No.6 Volume 8 Chapter 1 translation

[hiriajuu]

Before I get the entire volume 8 summary up, I present to you a translation of the entirety of chapter 1. It's my favorite chapter, so uh... I translated all of it. There are other individual scenes that rank higher, but as a chapter as a whole, this one is my favorite. That and it's one giant, beautiful scene. I feel like I can't convey any of it properly by just translating a part of it.

This took longer than I was expecting, but it was still pretty rushed. I wish I didn't have to rush, but oh well, it's the anime pacing's fault. Want to get everything up ASAP. I think it's at least comprehensible enough to post, but please point out any mistakes. Anyway, please enjoy!

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Chapter 1 - Ring the Alarum-Bell!

I gin to be aweary of the sun,
And wish the estate o' the world were now undone.
Ring the alarum-bell! Blow, wind! come, wrack!
At least we'll die with harness on our back.
Macbeth, Act 5 Scene 5

I love you, Shion. I love you more than anyone else.

Brains were floating inside the transparent columns.

Human brains.

How many were there? Ten, twenty, thirty... probably over fifty. There seemed to be light shining from the bottom of each column, making it emit a soft white glow.

He had never seen such a sight before. It was an inhuman type of clean and orderly. The floor was spotlessly polished, and neither any smell nor almost any sound were present. It was tremendously sickening, more sickening than anything he had ever seen before. Here he couldn't hear those screams and wails and moans, he couldn't see those corpses and blood and faces twisted in agony, and yet the sight in front of him was more horrid than that picture of Hell that had been burned into his eyes.

Safu was standing in the middle of that horrid and sickening sight.

"Safu..."

Shion wanted to run over to her, but he staggered and fell to his knees. He had no strength in his legs anymore. His heart was fiercely pulsing. His injured, bleeding, and utterly exhausted body cried out.

I can't go any further.

He lifted his head. A bead of sweat slid down his face into his mouth.

Safu silently stood while gazing at Shion. She hadn't changed at all. Her hair length, her physique, and the way she stared straight at him - nothing had changed.

No.6, Lost Town. They hastily parted ways at the rail station there. The same Safu from back then was right before his eyes now.

She hadn't become thin, and she didn't look injured.

"Safu... you're safe."

She's safe. She's safe. She's still safe. She's still alive. She's alive and we've finally reunited.

I love you, Shion. I love you more than anyone else.

The confession that flowed through her ID card. The purest of human emotion transmitted through the most advanced of telecommunications technology.

That voice was finally back.

"Shion, you came to find me."

It was Safu's voice - a bit deep for a young girl, and always crisp and powerful. How nostalgic.

Shion felt a jolt in his chest, as if his heart was being squeezed.

Oh, how nostalgic!

Safu, we've been so terribly far apart. It feels like a century since we've last seen each other.

"I've always believed. I've always believed that you would come..."

Safu smiled. Her smiling face then twisted, and she started to cry while still smiling.

"I've always been waiting. I couldn't do anything other than wait. There was nothing I could do other than wait for you..."

"Yeah."

Shion straightened his upper body and sighed a deep sigh.

"I should have come sooner... I'm sorry, Safu."

Safu shook her head, then tilted it to the side and blinked. A puzzled look flashed through her eyes.

"Shion, your hair..."

"What? Oh... this color? Well, a lot happened... I'll tell you all about it later."

I'll tell you everything that happened during the days we were apart. There's so much that I want to tell you and so much that I want you to hear. Not even a whole night would be enough to tell you everything.

"You've surely experienced more things than I could ever imagine... terrible things. It must not have been easy to come all the way here, and yet you're here. I... that's already more than enough for me. Thank you, Shion. Thank you so much."

"What, are those your last words?"

Nezumi, who was standing next to Shion, muttered. It wasn't a cold tone of voice, just a flat one with no emotion.

Reacting to the muttering voice, Safu slowly shifted her line of sight to Nezumi.

"You're Nezumi..."

"Yup."

"It's nice to meet you. I've always wanted to meet you and see what kind of person you are."

"I am exactly as you see, although my usual appearance is slightly easier on the eyes. I should not have appeared before a young lady in such a state, but regrettably I had no time to cleanse my face or change into proper attire. My sincerest apologies."

Nezumi also looked toward Safu, not blinking at all.

"Safu, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"...Yes."

"Were you the one who controlled the main computer and guided us here?"

Safu didn't answer. There was a brief moment of silence. Shion remained kneeling as he looked up at Nezumi.

Safu controlled the computers in this facility? How could that be, there's no way she could do that.

Shion swallowed the words he was about to blurt out.

There's no way. But it was the only possibility.

Nezumi's gray eyes slightly shifted to his side.

"Right, it's the only possibility."

After he accurately guessed what Shion was thinking, Nezumi continued speaking in an emotionless voice.

"Didn't you say before? That there's someone calling for us. Thanks to that someone, we were able to come all the way here. Although this isn't exactly the most thrillingly fun place to be. But that aside, is there any other kindhearted emissary in this facility who would welcome us here besides her?"

Shion had no choice but to nod. He himself had always felt that Safu was calling out to him. It was that voice that guided him and urged him forward.

But if that's the case, that means that Safu and the central computer system are connected.

How? How is that possible?

"Shion."

Nezumi moved only his lips, calling out Shion's name.

"How long are you planning to sit there for? No matter how long you wait, I don't think anyone's going to bring you a cup of coffee."

"Ah..."

Right, what am I doing? We've managed to come this far, so what am I doing just sitting here?

He forced strength into his legs and raised himself up. His feet staggered and he just barely managed to steady himself.

Nezumi didn't lend Shion a hand, and Shion also didn't think to rely on him for help.

They've both sustained the same injuries, were exhausted to the same extent, lost the same amount of blood... No, Nezumi's case was much more severe than his.

He couldn't rely on Nezumi. If he had to rely on him just to stand, then the next step would be even more difficult. If he could stand up using his own power, then he could use his own power to push forward.

Safu stared at him. She intertwined her fingers together and stood as if she was praying.

"It wasn't me."

She suddenly answered.

"I don't have that ability."

Nezumi slightly furrowed his eyebrows.

"I only prayed... I only kept thinking that I wanted to see Shion."

"Then who? Who's the one that invited us here?"

"Elyurias."

"Elyurias!"

Nezumi and Shion simultaneously exclaimed.

Elyurias.

They heard that name before from the old man. He was an old man that had lived underground for many years. He was one of the people involved in the construction of the city-state known as No.6, and also the first victim of the parasitic bees and lost his legs because of them. He was also an old friend of Karan.

The old man said -

Elyurias was once a mighty ruler. No, she should still be one now. Even now, she is still ruling this land.

Even now, she is still ruling this land.

Shion felt his trouser pocket. In there was the chip that the old man had entrusted to him. Once they safely rescued Safu from correctional facility, he was planning on carefully deciphering it. Inside that chip was the answer to all the riddles. The riddles about No.6, the riddles about the underground world, and most importantly, the riddles about Nezumi. All the answers were in there. The solutions were all inside this chip. There should be plenty of information on this queen called Elyurias as well.

When he thought of this, Shion started to feel a bit restless. After entering the facility, he had completely forgotten about the chip. He didn't think about it at all - he didn't have the extra energy to think about it. He had stretched his nerves to their limits. If he took even a single wrong step, that moment of deliberation would put them at the boundary between life and death. So he did nothing but think about every next step, about how to keep alive for another second.

Elyurias. He hadn't expected to hear that name from Safu.

"Do you know Elyurias?"

Nezumi started to sound troubled. He had a slightly disconcerted expression on his face.

"I don't, but... She helped me guide you two here, and opened my eyes to... the truth."

"The truth?"

Nezumi repeated her words as if verifying them to himself.

"The truth...? Safu, why did that person called Elyurias lead us here?"

"I don't know."

"Where is Elyurias?"

"I don't know, but..."

"But?"

"She... should be nearby. I have a feeling that she is."

"Is that just your sixth sense, or..."

Safu started to cower.

"You're questioning me, Nezumi."

"You can't get answers without asking questions, right? We didn't come find you to chat, we have too many things that need clearing up. If you can answer all these questions simply and concisely, that would be most efficient for all of us, don't you think, Safu?"

"You're right, but I can't even answer half of what you're asking... You... You don't want those kinds of ambiguous answers, do you?"

"If you want answers then find them yourself, is it?"

Nezumi sighed.

"Basically, you don't know anything."

"I don't know anything regarding you, Nezumi. But if it's about Shion... then I know."

Safu also sighed.

"She told me that she could grant all of my wishes and let me see the person I wanted to see most... She told me that, and then she really did it."

"Can Elyurias freely control the computer system?"

"I don't know. I don't know who she is, where she is, why she suddenly started talking to me... I don't understand... I don't understand anything."

"Talking to you? As in, facing you? Was she by your side?"

"No."

Safu shook her head.

"She... talked inside my head. She called out to the me that was almost fast asleep."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"That's enough!"

Shion grabbed Nezumi's hand. Nezumi slowly shifted his gaze from Shion's hand to his face.

"That's enough. Let's stop now, Nezumi. We're not here to chat with Safu or question her."

We've finally reached this place, and now we need to escape.

Up until now, it's been two of us. From now on, it'll be three of us.

Nezumi stared at Shion and blinked.

"'No matter what the order, just leave quickly,' was it? Well, it'd be nice if the aristocrats at the Feast at Hong Gate were able to withdraw without a hitch." [1]

"It's rare to hear you say something so unlucky."

"I'm not naive like you, I act with caution. It should be exposed by now that we're here on the top floor. There's probably a bunch of scary guys rushing up here already."

"Nezumi, there's only one way to get up here, and that's using the elevator we used. As long as that elevator isn't moving, no one can come up here. And this facility is completely run by the computer system."

"What makes you so sure that that system is going to stay on our side? Can you predict when and where that might change?"

"That..."

Shion didn't answer.

"Don't forget, we have no clue what kind of person Elyurias is. Don't go off trusting someone who you don't even know the true identity of."

Nezumi was right. They had yet to grasp a single definite fact regarding Elyurias. They've only heard a vague summary from the old man and some ambiguous information from Safu.

Don't rely on uncertainties. Don't just interpret them however you like. You need to have a great conscience when putting your trust on another. Trusting another without a conscience is meaningless, only a facade at best. Just a trace of gullibility or a hint of dependance will bring about a fatal wound.

"Safu."

Shion spoke to the girl in front of him.

"Can you bring us to the central computer... it's probably called the Mother Computer here. Can you bring us to the heart of this system?"

Safu nodded. There was no time to waver, be confused, or deliberate.

"Come with me."

She turned around and started walking.

"Let's go."

Nezumi hesitated a bit at Shion's urge.

"Can we trust her?"

"You mean Safu?"

"Yeah. Is it okay to follow her? Can you attest that she won't betray us?"

"We can trust her."

"Are you sure?"

Nezumi sneered. To him, being able to attest that you can trust someone wasn't a virtue but mere foolishness.

"Nezumi, there are three people that I can trust with absolute confidence no matter what - Safu, my mom, and you."

People that you can trust no matter what. I don't think believing in something like that is naive. Superficially trusting others will sometimes get you in danger, but not having anyone that you can sincerely trust is also a weakness. You'll never be able to stand on firm ground that way.

People that you can trust no matter what happens, believing in them until the end - that is a person's greatest power.

"If... if one of these three people were to betray me, I'll willingly bear that betrayal. I wouldn't regret it even if I lost my life. If there ever comes a time when I can no longer trust Safu, my mom, or you - I would consider that time my own demise."

The sneer disappeared from Nezumi's face, and his eyes grew darker. That expression made him look like someone who endlessly pursuing the truth, endlessly pondering. He also looked like someone that had lost his way, standing in a place he didn't know.

"Shion, can you sense it?"

"Sense? Sense what?"

"A suspicious feeling... but about what?"

Nezumi silently stared at Safu's back.

"Never mind, do what you want. We have no choice but to follow her anyway. There's nothing else we can do after coming this far."

"Does that mean you trust me?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, idiot."

After he said this, Nezumi started walking as if he didn't have a gunshot wound on his leg at all. On the other hand, Shion was limping. His wounded leg felt very heavy, as if it wasn't his own.

They followed Safu's lead and walked past the transparent cylinders further into the room. Soon after, they reached a wall. It was an off-white color like the floor.

The wall slid open when Safu stood in front of it.

"Is this the palace hall?" Nezumi licked his lips.

Shion's eyes opened wide as he subconsciously held his breath.

It was a bright white room. It wasn't particularly spacious, about the size of an average living room in No.6.

The room was lit with bright lights illuminating every corner. There were no windows, furniture, or anything.

A column ran through the center of the room. This one was thicker than the ones before, but the object floating inside wasn't a brain but a light gray sphere.

The sphere was covered in a number of small projections that flickered every few seconds. The lights they gave off were sometimes blue, sometimes red, and sometimes pink.

Some of the projections were connected to thin tubes that wound together and extended upward. The top end was dark, so he couldn't see what they led to.

"This is Mother."

"So this is Mother?"

Safu's and Shion's voices overlapped each other's.

"There's an identical model computer inside the Moon Drop. That one is the Grandmother Computer, but everyone just calls it Grandmother. Later on the research organization became independent, left the Moon Drop, and moved into the correctional facility. One reason for this was because they completed Mother, which is smaller than Grandmother but still has the same functions."

"It'd be easier for them to catch the lab rats they need for research, that is, humans, inside the facility. That's probably the second reason."

Nezumi sighed.

"In other words, the experiments were already at the stage where they needed a large number of lab rats. They couldn't gather enough human samples within No.6. It'd be difficult even if they were to send them in from the outside. But there's no such problem inside the correctional facility, since the population in West Block is so large. They created the "manhunt" to adjust the population count, so all they needed to do to gather more lab rats was carry it out one more time. It doesn't matter if it's Mother or Grandmother - rather than the computers, I think that's the real reason for why they moved."

"Perhaps."

Safu closed her eyes. After her dark eyes disappeared from her pale face, she looked like a doll.

"Ever since long ago, the correctional facility has been a grounds for human experimentation. They carry out all sorts of experiments on the human body here, and the experiment results led to the rapid advancement of No.6's medical technology. I benefited from it a lot, as did Shion..."

"Yeah... that's right."

Shion turned his head and inquired to Nezumi in a hoarse voice not resembling his own.

"Nezumi, that room... the one that had a route connected to underground..."

When that elevator that could be called a death sentence opened from below, people screamed as they were dropped down. The first page of the picture of Hell - the underground pit. There was a small passage that extended out from there, and at the end of that passage was a square room. Nezumi called that place a "temporary rest area."

"That's right. Have you finally noticed? The structure of the underground pit and that room was designed to select lab rats. The people that can reach that room are the ones that can resist the fall from the elevator, follow that faint light, and escape on their own. They're the ones that possess both exceptional physical and mental strength, so they're definitely the most intelligent and outstanding lab rats. If they need to use them anyway, then why not pick out the strongest and sturdiest? That's their way of thinking."

Safu let out a soft groan.

That man's eyes appeared in Shion's mind. They were the eyes of a man whose name and background he didn't even know.

He couldn't die even if he wanted to. He could only struggle and beg Shion in the midst of his suffering. Those eyes reappeared in his mind.

The one who saved that man was Nezumi. He let him die in peace. Nezumi said that that wasn't salvation, it was murder. But Shion didn't understand. Both then and now, he still couldn't find the answer.

The only thing Shion could say for sure was that that man wasn't a lab rat, he was a genuine human.

"Do you remember that the room had a door?" Nezumi asked.

Shion remembered. The room's lights were on then. Though the light was weak, the image had been imprinted in Shion's eyes that were already used to the dark. He remembered seeing a gray door under the light.

"That door was for recovering the people that survived, but it doesn't lead inside the facility. It's a remnant of when the research institution's main department was still located within the Moon Drop. The lab rats would be sent outside from there, where they'd be implanted with a special chip like a prisoner and then sent to the Moon Drop, in other words into the city. The chip was a precaution in case the lab rats escaped. Now that the research institution is located within the correctional facility, all those procedures aren't needed anymore. Pretty efficient, isn't it?"

"Special chip..." A certain scene flashed through Shion's mind.

"Nezumi, were you sent out from that door four years ago? And then did you escape while being sent to the Moon Drop?"

"Four years ago... that was quite the stormy day. Also the day that some weirdo opened his window for me in the middle of that storm. But right now isn't the best time to reminisce about the past. Safu, you know the correctional facility's-- no, No.6's true colors. Did Elyurias tell you?"

"Yes. She told me the true colors of the No.6 I called the Holy City, a utopia... But Shion, you haven't just been told. You've seen it with your own eyes and heard it with your own ears."

"...Only part of it."

Only a part. The things he didn't know, the things he couldn't detect - he had to think them all over. There was still so much that he had to ponder over.

Shion sighed. The depths of his heart ached. It wasn't a physical pain but a discomfort that arose from his subconscious thoughts. Every time he thought about No.6, it hurt.

No.6 wasn't a utopia. It was a merciless and heartless city-state. It wouldn't hesitate to be cruel for the sake of its own peace and prosperity.

But, but, but... Shion sighed again and grabbed his chest.

What is No.6? It's a society created by mankind, isn't it?

Please believe this. We really were trying to create a utopia, a paradise devoid of all war and poverty. Just where did we go wrong?

That was what the old man said. It shouldn't have been a lie. In the beginning, No.6 was indeed built on the foundation of ideas and aspirations of the people. They wanted to create a world for everyone's happiness, a world without war.

Just where did we go wrong?

The old man's slightly trembling words left a mark on Shion's mind.

Where did people go wrong? When did they forget their dreams and start to give in to their desires? Or is it natural that people's dreams so easily turn into desires?

If that's the case, then things like this will happen again. Even if No.6 is destroyed, a second and a third Holy City will be born.

Just where did we go wrong?

Can people really create a country or something similar without making mistakes?

Shion shook his head.

Now wasn't the time to get caught up in his own thoughts. He wouldn't run away. He'll face it in the near future, but right now he had to focus on the problem at hand.

He approached Mother.

There was a thin plastic board in front of the column that seemed to be the keyboard. There were 7 rows and 14 columns of keys, but none of them had numbers or letters or any sort of characters on them. Shion tried pressing down on a key, but there was no response. He freely typed away at the keyboard.

"So?" Nezumi extended his head and looked down at Shion's hands. "Have you got anything?"

"No."

"Don't give up so easily! Use your brains and your skills. Shouldn't it be easy to please her, whether she's Mother or Grandmother? In that case you should be quite the ladykiller."

"You're giving me too much credit, Nezumi. You've always said that I'm clueless. Never mind pleasing her, I've been shut outside the door from the beginning. She won't even pay attention to me."

Nezumi squinted his eyes, which were filled with a gray radiance.

"So Mother doesn't like you, huh... Shion, is there really nothing we can do?"

"There's nothing. There seems to be some sort of special authentication method. If we can't break in, we can't reach Mother... Sorry, but I'm clueless."

"What a strict Mother. We can't help but sigh."

Nezumi clicked his tongue instead of sighing.

"Safu, what about you?"

"I also can't do anything, Shion. There's no one who can reach the Mother besides one person."

"One person... is that the mayor?"

"No, that person isn't in office. He's the founder of this research institution and the one who planned out everything... He thinks he's essentially the ruler of No.6. Mother was also his creation, so it only obeys him. That's been established since the beginning."

"Then what about Elyurias? She should be able to freely control Mother, right? Because she could control the power switches on the barricades and the elevator, couldn't she?"

Shion and Nezumi looked at each other.

Right. If it's Elyurias, then...

"Safu, is Elyurias still talking to you now? Can you start talking to her?"

Shion walked a step toward Safu.

Safu retreated a step back.

It was then that Shion finally discovered Nezumi's "suspicious feeling."

Why didn't Safu come close to them?

She always stood a certain distance apart and didn't attempt to shorten it.

"Safu?"

"Don't come near me."

A voice sounding close to a cry came from Safu's mouth.

As Shion stared at the frightened girl, he felt dread. He felt a strong inner disturbance.

Why?

"Why are you retreating, Safu?"

"Don't come near me, please, Shion..."

Safu's cheeks were suddenly stained with tears.

"I was waiting for you... I was always waiting for you. I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you so much... That was my only wish..."

"Haven't we reunited now? I'm in front of you right now. I came to get you out of here, so that we can escape from this facility together."

Shion stepped forward another step and extended his hand.

"Safu, let's go. Let's get away from this place. Let's run away together."

Safu lifted her chin. She looked like she was trying to hold back shudders. She bit her lower lip and slowly shook her head with a tense expression.

That meant she refused.

"Why? Why are you refusing us?!"

Shion wanted to restrain himself, but was unable to. His agitated mood made his tone of voice harsh.

Safu, let me hug you. Let me hug you closely with these arms. To make up for the long time we've spent apart, let me hug you.

It was so difficult, so very difficult for us to finally see each other again, wasn't it?

In order to talk with you, in order to speak to you, in order to apologize to you...

Many thoughts were swirling around in his head. They flowed like murky waters and whistled like a fiercely blowing wind.

And yet, why do you refuse? Why are you rejecting the arms that I'm reaching out to you?

"Safu, I..."

Shion was grabbed by the wrist.

"That's enough."

Nezumi's fingers were tightly clutched around his wrist.

"Don't go near her from now on. Just listen to what she says."

"Nezumi, even you..."

Nezumi clutched down and stared at him without a word. His expression silenced Shion.

Shion shut his mouth and swallowed the words he wanted to say. The thoughts he was unable to voice turned into murky waters and fierce winds, strengthening the disturbance he felt. Confusion and unease turned his breathing into chaos. It wasn't the same chaos that stemmed from his worry about the three of them being able to escape the facility without troubles. It was a completely different chaos.

An indescribable dread turned Shion's body stiff.

"Safu, what is your wish?" Nezumi asked.

It wasn't a questioning voice, but a gentle and graceful one.

"What do you want us to do for you?"

Safu's expression eased up.

"...Do you want to grant my wish?"

"I'll do everything in my power."

Safu softly sighed.

"Destroy Mother."

Nezumi tightened his clutch, but in the next moment let go. Only the feeling of being tightly grabbed remained on Shion's wrist.

"You mean you want us to destroy this computer?"

"Yes."

"I see... if we can do it, it'd be quite the fine situation for us as well - that is, if we can do it."

Nezumi took out a coin-shaped small bomb from his jacket pocket and pressed it between his fingers.

"If we just set this to max, blowing up the computer should be no problem."

"It's not possible." Shion lightly touched the column.

"Even if the computer itself is weak, the problem is this column. It's made with a special plastic. You probably couldn't scratch it even if you launched a missile at it. It's like a glass ball placed inside a hard capsule. So a small bomb isn't nearly enough, blowing it up is impossible."

"You're 100% certain?"

"Yes."

"A 100% impossibility and a 0% possibility. Looks like we're stuck."

"The door on this column can be opened."

Safu's words made Nezumi's face tense.

"Can you open the door leading to Mother?"

"Not me."

"Elyurias?"

"Yes. If it's her then it's possible. She can definitely open this."

"If she can do that much, then it should be simple for her to stop Mother, right? She shouldn't need us in the first place."

"It needs will."

"What?"

"It needs human will... that's what she said."

Nezumi and Shion glanced at each other for a second or two.

"Destruction requires human will."

Safu repeated, as if announcing the arrival of a sorceress.

Nezumi slightly swayed.

"Is that what Elyurias said?"

"Yes."

"I'll help, but the final decision will be left to your own will - is that what she told you?"

"Yes."

"But then that means..."

Nezumi stopped talking.

Shion nodded. He seemed to have clearly understood what Nezumi wanted to say.

That means, Elyurias isn't human?

That should be right. It was hard to imagine anyone that could break into such a perfectly guarded system and invade the security network besides "her".

Elyurias isn't human. If that's true, then what is she?

A god? A demon? A fairy? Impossible!

"Destruction requires human will... right?"

Nezumi repeated Safu's-- no, Elyurias' words.

Safu closed her eyes and muttered.

"The only ones who can destroy with a will are humans. Only humans can do it... so only humans can destroy Mother."

Safu's words were like an incantation. Shion couldn't help but shiver.

The Safu that Shion knew would always speak clearly and concisely. She knew how to look at reality. She wouldn't conjure up dreams and wishes, she only knew how to talk according to the situation at hand. Because of that, she would never be confused by reality, and carried her own true dreams and wishes.

Her perception was strong but not too sensitive. Her mind was like an upright young tree, soft but still standing perfectly straight.

She wasn't like this, a girl who only spoke vague words in a muttering voice. She definitely wasn't!

"I understand. I'll believe you."

Nezumi's voice shook his eardrums. It was a voice that he was obviously familiar with, but it sounded much more distinct than usual.

Safu opened her eyes.

"...Can you help me accomplish it?"

"If that is what you wish."

"Thank you. I'm so grateful."

Safu held her hands together and bowed her head in thanks.

"You don't need to thank me. Destroying Mother means crushing the heart of this facility. To me, this is exactly the opportunity I've been looking for. It's worth a try... I only want this column to open with no troubles and let Mother be exposed to the outside for a while."

Nezumi's eyes glinted like a sharpened knife.

Suddenly, the keyboard lit up and characters appeared in the air.

Nezumi briefly whistled and put his hands on the keyboard.

"Unlock, unlock, unlock... Heh, the arrogant queen has turned into a docile princess! Even I can easily control it like this."

Shion gazed at Nezumi's fingers. No matter when or under what circumstances, he was always fascinated by Nezumi's graceful movements. It looked like he was playing a sweet melody or skillfully conducting a symphony.

No matter when or under what circumstances, he was always just staring apathetically... but this time he wasn't fascinated the same way he always had been.

The machine's noises didn't disappear, rather, they became more and more loud.

His fingers stopped. Without any warning, silver lines appeared on the center of the column. One line, two lines, three lines, four lines. The silver lines connected together and formed a rectangle.

"It's a door. All you have to do is yell 'open sesame!' and it'll open!"

Nezumi tried to act relaxed in light of the serious situation, but his voice came out overcast and only made the mood even more heavy.

"Wait a second."

A shadow flashed through Nezumi's eyes. He remained silent for a moment.

"Shion, we don't have time to hesitate or delay."

"I know, but just for one moment... Safu."

Safu kept her head lowered. Her shoulders adorned in the black sweater shuddered.

"Safu, you still haven't answered my questions. Why did you refuse us? Why don't you want to come close to us?"

"Shion..."

"And that sweater... Isn't that something your grandmother knit for you? It's been a long time since I last saw that sweater, probably even before I was 10."

"You're right."

Safu suddenly smiled.

"Back then, you took the initiative to talk to me. You said it really suited me. I was so happy... so incredibly happy. Everyone else made fun of this hand-knit sweater, they said that it could only be found in a museum. But you didn't laugh at me. You... you only followed your own honest thoughts and feelings. In that place with no warmth, that elite education area that made me feel so lonely, I met you, Shion. And that made me so..."

"Shut up!"

Shion interrupted Safu's words.

"Why are you going off about memories? That's not what I want to hear. I'm asking how you can still fit into a sweater from when you were 10... What's going on here? You've already grown up and your physique has changed. There's no way you could still fit into it. Or did you buy exactly the same one again? But..."

"I wanted you to remember."

This time it was Safu who interrupted Shion.

"I wanted you to remember me, because you said it suited me... so I wanted you to remember the me who was wearing that sweater..."

"Remember? You want me to turn you into a memory? Safu, what are you saying? Don't you want to escape with us?"

"Shion, that's enough."

Nezumi grabbed Shion's wrist once again, this time sharply pulling him back. The force made Shion lose his balance. He fell back onto Nezumi's chest, but Nezumi didn't move at all.

"That's enough, so stop there."

"Stop? Why can't I continue asking her?"

"Don't keep questioning her just because you feel a bit uneasy. That's quite a despicable thing to do."

Beads of sweat slid down his back. Nezumi's stare pricked at him like needles.

"I'm... despicable...?"

"Shion, you should be aware of it by now. There's no way you haven't sensed it. So... don't pretend like you haven't sensed the truth. Don't ignore it, don't run away from a problem you can't solve. You can't change anything. You can't return to before you couldn't solve the problem or change anything. You can't return to the past anymore."

Shion's breath was in disorder. Tears appeared in his eyes.

"Shion, don't escape. At least right now... right now, you shouldn't escape."

Shion blinked and looked back at Nezumi. He then turned his neck and looked toward Safu.

"...That's not a real entity... that's an illusion."

"Mother let us see an imaginary reality. Your friend doesn't exist in the real world anymore."

She doesn't exist in the real world anymore.

How? What does that mean?

Shion almost screamed. A feeling of dread bubbled forth from within him. Safu hadn't rushed into Shion's arms. She didn't even seem like she wanted to reach out to his fingers.

Because she couldn't touch him. Even if she wanted to hug him and be hugged, she couldn't.

She doesn't exist in the real world anymore.

An illusion with... no body. An illusion with no body.

Nezumi's voice sounded slightly worried.

"I suspected it was a trap at the beginning, but then I thought, what would be the advantage of setting a trap for us now? If they wanted to kill us, they've already had a thousand opportunities to do so. There should be no reason to let us come all the way here alive. I also thought that Mother was using Safu's image to tell us something, but... I didn't expect to hear a request to destroy Mother."

"Mother..."

Shion glanced at the sphere covered with projections.

"If Mother created the illusion, it should have faithfully recreated the present Safu. It wouldn't deliberately search through her memories and find that black sweater. Computers have no emotions. But Safu picked that sweater because of her own feelings. It's not Mother... Nezumi, the one who let us see Safu isn't Mother... but Safu herself."

"Safu used the Mother to project her own image?"

"Yes... I'm not wrong, right Safu? Or is this also Elyurias' doing?"

Shion's mood was agitated. His hoarse voice didn't sound like his own.

A timid beast bared its fangs and desperately roared. It was that kind of a deep and intimidating roar, fierce and sinister, yet still with fear consuming its heart.

"Yes... Elyurias was the one who awakened me. Before then I had always felt like I was floating in a dream... Elyurias restored my consciousness and told me what I could do. I... can't control the Mother, but I can utilize some of its functions. That's the sort of things I can do."

"Then where are you? Where is the real you right now?"

"I'm nowhere."

Safu's voice was completely stiff.

"I'm already not here anymore!"

"Nonsense, then who's creating the you in front of me? Isn't it yourself?"

"I'm nowhere, Shion. I'm already..."

Safu walked forward a step. Shion also approached her a step. He reached out his hand, but he didn't feel a thing. His fingers were indeed extended to Safu's shoulder, but there was nothing there. Just earlier he had felt Nezumi's warmth and heartbeat, the proof of a living being.

"I wanted to say goodbye to you, and I wanted to convey my gratitude. Because I had you, I was always... so happy."

Safu raised her head at Shion. There was a look of challenge in her eyes.

"I love you."

"Safu!"

"That's the truth about me. No matter how you feel about me, I love you. That's the only truth."

Right, this is Safu, Shion thought. This pure strength, as strong and beautiful as a flying bird. This is Safu.

"If I didn't know you, I would never have known the feeling of longing for another. I would never have understood the meaning of love... I'm so glad I knew you. Being born into this world and meeting you... I have no regrets. Heh, I might be showing off a bit. You always said that showing off and bluffing were bad habits of mine."

Safu reached her hand out to Shion's face. He felt nothing, but he still sensed the touch of Safu's fingers.

"Shion... you also know that feeling, right?"

Safu looked past Shion's shoulder to Nezumi behind him.

"You've also thought the same thoughts as mine, right? You also know this feeling of happiness, and that you can't return to a world where you don't understand longing and love, right?"

"...Yes."

You're right, Safu. I've understood.

I've seen No.6's true colors, and know that No.6 lies in my heart.

I know the feeling of deeply caring about someone else and longing for them.

I can't return back to when I didn't understand anything, and I don't want to return. I definitely don't want to go back to when I was ignorant, smoothly living out my days.

Shion tightly clenched his fist. He tried to suppress his shudders, but even his fist was trembling.

"There's no use or need to go back. Safu, we can start off from here, from what we know. We can start off from this moment."

This is where we start off. This is where we begin. This isn't the end. Right, Safu?

We'll be living together from now on, right? Together...

Shion glanced at the tubes sticking out from Mother.

Just what are they connected to? What's the purpose of those tubes?

"Please."

Safu stared at Nezumi.

"Destroy Mother."

Nezumi didn't avert Safu's gaze. He bore it without a word, and then nodded. Safu breathed a sigh of relief. She breathed a sigh of relief from the depths of her genuine heart.

"Thank you, thank you so much..."

"I keep my promises. No matter what they entail, I'll follow them through. I'll never regret it."

"Yes... I see, you're that kind of person."

Nezumi faced the keyboard again.

The part of the column within the silver lines turned slightly red, then slid to the side. The door opened.

Nezumi immediately reached his hand into it, but he was unable to lean inside since the keyboard blocked him. Just a bit more, and he would be able to touch Mother...

"Tsukiyo."

The black mouse peeped out from inside the superfiber cloth. He looked around and quickly climbed onto Nezumi's shoulder.

"Counting on you."

Tsukiyo bit down on the coin shaped bomb that Nezumi handed over.

"Nezumi, wait. Just a bit longer."

"No more waiting."

Nezumi bluntly rebuffed.

"I need to destroy Mother. I can't wait any longer."

"No, wait a minute, please wait. I need to confirm what those tubes lead up to."

"There's no need."

Shion met Nezumi's gaze.

"...Do you know? Do you know where Safu is... what's at the end of those tubes..."

"You should also know, since you saw that."

That?

The scene outside this room, a graveyard filled with transparent tombstones. The tombstones, or rather coffins, each contained a human brain - the vessels needed for the funeral.

"Go."

Tsukiyo ran, heeding his master's commands. He ran down Nezumi's arm, leapt toward Mother with all his strength, and landed on it.

"Very nice, well done. Now just place it there."

Tsukiyo's movements were swift and speedy. He placed the coin shaped bomb in between the projections, then raised his head and wiggled his nose at Nezumi, as if asking for more instructions.

"Good work."

Tsukiyo jumped onto Nezumi's spread out palm. Immediately after he drew back his hand, Mother's door soundlessly closed exactly the way it had opened.

Shion blankly watched the chain of events like a puppet.

Nezumi's line of sight met his.

"It's done. The time limit is three minutes. That's the maximum time I can set on it."

"Three minutes... you need to run, quickly!"

Safu's voice and expression turned anxious. Shion shifted his gaze from Nezumi to Safu.

"If we need to run, then you come with us."

"Shion, how many times must I repeat it? I can't go. You and Nezumi need to escape."

"Safu!"

"Hurry, don't waste a second! Hurry!"

Back when they were still students, they were required to give a research presentation every month. When it was Safu's turn to present, some of the kids who had selected the same topic to research as she did deliberately acted noisy and hindered her from speaking.

Shion had originally wanted to stand up and tell them off, but he wasn't expecting Safu to be a step ahead of him. She stared at those students, and with a strict voice said,

"Have some shame."

In the middle of the clamor, a boy with a large build stood up and exaggeratedly wrinkled his brows.

"Have some shame? Are you insulting us?"

"I have no intention of insulting you at all. I only meant that you should listen to a person's presentation until the very end, regardless of its contents. It's basic courtesy that even three year old children know, yet you can't follow it. So shouldn't you feel ashamed of yourselves?"

Clapping erupted within the classroom. The boy bit his lip and sat back down. Some of the kids had flushed cheeks, some had a menacing look in their eyes, some wore stiff expressions...

The same Safu from back then was standing before him now, and yet Shion couldn't touch her. He couldn't even run away with her.

How can that be!

"If you're in here,"

Shion clenched his fist and banged on the column without restraint.

"Then I'll take you out. Let's escape together, Safu."

No matter what you've turn into.

"Stop it!"

Safu cried out.

"No, no! I don't want that!"

Safu spread out her arms, as if she wanted to obstruct Shion's view.

"I definitely... don't want that, Shion. I beg of you, please don't... don't do such a... cruel thing to me."

Safu was honestly afraid. Her face and words were covered in fear.

"If I let you see me like that... I'd rather have not wished to see you again at all."

"But Safu..."

"Shion, I'll say it again. I don't exist anymore, but I am indeed still imprisoned. I'm still in so much pain. I can't bear it, I can't bear that kind of humiliation. So I beg you, please destroy Mother and free me."

Shion couldn't think.

Several white lines ran through his head and cut off his mind's circuit.

"Come with me." Nezumi pulled his hand.

"Safu, please secure our escape route as far as you can."

"Of course."

Safu broke into a run in Shion's direction. Shion moved to hug her by reflex, but Safu's body passed right through him without any impact. There wasn't even a brush of wind.

I am an illusion. Nothing more than an illusion.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Suddenly, the sound of alarms came on. They echoed through all corners of the facility.

Emergency, emergency.
Danger level 5, danger level 5.
Emergency evacuation, emergency evacuation.

Shion was still being pulled by Nezumi as they followed Safu's steps. His thought process was half numb. He couldn't comprehend reality, make any proper decisions, or grasp the current situation.

Right now we're three people running away. Nezumi, Safu, and I. All of us are still alive. All of us have real bodies. We're running away so that we can all stand under the sun again. Right, this is how it is.

The gears in his mind turned, making extravagant metallic sounds. They turned, stopped, turned in the other direction, and stopped again.

Creak creak creak, creak creak creak...

The severed circuits of Shion's mind were sometimes reconnected and sometimes severed again. They were scattered, then reassembled and glued together again.

Right now we're three people running away. We can definitely run away. We'll run to a place where we can see the sky. We can definitely return to that cherished place.

So cherished, so cherished, so cherished, so cherished... That place is imprinted in my eyes and carved into my heart. Of course that's not No.6, but that house. That miraculous place where I was awakened and born again.

I want to bring Safu back to that house, to the place where Nezumi lives.

It's a really wonderful place, Safu. There's hardly anything in there besides books. There's a chair, a burner, a bed... and some mice. That's all there is. I think you'll be dumbstruck the moment you walk in, and look around everywhere with your eyes wide open. You'll definitely reach your hands out and place them on the mountain of books.

And then... And then, what will your reaction be?

Will you smile? Will you gasp? Or will you be so shocked that you'll only blankly stand there?

Right then, I'll tell you. I'll tell you that this was the "starting point".

I started from this room. And under Nezumi's guidance, I stepped my first step out from the boundaries of ignorance. Like a newborn touching the outside world for the first time, I also stepped into a completely unknown world.

I want you to see that place. I'm hoping that you'll see that place.

Right, there's also Inukashi. I definitely need to introduce you to Inukashi. She's a really great person that can cheer anyone up. I'm sure you'll quickly become friends with her.

Inukashi can understand you. She can sniff out a person's true nature. No matter how well disguised they are, she can detect the contempt and foolishness under that disguise.

"My nose is sharp, especially for rotten things. Whether it's meat, leftovers, or people's hearts, as long as it's rotten, I can immediately sniff it out. There's no way you can hide it from me!"

Inukashi said something like that before. She's completely right, she really can sniff anything out. It's quite impressive. And for that very reason, I think she'll like you. She's definitely like you. She'll wiggle her nose and say,

"Hmm... Shion, this woman's still quite fresh. Looks pretty tasty! At the very least I won't have to worry about food poisoning."

She'll definitely say that while laughing. She does have a sharp tongue - I think you'll be very startled by it before you get used to it. But Inukashi never tells lies, she'll never act contrary to her beliefs. She's definitely a friend that you can trust with all your heart. If it's you, you should be able to understand that very quickly.

Heh, I can already see an awkward face on Inukashi as she grips the hand that you've reached out to her. I think I'll be trying to hold back a smile while looking at that scene.

There's also Rikiga. He's gotten old, but he's actually an old friend of my mother's. Isn't that surprising?

Rikiga also has a sharp tongue and he's bad when it comes to alcohol. He loves to drink - he drinks almost all day every day. Nezumi and Inukashi are always mocking him about that. Their mocking really is too harsh, I really sympathize for Rikiga when I look at him like that.

Rikiga really is too much, but how should I say it. I suppose you could say he's sentimental? I can sense all of his emotions directly from him. You can't find that kind of a person in No.6, right? You definitely can't find a person in that city who plainly exposes all of his emotions like he does.

Or perhaps it's just as Nezumi says, that "the alcohol's made him too relaxed, so he's degenerated and is just letting all of his emotions spill out..." Right, Nezumi doesn't lose to Inukashi when it comes to having a sharp tongue.

There's also a little girl named Karan. Yeah, she has the same name as my mother. She's the first person I made friends with in West Block. She's only a little girl, but she's very smart and has some great self-esteem. She loves reading, so I've read a great number of books to her. Oh, it's been so long since I've read any books.

But most importantly, I have to tell you about Nezumi. I want you to know him.

I met him on a stormy night four years ago. I think I was captured by him from that very moment.

Whenever I'm with him, I'll lose myself. No, that's not it. I'll be shined on by a bright and dazzling light, and I won't be able to see for a while. That's just how weak my eyesight is. Weak to the point that I can't even grasp myself, let alone the reality around me.

Safu, his-- Nezumi's-- words and expressions ran through me, hit me, crushed me, and also saved me. Because of him, I've been melted and reconstructed and given a new life.

Safu, oh Safu. To me, you're an irreplaceable friend. You can't compare to anyone else. You're my most important friend.

Are these words cruel? Your love for me and my own feelings for you, can they never intersect?

Why are you so childish?

You got fed up with me once and said that to me.

Right, I really am childish. So childish that even I myself feel ashamed.

I can't control my own emotions. If I were to love you as you love me...

Love can't replace how important you are to me.

The gears in his head turned, making unpleasant sounds. They incessantly turned.

Creak creak creak, creak creak creak...

Right now we're three people running away. We can definitely run away.

They ran past the columns. Everything was quiet apart from the sound of Nezumi's and Shion's footsteps.

The dark red door opened, revealing an empty hallway.

The three doors were all closed, and there wasn't the presence of anyone either.

Safu halted her steps.

"Run, hurry."

She pointed to the elevator.

"I'll work the elevator during the limited time."

"Understood."

Nezumi stepped into the hallway, still grabbing Shion's hand.

"Safu, you too."

"This is as far as I go, Shion. Thank you and goodbye. You too, Nezumi."

Safu smiled.

The door closed again.

"Safu, wait! Safu!"

"Shion!"

Shion was grabbed by the wrist and turned by a strong force, then punched once in the stomach.

"Umph!"

He heard his own low groan, and then his body turned soft and fell onto Nezumi's chest. He didn't lose consciousness, but for a short while his limbs were numb and he lost his freedom to move.

He was dragged in front of the elevator while he heard Nezumi's frenzied breathing and heartbeat. As if it was waiting for them, the elevator doors opened. Nezumi muttered something, but he couldn't hear it clearly. His feet were in a knot. Nezumi carried Shion and they both fell into the elevator.

The elevator quickly descended. The alarms were still sounding.

Emergency, emergency.
Danger level 5, danger level 5.
Emergency evacuation, emergency evacuation.
All personnel evacuate immediately.
Danger level 5, danger level 5.
Emergency evacuation, emergency evacuation.

"Safu..."

Shion fell to the ground and gasped for breath. Nezumi also crouched down, breathing rapidly.

He felt like he could never stand up again.

His body and mind were all withered away. Withered but still very heavy, unbearably heavy. He couldn't move, as if even each strand of his hair had a lead weight attached to it.

"Don't... make a sound yet."

Nezumi's voice. A voice from some distant place above him. From somewhere far, far away.

Nezumi, why am I here? Why am I meaninglessly sitting here, not moving at all?

Where's Safu? Why was she left there?

You told me to not depend on anyone else, to find the answers by myself. Isn't that what you said? You despise people who superficially depend on others. I'm also ashamed of my own weaknesses.

But, but... this time, I want you to tell me the answer. Tell me the correct answer.

Why am I here? Why did I leave Safu behind and am here right now? Tell me. Tell me, Nezumi.

I beg of you.

The elevator suddenly stopped. The force made his body spring up and fall to the floor again. The door slightly opened, but then stopped moving. The lights also disappeared.

A thunder came from the distance. A second shock immediately followed, much more intense than the first.

Thunder? No, that's not it. That's...

An explosion made its way into his ears. Darkness enveloped him.

Shion covered his ears and screamed an inaudible scream.

---

The elevator door closed, then descended.

Safu saw them off.

Are you satisfied?

A soft voice suddenly appeared in her ears.

"Is that you, Elyurias?"

Safu looked around. Of course, she didn't see anything.

She couldn't see it, but she could sense it.

Safu, was this what you wished for? Are you satisfied?

Am I satisfied? Safu tilted her head. She put her hands on her chest, and suddenly teardrops flowed out.

She wanted to cry out.

Shion... Shion left.

He came here for me. That's more than enough for me. So why do I still feel like this? Why am I still this flustered?

Shion, why is he the one by your side? Why is it not me? Why am I not allowed to live together with you?

If it wasn't for him, would you love me?

We can't both live anymore, but we could both die.

Safu raised her head and clutched her hands in front of her chest.

No, Safu. That's not what you wish for.

I actually, actually... wanted you to die with me.

She shook her head. That's not what I wish for.

Did I want us to disappear together... Shion?

It was the same then and now. I don't wish for that at all. I want you to live. Live, and change this world. Create a world where people won't have to suffer such unreasonable deaths as these.

Shion, live on. Live out the rest of your life.

"Elyurias, what will you do from now on?"

Me? What will I do from now on...?

"Yes. You and I can both attain freedom, so what do you plan to do after this?"

A laughter resounded. It sounded like a wind blowing across the grass.

What do I plan to do? Why don't you just wait and see.

Safu shuddered. That wasn't a wind blowing across the grass, but a cold wind that concealed rain and snow. An ice cold wind that announced the arrival of winter.

Safu, I like you. For me, meeting someone like you perhaps... perhaps carries a great significance with it.

"What do you mean?"

I wonder? Ah, it's time. I must go now as well. Goodbye, Safu.

"Goodbye."

Yes, it's time.

Safu closed her eyes. She sensed rustling trees and a gently shining sun.

She could finally smile.