Vol 5 Chapter 3 (1/2)

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 Coan Ultimate shi+eldThe Weakest is the Flesh and Bones God Mushi+ Ele Rooends – corresponded with the body parts of us hu functions also respected the part of the body they echoed Unpleasant Counter-Current, the Reproductive and Excretory Organ, caave severe scrutiny to those who deserved to keep living, and established the correct reproductive behaviors The chances ofin 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 I 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 metaend’ washuful tales

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

This ‘an, 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 a concepts of roles, ‘I’ simultaneously hold the powers of Sterilization Disinfection and Unpleasant Counter-Current Meanwhile, ‘I’ aend that is collected together – the ‘me’ as for 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 ‘

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 Huh 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 ument

Those are the exceptions Everyone has theirthis –

- This unified structure between God and me

No one has dared to iine 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 ends 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 becoend 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 shi+rayuki, 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 naon’ in her older brother’s name

Now she thought about it, it was really silly

Na 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 na over it However, she received no reply She tilted her head, her expression obviously saying 'Mitaka, you bastard, you dare to er, as if she was just a little child

Tatsue was dressed co dress and her hair decorations were both co with an ebony sheen Although this outfit looked rather like aof nobility However, since she wore this kind of clothing on a daily basis, it ht be that Tatsue only wore this because of her oisted sense of fashi+on, and not because she wanted to appear regal

No matter what, Takamikado Mitaka was raised to be the servant of Tatsue, as the only child of the extravagantly rich Kuroki family They went to the sae, they alent to school together

It was Mitaka who usually visited Tatsue and picked her up to go to school in thetime 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 roo very worried

He was an existence who seehtly in her arap 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' 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 er 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 roo That was rare for hihtly obsessed with routine and ht 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 ht 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, co crazy beside hi run out of all other options, Tatsue took out her fan and started to fan him

”Seriously, Mitaka, you'reme 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 tilasses 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 al in silence

”Mitaka”

She caressed his hair and whispered ”I' 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 fro 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?!”

“He 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 so 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 as riding the bike Tatsue sat side-saddle on the rack behind the bike seat She said that she earing a skirt and that it would be very inconvenient and aard to ride a bike Mitaka was also her servant He shouldn’t co his master like this

Mitaka just agreed and nodded Tatsue was sihtly

“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 al 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 toas 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 ere 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 ju 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 solasses, were shi+ning with a very stern light He said softly:

“Careful, Tatsue I feel there’s so”

“So?”

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 huical 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-neusting, and just one look at them would cause an evil chill to rise up in one’s h 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 ti extraordinary must have happened I need to talk to Mitsuki and Mina about this strange situation”

“… I understand Let’s go to Mitsuki’s apart the air, but that would really exhaust my Apple’s power supply”

Tatsue gave hi all her trust in him

Mitaka never joked, and Tatsue always believed wholeheartedly in his intuitions So had definitely happened in this town Moreover, compared to powerful ments, Tatsue and Mitaka weren’tThey could only seek help from powerful allies such as Mina and Mitsuki

They quickly decided on their next ain, but Tatsue still felt an anxious sense of unease in her chest

The sky was co 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 caloomy sky

Tatsue hugged Mitaka tightly froht this

“Hehehehe…”

A laugh could suddenly be heard

Where - ?

There was no need to scan their surroundings any in front of Mitaka and Tatsue

It was a girl ore the Kannonsakazaki High School uniform and had a plain face She had sht shone in her elongated and beautiful eyes

This unknown girl was just sitting in the s 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 the Her face was full of s a mask, and it make Tatsue feel an unprecedented anxiety

” Ha”

As if she was talking to herself, she loomy and almost inaudible voice:

”Natsuko-san, I seement, 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 co 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 re inconspicuous clothing and an apron, looking very plain She looked like there was a plastered fake sirl 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 ht?”

The woe snored Tatsue and Mitaka who stood between them Tatsue and Mitaka's escape paths were completely blocked off too These tomen 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? Hoould they be able to run away?

It was iht They would undoubtedly be killed It was not that easy to fight ly 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 iainst monsters

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

Tatsue opened her fan andpose 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 ry”

The joints of the wo 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 aments As if she was a samurai who put on his ar as the store next to her Having co oppressive feeling, round and the air around her shake as if in fear

Three feelers grow out of her forehead It was ain her eyes

”I a of Insects! I am the Beetle, Minazuki Natsuko - I am a warrior of the metamorphosis kind, and my poill crush you all! Despair! Screa! Here is where you will die! Food shouldof food! Let the predators feel the joy!”

Suddenly, a black hole appeared in A a ruckus all this tireen 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 froazed at Mitaka and Tatsue, ere both pallid with terror The girl started slowly:

”Well, I am an honor student in the special abilities departumo 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 hideousthat still remained the same

”I ary!”

It was different fro surrounded by predators They were being met with a pincer attack by two ht, and Mitaka and Tatsue didn't have the ability to jus 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 ca slowly towards the them casually and at ease If this went on, then they have no choice but to face death She alking 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 overwhel her puny and powerless prey If Natsuko so ame early, then Tatsue and Mitaka would instantly die

Even their courage to resist theto wither away as they looked at that incredulous giant, more monstrous than a aht back against a carnivorous ?

And then that person called Ah she looked like an ordinary girl, they still would not be able to win against her

“Hey hey”

So that at all

She turned her head, and A, as if she was in control of everything She was definitely still standing in front of Tatsue just a o 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 faon’s Breath The tornado, or rather the storm that she created, instantly bleay her opponent It wasn’t very destructive or lethal, but it was also very hard to dodge as it was invisible

“Hehehehe”

However, Aed the attack fro as the smile plastered on her face, Ame already returned to her previous position when Tatsue realized as going on – she was facing theain

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

As if talking to herself, Aht

“Sulfuric Rain vs Terrifying Storends have a tale like this too Oh? So 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 irl than Natsuko, who approached theerous than Natsuko She erous than the other woman

A chilling spas Tatsue’s back She wasn’t soirl who hated pain, hated seeing blood, and cared a lot about whether she was hurting other people Tatsue didn’t like to fight ine 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 ed 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 knohat she is I don’t knohat 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 irl 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 ht 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 ill 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 A acid landed squarely at the electricity pole next to Tatsue and instantly ether 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, Ahed loudly while waving her hands around

“I’ with others! Is that called ‘tea? 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 co to each other all the tiry I was like this before as well Doesn’t matter if it was at school or at ho me?! You are the ones who are rubbish!+ You are the idiots! Do you want to kick reater than all of you You just need to praise me more and more”

Ame became excited from her oords and her cheeks swelled cri her limbs around and spurted sulfuric acid everywhere wantonly, dissolving everything around her

“Ahaha! But I airl ill just sit quietly in the corner of the classrooly world with the power of the Devil, and rement will be marvelous! I have finally been chosen by this fair world!”

She was saying so abnormal and incomprehensible Tatsue and Mitaka didn’t kno to respond, either The Last Judgment? A more impartial world? What did all that uess that Ainally an ordinary human as 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 ene

Ame stretched out her hand Perhaps because she rarely sood at the act… The srotesque

“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 A 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 so of praise She worked so hard just for that But

There were no s 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!”

A, but no matter how much acid she sprayed, it was all useless

This was the ability sealed into Tatsue's body, theShe 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 fro 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 knohat 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 rasp 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”