CH 38

“Are you safe, Miss? I apologize for not being present at this crucial moment.”

Ichiko gives a bow as she removes the tags and handcuffs attached to Ryo.

“It doesn’t matter. After all, you are no longer my bodyguard.”

While checking the state of her unbound arms, Ryo calls out to Ichiko.

“I see you’re hardly startled at the sight of me.”

“With all that commotion taking place, it makes sense for you to have that appearance.”

Ichiko pulls Ryo’s hand and helps her to her feet.

“Ichiko, I have a few questions for you.”

“Be my guest, Lady Ryo.”

They are facing each other at more or less the same distance. It is a spectacle that has never been witnessed before.

“How can you utilize Kurokiri’s skill, ≪Monster Creation≫?”

“There exists a skill called ≪The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path≫ and this is the effect of that skill.”

“And for what purpose did you acquire it?”

“To save Izumi.”

“Izumi… That’s her, isn’t it?”

Ryo’s eyes dart to Izumi, who is standing at the entrance of the room.

“(I’m Izumi, 9 years old. My voice doesn’t come out, so I carry on a conversation by means of writing.)”

“I discovered Izumi when her entire body was being dismembered, and the only way to save her was to attain that skill.”

“I see. That brings me to my next question.”

“Yes.”

Ryo takes a step closer to Ichiko.

“I can understand the circumstances of your acquisition of the skill. However, why would you use that skill on patients who had very little time left to live?”

“It was the only solution that could preserve their lives.”

Taking another step closer, she extends her hand to reach Ichiko.

“Yes. It is true that you saved those people’s lives. But in exchange, those people have been changed into ‘Kirijin,’ haven’t they? Is there anything you can refute to that?”

“There’s nothing I can say in opposition to it. All of them agreed to cease being human beings. Lady Ryo. Allow me to state unequivocally. ‘Those individuals voluntarily chose to become Kirijin, and I helped them to do so by my own volition’.”

Smack!

Ryo’s palm lands on Ichiko’s face, emitting a resounding bang that ripples throughout the area.

Ryo utters in a tearful voice, “Ichiko… You have betrayed me… We agreed that we would fortify ourselves through this ordeal together and overcome Kurokiri…”

“Lady Ryo… I am…”

“Don’t say anything… just be out of my sight now…”

“…I understand. Izumi, let’s go.”

Ichiko takes Izumi out of the room. On the lower floor, a mass of police vehicles and ambulances have already congregated following reports from the vicinity.

And as they are leaving, Ichiko remarks, “Lady Ryo. I still have the desire to defeat Kurokiri, but I lack the capability to achieve that, and the only way to save or defeat someone else for me is to rely on Kurokiri’s strength. That’s all there is to it. And I’m sure that Kurokiri will…”

“…”

“He’ll embrace[i] me even if I am this type of person.”

After leaving those words, only a weeping Ryo has been left behind.

“They came in such large numbers.”

Ahead of me are tons of police, riot squads, the military, and the press.

And behind me are the perpetrators of the abduction, bound and tumbled.

“You two are the ‘Kirijin’ Hisano Ichiko and the ‘Kirijin’ Kokoro Izumi! You are both charged with murder, trespassing, and confinement…”

“Shut up! These human beings who have been overlooked,” I spit out the words. “From now on, I will demonstrate to you the consequences of those who dared to meddle with these people who were merely carrying on with their daily lives like human beings, instead of harming kin like us. Disarray Devil’s Darning Needle!”

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiin!

“Gaaaah!”

Responding to my voice, the Disarray Devil’s Darning Needle immobilizes the surrounding humans through the sound of its wings.

Then I stand behind one of the men who has been tied up… and I behead him.

As a natural phenomenon, a stream of blood gushes forth from the head I decapitate, and the sight of it sends some people pale, while others are left with a loss of words. I wonder if the happiest people were those who collapsed in a heap of foam. There are only a few people who are still standing, despite being in agony.

“This man was driving the car when he kidnapped a kin. And this is the result of his consequence.”

The second person is put to death by crushing his limbs before being pierced in the chest.

“This man carried the unconscious kin into the car.”

Without much ado, I proceed with the execution. It seems that half of the people watching have already slipped into unconsciousness.

For the third one, I split him in half at the waist so that he perishes in excruciating pain.

“This one is the one who knocked out the kin.”

As I open my mouth to glare at the last one, I say, “And this piece of trash is the mastermind behind the kidnapping scheme. He is the one who is responsible for this incident.”

“Heeeee! P-please save me…”

“Therefore, you shall be devoured alive and die!”

“Aaaaahhhh!”

Grrr, gelr, blechu.

Then he is consumed alive by the Disarray Devil’s Darning Needle which sends him to his doom. Of course, I ensure that he is slowly masticated from the limbs to avoid an easy death.

Finally, I switch my attention back to the humans around me. There are only a handful of people in the surrounding area who are still conscious.

“This is what fate befalls those who meddle with the innocent kin. Now, let’s depart.”

At my words, Izumi nods and Disarray Devil’s Darning Needle brings its legs close to me. As a result, I ascend into the air, holding Izumi in my right arm and Disarray Devil’s Darning Needle’s leg in my left.

“Well then, excuse me.”

After uttering these words, Izumi and I vanish into the night sky.

T/N:

[i] The accurate word is affirm but that doesn’t sound right to me so I change it to embrace