t show up even as the final bell rang Though she acted like a derelict, Guriko never skipped school A strong sense of unrest had been stirring within Rinne ever since the weird detective spoke to theht

With a single ‘wait here’, Gankyū Egoriko had disappeared

Rinne waited till ht for Guriko, but she never returned

It’s alright Guriko is strong

I believe she’ll definitely come back

But she didn’t come to school today

She thought that the worst shouldn’t have happened She felt that – Guriko wouldn’t have –

Even so, Rinne couldn’t help but think of Katsu only for Katsuet killed by Long-Armed Demon too, just like Katsumi?

Rinne was extreone mad She wanted to discuss it with Sakaki, but he seemed to be unnaturally busy because of his work at school

She shouldn’t bother him

But she was so worried about Guriko

She could’t depend on Sakaki forever She e of Sakaki and allow hi others protect her

“I’ll make the call”

Having made up hercover from the wind, Rinne ducked into an alleyway between two shops and took out her cellphone after quietly sitting down

Rinne was very poor She shouldn’t be able to afford soht it for her, and he also covered the phone bills E it frequently But noas different It wasn’t the time to dally

Though she didn’t knohere Guriko now lived, she did give Rinne her new phone nuaht Guriko how to use a phone and how to answer it the last tiht?

Dialling the nuasps of white steam while she waited for the phone to be answered The air was freezing cold deep in the dark alley With the frozen blade of the wind cutting into her skin, the sound of the gale roaring through the alley seemed even noisier

Rinne now regretted ot home

But that couldn’t be helped now She kept waiting and prayed for Guriko to answer

It went on like this for a long time

Perhaps no one was hoive up: “ – hello, this is the Itsuwara household”

An unfamiliar female voiced answered

Itsuwara They should be Guriko’s foster parents ere living with her She would probably know if Guriko was home or not

It was a phone call, but Rinne still composed her posture and bowed formally

“Ah, hi… hello I’awa Rinne Is Guriko home?”

In just the blink of an eye –

The female voice, which was previously mixed with apprehension, suddenly became excited

“Woah! Friend? Guriko’s friend? Kio, Guriko’s friend showed up Ah, he’s not home His loss Yes yes! hello! I’m Guriko’s mom I’m Itsuwara Hino!”

“Er…”

With the other talking with such an unstoppable vigor, Rinne didn’t kno to respond Stunned, she sat there for a few seconds, her face blank with shock

Picking herself up again, she spoke to Hino, as screaain, um – Guriko today – ?”

“Guriko? Guriko!”

Hino’s voice, saturated with happiness, became even louder with barely a pause

“Guriko is very cute, isn’t she? She was feeling a little down yesterday for soht But she sneaked into ave me a birthday present! It was a kaleidoscope! Isn’t it cute? She didn’t apologize to enious idea! She’s so great atshe ever did I love her! GurikoLove! Shortened to GuriLove!”

She went on and on like a rapid-fire cannon, and Rinne ended up being even ht yesterday was the gift she gave to Hino Now that sheabout her parent’s birthday

Guriko bought her present yesterday Since she gave it to her ht, then it meant she returned home safely

This, at least,after Guriko, she asked Hino: “Then… this means Guriko is safe and sound?”

“Safe and sound? What do you mean safe and sound?”

Hino answered incredulously

“Usagawa-san, my Guriko is as cute as ever today! The only one with a probleht because of how cute Guriko is!”

That sounded… really impressive

“Oh? Should I pass the phone to her? Guriko said she doesn’t want to go to school today and stayed in her roo out to eat But hey, everyone has those ht? I used to pretend to be sick and skip school when I was a student, too The school actually thought I was a weak girl because I did it so often, and the boys even visited irl will have guys wanting to protect her That’s a very popular type! You should oal! Tell you what, one of the boys who visited me is now my husband! Ahahahaha!”

“…”

What a high-spirited person Rinne sighed, and then casually urged Hino with her polite tone

“I see Then, can I please speak to Guriko?”

“Sure! Leave it to me! Um…”

Half way through her sentence, Hino fell silent as if suddenly deep in thought

“Uain?”

“Usagawa Rinne”

“Usagawa…”

A pause, as if thinking, but

“Rinne Ah! Ahhhhh! Usawaga Rinne! Right! I was about to say that your nairl as in Guryū-san’s arht? Now I remember; you were in the file Hmm? Since you’re Guryū-san’s lover, doesn’t that anization? Oh my, I was so rude I’ll pass the phone immediately Duuuuuuu –”

With an odd onomatopoeia, Hino’s voice drifted further and further away

It was a wireless phone, and the Hold button wasn’t pressed Rinne could hear the sounds of Hino walking towards Guriko’s room Hino was loud, and she could even hear alike “Lalalala – lalalala – Guriko-chan Guriko-chan it’s for you!”

Soon, Hino seeue conversations and the sound of knocking for a while Guriko seeenuinely locked herself in her rooh Rinne was relieved

She was her savior She was her important friend

Guriko

It was so wonderful that she was alright

Still wearing her school uniforh of relief in the alleyway She still hadn’t lost her peripheral sensations, and sitting on the ground for so long made her feel the chill all the way to her bones

After a while, she heard the sound of a door opening, and Hino’s inco

“… Rinne”

She finally heard Guriko’s low and deep voice, a voice that she was alreadyafter one day

Rinne sht and happy tone: “Ah, Guriko-chan This is great You’re safe!”

“Yes, I am safe What’s up? Ah, ah – ” As if she suddenly recalled so, Guriko stuttered: “S-sorry I left you in the café last night… were you worried about me?”

“Of course I am!”

It was a tone full of er Rinne, however, felt more settled than ever

“But it’s great that you’re alright, Guriko-chan What happened yesterday? Why didn’t you come to school today?”

“…”

Guriko was silent

Then, as if beseeching for help, she said with a lonely voice “Hey, Rinne”

It was a weak sound, one that she rarely used “I’m scared”

“Scared of what?”

Rinne’s expression also became serious as she listened to Guriko

“What happened, Guriko-chan?”

“I fought Long-Armed Demon yesterday”

Emotionlessly, Guriko recited what had happened

“Although I won, I also realized my own cruelty I’ed eyeballs Rinne, I realized so to school I shouldn’t stay with humans”

It was a pained sound as if she was forcibly squeezing those words out of her mouth

“I… I don’t knohen I’ll end up like Long-Armed Demon”

“Guriko-chan?”

Guriko’s voice was distant and wavering as if she was about to disappear Rinne couldn’t help but reach out her hand However, there was nothing in front of her There was only the cold wind blowing along

So far away

Guriko was so far away

“So… Rinne,” Guriko ain Perhaps it’s best if we never ain”

She hung up the phone The sound of a disconnected line cah

Rinne screamed in surprise: “W-wait! Guriko-chan! Guriko-chan?”

What was that about?

Rinne called out However, any words would be less for an already disconnected phone call Rinne’s face paled, and she sank into silence while tightly holding onto the phone

Guriko called herself a monster

Just what happened last night? Rinne felt scared, and hugged the phone to her chest Terrifying Guriko said she won’t see her again

I don’t want that

And Guriko isn’t a monster I like her, and so does Sakaki And Hino – she also appeared to care for Guriko a lot

'If she was so cherished by everyone else, how can she be a monster?

Guriko… Guriko!

“hello”

Suddenly

“hello, miss”

Rinne heard a sound co from next to her

“… you’ll catch a cold if you sit here”

An incredulous person stood there

She had a mask that co and feruous in the winter

Her hair was in a long braid, and bangles and chains chimed on her arms

This incredulous woered, then said with a voice as sweet as honey: “You were screa just then, weren’t you? You couldn’t reach soht? That person is very important to you, isn’t it? Are you sad…? Or lonely…? But it’s best if you can treasure this e misfortunes, then you’d truly become a monster That’s what I think”

Hearing her vague but incredibly touching words, Rinne stood up with surprise written all over her face and turned towards her suspiciously

Rinne didn’t take well to those with odd appearances

Though she felt a little scared, she still spoke: “Is there so I can help you with?”

“Oh! Ahaha, right – we haven’t met before Little wonder that you’re so alarmed”

The racefully, and sly

“My name is Saibara Mina It’s only a small matter that I need your help with Can I borrow your phone? The spread of cellphones made phone booths disappear one after another, which is inconvenient for people like h I don’t dislike the idea of co such useless ite these items without reason is not a commendable method either”

It was as if she deliberately used difficult words Rinne didn’t understand all of that

Anyways, it seemed she just wanted to borrow her phone

Rinne would usually have refused her out of caution However, though the other was now s indeed Rinne nodded, and decided to listen to her for now

She silently handed the phone over – and Mina sly

“Mmm, thanks”

Then she started dialing out a number without further ado and waited for it to connect

Rinne felt aard Crossing her fingers, she looked at Mina The other woman was dressed extremely scantily; didn’t she feel cold?

She should be able to feel teht?

“Hey, Meat Doll?”

Rinne’s thoughts instantly froze with Mina’s utterly incomprehensible sentence

What did she say? Meat Doll?

Rinne stared at Mina She couldn’t tell whether the other wo softly into the phone

She didn’t tell the person on the other end of the phone her name, either

“Right – it’s tiet to work I helped you to find so district now Me? Hey, I told you my specialty is elimination, not murder Got it? Besides, if that person happens to run away, it’s best to hide h with that thick brain of yours? If you end up acting like an idiot, then I won’t hold up ain either”

Mina finished speaking, disconnected, and returned the phone to Rinne with a smile

What was that about? Rinne felt an uneasy aura

Scared of digging deeper into this, Rinne hurriedly packed away her phone and nodded softly to Mina: “Er… I’ll get going then”

“Ahh, I see” As if pleased, Mina smiled “Thank you Take care then!”

She left these words, and gently waved her goodbye

Rinne’s ho streets close to the school, and at the end of a bumpy country path

This apart stood alone in a deserted area, surrounded by empty land Thanks to its incredibly atrocious conditions, the rent was also astonishi+ngly cheap

Even if she saw other residents, they would not usually communicate with each other The only one that she had developed any real rapport as thenext door

Directly in front of Rinne’s door was an old washi+ng machine that the previous owner didn’t take away

The neighbor that stood in front of the washi+ng machine tilted her head to one side as she looked up at Rinne That tilting otten used to it, still found it hard to discern whether it ratitude

“Welco-bell”

Her voice was loith an odd pronunciation

Her bleached hair waved in the wind as she stood still in her cheap and dirt-stained dress She seen descent, and her irises had a cloudy violet sheen

“Break-nee, are you doing the laundry?”

“Ring-bell, I’ve been considering it for a while, but Break-nee is just too strange This washi+ngyour permission”

Break-nee apologized emotionlessly She was very shy, introverted, and quiet Since she rarely changed her expression, it was hard to read her true thoughts

But Rinne felt she wasn’t a bad person

Rinne aze

“Ahh, no, this washi+ng ed to the person who lived here beforehand”

“Really? That’s good”

Break-nee tilted her head, and pressed button after button with experienced ease according to the washi+ngsystem Then, she abruptly turned and left for her room

Before she left, she opened her door a crack, and looked over with a tilt of her head, her face full of confusion: “Ring-bell, what happened to that girl Guriko?”

“Huh?”

Didn’t I tell her?

Though she felt a bit sad, she replied: “Ah – um, Guriko didn’t have any fa to be her foster parents She’s now living with them…”

“I see”

She tilted her head, and frowned as if deep in thought

“This erous I am very weak, and I can’t protect you”

Break-nee said so incomprehensible

“Take care, Ring-bell The world is full of dangers, even today”

Rinne still didn’t understand Break, however, had already returned to her room

“…”

What a mysterious person

Rinne gazed at the turning washi+ng h, she inserted her key and entered her home

This tiny room, with the kitchen and the bathroos

Though Rinne tidied the room almost every day, she couldn’t help with the fact that the room was simply too small

Rinne turned on the air conditioning to chase away the stuffy air, took off her jacket, and changed from uniform to casual clothes

She felt so tired

She found it hard to sleep ever since Katsumi died She always felt anxious, and even accidentally fell down a slope She had sunk into a swamp of melancholy

It couldn’t go on like this

It was her bad habit to be so pessimistic

Maybe she would cook to feel better

What was left in the fridge? As she thought this, Rinne walked to her sink next to the wall to wash her face, then e

Her fridge was only a quarter as big as a normal one

Rinne wanted to have some barley tea first, so she took a cup and soothed her throat, which was dry in the cold winter air

“Haaaa –”