Vol 3 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Night 1: Black Dragon Black Snake Black Rat

(Omitted) -- Earlier, we discussed how many of the myths and tales in this world share si theain that the similarities and common ideas between those myths come from the fact that the basic huo) is the same for everyone

One need only spend a day being human, and one would share those universal ideas (this is what I have, up to today, called ”God”) Those universal ideas, obviously, are inseparable fro up, beco

Thought and body are both unable to escape maturation and deterioration Just so, people created ”God” over and over, and ”rew prevalent And because we are human, despite a few differences, they were all basically the same

For proof, and to clarify, I have organized the ”Seven Properties of God” that I just discussed, that can also be called the ”Seven Universal Iteh these are present in every type ofthis may be a difficult concept to understand

1 Single Room/Genesis (God creates the world The birth of the world)

2 Sterilization Disinfection/The legend of Noah's flood (God is lost Failure in creating the world → Reconstruction)

3 Catastrophe/Tower of Babel (God's lesson Paradise is lost)

4 Unpleasant Counter-current/Angel Sodoe)

5 Tear Song/Moses and the Ten Co the commandment, heavenly revelation, miracles, prophet)

6 The Weakest/Devil False prophet (Neither a lesson nor a judgement God's attack on humanity)

7 God Mushi+ Eeddon (The final battle, end of the world)

Every ”myth” can be classified as one of the above These seven categories represent God's different personas as He rules this world, sometimes kind, sometimes harsh

What I fear though is that these seven existences act as ”God's personas”, not ”God” Hi known as ”God” We h those seven personas

Eternal life, the salvation of ht by individuals; none of these things exist anymore We have no recourse, no way to escape fate's torrents -- (Omitted)

-- ”The Unified Structure of God and Me” by Akutagawa shi+rayuki, student of Class 1-D of Kajōya Prefectural High School

xxxXX

”So annoying”

Takah school student in society, one ore the unifor traits

That was clear -- at least, it should have been this way

”Mitaka, did you get the notice? I will also be studying at this school starting in April”

It was lunch break in the area behind the Kannonsakazaki Private High School's dark s Just as Mitaka decided to eat in this deserted place, a girl said this to him

Her clothes stood out in this place sullied with countless graffiti, grih School required students to wear its uniforard of this rule A black western-style dress adorned with a black ribbon; her gorgeous clothes and her cute, childish face didn't quite go together

”Surprisingly, you have not coon Mitaka, have you no self-consciousness as a servant?”

She should have been --

”Mitaka” tried to reirl who stood by leisurely

”Kuroki Tatsue”

”Oh ant, you dare call me directly by name?”

Kuroki Tatsue frowned, and held her black fan over herthat you are my childhood friend, and that you are older than I am, I would never permit you to address me by name! The Takamikado faotten that you have always been ed!”

”Mitaka” reht from the convenience store as his lunch and put it in his h it broke in his shell

He thought back while eating histhrough the h thebadly injured after Tatsue kicked hi forced to do ho his belly cut open by Tatsue as never fazed

But they weren't all hateful h people

Saying ”The little bird I raised is dead”, Tatsue had cried in Mitaka's chest; she had sneaked into Mitaka's servant rooms in the wealthy Kuroki ho ”I can't sleep after seeing a scary movie”; she had said to hirades” -

Staying by that girl's side, he had watched hera sense of inferiority due to his own unchanging self He was jealous of Tatsue, he felt so inferior -- and yet he loved her deeply

His feelings were a disgusting mix of love and hatred

The young loohts it was hard to differentiate between curses and loving thoughts towards Tatsue ”Mitaka” sighed

While eating the physical body, had he also consumed the soul? It was extrehts and s toward Tatsue

”Kuroki Tatsue”

He called out, and Tatsue irily replied, ”You addressed me by --!”

”You should stop associating with me”

”Mitaka”'s eyes shone with golden lightjust like a reptile's

”I am not the Takamikado Mitaka whom you know”

”What do you mean?” Kuroki Tatsue showed her bewilderment

As the eldest daughter of the Kuroki faanization that controlled the world with its wealth, she had not once been disobeyed by the lowly servant Mitaka That childhood friend asn't manly in the least, who had neither confidence nor decisiveness and was always tree

But, Tatsue had alaited for this From the past up to the present, she had waited for this boy na trained in the giant Kuroki fas and lacked a happy childhood, he -- was her only companion

-- Mitaka, you must marry me one day

-- Right, Tatsue, I will beco man and marry you

They had er, before they understood anything For Tatsue back then, the Kuroki holdings were her entire world, and the only e in that narroorld was Mitaka

Girls remember past events et that precocious proht it was the same for him

The result was betrayal

She was betrayed over and over again

Mitaka's such a liar, as that about beco aood, he's physically coe

Because of this, Tatsue would frequently take out her anger on Mitaka, hoping he would react by working to ied, and she ended up being betrayed again and again

Soon enough, Tatsue shook off these kinds of feelings, and stopped putting hope in him

That was how it should have been

”Mitaka”

Tatsue noticed her quickening heartbeat as she looked at the childhood friend that she had not seen for a long time The person in her lasses that old people wore and was always downcast

But the person in front of her -- didn't seem quite the same How should she put it, this how should she put it?

Handsome?

”Don't make jokes like that --”

With how things had been, how could she have feelings for Mitaka again? This was a ain

But, but --

Perhaps he had dyed his straight hair, as the light color was quite beautiful With a bit of gold, his strange eyes were bewitching He looked straight at her without any ti He was captivating

Tatsue couldn't stop her face fro red, and shook her head fir?

”You are too arrogant, Mitaka! In front of I, the Black Dragon, ill one day defeat Guryū-onii-san and control the world, what kind of expression is that? Those rebellious eyes! And those kinds of words!”

”That's why I said -” Mitaka sighed in exasperation, not fearing Tatsue's threatening attitude in the least ”Man, didn't you understand s like this that I think hu Stuff like interpersonal relationshi+ps is too much for me”

Hewords, as he looked over at her with pupils that each contained a vertical golden slit

”Tatsue, I doubt I can explain this well, so I won't talk toooff contact with on stuff, noyou're just a noret associated with the world where I live”

Then, he added in a soft voice to hi pain because of me”

”Eh --”

Because of these profound words, Tatsue was red up to her ears What was the matter? It hit the nail on the head, or perhaps it was erous What ith this fascinating behavior, completely unlike his past self?

”Wh-what do you mean?”

What's this, not wanting to seeprecious? Wh-why?

Tatsue's ht

I' weird today It's all Mitaka's fault

In order to know more about her elder brother, Sakaki Guryū, the heir of the Sakaki Organization and the person she will have to defeat, Tatsue started to attend Kannonsakazaki High School, where Sakaki taught, fro known that Mitaka was a student at this school, and though she was sure that no rowth

And now Tatsue was bewildered

Her confusion was caused by Mitaka's astonishi+ng change

”Do you get it?” Mitaka held his hand to his chest, speaking sincerely, ”Takamikado Mitaka truly cares about you If you were to be harmed, even I'd feel his pain”

”Ah Ah -”

Thanks to these love-confession-like words, Tatsue giddily stepped backwards

Was it a dream? Or reality? Her hopeless childhood friend had beco on? Was - was it some kind of trap?

Tatsue looked around her, turning suspicious

Mitaka watched Tatsue without saying a word Tatsue wasn't accustomed to and couldn't stand that kind of tense atmosphere, and pointed at hiht?”

She was too disturbed to even speak properly Tatsue knocked on her head and seriously looked at Mitaka How can I be disturbed by a s like this? One day, I will control the world Stay calm, stay calm

Inhale Exhale After breathing deeply, Tatsue opened her fan with a flap ”I hope you will refrain fro me, Mitaka To be honest, I still cannot understand what you were saying, but -”

Tatsue hastily used fore to hide her loss of calm, and narrowed her eyes, ”I am not a oman who requires your protection! No - I can prove it to you right here!”

More accurately, I want to prove it

I want to showexpressionless for sohts were going, Tatsue again turned red She thought What in the world is wrong with me today? and shook her head

Had those words reached Mitaka? Maybe he was on so whole, and he was currently looking hungrily at a small bird perched on a nearby tree

”What is it?” His expression seemed inhuman, almost'reptilian' was the best way to describe it But thinking about that could come later

”Mitaka, look” Kuroki Tatsue had recently discovered this supernatural ability

After watching so on television, she had decided it would be fun to try using herhappened a few attempts later she felt foolish, and in the end just fluttered her fan and shouted, ”Fly!”, as --

It flew

The teddy bear was bloard

The brother as not related to Tatsue by blood, and whoh Tatsue herself had a certain a ability, her brother was on a coold hout the artistic world, his talent eclipsed hers by an incoree

Naturally, he was the heir to the Sakaki Organization, while Tatsue was merely a ”spare” But just as Tatsue started to despair over this, her ability awakened

Brother definitely can't do soe over him

She wasn't sure how her ability worked, nor did she knohy or how she'd suddenly gained it

But, for Tatsue, that ability was the only thing which she could proudly show to the world as the proof of her existence ”Mitaka, I don't knohat you're so worried about, but no matter who becoon, will nificently help you to triumph!”

So - watch carefully, and praise me

Acknowledge me

And as her feelings were about to burst, Tatsue rapidly fanned her fan

”Like this!”

Her long black hair rose up with the wind, and instantly - a cyclone appeared in front of Tatsue

This caused Mitaka, who had his back to Tatsue, to finally pay attention, turning to stare at her ide eyes Seeing that poker face finally crack a little, Tatsue sly ”Ohohoho! Look at this on!”

In front of Tatsue, the cyclone picked up fallen leaves as it advanced directly toward the giant tree planted behind the school

Struck by the wind, its branches and leaves rustled and shook, the thick trunk cracked Even the ground rumbled fiercely

Suddenly-

”Whooaa -” ca fell down

”Huh?”

Tatsue, as starting to get full of herself, came back to her senses thanks to the unexpected event She stared at the object that had fallen - a girl with her li stars

A girl, it was a girl After Tatsue had assaulted the tree using ithout warning, a girl fell down as if she was a little insect

”Waaah It hurts, it really hurts! Why?”

The girl suddenly got up She wore a conspicuous hat with round ears attached and a curled up tail With tears in her eyes, she started co ”Why? Why, why? What just happened? My afternoon nap was so peaceful, so why'd you bother me? Waaaahh, hyaa!”

Tatsue noticed that her right foot was bent in an unnatural direction However, with a ”crack” she twisted it back in place and easily stood up

”Wah Muys?”

The girl was startled Her eyes opened wide, she see Perhaps unable to understand, she properly stated her name

”As I aallop to present myself Dundundundun ~ I am the unparalleled Unpleasant Counter-Current - Saibara Mitsuki”

””

””

In front of the girl holding a perfect pose, Tatsue and Mitaka were speechless

They had no clue what she was saying

There really were too hed inwardly He thought Takamikado Mitaka was just an ordinary student, so how could there be sohim?

And - as ”Mitaka” suspected, could the world itself be losing its order?

”Mitaka” thought back to when he became ”Mitaka”

It happened about a week before

It was a coincidental opportunity

”Mitaka” liked the night It was tranquil, and more importantly, there were very few people

For beings like ”Mitaka”, huo - after being tortured by that person, ”Mitaka” tried to avoid contact with people

”Mitaka”'s original form was that of a black snake

Just as he was skulking in the darkness, enjoying a late-night walk - he heard a sharp scream A human ”Mitaka” didn't care if a human was about to die, or if someone suffered pain But when humans approached death, it was likely for theranted immortality

And it was rather easy to snatch ”Apples” away froained theht like this, and in the end his greed carried him over to look

He should have ignored that scream

There was a monster, and a boy

TheGenerally, it took a form similar to humans, but its body was not made of flesh; rather, it was foranic as it stuck out, covered with saliva

Recently, s called monsters had come to the town, and ”Mitaka” knew this Compared to humans or ordinary snakes, ”Mitaka” was an existence s that wait eagerly in the other world invisible to huer huh he wasn't particularly interested, the amount of victims should have increased

The boy was one of those poor victims

”Mitaka” at the time still did not know that the boy's name was Takamikado Mitaka

”Grrr, sssssssss”

Maybe the silversound and left

But it didn't eat hi him dead

This was rare for monsters, and it was more akin to hue

”Mitaka” clier

”I don't want to die” He rief ”Mitaka” perfectly understood that sentians, and he would die for sure

”I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die” He struggled in pain

”Why?”

”Mitaka” couldn't help asking ”Mitaka” also wanted to deny death, but why? Why did he want to live forever? Half a year ago that frightening girl had asked him that, yet ”Mitaka” had no answer From then on, he had constantly felt lost

Why did he seek eternal life?

Was it just as the girl said - did he only want to fulfill his ancestors' dying wish, and gain the praises of those already in Heaven?

It see boy did not know the reason either He kept on enduring the pain, and then died

Till the end, it seemed he was unable to understand why he wanted to live

He was not gifted with acorpse ”Mitaka”, atched his final moments, found him pitiable

Not understanding his reason for living, and not knohy he didn't want to die; just like that, he died in pain

In that boy, ”Mitaka” - saw his future self

Anger and confusion rose within him

And so, ”Mitaka” ate the boy's corpse

By consu every bit of flesh, ”Mitaka” transformed into Mitaka

Taking the forhout ”Mitaka”'s bloodline Using that ability to repeatedly deceive huht ”Apple”'s to the extent of their ability --

The clan of the Original Sin The last snake was ”Mitaka”

Was it for the final wishes of his ancestors who desired iirl who denied him completely? Was it for the boy who pitifully died without understanding why he lived? Even ”Mitaka” himself wasn't sure

”I will find thefor me as well as for you”

”Mitaka” murmured to hiained Takahts and memories

His goal to find ih he would encounter countless amounts of cruelty, this was ”Mitaka”'s instinct, his dearest wish There was no way it could change

But why did he want eternity? Why did he wish to push death aside?

The answer to this - became ”Mitaka”'s objective

And now

Before achieving that goal, ”Mitaka” couldn't even deal with unexpected situations

That was because two incos had appeared at the same time

One as the object of this body's - Takamikado Mitaka's - twisted yet deep love, Kuroki Tatsue

It seehtest frustration, cry, or injury,him suffer too And there was her ability to manipulate wind Even ”Mitaka” did not understand the basis of that ability

As for the other one, how should he put it, it was a girl who seemed to transcend this mortal world -

”It hurts” She lifted her right arm and made a pose

”It hurts a lot”

Then she raised her left hand, and with full-faced smatically, ”Fly away -”

The girl with the eared hat, a curled tail, and brown hair tied into pigtails reh School's slightly ave off an air that seemed to clash with her childish voice and movements

She clapped together her hands that wore giant gloves, and looked over, ”Mm, the pain fleay Wait? Huh?”

Then she stared at ”Mitaka” and Tatsue, and blushed for no apparent reason

”Aaahh, a boy and a girl behind the school, this I LOVE YOU scenario -- I-I, interrupted it I'”

Like a panicking caged bird, the girl ran into the wall and then the tree, trying to escape while saying strange things

But after walking a bit she suddenly stopped and ran over the backpack that was probably hers, which had fallen doith to her

The girl picked it up and seeot Sis, sis are you okay? Are you hurt?

She said so as she nonchalantly took out a head

Fro

She took out a head

”Wh-”

”Mitaka” gasped, and Tatsue turned pale

It was the head of a young woloves, the girl delicately stroked the head, and her eyebrows dropped as tears started to appear in her eyes ”Are you alright, sis? Do you need me to make the pain fly away?”

”This --” Suddenly, and unbelievably, the head opened its eyes and looked over They were cold eyes showing neither emotion nor mercy

The head muttered, ”Whatever, my situation isn't important”

She monotonically said those words ominously

”Over there, there's a guy who's sih it's inco's powers”

The female head looked at ”Mitaka” and Tatsue, and hatred twisted her expression ”A dirtyis the first in a hundred years -- no, it's been longer then that, right?”

Then she raised her eyes to the girl holding her, and calel Use your an -- your Unpleasant Counter-current 'role', and cleanse these two”

”Eh?” The girl that was commanded turned with confusion

And with a frightful, emotionless voice completely different from her earlier innocence, ”Since sis said so, I will obey”

The girl named Saibara Mitsuki instantly disappeared

At least, that hat Tatsue saw

Only flying dust and Mitsuki's afterie remained

”Bam, bam bam bam”

The sudden fierce noise made Tatsue look upward, and her eyes widened Hoas that possible? She didn't understand

Mitsuki was running up the vertical school wall, which was covered with vulgar words and graffiti with unclear s She ran at an incredible speed as if she were on the ground

”Wh - what”

Tatsue was frozen in fear Sheits intention

The s scattered all over the ere broken under Mitsuki's mad sprint It was no illusion - then, in this situation, as going on with movement like this?

”Haa -” With a battle cry, Mitsuki neared the roof with a single step and then turned to unhesitatingly jump down

”No way!”

Facing Mitsuki's string of strange actions, Tatsue was co, and she had no shortage of artistic talent, and she was decent even in athletics

But she had never received any training for when an overwhele actions

Saibara Mitsuki spread her arms, and fell with a smile on her face ”You'll be crushed flat as a pancake”

Juht that defied reason? But she couldn't be deceived by that action that seeh she didn't kno ra from the fourth floor, Tatsue's quick mind could understand the amount of force involved

”What --” She'd be flattened

”What kind of joke is this --” She would be flattened, just as Mitsuki said Tatsue iether in pieces on the ground, and turned white

Yet her legs were already paralyzed, unable to move

In this absurd situation, she was infuriatingly unable to move her body properly

”Tatsue, stop spacing out!”

Suddenly, she was knocked from the side Tatsue realized that Mitaka had forcefully raround

It hurt, and -

”Please don't just touch me as you with” Tatsue turned faintly red, and scolded Mitaka as currently right in front of her face

Her mind fell into chaos

”Wow, you dodged it?” As Tatsue was busy being shy, a flesh coirl plummeted down

-- ”Splat”

An unrealistic, round shook, and a dark red liquid flew everywhere Tatsue screamed

Though she was unharirl who fell froround see

”Ahaha, I lost”

Saibara Mitsuki, who had becohed open-heartedly

”Hee” She got up as if nothing happened Her flesh was absolutely squashed, she bled profusely, a number of her bones stuck out of her skin and her face was also deformed

”Since I took away ht, Ah, what's up with you two?”

With that face that was unbearable to look at, Mitsuki smiled ”Why so afraid?”

Then, she dragged her broken leg and walked over That appearance was a bit dull compared to what one could see in horrorof reality was so movies could never replicate

”Ah ee -- Aaaaahhhh!” Tatsue collapsed on the spot from fear

Upon seeing Tatsue like that, Mitaka io!”

”Eh -- what?”

Tatsue could not respond quickly; her education was insufficient for an abnor, she stayed distant froe affairs as she should have --

Mitaka grabbed Tatsue's hand, and spoke seriously ”Falling froirl possibly be a normal human? My body's only that of a huht dao -”

”That's right” A tranquil, female voice suddenly chimed in

”Ki-chan, you are truly unsuitable for battle”

Tatsue looked over and saw the head, which had rolled out fro that should have fallen with Mitsuki, poke its face out But, probably due to Mitsuki's protection, it was unhar through, like a cat on the hunt, for the smallest actions can produce the maximum results”

”I'm not a cat”

Like a mouse who had only ever been hunted and now that she was the hunter, Mitsuki tilted her head with perplexion, and walked over ”Sis, this time I'll beat them up directly”

”Tatsue, get up! She's co!”

Though Mitaka was shouting at her, her limp body couldn't easily be put back into action Tatsue tried to push herself fro her arms, but she slipped on the moss and fell

”Uuh --”

Looking at the slowly approaching Mitsuki, Mitaka began spewing foul words ”What the hell is this, Taka with no sense of courage”

He spread his ar Tatsue ”Why? Why can't I abandon this person and escape by myself”

Tatsue watched Mitaka, who shook as he protected her, and words slipped out ”Mitaka-chan”

She had once addressed her beloved childhood friend this way Though he had started falling in depravity later, leading her to lose hope -