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Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (Indonesia)

2018-12-19T05:03:32Z

172.68.144.64: /* Series Overview */

[[Image:Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Cover_Vol_01_Cover.jpg|thumb|Volume 1 Cover]]
'''Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken/ Regarding Reincarnated to Slime''' (転生したらスライムだった件,) Adalah Web Novel yang di tulis oleh Fuse dan di ilustrasikan oleh Mitz Vah, Saat ini web novel berlangsung 10 Volume/250 Chapter berstatuskan Complete. Yang di publikasikan oleh Micro Magazine.

==='''Source'''===
[https://circustranslations.com/chapter-list/ '''Circus Translation'''] '''Dan''' [http://gurotranslation.blogspot.co.id/p/ioduction.html?m=1 '''Guro Translation''']

==Sinopsis Cerita==
Mikami Satoru adalah, Seorang pria dewasa berusia 37 tahun sukses yang memiliki masalah: dia tidak pernah punya pacar dan sementara memenuhi pangilan untuk membantu rekannya di jalan, Satoru mendapat ditusuk oleh penjambret. Hasilnya? Dia telah bereinkarnasi sebagai lendir. Apakah itu kemalangan ataukah berkat?

== Translation ==
Bagi yang mampu berbahasa inggrish dan ingin meninjau ulang dari aslinya, bantuan anda sangat kami hargai.

==[[Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Bahasa Indonesia:Registration Page|Pendaftaran]]==
'''Penerjemah diminta untuk meminta izin kepada [[User:Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia|Proyek Manager]] setelah di setujui penerjemah di persilahkan [[Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Bahasa Indonesia:Registration Page|'''mendaftarkan''']] bab mana yang ingin dikerjakan'''

=== Format Standar ===
*[[Format_guideline | General Format/Style Guideline]]

== Update ==
<div style="overflow:auto; max-height: 150px;">

*15 Oktober 2016 Proyek ditinjau ulang mulai Chapter 1
* 13 Oktober 2016 Volume 1 '''Selesai'''
* 23 September 2016 Proyek Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Indonesia dimulai.
</div>

==Status==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Volume !! Status !! Keterangan
|-
| Volume 1 || 100% || Sedang diedit ulang
|-
|}

==Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken By Fuse==

===Volume 1 ([[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken (Indonesia):Volume 1|Teks Utuh]])===
[[File:Slime_Datte_Ken_16.jpg|thumb|Volume 1 Sampul]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Ilustrasi_(Indonesia)|Ilustrasi]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Prolog_(Indonesia)|Prolog - Kematian dan Reinkarnasi]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_01_(Indonesia)|Chapter 01 - Mari Kita Lihat Apa yang Bisa Kulakukan]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_02_(Indonesia)|Chapter 02 - Pertemuan Pertama]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_03_(Indonesia)|Chapter 03 - Percakapan Pertama]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_04_(Indonesia)|Chapter 04 - Teman Pertama]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_05_(Indonesia)|Chapter 05 - Pengadukan Masalah]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_06_(Indonesia)|Chapter 06 - Keterampilan Akusisi]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_07_(Indonesia)|Chapter 07 - Pertempuran Pertama]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_08_(Indonesia)|Chapter 08 - Kekuatan di Tangan ku]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_09_(Indonesia)|Chapter 09 - Negosiasi Dengan Goblin]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_10_(Indonesia)|Chapter 10 - Pertempuran Di Desa Goblin]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_11_(Indonesia)|Chapter 11 - Perkembangan Monster]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_12_(Indonesia)|Chapter 12 - Mempersiapkan Lingkungan Kami]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_13_(Indonesia)|Chapter 13 - Mengunjungi Kerajaan Dwarf]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_14_(Indonesia)|Chapter 14 - Masalah]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_15_(Indonesia)|Chapter 15 - Deal Dengan Pengawal]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_16_(Indonesia)|Chapter 16 - Blacksmith Dwarft]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_17_(Indonesia)|Chapter 17 - Hasil Dari Janji]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_18_(Indonesia)|Chapter 18 - Akhir Dari Gejolak]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_Ekstra_(Indonesia)|Chapter Ekstra - Bagworm Gobuta]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_19_(Indonesia)|Chapter 19 - Kembali Ke Desa]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_20_(Indonesia)|Chapter 20 - Menjelang Pembangunan Desa]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_21_(Indonesia)|Chapter 21 - Gerakan Baru]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_22_(Indonesia)|Chapter 22 - Para Petualang Akhirnya Tiba]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_23_(Indonesia)|Chapter 23 - Monster Api]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_24_(Indonesia)|Chapter 24 - Reminiscence ~ Funeral March]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_25_(Indonesia)|Chapter 25 - Transformasi Menjadi Manusia!]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_01_Chapter_26_(Indonesia)|Chapter 26 - Kemampuan Baru]]

===Volume 2===
[[File:Slime_Datta_Ken_01.jpg|thumb|Volume 2 Sampul]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Ilustrasi_(Indonesia)|Ilustrasi]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_01_(Indonesia)|Chapter 27 - Suku Ogre]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_02_(Indonesia)|Chapter 28 - Pekerjaan]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_03_(Indonesia)|Chapter 29 - Penyerangan Lizardman]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_04_(Indonesia)|Chapter 30 - Utusan]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_05_(Indonesia)|Chapter 31 - Rapat Darurat]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_06_(Indonesia)|Chapter 32 - Tahap Tirai Meningkat]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_07_(Indonesia)|Chapter 33 - Pemirsa]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_08_(Indonesia)|Chapter 34 - Wabah Perang]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_09_(Indonesia)|Chapter 35 - Persiapan Perang]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_10_(Indonesia)|Chapter 36 - Berpartisipasi Dalam Perang]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_11_(Indonesia)|Chapter 37 - Encounter - Benimaru & Ranga]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_12_(Indonesia)|Chapter 38 - Demon Gelmudo]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_13_(Indonesia)|Chapter 39 - Gears of Fate]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_14_(Indonesia)|Chapter 40 - Bencana Orc]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_15_(Indonesia)|Chapter 41 - Predator]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_16_(Indonesia)|Chapter 42 - Aliansi Besar Hutan Jura]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_17_(Indonesia)|Chapter 43 - Reparasi Perang]]
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_02_Chapter_18_(Indonesia)|Chapter 44 - Dan dengan demikian kami menyelesaikan kota]]

===Volume 6===
*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_06_Chapter_06_(Indonesia)|Chapter 102 - Pertemuan dengan Para monster]]

*[[Tensei_Shitara_Slime_Datta_Ken_Vol_06_Chapter_07_(Indonesia)|Chapter 103 - Budak Monster]]

==Staf Proyek==
*Supervisor:
*Project Manager: [[User:Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia|Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia]]
===Penerjemah===
Aktif

===Penyunting===
Aktif

Tidak Aktif
*[[User:Rin.chan|Rin.chan]]

==Series Overview==

*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 1 (May 30th, 2014) ISBN-4896374592
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 2 (August 30th, 2014) ISBN-4896374738
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 3 (December 24th, 2014) ISBN-4896374886
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 4 (April 30th, 2015) ISBN-4896375025cara liatnya gimana cuk

Taaaaaiii

*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 5 (May 30th, 2015) ISBN-4896375076
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 6 (October 30th, 2015) ISBN-4896375386
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 7 (April 28th, 2016) ISBN-4896375610
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 8 (August 30th, 2016) ISBN-4896375777
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 8.5 (August 30th, 2016) ISBN-4896375807
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 9 (November 30th, 2016) ISBN-4896376005
*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Volume 10 (April 7th, 2017) ISBN-4896376307

[[Category:Light novel (Indonesian)]]
[[Category:Indonesian]]

High School DxD (Bahasa Indonesia):Jilid 15 Life.6 Biarlah Kilau Didalam Dirimu

2018-11-22T04:15:37Z

172.68.144.64: /* Bagian 2 */

==Life.6 Biarlah Kilau Didalam Dirimu==

===Bagian 1===

Aku ingin hidup.

Hidupku hampir berakhir perlahan didalam hutan bersalju.

Sebagai bahan percobaan, dan sebagai satu dari anak-anak yang dikumpulkan untuk proyek Gereja. Mereka mengumpulkan anak-anak sepertiku yang tidak memiliki keluarga dan orang yang juga memiliki kemampuan untuk proyek mereka dengan tujuan membuat kita dapat memegang pedang-suci Excalibur buatan.

Setiap hari, hari demi hari, adalah sebuah hari-hari percobaan. Itu penuh dengan percobaan yang keji, tapi semenjak kita diberitahu kalau kita akan menjadi makhluk yang spesial yang pada suatu hari akan dipilih oleh Tuhan, rekan-rekanku dan Aku bahkan melakukannya tanpa adanya sedikitpun rasa takut.

Suatu hari, semuanya tiba-tiba berubah.

Mereka tiba-tiba datang untuk membuang kita.

Kita dikumpulkan di satu lokasi dan mereka memberi gas kepada kita–. Tanganku menjadi lumpuh, kakiku berhenti bergerak, dan tubuhku mengalami rasa yang amat menyakitkan seperti aku mengalami sistem syarafku ditebas.

Ada banyak cairan termasuk airmata dan darahku keluar dari tubuhku, dan hanya rasa sakit menguasai tubuhku.

Lalu kesadarankupun melemah–dan Aku akan mati.

Banyak dari rekan-rekanku mati sambil menderita didepanku.

Aku tidak tahu apa yang terjadi pada awalnya. Aku bahkan berpikir ini adalah sebuah percobaan.

Aku bahkan tidak membayangkan kalau peneliti yang mencoba melakukan sesuatu yang spesial pada kita dan mereka yang juga percaya pada Tuhan yang sama seperti kita akan membalikan taringnya kepada kita–.

Satu mati, lalu yang keduapun mati. Rekanku mati satu per satu. Aku akhirnya memahami situasi dimana aku berada sambil giliranku untuk mati datang.

Ah, Aku akan mati dibunuh.

Gilirankupun datang dan Aku dikumpulkan ditengah ruangan. Peneliti yang menggunakan pakaian pelindung memasukan gas pada kita terlihat badannya gemetaran.

Bahkan jika Aku mencoba untuk berhenti bernafas, itu ada batasnya. Aku mulai menghirup gas sedikit demi sedikit dan membuat gas tersebut masuk kedalam tubuh setiap aku melakukan pernafasan.

Tubuhku mengalami rasa sakit dan kram, dan matakupun mulai kabur.

Aku terjatuh berlutut dan mencoba menghilangkan rasa sakit yang mengalir didalam tubuhku dengan menggaruk setiap anggota tubuhku, tapi satu dari rekanku mendorong satu dari peneliti itu.

Setelah mereka membuka pintu dengan paksa, rekanku berteriak padaku yang dalam kondisi paling tidak kritis diantara kita semua.

“Pergi! Setidaknya kau bisa selamat!”

Aku–. Mendengar itu, saat itu juga AKu melarikan diri dari ruangan itu setelah berdiri.

Aku tidak ingin mati–.

Dengan hanya kata-kata itu didalam pikiranku, Aku berhasil melarikan diri dari para peneliti setelah Aku menemukan kesempatan untuk kabur.

Mungkin mereka sangat berpikir kalau “Mereka akan percaya pada kita sampai saat terakhir dan tidak akan ada seorangpun yang akan lari dari kita” karena kita merupakan orang yang dengan setia percaya.

Aku berhasil dalam pelarianku karena adanya sedikit celah terbuka di mereka.

“Berhenti!”

“Jangan biarkan dia melarikan diri!”

Akan tetapi, para pengejar dengan keras kepala tetap mengejarku.

Didalam hutan sebuah gunung ketika salju turun, Aku tetap terus berlari–.

Aku mulai mengingat hari dimana Aku menghabiskan waktu didalam laboratorium sambil terus berlari–.

Rekanku yang membuat sebuah janji bersamaku untuk menjadi makhluk spesial. Kita makan bersama, kita bernyanyi bersama, dan kita tertawa bersama.

Akan tetapi–mereka mati. Hanya Aku yang dapat melarikan diri.

…..Aku sukses dalam pelarianku. Kesempatan yang mereka berikan kepadaku…..

Aku akan bertahan hidup dan…..

Kesadaranku mulai memudar bersamaan dengan rasa sakit menjalar diseluruh tubuhku–. Aku mulai menimbun perasaan kebencian yang kuat didalam diriku.

Terhadap mereka–.

Mereka yang mengadakan proyek itu–.

Excalibur–.

Tidaklah mungkin aku bisa memaafkan mereka…..!

Akan tetapi, stamina dan kesadaranku mencapai batasnya…..dan Aku terjatuh perlahan didalam hutan.

Aku bahkan tidak dapat menggerakan jariku sekarang.

…..ini jelasnya aku akan mati. Bisakah aku bergerak kedepan sedikit? Bahkan untuk satu langkah kedepan–.

Aku tidak ingin membuat kematian mereka hanya terbuang percuma. Aku…..Aku…..

Aku sederhananya hanya ingin terus hidup–.

Sementara kesadaranku mulai menghilang, sebuah warna crimson muncul didalam mataku–.

Ketika Aku mengangkat kepalaku keatas, seorang gadis berambut crimson berdiri didepanku.

Aku dapat melihat senyumnya meskipun mataku telah kabur.

“Apa yang kau cari?”

Dia menanyaiku hal itu sambil dia memegangku yang sudah akan mati–.

Itu adalah pertemuanku dengan tuanku, Rias Gremory.

Itu adalah sesuatu yang terjadi empat tahun lalu.

Ketika Aku membuka mataku–itu merupakan sebuah kamar di sebuah rumah. Aku…..berbaring diatas ranjang?

Aku jadi sedikit panik melihat langit-langit yang tidak biasa.

…..Aku mendapati gas dilemparkan kepadaku di laboratorium dan Aku melarikan diri dari sana…..

Aku sedang mengembara didalam hutan itu. Aku lalu bertemu seorang gadis dengan rambut crimson…?

Aku…..kenapa ada disini dikamar yang tidak biasa ini…..? Apa aku dibawa kembali ke
laboratorium……?

Ketika aku sedang mendapati banyak keraguan, pintu terbuka dan seorang gadi kecil dengan baskom masuk kedalam. …..Dia memiliki telinga seperti-kucing yang tumbuh dari kepalanya. …..Apakah dia seorang monster?

“………..!”

Anak itu menyadari kalau Aku telah bangun dan bergegas keluar kamar sambil membawa baskom itu bersamanya.

[Ara-ara, kau sudah bangun? Baiklah, itu sungguh melegakan. kalau begitu aku harus memanggil Rias.]

Aku mendengar sebuah suara orang lain dari pintu yang dibiarkan terbuka.

Aku bangun dari ranjang dan perlahan melihat keluar.

…..Sebuah ruangan yang luas. Ini adalah sebuah ruang keluarga. Ada sebuah meja dan sepertinya digunakan untuk kehidupan normal sehari-hari.

Pandanganku tertuju pada seorang gadis dengan rambut hitam dan gadis yang sebelumnya yang memiliki telinga binatang.

Aku menampakan diriku sendiri setelah gadis berambut hitam pergi meninggalkan ruang keluarga. Gadis bertelinga binatang merasakan kehadiranku dan bersembunyi dibalik tembok sambil badannya sepertinya kaku.

“………..”

Dia melihatku dalam kesunyian.

Gadis berambut hitam muncul segera setelah itu dan dia membawa seorang gadis berambut crimson bersamanya. Kedua gadis itu sepertinya umurnya tidak berbeda dari aku. Mereka sepertinya berumur sekitar tiga belas atau empat belas tahun.

Segera setelah gadis berambut crimson muncul, gadis dengan telinga binatang bersembunyi dibelakangnya. Sepertinya dia sangat dekat dengannya.

Gadis berambut crimson mengatakan ini sambil dia tersenyum.

“Tolong jangan mengganggu anak ini. Dia sangatlah takut kepada orang. Dia dipanggil Koneko, jadi tolong jagalah dia. Anak perempuan dengan rambut hitam itu dipanggil Akeno.”

Ketika gadis berambut crimson itu membelai kepala gadis bertelinga binatang, gadis yang dipanggil Koneko sepertinya sangat senang.

Ya, itu adalah pertemuan pertamaku dengan Koneko-chan. Dia baru saja dibawa oleh Rias-buchou saat itu dimana dia mulai mendapatkan kembali emosinya jadi saat itu adalah saat dimana dia sangat waspada kepada apapun.

Dan disaat itu, Aku memahami kalau gadis-gadis ini memiliki aura yang tidak biasa disekitar mereka yang itu merupakan bukan milik manusia.

Aura ini…..Aku juga merasakannya sebelumnya ketika berada di laboratorium.

–Mereka ini Iblis.

Aku mengambil pisau yang tergeletak diatas meja dan mengacungkannya kepada mereka.

“…..Dimanakah tempat ini? Kenapa Aku disini!? Siapakah kalian ini!?”

Gadis berambut crimson tertawa pada tindakanku. Dia bahkan tidak sedikitpun marah pada perilakuku.

“Kita ada di Jepang. Kau tahu dimanakah itu? Itu adalah negara kepulauan yang terletak di ujung timur. Ini adalah beberapa tempat didunia ini dimana itu damai. Aku membawa mu kesini sejak kau memiliki wajah yang mirip dengan orang Jepang. Ini adalah tempat tinggal sementaraku di Jepang.”

Jepang? Kedamaian? Tempat tinggal sementaranya?

Ini adalah sebuah situasi dimana aku tidak bisa memahaminya. Kenapa Aku disini di Jepang ketika aku jatuh didalam hutan di Eropa?

Aku tidak bisa berhenti panik tapi ketika gadis berambut crimson dan gadis berambut hitam menganggukan kepala mereka satu sama lain–mereka memunculkan sayap seperti kelelawar dari balik punggungnya.

Sayap Iblis–.

Dia kemudian mengatakan ini sambil menunjukan wajah yang lembut yang tidaklah seperti Iblis.

“Aku adalah Rias Gremory. Aku adalah ahli waris dari Keluarga Gremory, Iblis Kelas-atas. Dan kau jugalah–.”

Gadis yang menamai dirinya sendiri sebagai Rias mengacungkan jarinya kearah punggung ku.

Lalu Aku juga merasakan sebuah sensasi dimana sesuatu tumbuh keluar dari punggungku. Ketika Aku melihat kearah itu, ada sayap berwarna hitam pekat muncul keluar–.

“Kau telah mati sekali. Itulah kenapa Aku mereinkarnasimu sebagai seorang Iblis.”

…..Butuh beberapa menit setelahnya untuk membuatku memahami apa yang ia katakan.

Aku mati di hutan itu dan dipindahkan ke Jepang setelah menjadi seorang Iblis–.

Kenyataan ini benar-benar menghancurkan nilai yang aku miliki sebelumnya–.

===Bagian 2===

“…….”

“…..Aku tidak akan melakukan apapun kepadamu.”

Rias Gremory dan Aku berdiri menghadap satu sama lain. Aku menjadi sangat waspada setelah itu dan menghabiskan waktu dengan mereka disini.

Ini sepertinya adalah sebuah ruangan disebuah rumah disuatu kota di Jepang.

Aku membuat sebuah pedang dengan tanganku dan mengacungkan pedangku kepada Iblis Rias Gremory.

Aku masih ragu padanya waktu itu. Aku bahkan ketakutan.

Tidakkah itu wajar? Aku diberitahu kalau Iblis itu jahat dan merupakan musuh dari para pengikut seperti kita ketika berada di laboratorium. Bahkan jika Aku menjadi sesuatu yang dibuang dari proyek itu–Membuang apa yang telah diajarkan kepadaku adalah sesuatu yang tidak mudah, bahkan jika Aku telah mengkhianati Tuhan.

Dia memperlakukan aku dengan lembut. Itu malahan membuat kewaspadaanku kepadanya semakin kuat.

Tidaklah mungkin seorang Iblis bisa sangat ramah. Pasti ada suatu alasan dibalik ini. Itulah
bagaimana Aku berpikir.

…..Alasan kenapa dia mengubahku menjadi Iblis pasti karena dia bisa menggunakanku untuk sesuatu. Aku dengar Iblis menipu manusia dan mereinkarnasi mereka menjadi salah satunya. Dia bisa saja mereinkarnasiku karena mengetahui Aku adalah subjek percobaan di laboratorium itu.

…..Tidak, ini mungkin kesempatan baik. Menggunakan seorang Iblis dengan tujuan membalaskan dendamku mungkin adalah ide yang bagus. Waktu itu pikiranku dalam kondisi yang mengerikan akibat kebencianku dan kecurigaanku terhadap yang lain sehingga aku tidak masalah memberikan jiwaku kepada seorang Iblis dengan tujuan membalaskan dendamku untuk rekan-rekanku.

Dia meninggalkan kamar dengan menempatkan nampan makanan diatas meja seperti jika dia menyerah.

Sepertinya dia menginginkan makan malam bersama denganku. Meskipun Aku berpikir dia adalah seorang iblis yang melakukan tindakan aneh. Dengan menginginkan makan bersama dengan orang orang yang baru saja dia ubah menjadi Iblis……

Aku tidak bisa meletakan tanganku pada makanan itu langsung. Aku bahkan meminum air sedikit demi sedikit sambil tetap waspada.

Mencoba kabur dari rumah ini adalah hal yang sulit. Aku seperti merasakan adanya pelindung yang kuat dan meskipun aku bisa berjalan sampai gerbang, Aku tidak bisa membuka pintu.

Aku bisa mengatakan kalau kondisiku adalah kondisi dimana aku dikurung didalam rumah.

Jika Aku berpikir sekarang, itu adalah sebuah tindakan yang tepat. Jika Aku mencoba melarikan diri Aku akan menjadi seorang “Iblis Liar” dan berakhir menjadi sasaran oleh pihak lain.

Akan tetapi, waktu itu Aku bahkan berpikir kalau aku bisa kabur jika aku menggunakan gadis yang dipanggil Koneko-chan sebagai perisaiku. …..Tapi Aku akan merasa bersalah jika Aku mengacungkan pedangku kepada gadis yang sedang sangat ketakutan.

Sudah sekitar sebulan sejak Aku mulai hidup dengan gadis Iblis itu tanpa membuka hatiku pada mereka.

Seorang laki-laki masuk kedalam kamar dimana aku berada.

Seorang laki-laki Jepang…..tidak, seorang Iblis, yang mengenakan sebuah haori.

Laki-laki yang tersenyum sunyi menanyai Rias Gremory yang datang bersama dengannya.

“Hime, apakah anak ini adalah [Kesatria] yang dikabarkan itu, benar?”

“Ya, namanya adalah…..sepertinya dia tidak memilikinya.”

Seperti Rias Gremory katakan, Aku tidak punya sebuah nama. Aku memiliki nama lain sebagai subjek percobaan, tapi Aku tidak bermaksud menggunakan nama itu. Itu adalah sesuatu yang aku buang jauh-jauh. Aku bukanlah kelinci percobaan mereka lagi–.

Aku menyadari kalau laki-laki itu merupakan seseorang yang memiliki kekuatan yang berbeda dari auranya. Aku menciptakan pedangku dan bersiap menghadapinya sambil aku sangat waspada padanya. Laki-laki itu tersenyum gembira dengan melihat tindakanku.

“Jadi kau bisa membuat sebuah pedang? Kau pasti seorang pemilik Sacred Gear. Cara berdirimu….. itu sungguh buruk, tapi Aku merasakan sebuah potensi didalammu semenjak kau dapat merasakan sedikit kekuatanku langsung.”

Laki-laki itu datang mendekatiku selangkah demi selangkah. Dia tidak kehilangan senyumannya.

Aku tidak bisa menahan situasi dimana aku tidak dapat memprediksi apa yang lawanku akan lakukan, jadi pada akhirnya Aku melompat tepat didepannya.

Aku mengayunkan pedangku kearah laki-laki itu–.

Tapi aku kehilangan keseimbanganku setelah dia menjegalku dengan menggunakan kakinya. Pedangku meleset dari targetnya dan berakhir dengan menikam langit langit.

Laki-laki itu mengatakan ini sambil melihat kebawah kearahku yang terjatuh kelantai.

“Aku adalah Okita Souji. Baiklah; Aku akan melatihmu mulai hari ini.”

……………? Aku tidak mengerti apa yang laki-laki itu coba katakan.

Melatih? Siapa? Aku? Kenapa? Untuk alasan apa?

Laki-laki yang memanggil dirinya sendiri Okita Souji mengatakan ini kepada Rias Gremory.

“Hime, ini akan lebih baik jika anak ini melatih emosinya disuatu tempat yang tenang. Itu akan juga lebih baik jika dia bisa mengasah kemampuan pedangnya menjadi dia adalah [Kesatria]…..jadi maukah kau meminjamkannya kepadaku untuk sementara?”

Rias Gremory sepertinya berpikir kepada apa yang laki-laki, Okita, minta kepadanya, tapi dia menanggapi dengan mengatakan “Ya” setelah dia melihat kearahku yang tidak berubah dengan mata sedih.

Seperti itu, Aku bertemu dengan laki-laki–Okita Souji, orang yang menjadi guru pedangku.

“Disini, ini adalah tempat dimana kau akan hidup untuk sementara.”

Tempat aku dibawa dengan menggunakan lingkaran-sihir–adalah sebuah kabin kecil yang dibangun dipedalaman sebuah gunung disuatu tempat.

Ada hanya pohon disekeliling; Bahkan tidak ada sedikitpun tanda-tanda sebuah peradaban, jadi ini adalah sebuah dunia dimana tidak ada apa-apa.

Ada sesuatu yang terlihat seperti sebuah dojo disamping kabin. Okita Souji dan aku masuk kesana.

Lantai berkilau yang tidak memiliki satupun debu diatasnya bahkan membuatku orang yang tidak mengetahui apa-apa tentang ilmu pedang ragu-ragu untuk menginjakan kaki kedalam.

Dia mengambil dua bokuto yang terletak di dinding dojo dimana dia memberi satu darinya kepadaku. Melihatku menangkapnya, Okita Souji membuat kuda-kuda dengan bokutonya.

“Kalau begitu, ayo serang aku.”

Aku menemukan kata-kata dan tindakannya mencurigakan. Jadi tak ada yang bisa aku lakukan selain bertanya padanya.

“…..Apa yang kau coba lakukan dengan membawaku kesini?”

Okita Souji hanya tersenyum.

“Tidak peduli situasi yang kau alami, Aku bisa mengetahu dari hanya melihatmu kalau kau membawa kebencian yang kuat dan rasa dendam didalam dirimu. Jadi tidak ada yang bisa ditolong jika emosi itu menguasai dirimu dari dalam, benar?”

Sepertinya dia melihat kedalam diriku. Okita Souji melanjutkan.

“Meskipun kau mencoba untuk memenuhi rasa dendammu kau tidak memiliki kekuatan. Itu akan alami bagimu untuk langsung terbantai. Bagaimana dengan itu? Bagaimana jika kau melupakan tentang kenyataan kau tereinkarnasi menjadi seorang Iblis dan juga melupakan tentang Rias-hime dan sederhananya hanya menjadi lebih kuat? Kau tidak akan membalaskan dendammu atau melakukan apapun jika kau tidak kuat, kau tau?”

–!

Bagiku saat itu, kata-kata itu sudahlah cukup untuk membersihkan obsesi yang Aku bawa waktu itu. Itu lebih dari cukup untuk menggerakanku ke satu arah.

Pada waktu aku menyadarinya, Aku menuju kearah Okita Souji dengan bokuto-ku.

“Haaaa!”

Aku tidak memiliki kuda-kuda yang benar dimana Aku hanya menuju langsung ke dia. Aku bahkan tidak tahu bagaimana harus memegang pedang saat itu. Meskipun begitu, Okita Souji–guruku, menerima semua seranganku kepadanya.

Aku mendapatkan sebuah sensai dimana obsesi yang menguasai baik kedua jiwa dan tubuhku menghilang setiap kali aku menganyun.

Aku sedikit-sedikit mulai mengayunkan bokuto mati-matian–.

“Dengar, Hal yang diperlukan untuk mengayunkan sebuah pedang adalah bagaimana kau bisa mengatasi pertahanan lawanmu dengan tepat daripada hanya dengan kekuatan brutal. Untuk alasan itu akan lebih baik mengasah teknikmu.”

Okita Souji–guruku, mengajariku dengan sungguh-sungguh ketika Aku mengayunkan bokuto-ku.

Guruku tidak mengajariku Tennen Rishin-ryu yang dia gunakan secara pribadi. Dia menemukan gaya berpedang yang pantas untukku.

Apa yang aku pelajari dari guruku melalui pedang adalah pikiran dan kesiapan yang butuh Aku miliki, dan juga bagaimana cara aku mendekat pada sebuah pertarungan. Aku kemudian diajari bagaimana cara menentukan tindakan ketika aku menggunakan pedangku.

Sebulan telah berlalu sejak Aku mulai belajar bagaimana menggunakan pedang dari guruku. Secara misterius Aku bahkan tidak berencana untuk lari sekalipun dari gunung selama masa itu.

Menjadi kuat adalah sumber dan arti untukku agar tetap dapat hidup.

Ya, seperti apa yang guruku katakan padaku ketika dia membawaku kesini. “Kau tidak bisa membalaskan dendammu atau melakukan apapun jika kau tidak kuat”.

Ini mungkin mengejutkan tapi Iblis pertama dimana aku membuka hatiku merupakan–guruku.

Aku tidak berbicara padanya bagaimana aku harus berbicara pada seseorang yang berdiri diposisi yang lebih tinggi daripadaku; akan tetapi Aku mulai bisa berbicara yang layak kepada guruku.

Itu terjadi ketika Aku pergi memancing bersamanya.

Itu menjadi hal yang wajar bagi kita untuk berkomunikasi sembari memancing dibawah panasnya matahari.

Guru kemudian bertanya.

“Apa kau membenci Iblis?”

Itu sebuah pertanyaan tiba-tiba. Aku menjawab dengan menunjukan ekspresi yang sulit.

“…….Iblis adalah musuh manusia. Mereka adalah makhluk yang menghancurkan manusia. …..Itulah bagaimana Aku diberitahu.”

Itu adalah apa yang aku pelajari pada tempat penelitian. Itu telah ditanamkan kedalam diriku sangat dalam.

Guru tersenyum ringan.

“Kau benar. Surga–dari perspektif orang Gereja Iblis adalah pihak musuh. Akan tetapi, itu tidak berarti kalau itu adalah semuanya.”

“…..Jadi, adakah Iblis yang berada disisi manusia…..?”

Guru tidak menggerakan kepalanya kearah vertikal ataupun horizontal pada pertanyaanku. Kecuali, dia hanya tersenyum.

“Bagi Iblis, manusia adalah eksistensi yang dibutuhkan untuk tetap ada. Iblis perlu melanjutkan untuk tetap ada sejak jaman dulu dengan menerima sebuah bayaran untuk setiap perjanjian. Memberi dan Menerima. Itu adalah teori fundamental Iblis. Yah, ada juga Iblis yang menipu manusia, akan tetapi ada juga manusia yang mendapat sebuah keuntungan dengan menipu Iblis. Jadi mereka melakukan hal yang sama satu sama lain.”

“Aku tahu itu.Itu adalah sebuah hal yang dikatakan padaku kalau Iblis adalah sebuah makhluk jahat yang datang kepada kelemahan orang-orang.”

“Jahat……Begitu ya,”

Guru menyipitkan matanya pada kata-kata jahat.

“…..Sebenarnya jahat adalah sesuatu yang ditujukan pada mereka yang lebih tidak berguna. ……Meskipun kau mungkin tidak akan memahami apa yang aku katakan sekarang ini.”

“?”

Itu adalah sesuatu yang tidak Aku mengerti saat itu.

Guru menangkap seekor ikan dan menanyaiku pertanyaan lain.

“Lalu, nak. Apakah kau berpikir Iblis adalah makhluk yang menghancurkan manusia? Contohnya, apakah kau berpikir Rias-hime dan Aku adalah makhluk yang akan menghancurkan manusia?”

–Rias Gremory.

Rias Gremory telah datang kegunung ini beberapa kali untuk melihat bagaimana perkembanganku semenjak Aku dibawa kesini. Sepertinya dia khawatir padaku dan sejak Aku meragukan tindakannya waktu itu, Aku menghindari melihatnya sebanyak Aku bisa.

Tidak, Aku mulai merasakannya didalam diriku.

–Kalau, gadis berambut crimson itu bukan sebuah Iblis jahat.

Senyumnya yang diarahkan kepadaku waktu itu dan gadis dengan telinga binatang…..tidak memiliki sedikitpun perasaan dengan niat yang jahat dan motif tersembunyi.

“……….Aku tidak tahu.”

Itu merupakan jawaban terbaik yang bisa Aku berikan.

Guru tersenyum ringan lagi. Sepertinya dia menikmati bagaimana seorang anak sedang berpikir keras.

“Tolong berpikir dengan melihat banyak hal. Setidaknya kau telah diberikan pilihan untuk melakukannya. Tahukah kau bagaimana indahnya itu? Bayangkan hanya sebanyak apa mereka yang ada didunia ini yang bahkan tidak mendapatkan kesempatan untuk berpikir…..”

Aku yang sekarang mengerti apa yang guru katakan waktu itu. Akan tetapi, waktu itu Aku hanya menemukan kalau itu mencurigakan–.

Setelah itu, guru mengajariku banyak cara untuk “Bersenang-senang”. Tidak hanya dia mengajariku untuk memancing, tapi dia juga mengajariku bagaimana caranya memasak, bagaimana membuat saputangan, bagaimana cara bermain kartu, bagaimana memutar gasing, dan bagaimana cara menyanyikan sebuah lagu.

Dia bahkan mengajariku bagaimana cara menulis simbol Jepang dari dasarnya.

Ya, guru mempertajam orang yang merupakan Aku sekarang ini dengan mengajariku dengan halus–.

Itu hampir selalu dibawah sinar matahari ketika ia mengajariku tentang suatu hal.

itu merupakan sebuah waktu yang aneh dan berharga untukku meskipun sebagai seorang Iblis.

“…..Baiklah.”

Ada suatu hal yang aku lakukan sekali setiap beberapa hari.

Itu adalah membuat kuburan untuk rekan-rekanku di lahan terbuka didalam gunung. Aku juga bisa membuat satu pada hari ini.

Aku membuat pedang dengan hati-hati dimana setiap satu darinya memiliki wujud berbeda menggunakan kemampuanku. Aku menusukan pedang itu ketanah yang membentuk gundukkan.

…..Aku tidak membuat sebuah kuburan dengan sebuah salib. Tidak mungkin aku melakukannya.

Aku tidak mengukir nama mereka juga. Aku bisa mengetahui kuburan siapa bahkan tanpa mengukir nama mereka. Itu karena Aku bisa mengingat wajah rekan yang bersangkutan ketika Aku sedang berdiri didepan kuburan mereka.

Itu akan selesai jika Aku membuat sekitar sepuluh pedang lagi. …..Alasan kenapa Aku mengatakan “sekitar” itu karena Aku sedang ragu-ragu apakah aku perlu membuat kuburanku sendiri atau tidak.

Aku mati sebagai seorang manusia. Akan tetapi, Aku merupakan seorang Iblis. Aku masih ragu-ragu apakah itu perlu untuk membuat sebuah kuburanku yang telah mati sebagai manusia.

Orang yang mencari balas dendam adalah aku yang merupakan seorang Iblis.

…..Tidak, Aku masih saja diriku sendiri. Aku belumlah menghilang. Aku memang menjadi seorang Iblis, tapi Aku masih ada disini. Maka Aku tidak memerlukan sebuah kuburan.

…..Kecuali, ini menyakitkanku kalau Aku tidak dapat membuat kuburan mereka di kampung halaman kita.

Akan tetapi, tempat ini seharusnya juga tidak masalah jika Aku berpikir tentang itu. Aku dengar kalau Jepang adalah negara yang Damai. Maka Aku tidak perlu khawatir tentang tempat ini akan dihancurkan.

Aku meletakan bunga pada kuburan semuanya. Setelah memejamkan mataku, Aku mencoba untuk pergi. Ini kemudian terjadi–.

[Houhou, seorang Iblis yang membuat pedang huh. Ini sungguhlah langka.]

Suara menyeramkan menggema keseluruh gunung. Aku mulai merasakan hawa sekitar.

…..Tak ada yang bisa Aku rasakan kecuali aura jahat.

Zushin, zushin….. sesuatu yang muncul sambil membuat suara langkah berat yang menggema didalam sekitar sini adalah seekor raksasa dengan kepala seekor macan–. Dia merupakn seekor manusia binatang dengan sifat macan di tubuhnya.

Badannya sungguh besar dan dia sekitar lima meter tingginya. Aura yang mengambang disekitar tubuhnya adalah……..sebuah kekuatan-demonic!

–Dia merupakan seekor Iblis.

Aku tak pernah berpikir dia akan muncul ditempat yang jauh dari sebuah desa manusia…… Dia besar kemungkinan seorang “Iblis Liar”. Waktu itu Aku telah diberitahu tentang “Liar” dari guruku, jadi Aku segera mengetahui identitas monster itu langsung.

Manusia binatang macan itu menggenggam satu dari pedang yang aku buat untuk digunakan sebagai sebuah kuburan.

Dia menggunakan mata besarnya untuk melihat pedang itu dengan antusias. Ada cukup banyak taring tajam yang berjejer didalam mulut besarnya yang sedang terbuka.

[Pedang-demonic? Tidak, ini adalah tiruan dari pedang-demonic. ini bahkan tidak memiliki bentuk yang benar saat ini.....akan tetapi ini adalah kemampuan yang langka.]

Aku membuat sebuah pedang ditanganku dan membentuk kuda-kuda padanya.

“Lepaskan pedang itu. Itu adalah…..sebuah kuburan!”

Meskipun dipikir Aku mengatakan itu, manusia-binatang hanya menunjukan senyum jijik.

[Sebuah kuburan? Ini? Lupakan. Ada sesuatu yang lebih penting. Nak, ikutlah denganku. Sepertinya kau bisa dijual dengan harga yang bagus. Kau juga seorang "Liar" sepertiku, kan? Aku tidak akan memperlakukanmu buruk, kau tau?]

…..Sepertinya manusia-binatang tertarik pada kemampuanku jadi dia menginginkanku.

Tidak ada alasan apapun bagiku untuk dibawa pergi oleh manusia-binatang ini.

Aku akan menjadi lebih kuat…..

Aku akan menjadi lebih kuat dan…….

…..

–Akankah baik untukku membalaskan dendam setelah menjadi lebih kuat?

Tiba-tiba ada keraguan didalam diriku.

Ya, alasan Aku mulai berlatih disini karena guru mengatakan “Kau tidak akan bisa membalaskan dendammu atau melakukan sesuatu jika kau tidak kuat” itu didepanku.

Alasan kenapa Aku menjadi lebih kuat adalah untuk alasan itu. Tapi, Aku bertanya-tanya.

Ketika Aku hidup bersama guru…..Aku mulai berpikir hal-hal yang tidak perlu.

Ada bagian dari diriku yang bersaing dengan guru dalam memancing, dan ada juga diriku yang merasa senang karena kemampuan memasakku meningkat.

Aku membuat sebuah sumpah kalau Aku akan hidup atas nama rekan-rekanku dan membalaskan dendam terhadap Excalibur, namun Aku……..Aku mulai menemukan kesenangan pada kehidupanku saat ini.

Aku menggelengkan kepalaku dan sekali lagi mengacungkan pedangku pada manusia-binatang itu.

“Berhenti mengacau. Aku tidak akan pernah pergi bersamamu!”

Aku mengatakan itu dengan semangat tinggi tapi dia hanyalah menunjukan senyum keji.

[Tidak masalah. Dari awal, Aku akan membuatmu diam dengan menyiksamu.]

Manusia-binatang itu melepaskan hawa kebenciannya kepadaku dari seluruh tubuhnya–. Dia pasti berencana untuk menyerangku.

Aku lalu berlari cepat dari posisi awalku dan mengayunkan pedangku pada musuhku dari titik butanya setelah berlari zigzag disekitar.

Aku berhasil memepetnya!–Itu apa yang Aku pikirkan, tapi manusia binatang menghilang segera!

Dia cepat!

Aku hanya bisa berpikir itu untuk sesaat, tapi Aku merasakan pukulan kuat dari punggungku ketika aku sedang maju kedepan.

Ketika Aku melihat kearah tersebut Aku menyaksikan manusia-binatang seperti dia menendangku. Dia mendapati pungguku dengan segera!

Aku entah bagaimana bisa tetap menginjakkan kaki ketanah meskipun dipikir Aku menerima pukulan di punggungku dimana aku kehilangan nafasku.

Manusia-binatang lalu mulai tertawa vulgar.

[Itu merupakan gerakan yang bagus. Kau kuat untuk anak-anak seusiamu.--Tapi kau masih bukan saja tandinganku. Meskipun dipikir Aku seperti ini, Aku merupakan seorang [Kesatria] dibawah tuanku. Yah, Aku tidak menggunakan pedang kalau dipikir. Dari perspektifku, kau jugalah seorang [Kesatria], Nak? Meskipun sepertinya kau kurang kuat.]

…..[Kesatria]? Jika Aku ingat sekarang, Aku dengar kalau seorang Iblis mendapatkan sebuah sifat tergantung dari evil-piece yang diberikan padanya. Jadi yang telah diberikan padaku adalah……[Kesatria] huh. Aku pikir gadis yang menyebut dirinya Rias juga mengatakan hal yang sama. Waktu itu, Aku pergi tanpa mendengarkan apa yang dia katakan dengan benar…..

[Hmph. Mereka yang merupakan reinkarnasi dari manusia memang sungguh lemah.]

Manusia-binatang melepaskan tendangan memutar. Kuburan yang terbuat dari pedangkupun hancur!

[Sepertinya kau terobsesi dengan kuburan yang jelek ini! sama sepertimu, kuburan ini juga lemah!]

Melihat itu, Aku tidak bisa menahan diri melainkan menjadi marah dan melompat kedepan!

“Sialan!”

Akan tetapi, lawanku memiliki gerakan yang melebihiku, jadi Aku berakhir menerima serangan balasan ketika Aku menyerang.

Meskipun seranganku dihindari dan menerima serangannya, Aku tetap terus berdiri dan maju kearahnya lagi.

Untuk seorang anak-anak sepertiku yang tidak memiliki pengalaman bertarung, dia adalah lawan yang tidak akan bisa Aku kalahkan.

Aku dipukul berulang-ulang dan jatuh ketanah. Sewaktu Aku jatuh, Aku bertanya pada diriku sendiri.

…..Aku ingin menjadi kuat. Untuk siapa? Untuk diriku sendiri? Untuk rekan-rekanku? Untuk balas dendam?

Aku berpikir itu semua. Tapi, sekarang…..

[Sepertinya akhirnya kau menjadi diam.]

Ini terjadi ketika manusia-binatang mencoba mengambilku yang tergeletak di tanah–.

“Jangan coba-coba mendekat pada anak itu dari tempat dimana kau berada.”

Suara yang tidak asing bergema keseluruh hutan. Ketika Aku memutar kepalaku kearah itu, disana ada seorang gadis berambut crimson berdiri disitu.

Itu adalah Rias Gremory. Sesaat dia mengetahui situasi ini, dia menatap pada manusia-binatang itu seperti kalau dia marah.

“Aku perlu kau membayar karena kau telah menyakiti anak itu. Kau pastinya “Liar”? Aku bertanya-tanya bagaimana kau bisa masuk ke gunung ini. Tak menyadari memang sungguh menakutkan.”

Rias Gremory berterus terang dimana dia bahkan tidak terlihat tersentak terhadap lawan yang bisa dikatakan beberapa kali lebih besar darinya. Manusia-binatang menggerakan alisnya ketika dia melihat rambut-crimson.

[.....Rambut-crimson, apakah kau seorang Gremory? Hou, jadi ini pasti berarti kalau anak ini adalah pengikut Iblis dari Gremory. Menarik. Ini tentunya aku seperti bisa menjualnya dengan harga yang tinggi jika anak ini adalah pengikut Iblis dari Gremory.]

Kata-kata Vulgarnya yang diarahkan pada Rias Gremory. Rambut crimsonnya menggelombang akibat aura kemarahan.

“Harga tinggi? Apa kau mencoba menjual pengikutku yang lucu? Aku tidak akan memaafkanmu. Kau layak mati untuk itu!”

…..Ya, manusia-binatang macan ini memang layak mati.

Dia mengejek….ku……dan kuburan rekan-rekanku…..!

Sambil Aku menahan rasa sakit yang menjalar melalui seluruh tubuhku, Aku mengatakan ini tepat didepannya setelah entah bagaimana Aku berdiri diatas kakiku yang tidak mau mendengarkanku.

“…..Itu tidak masalah…. tentang apakah Aku….. akan dijual atau tidak….. itu tidaklah
penting sekarang!…..!”

Aku ingin menjadi lebih kuat.

Sekarang ini. Jika Aku bisa mengalahkan si macan brengsek yang buruk ini, maka Aku–.

Kuburan yang berarti untuk rekan-rekanku…..adalah sesuatu yang tidak layak seorangpun untuk tidak menghargainya…..! Dan lebih dari itu–.

Aku tidak…..punya keinginan untuk mengakhiri hidupku disini!

“Aku tidak boleh kalah oleh lawan sepertu muuuuuuuu–! Aku akan menjadi lebih kuat dengan tujuan untuk hiduuuuup–!”

Aku menyadari sesuatu keluar bersamaan dengan teriakanku. Maka kekuatan-demonic yang kuat keluar dari dalam tubuhku yang dimana menyebar kearah sekitar. Pada saat kemudian, banyak pedang dengan bentuk berbeda mulai muncul dari dalam tanah disekitarku!

Pedang itu memiliki berbagai atribut dimana ada satu yang terbungkus oleh api sedangkan yang satu lagi terbungkus oleh es.

–Itu semua adalah pedang-demonic.

Aku mencengkram pedang kekuatan-demonic yang tertutup kegelapan. Itu adalah pedang-demonic yang bagus, cocok untuk seorang Iblis sepertiku.

Pedang yang menelan cahaya. Aku akan menamainya sebagai Holy Eraser.

Aku membuat sebuah kuda-kuda dengan pedang-demonic dan melompat kearah manusia-binatang. Sambil Aku menuju kearahnya didepan, Aku mengeluarkan satu pedang-demonic dan melemparnya kearah manusia-binatang itu dengan cepat.

Itu adalah pedang-demonic api. Itu terbuat dari sebuah api yang ganas dan menuju tepat kearah manusia-binatang itu.

[Kuu!]

Manusia-binatang memantulkannya dengan sangat kuat menggunakan tinjunya, tapi Aku telah berada diposisi dimana pedangku dapat menghujamnya kebawah.

Dia menanggapinya dan mencoba menangkap pedang-demonic–akan tetapi, Aku membuat pedang-demonic es diujung kakiku.

Aku melakukan itu karena Aku mengingat kata-kata guruku.

–Poin yang diperlukan dalam mengayunkan sebuah pedang adalah bagaimana kau bisa mengatasi pertahanan lawanmu dengan tepat daripada dengan menggunakan kekuatan brutal.

Pada saat yang sama Aku membuat pedang-demonic kegelapanku tersegel, Aku membuat tendangan tajam dengan pedang-demonic es kearah wajah manusia-binatang itu.

Pedang-demonicku menikam mata kiri manusia-binatang yang dimana pertahanannya runtuh.

[Nugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!]

Manusia-binatang yang matanya tercolok berteriak keras dan menggeliat kesakitan.

Aku kemudian mengatakan padanya sambil membuat sebuah senyum sindiran.

“…..Aku tidak berpikir hanya dengan memiliki sebuah kekuatan itu sudah cukup. Jika kau seorang [Kesatria], dan jika kau adalah orang yang menggunakan pedang, maka Aku pikir teknik adalah cara untuk melakukannya.”

Ya, itu adalah apa yang tepatnya guruku katakan. Tidak masalah jika kekuatanku lebih lemah daripada lawanku. Itu karena Aku bisa menutupinya dengan teknikku dan mendobrak pertahanan mereka–.

Mendengar kata kataku, manusia-binatang menunjukan ekspresi marah dimana dia bahkan tidak memiliki sedikitpun rasa percaya diri.

[Aku tidak akan memberimu kesempatan lagiiiiiii! Aku memutuskan untuk membunuhmu sekaraaaaaang!]

Manusia-binatang membuat cakar dikedua tangannya memanjang dan menebaskannya kearahku.

Aku tidak bisa menghindar setelah kehilangan setiap staminaku pada serangan tadi, dan–.

Ini terjadi ketika Aku bersiap-siap untuk menerima kerusakan serius. Aku mendengar sebuah suara dimana aku sangat mengenalinya.

“–Seekor “Liar” yang tidak menyadari kalau ini adalah wilayahku…..itu menjelaskan betapa rendahnya kalibermu.”

Zaaaaaaa…… Pohon menimbulkan suara.

“Aku membuatmu menunggu, nak.”

Orang yang tiba-tiba muncul diantara aku dan manusia-binatang itu adalah guruku. Okita Souji. Dia menunjukan senyum biasanya.

Apa yang terjadi dengan serangan manusia-binatang itu? Aku dalam keraguan….. tapi manusia-binatang macan itu sendiri membeku dalam sikap badan dimana cakarnya mengarah kebawah, dan badannya yang besar mulai tersobek-sobek menjadi bagian-bagian kecil beberapa detik kemudian.

Guru menebasnya menjadi berkeping-keping dengan kecepatan-dewa disaat bersamaan dia tiba disini.

Aku tidak bisa melihat gerakan Guru dan ketika dia mengeluarkan pedangnya.

Ketika Aku memperbaiki kuburan dengan guru dan Rias Gremory, guru mengatakan ini padaku perlahan.

“Nak, Kau mengatakan ini padaku sebelumnya. –Kalau Iblis adalah makhluk yang menghancurkan manusia.”

Saat memancing bersamanya waktu itu, Aku mengatakan sesuatu seperti itu padanya.

Guru melanjutkan sambil dia meletakan pedang yang digunakan sebagai sebuah kuburan diatas tanah yang mencuat.

“Aku juga sama. Aku juga berpikir keras tentang itu ketika Aku bereinkarnasi. Saat berhenti menjadi seorang manusia dan menjadi sebuah eksistensi yang merepresentasikan hal jahat. Selama waktu itu, tuanku Sirzechs Lucifer mengatakan ini padaku.”

[Aku menginginkanmu memikirkan hal itu sendiri. Aku sederhananya memberimu sebuah kesempatan. Bagaimana kau akan hidup dan bagaimana kau akan menghabiskan waktu. Itu adalah sesuatu yang perlu kau putuskan. Kecuali, maukah kau membantuku dalam pekerjaanku pada waktunya sebagai pengikutku? Aku percaya kalau keahlian berpedang adalah sesuatu yang diperlukan untukku. Akan tetapi, jika kau menjadi ancaman pada manusia--maka Aku akan melenyapkanmu sebagai tuanmu. --Tapi kau tau, Aku ingin
kau mengingat ini. Iblis, manusia, Malaikat, dan makhluk lainnya. Itu adalah makhluk didunia ini yang tidaklah harus dimusnahkan.]

Guru kemudian melanjutkan dan mengatakan ini.

“Menjadi seorang Iblis yang akan menghancurkan manusia itu akan menjadi keputusanmu. Tapi yang jelas, kau, Rias-hime, dan Aku, adalah jelas-jelas bukanlah Iblis itu, benar?”

…..Waktu itu, Aku tidaklah memahami apa yang dia maksud.

Kecuali–.

Aku mulai berpikir kalau Aku harus percaya pada gadis berambut crimson yang memperbaiki kuburan dengan sungguh-sungguh disampingku.

Setelah kita entah bagaimana membentuk kuburan itu, kita berjalan di jalur gunung bersama-sama.

Sambil kita berjalan, guru menanyai Rias Gremory.

“Ngomong-ngomong, Hime. Apa kau sudah memutuskan nama untuk anak ini?”

“Ya, tapi aku tidak yakin jika anak ini akan menyukainya…..”

Gadis yang menatapku dengan lembut mengucapkan nama ini.

“Kiba Yuuto. Aku memikirkan dengan sebagian besar perasaanku, tapi bagaimana dengan itu?”

Aku tersenyum pada pendapatnya dan mengangguk.

“Ya, Aku berpikir itu adalah sebuah nama yang bagus.”

Melihat reaksiku, guruku dan Rias Gremory keduanya tersenyum.

Senyum…..huh. Ya. Aku akan memastikan kalau Aku akan selalu tersenyum. Meskipun Aku tidak akan tahu Aku bisa seperti mereka…..

Semenjak Aku bisa hidup, Aku akan menjalani hidupku dengan tersenyum.

Ketika Aku tiba di dojo sembari sinar matahari turun padaku, Aku membuat sebuah pendapat pada guru pedangku dan tuan berambut crimson.

“Bagaimana kalau kita memutar gasing bertiga?”

Meskipun dipikir kita ada Iblis, kita mulai memainkannya dibawah sinar matahari–.

<noinclude>
{{HSDxD(id) Nav|prev=High School DxD (Bahasa Indonesia):Jilid 15 Yuuto 1|next=High School DxD (Bahasa Indonesia):Jilid 15 Yuuto 2}}
</noinclude>

Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia)

2018-06-13T21:49:13Z

172.68.144.64: /* Penerjemah */

{{Status|Active|Indonesian}}

[[File:Konjiki_no_Wordmaster_Volume_3_Cover.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Sampul Volume 3]]

Serial Light Novel '''Konjiki no Wordmaster''' (金色の{{Furigana|文字使い|ワードマスター}}) ditulis oleh Tomoto Sui, ilustrasi oleh Sumaki Syungo, dan diterbitkan oleh Fujimi Shobou.

*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster|English]]
*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster~Brazilian Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese)]]

==Sinopsis Cerita==
Lima orang yang dipanggil ke dunia lain untuk melawan iblis jahat yang mengancam dunia itu. Namun, hanya ada empat pahlawan yang dipanggil, dan satu orang yang lain berjuluk pengamat tidak bersalah (Innocent Bystander). Apa yang akan pengamat tidak bersalah lakukan selanjutnya?

==Terjemahan==

Ini adalah proyek terjemahan second hand setelah versi English-nya, bagi yang mampu berbahasa Jepang dan ingin meninjau ulang dari bahasa aslinya, bantuan anda sangat kami hargai.

===Pendaftaran===

Penerjemah diminta [[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):Halaman Pendaftaran|mendaftarkan]] bab mana saja yang akan dikerjakan.

===Format Standar===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Serial "''Konjiki no Wordmaster''" oleh Tomoto Sui==

===Arc 1: Gelandangan Pengguna Sihir Unik===

:* [http://my.w.tt/UiNb/RxFm0s8Dwz Ilustrasi Novel]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/254600902-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Prolog]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242688317-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 1: Terbawa ke Dunia Lain]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242695401-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 2: Teman Sekelas]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242712719-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 3: Tenaga Sihir dan Sihir]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242827265-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 4: World Magic]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242845732-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 5: Sementara itu Para Pahlawan]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243091729-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 6: Pertarungan Dengan Monster]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243140280-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 7: Perjalanan Darurat]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243147373-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 8: Lelaki Biasa yang Tidak Akan Bekerja Tanpa Bayaran]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243156766-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 9: Pertemuan Dengan Pedang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243591758-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 10: Evilia]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243629753-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 11: Konferensi Negara Iblis]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243652023-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 12: Keinginan Untuk Daging]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243766915-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 13: Merasakan Daging [Aqua Hound Meat]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243782449-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 14: Rekan Pertama]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243809511-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 15: Para Hero Mendengar Rumor Tentangnya]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243827195-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 16: <<Raer>> Festival]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243993075-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 17: Guild Master]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244001989-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 18: Cara Melewati Check Point]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244059416-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 19: Berhadapan Dengan Unique Monster]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244272552-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 20: Batasan World Magic]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244335220-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 21: Pentingnya Level]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244406122-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 22: Penduduk Bearnt【Doggam】]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244413972-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 23: Keputusan Vale]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244417571-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 24: Mengumpulkan Madu]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244429154-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 25: Permen Madu Yang Lezat]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245020228-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 26: Perjamuan di Kerajaan Beast]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245090698-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 27: Sepenggal Kisah Perjalanan Mereka]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245096833-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 28: Taman Peri]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245187307-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 29: Pengalaman Untuk Semalam]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245470721-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 30: Rumor Perang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245852879-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Kekuatan Empat Pahlawan dan Pertanda Perang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245935401-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 32: Gua Gree]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246383894-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 33: Kebangkitan Muir]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246756356-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 34: Undangan dari Kucing Sialan]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246760066-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 35: Level Up Sampai Power Up]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246770299-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Ketetapan Hati Demon Lord (Maou)]
:* [[Konjiki no Word Master Indonesia Chapter 37|Chapter 37: Ibukota Beast Kingdom, Passion.]]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/247484713-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 38: Guru Arnold]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/249118772-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 39: Perang yang Tak Terhentikan]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/252078084-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 40: Perang Dimulai?! Dan perubahan tiba-tiba]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/252078084-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 41: Terhentinya Perang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/253061976-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 42: Konferensi Lain di Negri Iblis]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/254607553-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 43: Kemampuan Rarashik]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/255929151-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 44: Selesainya Tes Muir]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/269889718-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 45: Asal Gabranth]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/269889718-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 46: Keputusan Hiiro]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271111336-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 47: Tujuan Lain Arnold]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271860652-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 48: Kakaknya, Seorang Maid]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271860730-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 49: Hiiro dan Gadis Itu]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271860789-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 50: Mimiru dan Anak Laki-Laki Itu]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271861092-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 51: Janji Diantara Keduanya]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271861899-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 52: Kecurigaan Arnold]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271861982-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 53: Identitas sang Roh dan Temannya]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271862068-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 54: Sebuah Perjalanan Baru]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271862094-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 55: Burung Itu, Lagi!]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271862132-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 56: Pergerakan di Victorias]

Keseluruhan bab 1 ada di [https://www.wattpad.com/story/68455238-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Harazuo TL]

===Arc 2 : Pergerakan di Neraka===

:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/dbYn1gnEwz Ilustrasi Novel]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/274821002-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 57: Satu Bulan Kemudian]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/276984931-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 58: Pergi ke Wilayah Evilia]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/276987788-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 59: Ancaman「Grand Slime」]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277001635-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 60: Pelayan yang Hidup Kembali]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277225215-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 61: Butler yang Penuh Inspirasi, Silvan]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277231629-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 62: Teman Perjalanan Mesum yang Baru (?)]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277429850-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 63: Chapter 63:「Venom Mountain」]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277442031-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Pertarungan Dengan「Cactusman」]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277515987-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 65: Perjalanan ke Mansion]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/285691872-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 66: Trio Chaotic]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/285710372-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 67: Gadis Evilia, Lilyn]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/286438700-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 68: Kekuatan Sang Butler]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/286439607-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 69: Shamoe Si Demon-Beast]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/287484238-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 70: Gadis Kecil-Kuat atau Lemah?]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/297407073-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 71: Undangan Dari Gadis Kecil]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/300557478-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 72: Datangnya Hujan Merah]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/300558851-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 73: Monster Rank SS]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/301905444-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 74: Tentang Red Rain]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/306666105-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 75: Maid yang Meminta Maaf]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/310814137-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 76: Kontrak Dengan Iblis]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/316916329-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 77: Teman Perjalanan Baru]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/318537211-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 78: Kekhawatiran Seorang Pelayan]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/321775252-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 79: Dan Sekarang, Perjalanan Baru Dimulai!]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/323566210-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 80: Para Pahlawan, Satu Bulan Kemudian]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/323569484-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 81: Spekulasi Tiap Orang]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/325331876-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 82: Pergi ke Tempat Tujuan Pertama]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/325440720-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 83: Pertempuran di Gurun Pasir Rhaorb]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/326091747-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 84: Klan Ashura]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/326243030-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 85: Liliyn dan Shivan]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/326243810-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 86: Kegigihan Klan Ashura]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 87|Chapter 87: Pemikiran yang Kuat]]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 88|Chapter 88: Kekuatan Kamui yang Sebenarnya]]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/8ICBlBiUpz Chapter 89: Hiiro vs Kamui]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/lm6UK2PZpz Chapter 90: Penyelesaian]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 91|Chapter 91: Keputusan Kamui]]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 92|Chapter 92: Kekuatan Gabungan]]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/Ep1DdF2uDA Chapter 93: Sihir Magic Word... dan Title yang Baru]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/veWZcJRGHA Chapter 94: Pertarungan, Iblis dari Gurun Pasir]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 95|Chapter 95: Keputusan]]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/S7DMe0hvgB Chapter 96: Penyelesaian dan Perpisahan yang Menyentuh]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/MM58K8egkC Chapter 97: Rebound dari Word Magic]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/Le5ERnigkC Chapter 98: Makanan! Ashura Nabe]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/UlHS7W8tmC Chapter 99: Teman Perjalanan yang Mabuk]

Full stories at:
[https://www.wattpad.com/story/76178410-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Harazuo TL] & [[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia)|Baka-Tsuki]] by [[User:Srow|Srow]] and [[User:Harazuo|Harazuo]]

===Arc 3 : Perang Antar Ras===

:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/jT3WZlVf7C Ilustrasi Novel]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/CWuzSzRf7C Chapter 100: Setelah Setengah Tahun]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/bdP3EQXf7C Chapter 101: Permulaan Konferensi]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/LO4EPx0f7C Chapter 102: Maou, ke Kerajaan Humas!]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/8NA0ld4f7C Chapter 103: Konferensi Aliansi Humas-Evilia]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/S92qZk9f7C Chapter 104: Motif Raja Rudolf]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/mM2hHkdg7C Chapter 105: Dimulainya Pengkhianatan]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/k0PGlihg7C Chapter 106: Dimulainya Perang]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/vxax5qaA8C Chapter 107: Para Pahlawan yang Menghadapi Kenyataan]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/RxIeGwd6dD Chapter 108: Kemunculan! Okamura Hiiro!]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/4V0teWwfhD Chapter 109: Kekuatan Hiiro yang Sesungguhnya]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/DwkjhqjKiD Chapter 110: Orang-Orang Yang Terjebak]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/tFGDunQ3iD Chapter 111: Dia yang Masih Hidup]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/dBPMnrdHlD Chapter 112: Kabur]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/LSfBu2OlRD Chapter 113: Tindakan Judom dan Pengkhianatan Baru]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/j11gQL8xRD Chapter 114: Hiiro di Tempat Lain]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/s9Il9zARSD Chapter 115: Pertemuan Dengan Maou]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/qT6q4tUnTD Chapter 116: Hiiro dan Eveam]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/XGFDu24qXD Chapter 117: Permintaan Maou]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/qx3BT4lXXD Chapter 118: Hiiro, Menuju Tanah Suci Oldine]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/Le05GE9E0D Chapter 119: Kekuatan Pemimpin Sebenarnya]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/X3zbTyXVdK Chapter 120: Protagonist yang Menyuarakan Kekesalannya]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/kkQmBnZVdK Chapter 121: Raja yang Berubah]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/O2ZL8w1VdK Chapter 122: Pengunjung]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/53W1JS5VdK Chapter 123: Cara Pengkhianatan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/nq7dtc9VdK Chapter 124: Sekali Lagi Hiiro Menuju Evila]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/XresHFgWdK Chapter 125: Hiiro yang Tak Terkalahkan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/5G37p0lWdK Chapter 126: Hiiro vs Crouch]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/6gOKkQqWdK Chapter 127: Petir dan Kegelapan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/xkLauBvWdK Chapter 128: Cara Berurusan dengan Zombie]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/9WdpY6BWdK Chapter 129: Cruel vs Pangeran ke-2 Gabranth]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/r1R6bXFWdK Chapter 130: Kemenangan yang Pahit]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/oRrvBcLWdK Chapter 131: Ornoth vs Keempat Pahlawan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/LTt8E4RWdK Chapter 132: Para Pahlawan yang Terpisah]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/xNMady0WdK Chapter 133: Ceramah Hiiro]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/Pa4zTXqXdK Chapter 134: Protagonis yang Kesal]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/wapdL4FXdK Chapter 135: Awal dari Mimpinya]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/ss6sAIXXdK Chapter 136: Undangan ke Kastil]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/udTKcQ2XdK Chapter 137: Ancaman]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/m1racE7XdK Chapter 138: Pahlawan dan Maou Saling Berhadapan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/U0Ey5YdYdK Chapter 139: Hiiro Coming Out]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/N9i27WiYdK Chapter 140: Perlakuan Untuk Kedua Pahlawan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/pIF0VnnYdK Chapter 141: Makanan Sesungguhnya, Santapan Iblis Bangsawan!]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/4jfAB9qYdK Chapter 142: Percakapan Larut Malam]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/XpZziAtYdK Chapter 143: Izin Diterima!]
:*[]
:*[]

==Staf Proyek==

*Manajer Proyek: [[User: Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia|Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia]]

*Pengawas Proyek: [[User: Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia|Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia]]

===Penerjemah===

'''AKTIF'''
*[[user:Harazuo|Kirihara Kazuo(Harazuo)]] [https://www.wattpad.com/user/Harazuo Laman Penerjemahan]
*[[User:Musuyaba|Musuyaba]] ([https://www.wattpad.com/user/Musuyaba Di sini])
*[[User:Culas|Culas]] ([https://kuroshirotrans.blogspot.com//])

'''TIDAK AKTIF'''
* [http://lichkingofchaos.wordpress.com/ LichKingofChaos Translations]/[[User:LichKingofChaos|LKOC]] (mulai dari Hiiro di Demon World) (mundur)
* [[User:Srow|Srow]] (mundur)
* [http://atherrea.blogspot.com/ Atherrea Translations]
* [https://kirishimachantranslation.wordpress.com/ Kirishima Translation] (mulai dari Arc 3)
* [https://knwtraindo.wordpress.com/ knwtraindo] (Mengisi chapter kosong)
* [https://omegatranslation.wordpress.com/ Omegatranslations]/[[User:Kristoper21|Kristoper21]] (Mengisi arc 1 yang masih kosong)
* [[User: TLC AltTab|TLC AltTab]]

* [https://oriontranslations.wordpress.com/ Orion Translations]

===Penyunting===

'''AKTIF'''
*-

'''TIDAK AKTIF'''
* [[User: TLC AltTab|TLC AltTab]]

[[Category:Light novel (Indonesian)]]
[[Category:Indonesian]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia)

2018-06-13T14:19:11Z

172.68.144.64: /* Penerjemah */

{{Status|Active|Indonesian}}

[[File:Konjiki_no_Wordmaster_Volume_3_Cover.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Sampul Volume 3]]

Serial Light Novel '''Konjiki no Wordmaster''' (金色の{{Furigana|文字使い|ワードマスター}}) ditulis oleh Tomoto Sui, ilustrasi oleh Sumaki Syungo, dan diterbitkan oleh Fujimi Shobou.

*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster|English]]
*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster~Brazilian Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese)]]

==Sinopsis Cerita==
Lima orang yang dipanggil ke dunia lain untuk melawan iblis jahat yang mengancam dunia itu. Namun, hanya ada empat pahlawan yang dipanggil, dan satu orang yang lain berjuluk pengamat tidak bersalah (Innocent Bystander). Apa yang akan pengamat tidak bersalah lakukan selanjutnya?

==Terjemahan==

Ini adalah proyek terjemahan second hand setelah versi English-nya, bagi yang mampu berbahasa Jepang dan ingin meninjau ulang dari bahasa aslinya, bantuan anda sangat kami hargai.

===Pendaftaran===

Penerjemah diminta [[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):Halaman Pendaftaran|mendaftarkan]] bab mana saja yang akan dikerjakan.

===Format Standar===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Serial "''Konjiki no Wordmaster''" oleh Tomoto Sui==

===Arc 1: Gelandangan Pengguna Sihir Unik===

:* [http://my.w.tt/UiNb/RxFm0s8Dwz Ilustrasi Novel]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/254600902-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Prolog]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242688317-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 1: Terbawa ke Dunia Lain]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242695401-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 2: Teman Sekelas]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242712719-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 3: Tenaga Sihir dan Sihir]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242827265-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 4: World Magic]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/242845732-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 5: Sementara itu Para Pahlawan]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243091729-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 6: Pertarungan Dengan Monster]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243140280-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 7: Perjalanan Darurat]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243147373-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 8: Lelaki Biasa yang Tidak Akan Bekerja Tanpa Bayaran]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243156766-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 9: Pertemuan Dengan Pedang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243591758-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 10: Evilia]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243629753-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 11: Konferensi Negara Iblis]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243652023-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 12: Keinginan Untuk Daging]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243766915-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 13: Merasakan Daging [Aqua Hound Meat]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243782449-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 14: Rekan Pertama]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243809511-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 15: Para Hero Mendengar Rumor Tentangnya]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243827195-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 16: <<Raer>> Festival]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/243993075-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 17: Guild Master]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244001989-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 18: Cara Melewati Check Point]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244059416-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 19: Berhadapan Dengan Unique Monster]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244272552-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 20: Batasan World Magic]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244335220-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 21: Pentingnya Level]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244406122-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 22: Penduduk Bearnt【Doggam】]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244413972-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 23: Keputusan Vale]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244417571-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 24: Mengumpulkan Madu]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/244429154-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 25: Permen Madu Yang Lezat]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245020228-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 26: Perjamuan di Kerajaan Beast]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245090698-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 27: Sepenggal Kisah Perjalanan Mereka]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245096833-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 28: Taman Peri]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245187307-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 29: Pengalaman Untuk Semalam]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245470721-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 30: Rumor Perang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245852879-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Kekuatan Empat Pahlawan dan Pertanda Perang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/245935401-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 32: Gua Gree]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246383894-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 33: Kebangkitan Muir]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246756356-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 34: Undangan dari Kucing Sialan]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246760066-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 35: Level Up Sampai Power Up]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/246770299-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Ketetapan Hati Demon Lord (Maou)]
:* [[Konjiki no Word Master Indonesia Chapter 37|Chapter 37: Ibukota Beast Kingdom, Passion.]]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/247484713-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 38: Guru Arnold]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/249118772-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 39: Perang yang Tak Terhentikan]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/252078084-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 40: Perang Dimulai?! Dan perubahan tiba-tiba]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/252078084-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 41: Terhentinya Perang]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/253061976-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 42: Konferensi Lain di Negri Iblis]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/254607553-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 43: Kemampuan Rarashik]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/255929151-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 44: Selesainya Tes Muir]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/269889718-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 45: Asal Gabranth]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/269889718-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 46: Keputusan Hiiro]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271111336-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 47: Tujuan Lain Arnold]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271860652-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 48: Kakaknya, Seorang Maid]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271860730-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 49: Hiiro dan Gadis Itu]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271860789-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 50: Mimiru dan Anak Laki-Laki Itu]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271861092-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 51: Janji Diantara Keduanya]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271861899-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 52: Kecurigaan Arnold]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271861982-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 53: Identitas sang Roh dan Temannya]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271862068-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 54: Sebuah Perjalanan Baru]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271862094-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 55: Burung Itu, Lagi!]
:* [https://www.wattpad.com/271862132-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Chapter 56: Pergerakan di Victorias]

Keseluruhan bab 1 ada di [https://www.wattpad.com/story/68455238-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-1-gelandangan-pengguna Harazuo TL]

===Arc 2 : Pergerakan di Neraka===

:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/dbYn1gnEwz Ilustrasi Novel]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/274821002-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 57: Satu Bulan Kemudian]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/276984931-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 58: Pergi ke Wilayah Evilia]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/276987788-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 59: Ancaman「Grand Slime」]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277001635-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 60: Pelayan yang Hidup Kembali]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277225215-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 61: Butler yang Penuh Inspirasi, Silvan]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277231629-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 62: Teman Perjalanan Mesum yang Baru (?)]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277429850-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 63: Chapter 63:「Venom Mountain」]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277442031-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Pertarungan Dengan「Cactusman」]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/277515987-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 65: Perjalanan ke Mansion]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/285691872-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 66: Trio Chaotic]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/285710372-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 67: Gadis Evilia, Lilyn]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/286438700-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 68: Kekuatan Sang Butler]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/286439607-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 69: Shamoe Si Demon-Beast]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/287484238-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 70: Gadis Kecil-Kuat atau Lemah?]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/297407073-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 71: Undangan Dari Gadis Kecil]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/300557478-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 72: Datangnya Hujan Merah]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/300558851-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 73: Monster Rank SS]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/301905444-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 74: Tentang Red Rain]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/306666105-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 75: Maid yang Meminta Maaf]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/310814137-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 76: Kontrak Dengan Iblis]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/316916329-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 77: Teman Perjalanan Baru]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/318537211-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 78: Kekhawatiran Seorang Pelayan]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/321775252-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 79: Dan Sekarang, Perjalanan Baru Dimulai!]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/323566210-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 80: Para Pahlawan, Satu Bulan Kemudian]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/323569484-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 81: Spekulasi Tiap Orang]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/325331876-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 82: Pergi ke Tempat Tujuan Pertama]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/325440720-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 83: Pertempuran di Gurun Pasir Rhaorb]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/326091747-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 84: Klan Ashura]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/326243030-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 85: Liliyn dan Shivan]
:*[https://www.wattpad.com/326243810-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Chapter 86: Kegigihan Klan Ashura]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 87|Chapter 87: Pemikiran yang Kuat]]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 88|Chapter 88: Kekuatan Kamui yang Sebenarnya]]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/8ICBlBiUpz Chapter 89: Hiiro vs Kamui]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/lm6UK2PZpz Chapter 90: Penyelesaian]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 91|Chapter 91: Keputusan Kamui]]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 92|Chapter 92: Kekuatan Gabungan]]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/Ep1DdF2uDA Chapter 93: Sihir Magic Word... dan Title yang Baru]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/veWZcJRGHA Chapter 94: Pertarungan, Iblis dari Gurun Pasir]
:*[[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia):WN Chapter 95|Chapter 95: Keputusan]]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/S7DMe0hvgB Chapter 96: Penyelesaian dan Perpisahan yang Menyentuh]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/MM58K8egkC Chapter 97: Rebound dari Word Magic]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/Le5ERnigkC Chapter 98: Makanan! Ashura Nabe]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/UlHS7W8tmC Chapter 99: Teman Perjalanan yang Mabuk]

Full stories at:
[https://www.wattpad.com/story/76178410-konjiki-no-wordmaster-arc-2-pergerakan-di-neraka Harazuo TL] & [[Konjiki no Wordmaster (Indonesia)|Baka-Tsuki]] by [[User:Srow|Srow]] and [[User:Harazuo|Harazuo]]

===Arc 3 : Perang Antar Ras===

:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/jT3WZlVf7C Ilustrasi Novel]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/CWuzSzRf7C Chapter 100: Setelah Setengah Tahun]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/bdP3EQXf7C Chapter 101: Permulaan Konferensi]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/LO4EPx0f7C Chapter 102: Maou, ke Kerajaan Humas!]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/8NA0ld4f7C Chapter 103: Konferensi Aliansi Humas-Evilia]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/S92qZk9f7C Chapter 104: Motif Raja Rudolf]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/mM2hHkdg7C Chapter 105: Dimulainya Pengkhianatan]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/k0PGlihg7C Chapter 106: Dimulainya Perang]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/vxax5qaA8C Chapter 107: Para Pahlawan yang Menghadapi Kenyataan]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/RxIeGwd6dD Chapter 108: Kemunculan! Okamura Hiiro!]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/4V0teWwfhD Chapter 109: Kekuatan Hiiro yang Sesungguhnya]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/DwkjhqjKiD Chapter 110: Orang-Orang Yang Terjebak]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/tFGDunQ3iD Chapter 111: Dia yang Masih Hidup]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/dBPMnrdHlD Chapter 112: Kabur]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/LSfBu2OlRD Chapter 113: Tindakan Judom dan Pengkhianatan Baru]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/j11gQL8xRD Chapter 114: Hiiro di Tempat Lain]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/s9Il9zARSD Chapter 115: Pertemuan Dengan Maou]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/qT6q4tUnTD Chapter 116: Hiiro dan Eveam]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/XGFDu24qXD Chapter 117: Permintaan Maou]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/qx3BT4lXXD Chapter 118: Hiiro, Menuju Tanah Suci Oldine]
:*[http://my.w.tt/UiNb/Le05GE9E0D Chapter 119: Kekuatan Pemimpin Sebenarnya]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/X3zbTyXVdK Chapter 120: Protagonist yang Menyuarakan Kekesalannya]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/kkQmBnZVdK Chapter 121: Raja yang Berubah]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/O2ZL8w1VdK Chapter 122: Pengunjung]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/53W1JS5VdK Chapter 123: Cara Pengkhianatan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/nq7dtc9VdK Chapter 124: Sekali Lagi Hiiro Menuju Evila]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/XresHFgWdK Chapter 125: Hiiro yang Tak Terkalahkan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/5G37p0lWdK Chapter 126: Hiiro vs Crouch]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/6gOKkQqWdK Chapter 127: Petir dan Kegelapan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/xkLauBvWdK Chapter 128: Cara Berurusan dengan Zombie]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/9WdpY6BWdK Chapter 129: Cruel vs Pangeran ke-2 Gabranth]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/r1R6bXFWdK Chapter 130: Kemenangan yang Pahit]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/oRrvBcLWdK Chapter 131: Ornoth vs Keempat Pahlawan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/LTt8E4RWdK Chapter 132: Para Pahlawan yang Terpisah]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/xNMady0WdK Chapter 133: Ceramah Hiiro]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/Pa4zTXqXdK Chapter 134: Protagonis yang Kesal]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/wapdL4FXdK Chapter 135: Awal dari Mimpinya]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/ss6sAIXXdK Chapter 136: Undangan ke Kastil]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/udTKcQ2XdK Chapter 137: Ancaman]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/m1racE7XdK Chapter 138: Pahlawan dan Maou Saling Berhadapan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/U0Ey5YdYdK Chapter 139: Hiiro Coming Out]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/N9i27WiYdK Chapter 140: Perlakuan Untuk Kedua Pahlawan]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/pIF0VnnYdK Chapter 141: Makanan Sesungguhnya, Santapan Iblis Bangsawan!]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/4jfAB9qYdK Chapter 142: Percakapan Larut Malam]
:*[https://my.w.tt/UiNb/XpZziAtYdK Chapter 143: Izin Diterima!]
:*[]
:*[]

==Staf Proyek==

*Manajer Proyek: [[User: Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia|Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia]]

*Pengawas Proyek: [[User: Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia|Baka-Tsuki Update Indonesia]]

===Penerjemah===

'''AKTIF'''
*[[user:Harazuo|Kirihara Kazuo(Harazuo)]] [https://www.wattpad.com/user/Harazuo Laman Penerjemahan]
*[[User:Musuyaba|Musuyaba]] ([https://www.wattpad.com/user/Musuyaba Di sini])
*[[User:Culas|Culas]] ([https://culastrans.wordpress.com/])

'''TIDAK AKTIF'''
* [http://lichkingofchaos.wordpress.com/ LichKingofChaos Translations]/[[User:LichKingofChaos|LKOC]] (mulai dari Hiiro di Demon World) (mundur)
* [[User:Srow|Srow]] (mundur)
* [http://atherrea.blogspot.com/ Atherrea Translations]
* [https://kirishimachantranslation.wordpress.com/ Kirishima Translation] (mulai dari Arc 3)
* [https://knwtraindo.wordpress.com/ knwtraindo] (Mengisi chapter kosong)
* [https://omegatranslation.wordpress.com/ Omegatranslations]/[[User:Kristoper21|Kristoper21]] (Mengisi arc 1 yang masih kosong)
* [[User: TLC AltTab|TLC AltTab]]

* [https://oriontranslations.wordpress.com/ Orion Translations]

===Penyunting===

'''AKTIF'''
*-

'''TIDAK AKTIF'''
* [[User: TLC AltTab|TLC AltTab]]

[[Category:Light novel (Indonesian)]]
[[Category:Indonesian]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Sakura Kawai

2018-01-05T06:50:09Z

172.68.144.64: /* 5 */

==Chapter 3: Sakura Kawai==

===1===

The thought of how thin the ice was I have always stood on until now makes my skin crawl. I have been wiggling left and right like a balancing toy, prone to leaning over—or falling over—any time.

Japanese religion counts thousands of gods.

But doesn't that just mean that people could not decide on a single one? The god you cherish can't be the same as mine, and the god he cherishes can't be the same as yours. In other words, we all consider different things important.

There is no such thing as an universal god.

In other words, there is no god.

If you are able to look at things in a somewhat objective light and look at the state nowadays, then you will see: It is foolish to believe in something.

What people ultimately believe in are tangible things. Money. Because money is much more certain than intangible things like love and friendship. People believe in money, the inorganic, equivalent and quickly betraying thing that gets stained with finger marks in people's pockets and created day by day by human hands at the bank.

It's filthy in a way.

And yet, I knew that nothing could help me better than money, and that I could even buy love and friendship if I used it the right way. In the end, I believed in money in every respect. On one side, those old, wrinkled banknotes that came and went to and from my pocket were dear to me, and the other side, I felt filthy and ended up in despair.

Ultimately, in my world there was nothing to believe in, nothing to hold on to.

I wanted to believe in something beautiful, something pure.

However, there was no such thing no matter where I searched and even if I tried to believe in something, I couldn't shake off my doubts. I ended up trembling in fear of falling.

But that time has ended.

[Plink]

Whenever I think of what creates and defines my foothold, the "Heroic Polonaise" starts to play in my mind. This transparent and vacant and false and mechanic yet transcendental melody is my guide to a steadfast world.

If I were to describe it as an image, then it would be a lake with water so transparent that I forget that there is water.

What I believe in?

—Reina Kamisu.

I do therefore not forgive people who deny her.

But because everybody knows how beautiful and splendid she is, I did not have to deal with such a person. It was unthinkable that someone would deny her.

However—

Yukimi Mitsui appeared and denied Reina-san.

Enemy! She was my enemy! She was the enemy of us who believe in Reina-san!

I could not let her get away with this. Never.

Denying Reina-san is equivalent to destroying my foothold, to putting me back on thin ice. I could not allow that. What right did she have? "Who do you think you are?" I thought and actually asked her.

However, she ignored my warning and chose to remain my foe. Her attitude was a clear message of enmity to me and the other believers.

Yeah, you have got some nerve. I'll fight you back, then.

I told the members of the student council, which was constructed of students who also believed in Reina-san, about Yukimi Mitsui. That was enough to arrange her removal from the Junseiwa school. This place is full of people believing in Reina-san, who also consider anyone who denies her their enemy.

I was satisfied.

After I had launched a devastating attack at my foe, I was already satisfied.

I was forgetful.

A baited cat may grow as fierce as a lion

Yes, satisfied with making an attack, I forgot to keep my guard up.

Blood.

When I returned to my room at the dorm, my roommate Anna Fuyuki was lying in her own blood in the shower room.

For a few moments I was overwhelmed. Absent-mindedly I gazed at the blood flowing down the drain, at the razor blade, at Anna's naked body as water showered on her, at her left wrist and the straight cut, at the blood spilling from there, and finally I screamed, "Anna!" as I rushed to her and held her.

Brr!

Anna has been taking an ice-cold shower, but that is hardly the only reason why she's so cold. Red blood. Milky skin. Blue lips.

Aah, what should I do? I-I must stop the blood ... B-But warming her body comes first. And I have to call the ambulance. Aah, where to start? Why did this happen, anyway?

Only after I take a deep breath it occurs to me that I should stop the shower.

"...Sakura," Anna mutters.

"Why did you do this...?"

"...Sorry for ... troubling you," she says without answering my question. There's no need for her to apologize!

I shake my head and dash out of the room with a "wait a second!" I can't cope with this alone. I need help. After I fetch Yuuko Kasuga and Emi Tachibana from the neighboring room, I have Yuuko bind up Anna's wound because she aspires to become a doctor. In the meantime, Emi calls the ambulance and informs the head of the dorm, whereas I wipe Anna with a towel, put her underwear on, and wrap a blanket around her.

"I'm so sorry..." she keeps apologizing while we are helping her.

To my relief, the flow of blood stops surprisingly easily. "It's not deep," Yuuko whispers into my ear.

"I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry ... I didn't mean to trouble you!" Anna cries.

I shake my head a few times.

Anna, why do you keep apologizing? Didn't you just cut yourself impulsively because something hurt you? Then why—

"———"

A thought suddenly crosses my mind.

The cut is not deep according to Yuuko, but when I found Anna, she was bleeding profusely.

Most likely, she had cut her wrist moments before I arrived at our room.

No ... considering how hard she is apologizing, something else suggests itself.

Anna cut her wrist in the very moment I arrived here.

We have been living here for over a year; I think I know Anna fairly well. I knot about her family problems and the fact that she's so weak as to cut her wrists, and I also know that she's so weak as to be afraid of dying.

Self-harm is a little different from attempted suicide because the scars are made for others to see. They're a message to the world that screams "look how much I'm suffering!" Then who did Anna want to send this message to?

The answer is quite obvious: to me.

Anna is weak.

She does not believe in her own strength, she undervalues herself, and because of that, she is dependent on others. She thinks she can't solve her problems on her own.

Anna wanted to show her suffering to me. She wanted me to save her.

"I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry..."

As she keeps weeping, I give her a hug.

"Sakura...?"

"It's okay, don't worry!"

We have a savior.

We have Reina-san.

After a short while, the ambulance arrived (of course we made sure that Anna wore her clothes at this point). I got into the coach together with her and kept holding her hand on our way to the hospital. By the time we arrived, her hand had turned a little warmer than it initially was.

Since the blood flow had already stopped, there was no need for a blood transfusion. The treatment of her wound didn't take too long; I sat next to her and watched as the doctor scolded her, saying "Don't do this again," and proceeded to disinfecting her wound and binding it up. As a side-note, her parents didn't come. I don't know if they were even contacted, though.

After we left the hospital, I took her to a café that serves delicious black tea. I figured that we would end up getting home a bit late, but I was sure the chief of our dorm wouldn't sound us out after what had happened.

I ordered Darjeeling tea, Anna ordered apple tea. We both kept quiet while we were waiting for our tea to be served.

During that time, I sneaked a few peeks at the bandage around Anna's left wrist.

The cut may have been not that deep, but considering the amount of blood that spilled, this is going to leave a scar.

I wonder if Anna is even aware of the graveness of that scar?

There is only one reason for a scar in a place like this. As soon as someone sees it, that someone will immediately look at her in a different light.

...No, that's still a minor issue.

The one who should not look at this scar the most is—Anna herself.

No matter how happy her life, she will always have this scar with her. And whenever she looks at her wrist, it will remind her of the moment she cut herself. She will become anxious again. She will have to face her family issues and the actual reason that led to the self-harm over and over.

　They say that with every sigh you lose a bit of your happiness, which I can fully understand. After all, if you think you're unhappy, then you will inevitably turn unhappy regardless of your actual situation. Once you persuade yourself of your own misery, you will blame everything on it. Met with an accident? Because you're hapless. Got dumped by your lover? Because you're hapless. Lost in that lottery? Because you're hapless. Tripped? Because you're hapless. Your haplessness becomes the source for everything, even though there might be valid other reasons. Thing that you would originally not even care about feel like mishaps. And since you think it's your fate, you keep falling down into misery for the rest of your life.

In this sense, Anna's scar is a much clearer sign of "misery" than a sigh, and as such, a much stronger curse that attracts misery.

Our tea arrives. I use this as a sign to start a conversation.

"Anna, what's wrong?"

She ponders for a moment and, for some reason, eventually decides to shake her head.

"It's ... nothing."

"Of course there's something."

"No ... as I once told you, living is painful to me, Sakura. It hurts so much to live. This feeling has been growing for a while now and simply reached the limit."

Is she lying? No. I can read as much off her face.

However—

"But there has to be something that triggered it. You wouldn't cut your wrist without a reason."

I am sure of that. Otherwise, there would be no point in harming herself in front of me.

My remark was correct, apparently: Anna casts her eyes down.

"Come, Anna, tell me about it."

However, Anna hesitates long enough for me to finish my Darjeeling tea, and yet she subconsciously wants to say it. She is not faltering, she is just hesitating. I'm starting to get annoyed.

In the next moment, however, my annoyance is blown away.

"I can no longer be by Reina-san's side."

"Huh?"

In utter surprise, I forget to place my tea cup back on the table.

"Reina-san rejected me."

What is the meaning of this...?

Reina-san rejected Anna?

That's not possible. Reina-san does not make exceptions when associating with people. If she would reject someone, then because—

"Anna ... did you perhaps confess your love...?"

"...I did," she nods with tears in her eyes.

Yes. If Reina-san were to reject someone, then because that someone approached her up to that distance.

"Why would you do that?! Reina-san cannot be degraded to a love interest. I can understand the urge to have her all for yourself, but why would you betray us and risk to be rejected by—"

Suddenly, it clicks with me.

Anna would not do something like this of her own accord. That's just not her personality. She would never take a risk so big as to cut her wrists while knowing that she hardly has any chances.

Then why...? Why did Anna confess to Reina-san?

"———"

Ah, of course.

"...Who threatened you, Anna?"

Her tear-stained eyes widen.

"You weren't just talked into it, right? You're the type of girl who would keep some distance if the other girls joked about 'confessing to Reina-san.'"

"..."

"Who was it that threatened you?"

"..."

Anna does not answer. She must have been told to keep quiet about it. Or perhaps she's just afraid of angering the culprit.

Considering her gentle nature, she might just want to avoid hurting that person.

After all, I'm not willing to forgive the culprit.

It goes without saying how deep the sin and how severe the punishment of taking Reina-san from one of us is.

A world without Reina-san ... Aah, just picturing it to myself makes me feel as if I was drying up from the inside.

Because the liquid that is Reina-san is drawn out of my body...?

Indeed ... as a matter of fact, Anna did also lose her own red liquid.

That's the horrible thing the culprit did to Anna.

I will kill her.

I will kill that culprit!

"Who was it, Anna?" I ask again.

"..."

"You have to tell me; she made you cut your wrist!"

"...But..."

"No buts!"

"...I mean..."

"...Fine. I'll just have a guess."

There are only so many suspects. Firstly, it can't be one of "us." Apart from the fact that "we" understand the pain of losing Reina-san, we would choose another method even if we wanted to bully Anna because there was a chance that she would succeed. Then again ... Anna is not a person with many enemies. In fact, I don't know of anyone who dislikes her.

That means that the culprit is not set against Anna herself, but "us" as a group.

—A person who is hostile against "us"?

I know one. I know someone who fits the bill perfectly.

"Yukimi Mitsui."

From the expression on Anna's face I can read that I am right.

So it was she, eh?

That scumbag who made fun of Reina-san, eh? So after insulting Reina-san, so even hurt my weak Anna?

I'll kill her.

I'm gonna kill her!

I resolved to eliminate Yukimi Mitsui from the Junseiwa school.

There is no doubt that it was she who cornered Anna. A few other students witnessed how she took Anna somewhere (and I'm shocked that they did not step in to help her).

I purchased our weapons through the Internet and drilled down her personal information. As most of the students at this school, her family environment turned out to be very peculiar. This piece of information will be useful to torment her.

Together with Yuuko, Emi, and other students who loathed Yukimi Mitsui for what she did to Anna, I proceeded to executing the elimination plan. We will show no mercy to our enemy. It is important to choose your friends and foes wisely, especially at our age where we are still weak by ourselves. If you show mercy to your enemy, you will end up suffering yourself. Anna did not take part in the elimination. Poor thing. That's why she has to suffer!

After school, we first make sure that Reina-san isn't around and then march into Yuki Mitsui's classroom. The disquieting air about us causes the other senior students, who are still present, to look at us, but because Yukimi Mitsui is the center of trouble, they don't intervene.

"What is it?" she asks snappily. "What does the bunch of you want from me?"

I ignore her barking and press my stun gun against her side.

"Ugha!"

She sinks into a crouch.

"Hmm? What was that strange screech about?" I smirk and, as I look down at Yukimi Mitsui, who is holding her side, I command, "Senpai, mind tagging along with me"

She looks up at me with—haha!—fear written all over her face.

"...Where?"

"Just shut up and follow me, okay?"

She didn't dare to resist or escape. Quite satisfied by that, we walk to the back of the gym.

Once we arrive at our destination, I order my companions to keep watch and turn to Yukimi Mitsui, who is clearly intimidated by us (although she is still trying to look brave), with a scowl.

"So I heard what you did."

"...Did what?"

"Want to play dumb? Remember what you did to Anna Fuyuki?"

She screws up her face and averts her eyes without a word of denial.

"You think you're funny, huh?"

I proceed to corner her with the information I gathered, the weapons I bought, and piercing words. Even she could not help losing heart. But my anger hasn't been vented yet. I kick her in the stomach. It's not enough. I haven't vented on her enough. She made fun of Reina-san, she made fun of "us", and she hassled Anna. I can't forgive her. She hurt "us". I won't forgive her.

And yet...

"My head."

"Hah?"

"That's where I want the first blow! Why don't you beat my head?"

Despite the situation she is in, she started to provoke me.

She completely blew my fuses. That just burned a few of the wires in my head. This girl is playing me for a fool, thinking that I won't really beat her. She is belittling me, thinking that I'm just a tag-along who's clinging to Reina-san. She is looking down on me. She thinks I'm a dependent piece of shit. Don't you think you can make a fool of me! I'll show you what I'm capable of! I'll eliminate you not only from this school, but from this very world that Reina-san lives in!

I raise my club.

"What are you doing there?"

All of a sudden, Reina-san's voice reaches my ears.

I lower my club again. Yukimi Mitsui seems to be just as surprised as I am. It's unlikely that she called her.

"Reina-san?"

"I am very discomforted by this sight. There will be consequences if you beat someone with that thing."

"No, it's OK! It doesn't matter what happens to her! She's making fun of us! More importantly, she's making fun of you, Reina-san! That's unforgivable!"

However, Reina-san calmly brushes off my yell and counters, "If you are doing all this for my sake, then I wish you to stop. I am not angry at Mitsui-san."

"That's ... because you're kind, Reina-san..."

"Please stop," she says in a slightly insistent tone. It might really be just slightly in all objectivity, but this is the strongest expression of intent in Reina-san's scale.

Why would she stop me? Yukimi Mitsui is a jerk who even tormented Anna and—

"—Ah."

I look at Reina-san.

I see ... she knows everything. Of course, I'm mad at Yukimi Mitsui for making light of Reina-san.

However, I only went this far—or at least I only thought of murder—not because of Reina-san, but because of Anna.

I was about to use Reina-san as a pretext for avenging Anna .

As such, she has all the right to stop me. She would never approve of being an excuse for taking revenge on somebody. No, her word is absolute to us either way.

"...OK..."

So I have to obey.

We gave up on using violence on Yukimi Mitsui and walked away from the gym. Since I was disheartened by Reina-san's clear denial of my actions and the others were aware of that, we exchanged no words for a while.

We then called it a day. Only my neighbors, Yuuko and Emi, stayed with me.

"Was that really okay?" Yuuko asks.

"...Nothing we could do, was there? We can't just disobey Reina-san!"

"No, that's not what I mean."

"Huh?"

"I was just wondering if it was okay to leave Reina-san alone with Yukimi Mitsui."

I immediately returned to the back of the gym, but they had already left. I headed to the school building.

Yukimi Mitsui must not be underestimated. She can be very belligerent, and on top of that she must be irritated because of what we did to her. God knows what she's going to do to Reina-san, the person who symbolizes "us."

Needless to say, harming Reina-san is on a whole different level compared to harming Anna.

But Yukimi Mitsui might have turned desperate and plan to soil our symbol.

I run around on the school grounds back and forth, and at last, find Reina-san in the corridor where the second music room is located.

"Reina-san!"

She turns around to me. At a glance, it doesn't seem like she was hurt in any way.

"Kawai-san?"

"Are you all right? Did Yukimi Mitsui do anything to you?"

"Mitsui-san?" she asks and then smiles. "It seems that you have a false picture of Mitsui-san. She is not the kind of person who would do anything to me."

"I don't have a false picture of her. But ... are you really unhurt?"

"Yes, of course."

I let out a sigh of relief. Apparently, my fears were ungrounded this time.

Reina-san gives me a wry smile.

Suddenly, I feel horribly embarrassed as I recall that she has willfully denied my actions earlier.

However, her next words blow me away.

"You have come at the correct time. I was searching for you."

"What?!"

Me? Reina-san was searching for me?

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Reina-san nods with a smile.

"There is something I wanted to tell you."

"Ah ... I feel honored."

"You are exaggerating."

As if!

"What is it that you wanted to tell me, if I may ask?"

With an ever-so-beautiful smile, she said:

"Please take good care of Reina Kamisu."


Ten minutes later Reina-san died.

===2===

I picture Reina Kamisu to myself.

Above all she is beautiful. It's as if she was perfection given form. No, you could even say that she is perfection.

She is water so pure and transparent that you can't tell where it starts. I tasted from this pure water and had my life saved by it. A human body consists to 70 percent of water. In other words, 70 percent of my body consists already of Reina-san.

The water that is Reina-san is becoming clouded? The foothold is collapsing?

Impossible.

The conclusion that can be drawn is simple.

Reina Kamisu is not dead.

"Reina Kamisu isn't dead!"

Yukimi Mitsui said so.

Even the girl that I considered my enemy said so.

She also claimed herself as a subordinate of Reina Kamisu.

Quite frankly, I underestimated Reina-san's excellence.

I was under the impression that by being with her I was able to increase her value to some extent. Of course, I was completely wrong! Reina-san had no problems showing her splendor to its best advantage even in places that are outside my circle of influence.

Therefore, it's perfectly possible that plans for feigning her death came to be without my knowing.

How they did it?

I don't care. The only thing that matters is the fact that she's alive.

Besides ... would Reina-san even need any realistic means for something as minor as feigning her death?

Of course not.

Reina-san can overcome even death.

I met Reina-san's brother, Ryoji-san. He has also noticed that she's still alive. That makes him the third one of us and proves that it's an undeniable fact that Reina-san's alive.

On his request, I showed him around in school. He acted a bit strange here and there, but he also said this to me:

"I don't know what Reina wanted to achieve by scattering, but I do know the cause."

"What is it...?"

"The cause is—you and your friends."

I was confused at first.

What is the meaning of this? It was us who made her scatter? Has her brother perhaps gotten to this conclusion by talking to me?

Reina-san scattered because of ... us?

No, Reina-san scattered for us.

Which means...?

Right, Reina-san feigned her death for us.

I see. That would explain why she chose to feign her death at this school. It was all for our sake. Reina-san is trying to save us hopeless lambs.

Right, we are hopeless.

Anna, for example, suffers because of her family problems. I, for example, am unable to see anything but a dark, dull future. Because there is no god in this world, there is nothing to depend on and there is no hope for us.

That doesn't make sense!

This system is way too unbalanced. Too unfair. Too absurd. How is that OK? Everything's a lie except for the things that hurt? That's cruel!

Therefore, Reina-san can't be dead.

No, she can't be dead.

She can't be dead.

She's alive.

A-L-I-V-E.

I will kill everyone who dares to claim that she's dead in front of me. Because they're too stupid to be kept alive. Why do these ugly maggots even breathe even though they are blinded by commons sense, even though they believe in nothing but money!

Reina-san simply disappeared somewhere because of some reason.

"Please take good care of Reina Kamisu."


The meaning of her last words starts to dawn on me.

She entrusted me with a task.

What task?

To preserve her place for when she appears again.

Reina-san is not dead, but only very few are aware of it. At this time, it's only Yukimi Mitsui, her brother and me. There may be more, but the number stays small. Moreover, there must be people who have doubts about the lie that is Reina-san's death, but they are lacking evidence.

However, it's true that the lie she spread is very cunning. So cunning, in fact, that the lie will become true once everyone starts to believe it. I don't want to state the obvious, but the dead can't coexist with the living. Dead people lose their relation to the living.

Reina-san will come back, but I feel that her return is bound to certain conditions.

After all, Reina-san is trying to save us. Salvation does not come to people who don't believe in salvation. Therefore, those who forgot her, those who lost faith in her will not be saved. There is no reason for her to appear in a place where she has been forgotten, in a place that is outside the range of her salvation.

It means that I have to make sure she has a place to return to.

In order to meet Reina-san—in order to meet again her again—I have to keep her place unoccupied.

I see! This is a trial.

A trial to test my faith in Reina-san.

As a way to arrange a place for Reina-san, I chose to take advantage of my position as the president of the student council. I asked the teachers to let me have a speech at the monthly assembly and received permission.

The day of the assembly arrived in no time. Through the microphone the teacher who presided over the assembly says, "The president of the student council would like to take the floor." Following his announcement, I climb on the stage and encounter almost five hundred faces, some of which are older than me, some of which are the same age, and some of which are younger than me. Most of their gazes are directed at me. I've gotten used to this sight. After receiving the sign, I, the teachers and the nearly five hundred students bow to each other.

I survey the audience.

Nearly five hundred people. This is hardly anything when comparing it to the numbers used by the mass media, but it's quite an overwhelming sight nevertheless. Is it really in my power to reach their hearts and project Reina-san into them? I don't want to admit it, but Yukimi Mitsui was right when she remarked that my charisma has dwindled. The weight of my words depends on whether or not Reina-san is present. Is it really in my power to show them the right path?

Don't falter! The more numerous the audience, the better. I don't need to convince all of them. I only need enough of them to create a place for Reina-san.

I open my dry mouth:

"Good morning, my dear schoolmates. My name is Sakura Kawai and today I would like to address Reina Kamisu's suicide."

Their gazes focus on me as I address the hottest topic at school. Everyone knows that I took on the position as president of the student council from Reina-san, and that I was her primary servant. They must be fairly curious about what I have to say about this subject.

"As you all know, Reina Kamisu was a special student. I am certain that I do not need to lose any words on how special she was. As such, many among you must still be confused by the sad news of her death. Many among you must still be mourning for her. I was one of them, too."

The students who noticed that I used past tense start to whisper to each other. Not a week has passed since Reina-san throw herself from the rooftop; in normal circumstances it would be impossible for me, her primary servant, to overcome the sadness of losing her.

"However—"

As expected, the majority of the students are all ears for my words. I deliberately choose to provoke them.

"—Let me be frank. Only a fool would be sad about her death."

My words create a general stir.

The students start to exchange glances and the teachers become alarmed. I don't mind if they stop me in the worst case, as long as I can communicate the important things. I only need to get their attention. Some of them will be curious enough to approach me of their own to hear the rest, and I will tell them. My thrilling ideas will soak through them and then automatically spread among the rest of the students.

My network is extensive enough to pull this off, even without Reina-san.

"Why is it foolish? Before I answer this question, let me read your mind."

I feel almost all of their five hundred gazes on me. Excellent.

"Certainly, you were all shocked by her suicide. You are bewildered and you are sad. But above all, do you not have a 'fuzzy feeling' in your chests? Do you not feel that something is wrong?"

As I stand on the stage, I discover a few students who nodded.

"I know what that 'fuzzy feeling' is. Let me get straight to the resolution: you have this feeling because you think that Reina Kamisu might still be alive."

My words create yet another stir.

"Please do not misunderstand me: I mean it quite literally, not in the clichéd sense of her living on in our hearts. Her metabolism is still intact. You may say this is absurd, but then answer me: Can you deny it with all honesty? Can you really say for sure that Reina Kamisu is dead?"

To be frank, I'm only spitting nonsense. A fuzzy feeling? Well, of course they have that feeling! After all, Reina Kamisu, the person who occupied a large part of their hearts, died (they think) from one day to the next without a reason! How could they not have ruffled feelings about it?

However, the ones who fell for it and bought my explanation for their fuzzy feeling will think that everything I said might be true.

Some of them might naturally see through my trick, but can they deny my words with certainty? Can they pass on the compelling thought that Reina Kamisu might still be alive, just to deny what I said? Can they thrust the ones who got their hopes up back into the abyss of despair, even if they were certain it's a lie?

Reina Kamisu is dead. Reina Kamisu is alive. If you had to choose one, you would choose the latter.

If both options are hard to believe, then you would choose the latter.

It's a shame that I have to trick them, but sadly, only few are able to see the truth like me. It's highly unlikely that anyone understands Reina-san like I do.

I proceed to the final blow.

"Dear colleagues, my ideas must sound absurd to you, and I am aware of that. I would laugh it off as ridiculous if I was one of you.

"But ... it is the truth.

"All of you who are laughing at my words will be laughing out of the other side of your faces next week. Why? It's simple."

Yes, I understand Reina-san.

I know the answer.

I only need to give them a glimpse of the answer.

"Because next week, on the first day of July, Reina Kamisu will come back."

My speech turned out less successful than anticipated. The majority view seemed to be that my claims were too implausible, and because this became the mainstream, the people who actually believed me could no longer openly say so.

I don't think it was wrong to hold a speech. Actually, I'm positive that it was the best choice I could make. However, it seems like the world has become too science-oriented to leave room for the thought that someone could resurrect from the dead. Damn ... aren't men the ones who are supposed to only make logic decisions? Our society makes it hard to spread correct ideas. Even psychics who clearly have some sort of power are called fakes these days.

But I don't care.

I haven't failed.

It's true that the majority are fools who are unable to question Reina-san's death, but they're only the majority.

People who believe me, who believe in Reina Kamisu, may be the minority, but they do exist.

"I also thought that Reina-san is still alive! I was relieved to hear that I wasn't the only one who thought so!"

"That 'fuzzy feeling' you mentioned was really preying on my mind. You took a huge weigh off my mind when you pointed it out to us and uncovered the truth behind it."

"Reina-san is still alive! There's no way she would die, is there?"

"I'm not entirely convinced ... but if you are so certain of it and even know when she's coming back, I want to try to believe you."

"I never believed that Reina-san was dead!"

People who said things like this appeared before me. 17 in number. Most of them were third-year students who inherently spent more time with Reina-san than the younger generation. 17 is not a large number compared to 500, but it's not so small, either, if you think of it as half a class.

Is Reina-san going to appear again even with such a small number? Though a little anxious, I decide to be optimistic.

I mean, Reina-san is much smarter than me. She must have foreseen that I would only be able to convince a small number of people even if I did my best. But most of all, the girls who believe in her "presence" are the ones who long for salvation so hard that they have no other choice but to believe in her "presence." Reina-san would never abandon them.

However, that doesn't mean that we can sit back and wait. Just thinking that Reina-san might still be alive is not going to bring about any progress.

What we need is unification. Unified prayer. We have to focus our prayers so strongly that they will reach Reina-san.

That is what has to be done to accomplish Reina-san's return.

In order to proceed to action, I told "the girls" who believe in Reina-san's "presence" to assemble at the Student Council Room after school. By the way, part of the student council, which also includes Anna, also believe in Reina-san's "presence."

It's unfortunate that I'm the only one who "knows" of Reina-san's "presence," but it's not a problem. I only have to guide "the girls" to this knowledge.

It's Thursday, the 29th of June. The first of July will be the day after tomorrow. Time is running out. I have to make sure that "the girls" will make a beeline for our goal without getting sidetracked by anything.

After we assembled at the Student Council Room, we had a long conversation. About Reina-san. About our devotion to Reina-san. About our selfless love for Reina-san. About our relation to Reina-san. About our need for Reina-san. About the importance of Reina-san. About how Reina-san feigned her death. About why Reina-san disappeared. About how Reina-san is going to affect us in the future. About how Reina-san's Reina-san is Reina-san and Reina-san can Reina-san with Reina-san to be Reina-san. Unfortunately, six of the initial seventeen members could not keep up and left our ranks, but the rest of us were able to talk about Reina-san without end. In this manner, we deepened our trust in Reina-san and synchronized with each other.

However, talking only about Reina-san does not suffice. If Reina-san were a diamond and you wanted to fascinate someone with it, you could preach about the diamond's beauty as long as you want and still achieve nothing. Fortunately, they are already fascinated by the diamond that is Reina-san, but still it doesn't suffice. "The diamond suits you!" "It makes you charming!" "You need it!" Similarly, by talking about why we need the diamond and why we have to be fascinated with it, we can strengthen our faith in Reina-san.

"Anna?"

I decide to start with Anna, the easiest target, because she's my classmate, my roommate, the secretary of the student council, and a cutter. Not only can I predict her answers, she is in dire need of Reina-san. She's also a perfect case for the others to listen to.

"Do you have those moments when you feel tired of living in this world?"

Her eyes widen as I pose an unexpected question. It's obvious how she will answer this.

While looking at the bandage on her wrist, she replies, "...All the time."

I nod as compassionately as possible. The other girls, who have been talking with each other, start to give us their attention.

"...Do you also feel like this sometimes, Sakura?"

"Sure," I answer.

"That's a little surprising."

"Do I not look like someone who would get tired of living?"

"Mhm. I mean, you're clever, flexible, and pretty. You ... are good at making your way, I guess? I thought that people like you don't think like that."

"Good at making my way ... huh? Perhaps you can say that. But what if that's exactly why I'm suffering?"

"...Huh?"

"I'm clever. I'm also popular enough to make it to the student council president, although I may have gotten backup from Reina-san. I'm know how to make my way. I'm a realist. Because of that, I was unable to believe in anything and also unable to depend on anything."

Talking about yourself first is a common trick to break the ice. It will unlock Anna's heart

"I understand that you don't have it easy, either," Anna says and adds hesitantly, "...But does it really make you suffer?"

"It does! When you're a realist, you lose the ability to have dreams, you know? For instance, let's assume I wanted to become a writer. In that case, I would realize that it's futile before even trying. There are thousands and thousands of aspiring writers, but only a small fraction of them make it, and only another fraction is able to get by.

"Because of my position in the student council, I often find myself surveying all of our students from the stage. Almost five hundred. That's an overwhelming number! If only one of those five hundred received the talent of succeeding as a writer, how many lots would I have to draw? Do I have that talent right now? Of course not. I never was the best in anything."

"...Mhm."

"When you're a realist, you look up, and when you look up, you see an endless sky. Why would I have the privilege to go all the way to the top? How could I soar up into the sky when I'm currently crawling on the ground? Do you understand, Anna? This is the pain of being realistic."

"...I think I understand."

"Tragic things like child abuse, divorce and accidents aren't the only things that make us suffer. I think that it's the things close to us that really torment us."

Everyone nods in agreement. I know that they all feel discontent with something in their lives.

How should we be optimistic in a world where nothing ever works out? How should we have dreams when we can't even make it into the University of Tokyo, which counts more than 3000 admissions every year? If we earnestly tried to accomplish our dreams, all we would get is scoff at believing in skills we don't have. That's why we give up. Realistic thinking bereaves us of our future and makes us give up. This is how the world throws us into the abyss.

"What about you, Anna? What is tormenting you?"

Anna remains silent. Not because she doesn't want to answer, but because she doesn't know how to word it.

"...I often wonder why I'm living," she eventually says with her glance cast down. "Because it doesn't matter whether I'm alive or not."

"That's not true, Anna! I'd be sad if I lost you."

"Mhm, thanks. But ... that's it."

"What do you mean...?"

"You'd be sad and that's it. Or would my death follow you for your entire life? Would you mourn for me for the rest of you life?"

"I—"

Of course, I would be sad if Anna died. I would probably cry. But ... I don't know how long that sadness would last.

"If I died a shocking death, it might subsist as a trauma. If I died young, you might remember it for that. But in that case, you wouldn't remember me but only my 'death,' right? I'd only live on as a bad memory, which means that my value is negative.

For example, if I went missing, I'm sure you would be worried about me in the beginning, but after only a month you would hardly talk about me anymore, and after a year you would have forgotten me. I think that I don't mean much to all of you."

"That's not true!"

I'm aware that I sound a bit phony.

Of course I care about Anna. She's a good girl—the type who gets along with everyone. On the other side, in many senses you will never find a person of this type in the center of a group. In short, she's one of many. Anna is never the center.

"But Anna, listen ... if, for the sake of the argument, we wouldn't mourn for you so long, what about your family?"

Anna suddenly contorts her face.

Aah—looks like I put my foot in it.

I immediately realized it. The moment I saw her self-ironic　face when I said the word "family", I realized what her answer is.

The answer to my question is "no" and more importantly...

This is the cause for Anna's view on life.

"My family?" Anna sneers with her eyes cast down. "Even though I only have a father who hasn't exchanged a word with me for over a year?"

I couldn't ask about her mother. Nothing good would come of it.

"...Oh, why would anyone care about or understand me when even my family doesn't?"

No one understands her.

I would like deny that, but again, I can't.

It's a fact that her father did not come when she cut her wrist. Of course, she cut her wrist to show me her wound, but at the bottom of it is her family, her father who neglected her.

No one understands you.

Exactly.

The same applies to me: nobody understands me. People are so good at feigning understanding that I sometimes almost buy into it, but in the end, nobody ever understood me. Everyone always dismissed my worries as the wailing of a pubescent, spoiled girl.

Even though they were so defining to me.

Nobody understands my values and beliefs, and I don't understand the values and beliefs of anybody.

Therefore I'm sure I can't understand Anna, either.

"Aah—why do I live...?"

Anna is serious.

To Anna, who is in the firm belief that even her family lacks understanding for her, living can't be enjoyable. She must be wishing to disappear like melting snow. Just like me.

Will this sentiment ever disappear? Will we find ourselves doing some generic office work in our future, and giving birth to cute babies while experiencing twinges of emptiness from time to time? Is that what we will become to survive?

Just thinking about it makes me sick.

This thought is so realistic. So filthy.

We may have been foolish, but we were pure.

"Anna."

"Hm?"

"This sucks."

"Yeah, it does."

"This world sucks."

"It does."

"It's painful, right?"

"It's painful!"

"Do you want to be saved?"

"I want to be saved!"

"Do you want to see Reina-san?"

"I want to see Reina-san!"

Dear God, whether you exist or not.

We need salvation.

I demand of you to return Reina-san immediately.

"Reina-san is different from us," I say.

"Yes, she is different. She is incredibly pretty and perfect and I'm sure that there's a meaning to her life even if there's none to ours."

"Yes, I agree."

"...Yeah."

"Unlike us, she does not have any fixed definitions that predefine her life."

"Yeah."

"Then how do we want to define Reina-san?"

Anna and the others look up into space.

"Aah—"

—Their eyes start to twinkle.

"—I see now," Anna mutters. "Aah, I see ... I see!"

"You're right, Anna. Listen, everyone, you found the answer!"

There's no need to explain everything. There can't be a need to explain everything, otherwise it wouldn't be believable.

I only needed to lead their way to a sentiment they already have.

"Living is so painful to us, which is why ... Reina-san lives."

Reina-san is water.

She is sweet water that fulfills you the more desperate you are.

Reina-san bears a deep meaning just by existing.

A person like her—

"She can't be dead," someone says.

"Reina-san is alive," I assure with a nod. "And—she will appear on the first of July."

Ah, at last!

They all made it there.

===3===

Anna has become reliable.

She could even tell where Reina-san is going to appear, now that she arrived at the conclusion that Reina-san is alive.

"If she disappeared on the rooftop, wouldn't she also appear there again?"

I see. That stands to reason.

I can't believe that she was able to deduce this without my guidance.

The other girls who had made it to my level also become reliable and were able to discover the answer.

We head to the rooftop.

It's still eight in the morning. As we make our way to our destination, we receive the blessing of the sun that is shining brightly through the windows.

Such fine weather during the rainy season! This must be a sign from heaven.

While keeping an even pace we walk up the stairway. With cheerful smiles. With eerily beautiful and uniform smiles. For we acquired a goal that we can live for without any hesitation and distractions.

The sparkling door comes into view.

Beyond that door. Beyond that door, Reina-san is waiting.

I lay my hand on the shining door.

"Wait, Sakura."

Somebody calls my name from behind. Slightly disgruntled, I turn around and find Yuuko. She is one of the blinded fools who didn't believe me and think that Reina-san were dead.

"What's the matter, Yuuko?" I ask in a calm tone of voice because there's no point in getting angry at her.

"...That's my line! You're not allowed to go to the rooftop, and you should know that."

It's as she says. While I did go there once with Reina-san's brother, it has officially been forbidden since Reina-san's incident. However, because the students of this school are generally trusted, they didn't lock the door.

"Today is the first of July, right?"

"Well, yes," I answer Yuuko's obvious question.

"Girls ... do you really, really believe it? That Reina-san is alive?" she asks, looking hesitantly at each of the twelve of "us". "And that she's on the rooftop? That's what you think, right?"

"Yes!" I assert without hesitation.

"...As you may know, my family runs a hospital."

I nod.

"I often went there when I was a child," she explains. "My father gave me free entrance because he thought I could learn something. I often made friends with elderly people.

"And I often had to see them dying."

"...What's your point?" I ask.

"You know my point. What I want to say is something that every child knows: the dead do not come back to life again. That shouldn't be news to you girls."

"Reina-san isn't dead."

"You just don't want to admit it!"

"Reina-san isn't dead," I reply calmly.

Oh dear ... Yuuko knows nothing. Unsurprisingly so.

Yuuko seems a bit daunted because I didn't show any signs of becoming angry, but she continues nevertheless:

"...You'll only be disappointed if you go past this door, Sakura! What you will find isn't a bright future, but the bitter truth that Reina-san is dead."

"That's not possible."

"Even if you were to find her ... then it's nothing but an illusion!"

"If you're so certain, then why don't you come with us, Yuuko?"

"Huh?" she utters with an open mouth in response to my apparently unexpected proposal.

She must be thinking that only "we" are allowed to be there.

"You don't mind, do you?" I ask my companions and they nod peacefully. "So? Coming with us?"

"...Fine," she sighs after some hesitation.

You shouldn't be sighing, Yuuko ... you'll lose some of your happiness!

I lay hand on the door again and—open it.

Light.

"—Aah!"

The world opens itself to us.

And then—

And then—

—I was taken in.

Just like then, just like our first encounter, I took in her, who is water, or maybe she took me in.

I listen carefully.

Instead of Chopin's Heroic Polonaise, her transparent and vacant and false and mechanic yet transcendental voice reaches my ears.

"I am delighted to see you all again."

Amidst the light she spoke to us.

Amidst the light Reina Kamisu spoke to us.

As I beheld her beautiful countenance, I started to cry and shiver with excitement.

"Reina-san," I say. The others follow suit and mutter her name as well, also crying and shivering with delight.

Aah, they can see her just like I do. Wonderful. Nothing stands in our way to happiness now!

Poor Yuuko seems to be thunderstruck by the sight of who we are looking at.

"Forgive me for keeping you waiting," the beautiful girl apologizes with an apologetic smile.

"It's OK! We believed in your return."

"Thank you."

Reina-san responds to my words. Aah! That alone makes me so happy!

"Reina-san...! So you feigned your death to save us, right?"

"Yes, exactly."

"If you don't mind, could you explain to us why there was a need to do that?"

"I am afraid that it might be a little complicated. Do you mind?"

"Of course not."

"As you can surely feel, Kawai-san, this world is rotten."

"Ah, so it's as I thought."

"It is impossible to become happy in this world. Suffering is the only option. If you deceive yourself and turn a blind eye to various things, however, it is possible to obtain an illusion of happiness. But since it is only an illusion, it means that you are not really happy by definition."

"This sounds so rotten."

"Yes. Hence, there is no happiness or salvation as long as you do not disengage from this world. This is why I decided to temporarily leave this world and search for a better one."

Does that mean that she counts as dead in this world? ...No, the idea of death is of no importance. As a matter of fact, Reina-san is standing before my eyes. That's all there is to it. There's no need for me to investigate further.

"And—I discovered our paradise. Therefore, I have appeared here again."

All that's left is to give myself entirely to Reina-san.

"It is a place free of suffering, where everything is gentle, where everything is enjoyable, and where everything is beautiful."

I listen closely to her, completely in raptures. The same seems to apply to the others.

We are going to be saved.

I'm so happy that I believed in Reina-san.

I'm so—happy.

"I am afraid to say that I am not able to remain in this world. In fact, it is questionable if you can even say that I am here right now. I may have only just arrived, but I will therefore disappear once more from here temporarily."

Please don't. I don't want to be separated.

"Are you not going to take us there right now?"

Reina-san shakes her head.

"I cannot take you there anytime. It is difficult to explain, but ... please picture to yourselves hundreds upon hundreds of holes. Once our minds leave our bodies, they are judged based on various conditions and then thrown into one of these holes. Some of them lead to worlds that are even worse than here.

"To some extent, I can control which hole you will be thrown into. However, depending on the 'time', which is one of the various conditions, it might not go well."

"I understand."

Reina-san nods sadly. "I will appear here again tomorrow at six o'clock in the evening. I am sorry ... time has run out. I shall see you tomorrow."

With these words, Reina-san disappears.

She did not walk away, she literally vanished.

I look around. My companions, too, still seem bemused and are gazing at the place where Reina-san was standing. Some of them are also talking to themselves as though in trance.

One among them is showing a different reaction, though. I approach her.

"What do you say now, Yuuko? Reina-san's alive, isn't she?"

Yuuko turns her head to me like a rusty robot. On her face I recognize exceeding bewilderment.

In all that bewilderment, she slowly opens her mouth and asks:

"What kind of joke is this?"

—I don't understand.

Why would she say that after such a miracle?

"Why are you all gazing into space and crying?"

Yuuko is looking at the place where Reina-san was standing.

No, that's not quite accurate.

She is simply looking at the place where our gazes meet, with fear in her eyes.

"Sakura! Come to your senses! For crying out loud—"

"—Weren't you the first person to find her body?!"

Was I, now?

Aah, yes, I was.

I completely forgot about that because it doesn't matter.

Because of that, I also told her brother that I hadn't seen how Reina-san fell.

I mean, what of it?

Is that supposed to prove Reina-san's death, or something?

===4===

I was smiling from ear to ear and almost started skipping along.

"Please take good care of Reina Kamisu."

Aah, she wasn't annoyed at me after all! Reina-san needs me!

Suddenly, I heard a scream.

I raised my head to look what was going on.

An instant passed.

In this instant...

A tragedy took place in front of me.

It—

It fell not with the elegance of cherry blossoms, but just like a heavy lump, following the laws of physics, and with a thump.

A warm liquid squirted around and stuck to my skin.

———

Time stopped.

No way.

This is a lie.

As a matter of act, my flow of time was in complete disarray, going faster and slower at random, and it felt much more unrealistic than a dream even ... at any rate, it was a lie.

After all, Reina-san had just told me to take care of her, which clearly was in conflict with the thing that just happened, and, aah, at any rate, this was a lie. What's the deal with ... this? Why did this, huh? I don't get it. At any rate, it was a lie, a lie, and a lie, so I silently laughed aloud.

The hideously deformed something that resembled Reina-san and yet was completely different stared at me.

It stared at me without doubt.

It stared at me with bloodshot eyes.

And it moved its lips and jerked its bloody red tongue.

"—D-O N-O-T F-O-R-G-E-T M-E."

Since there was no sound, I could not hear anything, but it certainly tried to form these words.

Something was clearly out of order. Something was a lie.

This something before me was clearly not Reina-san. After all, it was obviously filthier than anything I'd ever seen. Filthy = Reality? Reality? So it had nothing to do with Reina-san. This something could impossibly be Reina-san. Impossible.

Aah, where are you, Reina-san?

Where have you gone? Did you die? Did you disappear because this something stole your soul?

I don't understand.

I don't understand. However.

If I don't find the answer, Reina-san will disappear.

===5===

Neither Yuuko, nor Emi, nor the other people tried to stop us. We made it to the second of July without any trouble.

The only unexpected thing was that one of our companions stubborny claimed, "Reina-san did not say anything about assembling tomorrow at six o'clock!" It was unexpected, but I concluded that she didn't make it to our level and gave up on her.

We go again to the rooftop. Unlike yesterday, a gentle rain is falling, which is a shame but still better than seeing the moon, because the moon always follows us around.

Suddenly, I notice that somebody is sitting in front of the door to the rooftop. Did Yuuko not learn her lesson...? No, it's not her. It's not one of girls who fell through, either. Upon seeing me, the girl stands up.

"You're going to meet Reina-san, right?"

I recognize her voice.

"Oh, you're here as well?" she continues. "Didn't she turn you down?"

I see how Anna stiffens.

"What do you want, Mitsui-senpai?"

Yukimi Mitsui.

One of the servants who arrived at the knowledge of Reina-san's "presence."

"Do you want to join us? I'm sorry, but I haven't forgiven you even though you may be a servant of Reina-san's. I can't let you come with us."

"Join you just to meet Reina-san? Ha!" Yukimi Mitsui sneers. "I don't need your help for that."

"...What was that?"

"I'll be damned if I resort to your means," she laughs and steps aside. She continues in whispers, "I'm here to warn you."

"We don't need your warning."

"Don't misunderstand, okay? I don't care what happens to you, but if this is the last time we meet, I want to get it off my chest at least," she says and flashes a grin. "My worship of Reina-san and yours are as different as snow and ashes."

"...Well, I don't want to be thought hand in glove with you, either!"

"Huhu, is that so? Well, why don't you go ahead and meet your Reina-san? Bye then. We probably won't meet again."

"Goodbye," I say without even turning around to Yukimi Mitsui, who is waving her hand. After stroking Anna's hair gently, I walk up the stairs again, and—

—open the door.

A gentle rain is falling.

Reina-san is already waiting for us in the center of the rooftop.

Reina-san is waiting, smiling and without getting wet..

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Reina-san."

"Why, no, it was me who kept you waiting, Sakura."

I nod with a lopsided smile.

As the rain soaks our hair and clothes, we are reminded of our physical body through the unpleasant feeling. Sadly, this acid rain is filthy and thus can't wash us clean.

We need purification.

"We don't have much time, right? Please tell us how we can go to your world, Reina-san."

She nods. "It is simple. You just have to employ the same procedure as me."

The same procedure...

I recall the chalk line I examined together with Reina-san's brother.

"Do we have to jump...?"

Reina-san nods again.

"I know that it requires courage. I would like to use a different method as well, but there is none."

I look at the others.

They look at me.

They may not say so verbally, but their eyes are clearly telling me to take the lead. We are all afraid. Of course, we trust Reina-san, but we all know that the panic of falling and the pain of hitting the ground are things that cannot be avoided.

Indeed, I have to take the lead. I have to jump first and show them their way. Just like I have been doing so far.

However—

"I'm sorry, but I can't jump first."

Surprise and discontent appear on their faces.

"There is something I want to confirm at the end."

"Can you not do that now?" Anna asks and I nod in response.

She surveys me, then the bandage around her left wrist, and eventually smiles.

"Okay—I will jump first, then."

Surprised but impressed, we applaud to her.

"Anna ... thank you so much."

"No, you don't need to thank me ... It's an honor to be the first to go to Reina-san!"

I'm so proud of Anna. The source of her present strength may be weakness, but it's still strength.

Anna climbs on the fence in a somewhat clumsy manner and stands on top of it. She almost slips because the rain is getting stronger and thus making the fence slippery. Careful, Anna! Don't fall! Hm? Ah, stupid me. You will fall either way.

Anna stands upright atop the slippery fence and speaks straight ahead:

"Reina-san."

"Yes?"

I can't see Anna's face because she's looking forward.

"I will never forget what you said to me yesterday. I was really happy when you said that you would always need me even if nobody else did."

Reina-san nods.

"My scar will disappear once I reach the other world, right?"

"Yes."

"...I'm so happy."

I'm moved.

Reina-san did a great job.

"I will always need you even if no one else does."

This is the very thing Anna wanted to hear the most.

It would sound false from anyone else's mouth, but if Reina-san says it, it's the truth.

But then—

—I don't think I remember Reina-san saying that?

"Sakura," Anna suddenly calls me, interrupting my thought process.

Anna is still looking forward, beyond the rain, so I still don't know what her face looks like.

"Yes, Anna?"

"—Thank you."

Her voice falls downward.

And is cut short.

Anna vanished and spoke simultaneously.

"Thank ... you...?"

Why?

Why would she thank me?

It's Reina-san who saved Anna, and it's Reina-san who will guide her to a better world. You probably can't even say that I bridged the gap between her and Reina-san.

Thank you ... words of gratitude.

But this makes it seem—as though I was the one who brought about this ceremony.

As I'm overcome with this strange confusion, my companions continue to jump one after the other. And before they jump and scatter, they all cite words that I don't remember hearing from Reina-san and give their thanks to me like Anna did.

Watching them makes me feel as though I were looking at artificial flowers that have withered.

Eventually, I end up alone with Reina-san.

The rain has gotten even fiercer. I might catch a cold, I think for a brief moment and sneer at myself.

I'm the last one.

"Kawai-san," the undrenched girl says. "What is it that you wanted to confirm?"

"Yes, there is something I wanted to ask you no matter what."

"Why did it have to be now, 'at the very end'?"

I look at the floor. A water drop drips down from my hair and enters my eye, making me feel filthy from the inside.

The reason why it had to be "at the very end."

It's—because I couldn't let the others hear it.

"Reina-san."

"Yes?"

"It's so hard to explain and I don't know how to put this, but please bear with me."

"Who are you?"

Reina-san remains calm. She is still smiling.

"You're Reina Kamisu, of course, and that's the only way to call you. You are no doubt Reina Kamisu.

"But—you are not the Reina-san who played the piano, are you? You are someone else."

"...Why do you think so?"

"I was always fascinated by Reina-san, but she always made a somewhat strange impression on me. I don't know what it was, but I do not get that impression from you."

Reina-san silently listens to me.

"It's an ambiguous feeling. Perhaps, my memory is playing tricks on me because I haven't met you in a long time, but ... I doubt it."

"Why do you doubt it?"

"Because it's the former Reina-san who gave me that strange impression. If it was the other way around, it would make sense ... but ... as a matter of fact ... you feel way more genuine to me than the previous Reina-san. Isn't it strange that you feel more genuine now than before?"

The rain is getting stronger and I'm starting to get worried if my voice even reaches her.

"If," Reina-san starts. "If I am a different being than before, what will you do?"

"It doesn't matter," I respond without missing a beat. "You are Reina Kamisu. Nothing else."

"Yes," she nods. "I am Reina Kamisu, and nothing else," she says with her beautiful smile. "If you say so, may I tell you the truth?"

"Yes. My decision won't change."

I walk up to the fence and lean against it with my back. I don't even want to think about the sight down there.

"I am a phenomenon that becomes visible to those who believe in my existence."

"...A phenomenon?"

"To you and your friends, I am Reina Kamisu, because that is what you named me. If given a different name, I adapt accordingly. For example, some call me 'god' and some call me an 'angel'. By being given a name, I take shape and become visible."

"...Do you lead the people who can 'see' you to another world?"

"This is the role you gave me."

"But I wasn't the only one who believed so," I argue.

"That is because you took the lead over them and defined my role for everyone. All I ever do is fulfill my purpose."

I defined her role?

It's true that I guided them to believe in Reina-san's "presence," but that's all I did. Reina-san is the one who is to do the rest and save us.

Right, I'm not to blame.

Not to blame?

What? What am I talking about? Blame? What blame? I only did the right thing and struggled to break free from this filth and didn't believe in Reina-san's death and, aah, yes, that filthy corpse wasn't Reina-san's. It wasn't hers, so I realized the truth and now I'm facing Reina-san in person and, aah, I was right from start to finish. Impressive! I didn't do too bad, did I?

"I ... I don't care anymore."

I climb on the fence.

Like Anna and the others, I stand upright and gaze straight ahead.

"You are Reina Kamisu."

"Yes, I am."

"You will save us from the filthy."

"Yes, I will."

"Please fulfill your role."

"Yes, I will fulfill my role."

There's no hesitation.

The others jumped down, too. I can't hesitate. It's too late. Wait, too late? For what? I do not need to hesitate anymore. The answer is clear, I only need to carry it out.

One question—

One question suddenly crosses my mind.

I was Reina-san's servant.

But why did I decide to obey her without a single doubt? What was so special about Reina-san?

Of course, she was beautiful. Of course, she felt different.

But ... that's no reason to obey her.

It makes me think.

Everyone admired Reina-san, everyone was captivated by her, so much that she belonged in the same category as "god" and "angels."

But where did that deification come from?

I mean—

—We don't know anything about Reina-san.

I stop thinking.

I won't turn around to her anymore.

I'll just look at her the same way as I always did.

I'll just project my idea of perfection on her and look upon her in a perfect light.

I step forward.

And as I do, I devote my last thoughts to her:

I ... we may have suffered a lot, but—

—she must have suffered just as much.

<noinclude>
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| Back to [[Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Ryoji Kamisu|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Kamisu Reina Series|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Reina Kamisu|Chapter 4]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Reina Kamisu

2018-01-05T06:44:23Z

172.68.144.64: /* 2 */

==Chapter 4: Reina Kamisu==

===1===

I have not seen myself in the mirror in years.

Instead of me, the mirror of my dressing table is showing something similar to me. Needless to say, this is not some mechanism that has been built into my antique dressing table, and yet my reflection is missing from the mirror I am looking at right now. The thing that appears from time to time like a visual trick is subdivided in 33 parts which makes it impossible to examine it in its entirety.

The foreign reflection resembling me smiles at me.

"It is futile to loathe me!" the girl within the mirror says with an irritatingly beautiful smile. Again: this is not me but something that visually resembles me. "For I have already been associated with you."

Why did it come to this? She has always been around indeed, but while she hovered over me like a shadow, she did not use to cling to me.

"You seem thoroughly fed up. Do you not think it is time to stop ignoring me and converse with me?" she suggests.

Spare me. Conversing with you means admitting your existence, and admitting you just once means giving in to you. I will not make the mistake of concerning myself with a delusion that has become to real, that can even be explained.

I will not admit the delusion that is you nor will I accept you.

Even if, as a matter of fact, I do not appear in the mirror.

"I may not be able to exist without you, but unlike you, I know why I came to be!"

Do I want to know? There is no need. It is easy enough to deduce the answer, as I already have.

Deduced the answer?

Aah, no, that is not right. I do not know the reason for your existence, because you do not exist to begin with.

I am a rational person who does not suffer from delusions.

"Yes, you do know—"

I do not. I do not hear anything.

"That I exist—"

I do not. I do not know anything.

"After all—

"—When people look at you they see me."

===2===

I find myself in the second music room, playing a song from a movie that came on TV the other day on the piano. The students that have gathered around me let out gasps of joy.

How did I wind up exhibiting my piano skills in an open place like this, anyway?

Obviously because I was asked to.

My classmates wanted to hear me playing the piano, so I started to perform here in the second music room, showcasing the fruits of practicing at home. I originally used the practice room, but my performance became popular among the students to the point that even the teachers got wind of it and, for some reason, suggested to use this room.

Thanks to them, I am now forced to perform day in, day out. Even though I do not plan to become a pianist.

With smooth motions I move from one piano key to the next. Because I have taken lessons since I was a child, playing the piano now feels approximately as natural as writing.

Of course, I did not take lessons because I wanted to.

The music reaches my ear.

It sounds just as boring as always.

Why do they all look so captivated as if I were performing like a first class pianist when I play so poorly? There is no emotion in my music, just raw, mechanical skill. They cannot be moved by something like this. I feel irritated, as if I was watching an apathetic conductor.

After I finish my playing, the audience surrounding the piano give me their applause, some of them even with tears in their eyes. Stop that! This was just a crude performance by a student like you! Without showing a sign of my true thoughts, however, I smile at them and thank them.

"I love that movie!" says Kawai-san, who became president of the student council after me. Of course you do. It was your request, after all.

"...You do?" I smile, again without showing my true thoughts.

"Your performance is so touching, Reina-san."

"Yes, indeed. I wonder why your music turns out so different."

"You are magnificent!"

"Thank you," I say and feel the same thing as always: a one-way mirror is extending around me.

A one-way mirror. A curious mirror that lets me see everything that happens on the other side but does not let them see me.

The girls on the other side are cheerfully chatting with the mirror in front of them, and even though I do not show any reaction whatsoever, they are delighted by the reaction of whatever they see in the mirror. Girls, come to your senses! Do you not see that you are talking with a mirror? What is the point in reacting to your own reactions?

But they feign ignorance and enjoy the conversation.

Everyone except for me, who is standing inside the one-way mirror.

With an unvoiced sigh, I start playing the piano and the girls around me fall silent. I prefer them to just hold their tongues rather than get engrossed in a conversation that I cannot take part in.

As I watch my audience, who think my performance were something special, I ponder. At the end of the day, nobody is interested in me.

Nobody wants me to talk. All they want me to do is nod to them and approve of them. I am not permitted an own will.

I wear a specialized, tailor-made mask for every single one of them, and they love that.

Therefore, I cannot talk about myself.

And yet—even though I have not told them a single thing about me—they act as though they were in an intimate relationship with me.

—Tell me, what do you see in me?

It was a terrible mistake to enroll at the Junseiwa school. I feel that negative phenomenons like my fake reflection or the one-way mirror have been aggravating and getting more frequent ever since I came here.

Hm? Why did I come to this school, anyway?

This is easy to answer. Because my mother wanted it.

In the end, my own will is not to be found anywhere. None of my actions reflect my will. I only move by being pulled by someone.

I focus on playing the piano and shake off my stray thoughts.

As always, the melody sounds empty.

I finish my performance and receive a grand applause.

After being forced to play for more than a full hour, I walked home together with a few students that live in the same direction. I commute to school from home. At the Junseiwa School students are obliged to live in the dormitory if possible, but because of some serious trouble during my time in the middle school section (it should not be difficult to imagine this when considering my current situation), I was allowed to live at home when I graduated to the high school section.

However, because I had been separated from my family for three years (except for holidays, of course) the distance between us had become insurmountable. My position in our family had always been unstable, but now they completely and permanently forgot how to treat me as part of it.

They started to treat me like I were fragile.

Having sensed that, I had no other choice but to take the same attitude toward them as to my fellow students, which entailed tailoring masks and looking at my family through a one-way mirror. Only Sakairi-san, our housekeeper, did not treat me like something fragile, but it was still far from normal.

There is no haven for me anymore.

I opened the door, greeted my family, had a mostly wordless dinner and took a bath.

From the three bathrooms we have, I went to the middle-sized one, added in some bath oil and soak in the bath. Our largest bathroom is big enough to accommodate us and our housekeepers and still have space for more, but it is barely ever used by anyone. The larger the bathtub, the longer it takes to fill it with warm water, and the faster it cools down, and the more gas it takes. It is a terribly unpractical bathroom, and with it losing its novelty, its bathtub has deteriorated to a merely big hole. There are many of these useless things in this house. Apparently, the larger a house gets, the more useless things accumulate. Even though maintenance gets costlier.

While showering myself off, I shift my thinking to my future.

What might become of me after high school? Well, I will certainly enroll at a first-class university. But after that?

I would make myself unpopular if I said this aloud, but there are not many things that I cannot become. It might be out of reach for me to become a specialist in something that requires training from an early stage on, like a competitive sportsman, but I am confident that I would be admitted by any university and I am just as confident that I would be hired by any company. I might even be able to make my way into the show business and become an actress or a singer, something that everyone dreams of but gives up on.

My mask can be customized to deliver the best performance in any job, and from experience I know that it performs outstandingly well.

However, I think. What do I want to become?

This may seem like a problem that everyone has, but my question is of a different nature. I believe most people know that they would like to become, but are either too embarrassed to talk about it, have set their goal too high, or are frankly not that bent on it.

I, on the other hand, can think of absolutely nothing that I would want to become. Not in the slightest. All I ever do is standing still in a white realm without a horizon, waiting idly for something to arrive because there is nowhere to go, and simply reacting to whatever is happening before my eyes.

Yes, even though I have the sense to do anything, I cannot become anything.

Powerless. Meaningless. Worthless. Yes, I do not have anything.

Maybe I should just die, then?

Die? Why?

I do not know, which is why I will probably not die.

Still gloomy, I leave the bathroom and go to our video room to watch a DVD. I have not decided on a certain DVD, but because my father has the habit of buying several DVDs every month despite not watching them, there are plenty of movies that I have not seen yet.

By the way, I do not study much when I am at home. Since the speed of teaching is adjusted according to the average of the class, it tends to be slow for me despite the reputation of the Junseiwa School. I repeat old knowledge and prepare for the new things in the spare time during my classes.

Efficient? Certainly. But I do not know for what sake.

When I enter the video room, I find that I am not alone.

"Ryoji-san."

I call his name and he turns around to me.

"Oh, it's you?" he says briefly and looks away.

I have changed into my pajamas. I am not concealing my body with a single bath towel. And yet, Ryoji-san averted his eyes in a way that I consider is unnatural for family, at least in my definition of the word "family."

But he has always been like that.

Ryoji-san is always averting his eyes from me. He only sees the parts of me that he likes to see.

When I wear my pajamas, I remind him that we are family, which is why he does not like to see me like this. He has shown signs of feeling attracted to me in a non-family manner and thus seems to have difficulty getting along with the other sex. Is he interested in me as a love interest? While I do not believe that is as simple as that, it might be something close to it. Ryoji-san is suffering from an inferiority complex that can be attributed to overestimating me by looking at me through rose-colored glasses of admiration. Most likely, he does not know the true shape of his feelings for me himself, so I do not know anything else, either.

"Want to watch something? I'm only trying to pass my time, so I can go if you want."

It does not seem like he is trying to be reserved; he really is just passing his time. He has a liking for action movies because they keep him awake and are therefore suitable as a way to pass time, which is the only meaning he sees in watching movies. Even now he is watching some Hollywood movie that is mostly known for its tremendous production costs.

"It is the same for me. Do not mind me."

"Uh-huh," he mutters without even looking at me. Not that it bothers me, but why does it not occur to him that we could also watch the movie "together"?

Slightly curious about his attitude, I decide to ask, "Ryoji-san?"

"Hm?"

"What do you think is bothering me about you, Ryoji-san?"

Fairly surprised, he looks away from the screen and gazes at me. After pondering for a while, he replies, "Before I can answer this question, I need to think about the reason why you asked it."

"Yes."

"Your question makes me think that I'm less worth than you. That you are blaming me."

"Yes."

"However, you are able to predict my reaction and thus would not pose this question lightly. In other words, the true answer is more complicated."

"Yes."

Like this, he keeps complicating the intention of my question. I must commend him for his excellent imagination, but he clearly lacks the ability to tell apart right from wrong.

The answer is much simpler: Why do I have to be so polite even though we are siblings?

I suppose I am to blame for that, but you do not give me another choice because this is how you want me to treat you.

In the end, you have no clue what I want from you.

Dear brother, what do you see in me?

And this is how I spend my time, finding no rest in anyone's presence.

I enter my room and can finally be alone.

However, there is no rest even when I am alone.

The thing inside the big mirror of my dressing table is watching me.

I ignore it and quickly finish my homework. I then continue reading an interesting foreign novel in its original language, armed with an electronic dictionary on the table.

"Admit it."

What is un avocat again? Ah, of course, a lawyer.

"You are smart. You should have noticed by now that I am only telling the truth."

...So do I hear this voice even without looking in the mirror now? I sigh and perk up my ears. But I still have my novel open. Because I have not admitted anything.

"No one is looking at you. All they see is someone else."

Someone else? Certainly, they are not looking at me, but at themselves in the one-way mirror.

"And that someone else is me."

But why should that be you?

—Wait!

People are not looking at me but at the one-way mirror that is surrounding me.

At the mirror.

And that mirror is showing you?

Oh, the irony—

—When I look in the mirror, all I see is you as well.

"I will now talk to myself," I say, alone with myself in my room. Of course I am talking to myself. "Mind you, this is a soliloquy. I am not talking to anyone. I do not expect an answer, and even if I feel that I heard one, I will ignore it."

The thing in the mirror that resembles me remains silent. No ... Again, there is no one here besides me.

"Yes, I do get the impression that no one is looking at me. I sometimes even feel that they see something else instead of me."

The room is dead silent.

"But that is only because I have many faces. Because I make use of more than 30 masks to enact the role of a flawless beauty. I am certainly more skilled at using masks than an ordinary person, sometimes to the point that I forget which my real face is, but ultimately everyone uses masks. In psychology, there is a concept called persona. Human beings are thought to create a personality, or a persona, specialized for socializing. I simply happen to use personae more frequently than an ordinary person."

I am able to explain why I feel that others do not seem to look at me like this. It is absurd that my masks would get out of control and get a life of their own, let alone become visible to anyone else.

Exactly. This is a satisfying explanation that is clearly correct and in line with common sense.

But there is one problem.

The fact that I explained it to myself.

Obviously, I know what I just explained. I think it is absurd to see someone else in the mirror.

And yet, I can see the girl inside the mirror.

"But you are beautiful," she says in a voice almost the same, and thus essentially different, as mine

Ironically, the more rational I get, the more I realize that she is not a mere illusion. No, am I not contradicting myself with this very train of thought?

I do not know.

"You are beautiful like me."

I do not know, but I heard her voice.

"And you are aware of your beauty."

She says something that would not even occur to me. That would not even occur to me. In other words, if she were just a delusion, she could not have said it.

In utter surprise, a question slips out of my mouth:

"What ... What are you talking about?"

No! I think, but it is already too late.

This cannot be undone.

I talked to her.

And thus—I subconsciously admitted her existence.

===3===

Her gaze pierced through the one-way mirror all the way to me.

Surprised by this now unfamiliar feeling, I found myself looking at her before I knew it.

Mitsui-san...?

She is not looking at me anymore, but I am looking at her and even paused putting my schoolbooks into my bag.

What was that? Did I see things?

"...Reina-san? What's wrong?" Kawai-san, who has come all the way to my classroom just to hear my performance, asks suspiciously.

"...No, never mind," I answer wearing my mask again, but it seems like Kawai-san has already realized that my surprise was a special sign.

After our short exchange, I notice that Mitsui-san has already left the room.

"Excuse me, Kawai-san, but there is something I need to take care of at home, so I would rather not play the piano today."

"Huh? Ah, yes ... of course, if you are busy."

With these words, I bow my head to her and secretly pursue Mitsui-san. She has not joined any club and does not seem to have a lot of friends, so often goes straight home. I hurry to the shoe lockers.

I found her.

While she is busy changing into her outdoor shoes, I walk up to her. Noticing that someone is approaching, she turns to me.

"Kamisu-san...? Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just in a little hurry because of a pressing matter," I explain and observe her. In an unobstrusive manner, of course.

Aah, it is as I thought.

Mitsui-san is looking at me right through the mirror. There is no doubting it.

"...Goodbye then, Kamisu-san."

"Goodbye."

I part with her in a natural manner.

It feels like it has been a long time since someone other than Sakairi-san last saw me, not "her". Mitsui-san did still project something else on me, so it is still far from sufficient, but she is definitely different from Kawai-san and the others, who are entirely blind of me.

...But why Mitsui-san?

I am not particularly intimate with her. Well, I am not intimate with anyone, but she is one of the people who barely have any contact with me. She is just a classmate.

Is the answer hidden in her nature, then? She is a very aggressive person because of her vulnerability. She believes that everyone wants to do her harm, which is why she has drawn a defense line to protect herself in the event of a real attack. But ... how is that related to the way she looks at me?

"———"

I try contemplating for a while, but I am entirely lost. There are two less leads.

Besides, is there even a point in finding out?

Perhaps there is none, but now that I have become unable to completely deny "her" existence, it strikes me as important to find a way to discern people who see "her" from those who do not.

If I do not take measures, "she" is going to take me in.

I have not admitted "her" ... I think. But ... as a matter of fact, I accidentally talked to "her". It is as clear as the day that this mistake is going to help "her" to pervade me slowly but surely.

Being taken in by "her". While I do not know if that is a good thing or not, I am neither enlightened enough nor desperate enough to willingly surrender myself to an unknown being.

I suppose I will have to talk to Mitsui-san in person...

I waited on a moment that lent itself to talk with her about it.

However—there was no indication of such a moment to come.

My momentary surprise when first taking notice of Mitsui-san's look turned against me in an unexpected form. Kawai-san, who had astutely observed my slight change, also noticed that Mitsui-san's gaze was different. That would not be an issue in and of itself, but for some reason she mistook Mitsui-san's look as one of scorn.

Because of that, Kawai-san and Mitsui-san have made enemies of each other.

It is impossible for me to disregard Kawai-san's will and become friends with Mitsui-san. As someone who exists for others, I do not have any freedom.

At any rate, it has become difficult for me to approach Mitsui-san.

What should I do? Can I even earn something by approaching her?

I do not know, but ... I feel that it would be wrong not to act when at last I have a reason to.

Therefore, I looked up her address and went there.

Although not as big as ours, the house in which Mitsui-san and her family lived was a quite magnificent brick house and was suitable for a student of the Junseiwa School.

I rang the doorbell and was answered by the lovely voice of a girl, who was probably Mitsui-san's little sister. After I told her why I was here, she briefly said, "The door is open. You may wait inside if you like," and stepped away from the intercom. She must have gone to call her big sister.

Accepting her offer, I walked to the entrance. This would not be necessary in the case of normal houses, but because there was quite a distance between the gate and the entrance, I would have otherwise made Mitsui-san unneeded work.

For a while nobody came. Considering that her sister answered the doorbell, it was possible that they had not employed any housekeepers. They did seem to have their house cleaned from time to time.

While I was gazing at the expensive-looking objects and handicrafts, Mitsui-san arrived and looked at me with blatant bafflement.

"Hello," I said as gently as possible to reduce her caution.

"—Kamisu-san?"

Apparently, my effort to get her guard down ended in a failure, but she was so kind as to take me to her room. Unlike my room, hers was only equipped with the things necessary, which was quite to my liking, and I also praised her for that. After her little sister had brought us some black tea and she had lowered her caution a little, I decided to go ahead and ask her.

"It has come to my attention that you have been watching me in a peculiar manner lately."

Much to my surprise, her expression changed abruptly. Is she aware of the fact that her look is piercing through my one-way mirror? Or is she aware that hers is different from the looks of others?

No ... I suppose not. She has practically been threatened by Kawai-san. She must think that I am blaming her. She is that kind of person.

"Ah, please excuse me. I do not mean to blame you," I assured, trying to calm her down. I also said things to the effect of not intending to attack her and staying on her side, which, for some reason, seemed to surprise her.

Is it so surprising? Even though I am just putting on masks that happen to fit the situation?

This is odd. Does that mean that she was not really looking at me, after all? If she was, then her current attitude makes no sense. Her attitude suggests that she does not know what kind of person I am and what kind of actions I take.

She is not deflected by the one-way mirror and does not see that thing that resembles me. But what if that is all there is to it?

"Ah ... that reminds me, you have not answered my question yet."

Right, what matters is not how she thinks of me but why she is looking at me in this way.

"Your question...?"

"I was wondering why you are watching me."

"T-There's not..." She pauses for a few seconds and continues. "—There's not much to it ... at least I can't put my finger on it."

She seems to be telling the truth.

"You do not not know, either ... I understand."

That means that there was no point in coming here. In that case, I have no business here anymore.

"All right, I think it is time for me to take my leave."

"Mm..."

I stand up and see myself in the mirror.

—No, I see "her" who resembles me.

She is smiling. With a beautiful smile like mine.

Aah—

—It cannot be undone.

The bitterness of biting a coffee bean spreads in my mouth. This bitterness may belong to "her" but it is something different. I don't know this. I don't understand this. I don't admit this. But I do recognize it. I am also aware of the fact that I pretend not knowing the answer. I want to keep feigning ignorance. But now that I can see "her" beautiful smile, I cannot suppress it anymore. I instinctively know what "she" is going to do ... no, what I am going to do using "her", and I also know that it is morally reprehensible. But I cannot control it. There is no one to stop me. I am "she" and "she" keeps accelerating me.

I am not interested in the individual—

—and the individual is not interested in me.

"She" is smiling. "She" is calling me.

＊＊＊

Unable to gain anything from approaching Mitsui-san, I lost to reality.

I face my mirror. I face "her" who resembles me.

"I believe that the evil witch in Snow White lost to herself."

I start to talk to "her".

"Mirrors only reflect. If you ask it who the fairest one of all is, you will only receive the answer you believe yourself. The witch lost faith in being the fairest and thus the mirror answered Snow White. And then she tried to kill her with a poisoned apple.

"But ultimately, even if Snow White had deceased, the mirror would have never again said that the witch was the fairest. It would have continued to say different names, because the witch had admitted Snow White's beauty and with it the possibilty of others being more beautiful than herself. The mirror would not have given the answer the doubtful witch sought."

"What might the point of telling me this little allegory be?"

"Mirrors only reflect."

"That is true."

"That means that you are me and I am you."

"You are stating the obvious."

"Yes, so it is impossible to escape from you."

"Yes, because you are longing for me."

"Longing for you? Even though I do not know what you are?"

"You claim not to know what I am? Even though you have a fair grasp of my nature?"

"But I have not understood you entirely. I need an explanation."

"I suppose you do," "she" smiles inside the mirror. "I am a phenomenon."

"What kind of phenomenon?"

"A phenomenon called 'Reina Kamisu.'"

"That is my name."

"Yes, it is. But what else would you call me?"

"Point taken," I smile.

"I am a phenomenon no powers other than being visible. A phenomenon that can be given a role by naming it."

"But if you are 'visible' then you must be linked to something, right?"

"Yes, I am linked with the Form that is based on beauty."

"The theory of Forms."

"That might be a close term for it."

"Are you independent?"

"To almost no degree. I am dependent on other beings and I lack the ability to reflect and to actively update information. I do, however, have knowledge and I do obtain a consciousness when taking shape."

"The ability to update information?"

"Even I have to adapt in order to persist. For example, when I speak your language, I make use of your knowledge to transform raw information into words. Since my hosts, which are you human beings, are in permanent change, I have no other choice but to change with them."

"In other words, information is what links you with us?"

"This is not everything that it entails, but it certainly is part of it."

"It is difficult to follow you."

"As I said before, I am transforming information into language, so my words are lacking accuracy."

"It is no different for us! I also often feel restricted by the imperfection of words. But that aside ... if you are connected to us in such a way, do we also suffer from any side effects?"

"I suppose that because of my remoteness to your common world view, there is a chance that you might lose it by 'seeing' me." 

"Which means?"

"Your world view is a filter of sorts. By sending information through it, you are able to process data smoothly and without falling into confusion. Did you know that if you are born blind and have a cornea transplanted, you may not be able to see anything even though your eyes are properly functioning?"

"I think I have heard about that."

"Why is that? It is because they cannot process the information gathered by their eyes! People who have been born blind lack the practice of 'seeing' and therefore do not know how to cope with the light sent through the cornea. They cannot filter the information. As a result, they see nothing."

"In other words, by 'seeing' you we are forced to cope with the kind of information that would normally be filtered out by our subconsciousness?"

"Yes. As a result, you might fall into confusion, stand out in the world that is defined by the common world view, and mistake your selection of what information to filter out."

"Has that already happened to me?"

"Who knows?"

"This sounds synonymous to 'insane' to me."

"That is another way to put it."

"Am I insane?"

"I cannot deny that."

"Quite honest, aren't you?"

"However, you have already defined me as true."

"That alone is the truth."

"There is no such thing as universal truth, though."

"Sadly, you are right."

"Well then, let's get to the point. What role have I given to you? Why did I wish for you?"

"Do I even need to say it?"

"I suppose not. After all, you are Reina Kamisu."

"Yes, my role is—you."

"Your role is—me."

"I am the you who you believe has been lost inside others."

"Yes, you are the most perfect and beautiful and inanimate mask I have ever created."

""That is why others will see Reina Kamisu when they look in these eyes.""

"You then wished for me."

"I subconsciously wished for a perfect mask. By obtaining a new self, I wanted to lose my interest in others because they would only ever ignore me."

"Because it would make you relentless."

"Lose my interest in anyone."

"Lose your sympathy for individuals."

"Lose my soul."

"Therefore, my role is—"

"Yes, your role is to go against this world that turned me into this. To be—"

""—a tool of vengeance.""

＊＊＊

I became aware of the being that is Reina Kamisu.

I became aware of my tool of vengeance.

And the moment I became aware, I lost my powerlessness. I was set free from the control of others.

Even better, I am now freer than anyone else and can even soar up to the skies.

I am in a position where I can easily have my will.

After all, I have become one with Reina Kamisu and can freely make use of her.

This is how I use the perfect mask that is Reina Kamisu.

Or perhaps it is how Reina Kamisu uses me.

Either way, all that is left is to head straight for my goal.

Until everything crumbles into dust.

Until I crumble into dust.

===4===

Reina Kamisu is a concept that belongs only to me. Even if the phenomenon can exist by itself now that it has received the name of Reina Kamisu, it is safe to assume that its scope is still limited to myself at this point.

However, the people around me can clearly see Reina Kamisu.

For example, if your view is obstructed by some kind of white haze, you may interpret it as a ghost or as a white cloth, or you do not even bother yourself with the question of what it is at all, but you can see it in any case.

Likewise, other people can clearly see her. The perfect mask I have obtained by losing my soul certainly exists. I may be the only one who interprets her as the phenomenon Reina Kamisu, but they can see something that is different from what I see but that is essentially the same.

For example, it might be yourselves reflected by the one-way mirror.

"I will die in a few days from now."

I say something that can be interpreted in many ways.

"Die?"

"Yes."

"You?"

Which leads Ryoji-san to start puzzling over the deepest meanings of my words. All that is left for me to do is to to say the things he wants me to say. I do not get an answer from him. All he can do is present his answers to Reina Kamisu.

Alas, dear brother, with so few hints you cannot get it right!

As always, Ryoji-san engages in fairly solid reasoning and drifts off from the answer more and more.

I say the phrase I prepared for him:

"Go to my room when the time comes."

The mirror is there. Reina Kamisu is there. Of course, she is only visible to me, though.

This is my way of putting a curse on him. A curse that I am afraid he is unable to lift for the time being, for—

"I will die."

—Right. Because I will die.

This will cause him to use Reina Kamisu and aggravate the curse I put on him. There is a low probability that he might notice that it was not really me who he has seen, but if that happens then so be it. It would that he earned himself the right to be released.

"—but only metaphorically."

Right, I may die but Reina Kamisu will not.

And as long as Ryoji-san's own Reina Kamisu does not die, the curse will persist.

Death.

It is a tool that is most useful in the event of controlling someone's heart.

It has a tremendous emotional impact and can even be destructive depending on how you use it.

Death is unavoidable and of equal significance to everyone.

Therefore I decided to take advantage of it.

I start to make preparations.

I start to make preparations, using my Reina Kamisu.

Step by step, my vengeance gets executed.

After school, Mitsui-san called me out. While I do not know what she needs from me, I cannot turn her request down in front of everyone, since I am using Reina Kamisu.

My assumption is that she is seeking for help after being hurt by Kawai-san.

"Is it that you want to come back to our conversation the day before yesterday?"

"...No, that's not it," she says with eyes that do not see Reina Kamisu. They see me, not Reina Kamisu.

I suddenly feel a little unsettled.

Might her missing ability to see Reina Kamisu get in the way of my plan of vengeance? Her words bear far less weight than Reina Kamisu's, so I doubt that anyone would listen to her even if she tried to stop me. If, however, there are more people like Mitsui-san who can see "me" to some degree, they might give an ear to her.

What should I do? What if Mitsui walked around spreading her suspicions?

"After all, there's no bullying or violence. I'm just being hated by everyone. Even if the situation improved superficially, the actual hostility wouldn't disappear."

"Do you think so? I am convinced that this artificial hate would disappear with time once we took care of the problem on a superficial level. After all, it is just the peer pressure that is influencing them."

I fail to come to a conclusion.

For the time being, it might be a good idea to display my influence.

"Besides—I can take care of their hostility deep down, too."

It is but the truth, and Mitsui-san is aware of that.

She is left speechless.

We arrive at the back of the gym where she wanted to take me. The secretary of the student council, Anna Fuyuki, has already been waiting here and seems to be in a state of horrible agitation. It is quite obvious what is going to happen now.

I glance over to Mitsui-san.

Fuyuki-san is not someone who would willingly confess her love, let alone have Mitsui-san, an enemy of Kawai-san's, help her arrange it. That means that Mitsui-san has coerced her into this situation.

Why?

Before I arrive at an answer, however, Fuyuki-san opens her mouth:

"Sorry for ... calling you out to such a place."

"No, I do not mind at all."

I would like to catch a glimpse of Mitsui-san's facial expression, but Reina Kamisu is not allowed to avert her eyes from the earnest girl in front of my eyes.

Is that also part of her plan? No, I doubt she is that scheming.

Fuyuki-san struggles for along time to let out a single word, but eventually succeeds:

".........I love you."

Her words are extremely powerful. There might be no ill will in them, but they are essentially a threat. If I am basing my threat on my death, she is basing hers on her fragile and honest feelings.

They are so pure that they cannot be easily crushed.

Reina Kamisu fails to reply offhand.

"...I love you," she repeats.

Reina Kamisu manages to respond her pure feelings with a smile.

"Thank you, but I am sorry..."

And crushed them.

She crushed her pure feelings.

"...Thank you...for your time..."

With these words, Fuyuki-san disappears. The Reina Kamisu inside her should be fine, but ... it was a close call.

The total energy of emotions does not change so easily, but their direction does. Especially in cases like this.

Well then—

—Yukimi Mitsui is the greater problem right now.

I look at her. Ah, as I thought.

Her gaze is piercing through Reina Kamisu and reaches me.

"—Why are you looking at me like this?"

"Well, you said that you stayed on my side, didn't you?"

"I did, yes."

"Even if I look at you in this manner?"

"...Yes."

"You know, I noticed something when you promised to stay on my side. And just now I confirmed my assumption through a little experiment.

"Reina Kamisu, you do not have a soul."

No soul.

I did not expect her to figure out that much. Most impressive.

"...No soul? What do you mean?"

I feign ignorance, however, because it might be a wild guess on her part.

I must not readily admit to it. If she has really seen through me, my fears that she might stand in the way of my plan of vengeance could turn out true.

"Oh come on ... Kamisu-san, you're just a pretty shell without any content inside. You can't react in a differentiated manner to our behavior."

Interesting. Referring to me a "shell" is quite an accurate simile. For someone who does not see my content, Reina Kamisu, I certainly must look like an empty shell.

"It's true that I forced Fuyuki-san to confess to you, but her feelings for you are without a doubt real."

"Yes, I know."

"But you shooed her away."

"Shooed her away? Indeed, I was sadly unable to give her my consent, but I think I have replied to her sincerely. Or do you think that I should have beaten around the bush and told her a sweet lie instead, Mitsui-san?"

"No, that's not what I mean."

"What do you mean, then?"

"Looks like you really don't understand. Alright, listen, Fuyuki-san was serious. Do you have the slightest qualms for turning down her honest feelings for you?"

"I do."

I am perfectly aware that I crushed her pure feelings and even had difficulties doing so. However—

"On the surface, that is, right? After all, your sad expression vanished into thin air the moment she left."

—You cannot say that I have feelings of guilt?

"You only managed to bear feelings for a heartfelt confession at the moment when it occurred. The very instant you looked at me, your interest in Fuyuki-san died out!"

"You are over-interpreting things ... no?"

Wrong. It is just as she says. I can no longer explain my way out, but I must.

But I am not able to. Mitsui-san has understood me. By observing others, she has understood what Reina Kamisu is. She correctly assessed me and was convinced of her assessment when she saw my reaction to Fuyuki-san.

Driven into a corner, I make a slip of tongue.

"Or do you perhaps think that every single student at this school would obey if I told them to commit suicide?"

I accidentally tell her part of my plan.

I expected her to deny it. She could not possibly have such a fine understanding of me.

However—Mitsui-san replied without missing a beat:

"They would."

I am at a loss for words.

"I don't know what you plan to do at this school—maybe nothing at all—but I just want you to know that I realized that you're not normal. You're irregular. And you're aware of that more than anyone else. Yes—"

"—You can't be human."

How accurate.

Reina Kamisu is a phenomenon and I am her vessel.

Neither of us is human.

The following day I learned that Fuyuki-san had cut her wrist.

Beyond doubt, that confession was the cause. Fuyuki-san is a precious sacrificial lamb of mine; if I do not take measures, she might turn unusable because she is most likely planning to dissociate herself from me as it is. Do I look for a substitute, do I give up on one sacrifice, or do I get in touch with her and bring her back in order? After some wavering, I decide for the latter.

I walked to her classroom before school started, sneaked a peek inside, and found her sitting at her desk, hanging her head. She was easy to recognize thanks to her friends surrounding her. To my relief, Kawai-san was not among them.

As I enter the room I create a stir. With widened eyes Fuyuki-san notices me and immediately looks away. I suppose this is the natural reaction in this case.

Nonetheless, I walk up to her without hesitation.

"Fuyuki-san."

Surprised that I called her name, her eyes widen once more.

"H-How can I help you?"

"I would like to talk. Can you spare me a moment?"

Fuyuki-san nods a few times with her eyes still rounded.

"Thank you. Then ... yes, would you be so kind as to follow me to the second music room?"

She nods a few times again and follows me.

"Um ... what would you like to talk about?"

While she is waiting for me anxiously, I approach to the piano and sit down on the stool. To my chagrin, I have to admit that I have grown accustomed to this stool.

"How is your wound?" I ask with my gaze turned at her bandage, ignoring her question. I am expected to first worry about her wound.

"Ah ... I was just being stupid ... you don't need to worry about it, Reina-san."

"Please do not say that."

"No, but ... um ... it's not your fault, Reina-san..."

Oh, that is what she worried about? That suits her personality.

"Do not cut yourself anymore, all right?"

"......Yes," she nods hesitantly, which is fully understandable. Every child knows that one should not hurt oneself, and yet Fuyuki-san cut her wrist. She had to.

Fuyuki-san has been suffering enough to find herself in this situation—

—and thus longs for Reina Kamisu.

"...I have come here today, Fuyuki-san, to talk to you about yesterday."

Her face darkens as she hears me say so.

"Allow me to be direct ... Mitsui-san forced you to say it, right?"

After a few moments of hesitation, she replies, "Yes..." and adds, "but—"

"I thought so," I interrupt. I will not let her finish that sentence. "I was unable to properly handle your confession yesterday."

"Huh—?" she gasps and raises her face in surprise.

"I was unable to answer you honestly in the presence of a bystander, let alone the culprit who schemed it."

"W-What do you mean by this?"

I smile and say, "Now, please listen to my real reply: We are both girls, so I am afraid that we cannot become a couple."

"Yes ... I understand."

"However, I can accept your feelings nevertheless."

"W-What...?"

"This is quite difficult to express ... it might be more appropriate to say that I can be by your side while acknowledging your feelings for me. Going out with each other does not quite catch the nuance ... I really cannot think of an accurate term."

Fuyuki-san is left flabbergasted, but as the meaning of my words slowly gets through to her, she starts to blush.

"E-Err—"

"Are you unhappy with that?"

"N-No! By no means! I actually ... I wanted to become like this! Just ... feeling the same for each other ... is enough for me ... well, I guess ... I was dreaming of this kind of ... slightly special relationship."

"Is that so? Excellent," I comment with a smile. I can tell that she is charmed by me. "But have to warn you."

"Y-Yes ... what is it?"

"If possible, you should refrain from telling anyone about this. You understand why, right?"

"Y-Yes, of course."

"So why do we not make it our little secret?"

"—Our little secret..." she mutters with flushed cheeks and replies, "Yes!"

Our secret, yes?

Fufu, I am afraid that is not quite true.

It will be your very own secret, Fuyuki-san.

"Please take good care of Reina Kamisu."

Because—

—I will no longer be around later today.

As I explained to Mitsui-san, it is in my current power to control others. It would be child's play to get rid of Mitsui-san by taking advantage of Kawai-san.

But I did not do it.

Not because I thought it would be cruel. I do not possess human emotions anymore. As she correctly stated, I have lost interest in others.

And yet I did not do it. Even worse, I learned from Fuyuki-san that Mitsui-san was in danger and went there to intervene.

"Why ... why did you save me? I mean, I was so impudent as to say that you're 'not human' yesterday."

Why did I save her?

I wonder why?

I am not sure, but probably—I was happy.

I was happy that someone said I was "not human," that someone truly saw me.

"Did I not promise to be on your side? Besides, to be honest, I would like to avoid that cruel stuff even if I am not human," I explain my way out, because that is the answer she wanted to hear.

Aah, I am empty even in front of her. I am just a shell.

If ... If I met her a little earlier, perhaps I would have not turned into what I am now? No, I suppose there never was room for such an if scenario. I was born with this fate, floated all the way here—and will scatter.

"I'm so jealous."

I was not a little surprised to hear that.

Jealous. It is a word that I hear on a regular basis. However—Mitsui-san said so while understanding me.

"Jealous?"

"Yeah, I'm jealous. I could—do without a soul."

I see...

I finally found out. Why has Mitsui-san been able to look properly at me?

It is because to Mitsui-san, I was her Reina Kamisu.

Everyone sees Reina Kamisu through me, the ideal in the view of the observer.

Mitsui-san said she was jealous of me because I have no soul.

Right. Mitsui-san, too, sees Reina Kamisu through me. She, too, sees her ideal in me. However, I happen to be her very ideal; her Reina Kamisu is practically identical with me. She has no need to see Reina Kamisu because I am close enough.

That is why she could directly observe me.

"I want... I want to become like you, Kamisu-san."

"Do you want me to give you a hand?"

"Huh...?"

I was happy.

I felt accepted for the first time in my life.

Because of that, my facial muscles moved on their own. I have no means of knowing what my face looked like because it was an uncontrolled expression.

I am so happy, therefore let me grant your wish.

Luckily, it is in line with both my plan and the means I am going to employ.

"Oh, erasing your soul is not all that hard, really!"

Right, if Mitsui-san views me as her ideal, then she should be able to interpret a special meaning into my words.

My deep words and my death will guide her to the place she wishes to be.

"I will help you get there!"

Just like the others.

Of course, I have not the slightest idea where that will be.

I stationed Mitsui-san at the second music room where my body will pass during the fall. The only task that remains is to add the girl who has the strongest tendency of seeing Reina Kamisu to my plan.

Where might she be?

Just as I thought so—

"Reina-san!"

She, Kawai-san, called my name.

Nobody is as obsessed with Reina Kamisu and cleanliness as Kawai-san. She was longing for an unstained, beautiful person, and found it in Reina Kamisu.

Ignoring the fact that a person fulfilling her requirements does not exist.

"You have come at the correct time. I was searching for you."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"There is something I wanted to tell you," I explain briefly. Not many words are needed anymore in her case.

"Please take good care of Reina Kamisu."

This will make sure that she will pursue Reina Kamisu for the rest of her life. While I do not know where she will find her Reina Kamisu, I have a hunch that—

—it is where I am headed now.

I go to the rooftop.

＊＊＊

Reina Kamisu is already waiting for me when I arrive at the rooftop. She has broken free from the mirror. Well, she has always been right by my side since the moment I admitted her existence.

"Now you only need to fall down from here, is that right?"

"Yes, that will be the last step."

Fortunately, there is no one else here.

No, perhaps we are not alone. Perhaps I am subconsciously ignoring someone.

I do not mind either way as long as it does not impede my plan.

"I do not understand. How does this result in vengeance?" she asks.

"Well, I doubt that your role includes understanding my plan..."

"Would you mind disclosing some of it to me?"

"Sure."

"I am quite sure of this, but let me ask nonetheless. Having Kawai-san, Fuyuki-san and the others follow you into death is not what you consider your vengeance, right?"

"Exactly," I answer while searching for a place where I will fall past the window of the second music room.

"Should I think of your vengeance as something abstract?"

"Abstract...? No, I mean it quite literally. I suppose it can be considered abstract in the sense that it is hard to predict to what degree my plan will prove to be successful."

"...What is your plan, then?"

I shall answer her.

Ah, this tension in my facial muscles—I felt the same tension when talking with Mitsui-san earlier.

Oh, I remember this feeling now.

I am—

"To kill people!"

—laughing.

"Of course, I have no idea how successful my plan will be, but I want to kill people. I want to kill as many of them as possible. But not with ordinary means. I could only kill so many if I built a nuclear bomb. Would it not be a shame if there was no hope to kill more? If possible, I would like to wipe the entire human race from the face of the earth."

"How frightening. But how does falling down from here result in killing people?"

I finally find a good place that can be observed from the second music room. This will make sure that Mitsui-san will also have her soul erased.

"How I am going to kill? It is truly simple," I smile at Reina Kamisu. "I will use you!"

"Use me...?"

"Yes. Mind you, I am not talking about my interpretation of Reina Kamisu, but about your essence, about 'the phenomenon that can become visible.'"

"You want to use me as a weapon? Don't be silly. I have no power by myself. As you said, I am just a phenomenon that can become visible," she argues.

"That is more than enough."

"Poor thing. It seems like you have gone insane for good."

"I will not deny it. But although I may be insane, I can still think logically."

"Lunatics all say that."

I grab the fence. It seems to be stable enough to support my weight.

"What do you think will my fall from here cause?"

"...Let me think. First and foremost, you will die. After that, the people you prepared might end up committing suicide. Some kind of vicious cycle might even ensue ... but eradicating the human race is definitely impossible."

"You are right. I will die, Kawai-san and a few other people will die, and this marks the end of my preparations."

I lean against the fence and look Reina Kamisu straight in the eyes.

"This will allow me to overwrite your information."

Reina Kamisu gazes at me with utter surprise.

"Overwrite my information, you say?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean that you are going to redefine me as a phenomenon that kills people?"

"Exactly!"

"Even in the unlikely event that you succeeded in overwriting my information, what you plan to do would be impossible. Again, my sole power lies in 'becoming visible.' You could just as well tell a human to fly!"

"You do not need any new powers. You are fully capable of killing people as you are now."

"What was that...?"

"I just need to pin you!"

"'Pin me'?"

"At the moment, your shape is so vague that people refer to you by various names like god, angel, or whatnot. I will thus pin you to a single shape, by adding a new condition required to see you."

"Meaning...?"

"I will give you the fixed name Reina Kamisu."

"I do not understand. How does that give me the power to kill?"

"Do you not get my point? If you receive the name Reina Kamisu, you will no longer be just a vague concept but a 'person.'"

"That might be true, but what of it?"

"Your nature entails taking on the role your observer needs the most, right? What if you take on that role as a 'person'? Well, you will become the most important person to that observer. However, ultimately you are nothing more than a phenomenon, and once your observer realizes that, he will despair."

"And that is enough to kill people?"

"At least in the case of those who are desperate enough to seek you. Besides, do not forget that you will become Reina Kamisu. Do you know what this implicates?"

"...No, I don't."

"Nomen est omen. The name is a sign. For example, it is not possible to give you a boy's name because you are the Idea of Female Beauty. Likewise, it is not possible to give you the name of an object like an air conditioner, goggles or a toilet seat.

"However, it is possible to give you the name Reina Kamisu, and the name will bind you to a human appearance.

"And that is not all; there is more to this name. Originally, you are a phenomenon that only has a vague appearance, but you lose this vagueness by receiving the name Reina Kamisu. Your appearance will be reminiscent of me, and so will your nature. Right—"

While laughing I say:

"—the very name of Reina Kamisu will kill people."

"Fairy tales. As a matter of fact, you have not killed a single—" she pauses. "Wait—is that why you made those 'preparations'?"

"Exactly. I will now lead Kawai-san and the others to death. While I cannot predict how many of them will die, my plan is to make them die. To murder them. To attach an image to the name Reina Kamisu."

Reina Kamisu is at a loss for words. However, she quickly recovers and points out, "This is a well-thought-out delusion, but I am afraid that the premise is not established. How do you prove that it is even possible to overwrite my information?"

"Sadly, I have no proof."

"As I thought."

"But it makes sense, no? At the very least, the people I 'prepared' will see you. As Reina Kamisu, of course. Other students of this school or acquaintances of mine might also become able to see you and call you by my name. If so many people start to refer to you as Reina Kamisu, the odds are not too bad for your information to be changed the way I aspire to, right?"

"...I suppose the chances are not zero."

"That is enough for me to take the risk. I will sacrifice my own blood and that of several young girls and pray to create this curse. If that fails, then so be it."

With these words, I climb on the fence and stand on top of it.

I look down.

All I can see is the vicinity of the Junseiwa School, but that is just fine. Ultimately, my own world was no bigger than this, and yet I loathe the entire world. Unreasonable? Why? Isn't that human nature? Isn't it human nature to judge the whole by a part? The world is not kind to me. It is trying to dispose of me. It is ignoring me. That is why I will scatter, cursing anything and everything that belongs to this scenery.

"...You are a horrible person for dragging me into this."

I hear Reina Kamisu's voice behind me.

"Of course. You also belong to the things that I loathe."

"...What?"

"You are also a target of my vengeance, dear Reina Kamisu."

"This makes no sense. You said yourself that I am you and you are me."

"And that is exactly why—"

I bite my lips.

"—I hate you."

"I wanted to see myself in the mirror. You were uncalled-for. I wanted to be normal like everyone else. But—I could not! Because of you! Because of me!"

I am surprised by myself.

My voice is rough with anger? I am irritated? At whom? At Reina Kamisu?

...No. At myself.

I have not lost my feelings and I am actually turning them against myself.

But—

—I decide not to think about the meaning of this.

"I am going to take revenge on you. You will continue to exist for all time as a curse named Reina Kamisu, as a being that torments people."

"...Is that really what you wanted to accomplish?"

I unwittingly turn around to her.

"What do you mean...?"

"You could not see yourself in the mirror, right? You were just as blind to yourself as everyone else, right? Then how on earth would you be able to know what you want?"

"I don't know," I say bluntly and look ahead again, at the world I despise. "All I can do is—loathe this world that shows no understanding for me."

In response, Reina Kamisu whispers:

"If only you realized that everyone has to cope with the mundane feeling of not being understood in some way..."

Shut up.

I do not want to hear that nonsense.

I covered my ears.

And jumped.

＊＊＊

Everything tilts and tilts and tilts—

The despicable sky is colored dark red.

You do not change a bit even now.

I may be able to soar up to you.

But I am damned to fall.

I cannot reach so far.

I can only reach the bottom.

Oh sky!

Oh twilit sky!

Just like the sun that dyes you red every passing day,

I shall continue to dye you red with the blood I spill—

So at least—

—Do not forget me.

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| Back to [[Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Sakura Kawai|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Kamisu Reina Series|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Reina Kamisu

2018-01-05T06:41:29Z

172.68.144.64: /* 4 */

==Chapter 4: Reina Kamisu==

===1===

I have not seen myself in the mirror in years.

Instead of me, the mirror of my dressing table is showing something similar to me. Needless to say, this is not some mechanism that has been built into my antique dressing table, and yet my reflection is missing from the mirror I am looking at right now. The thing that appears from time to time like a visual trick is subdivided in 33 parts which makes it impossible to examine it in its entirety.

The foreign reflection resembling me smiles at me.

"It is futile to loathe me!" the girl within the mirror says with an irritatingly beautiful smile. Again: this is not me but something that visually resembles me. "For I have already been associated with you."

Why did it come to this? She has always been around indeed, but while she hovered over me like a shadow, she did not use to cling to me.

"You seem thoroughly fed up. Do you not think it is time to stop ignoring me and converse with me?" she suggests.

Spare me. Conversing with you means admitting your existence, and admitting you just once means giving in to you. I will not make the mistake of concerning myself with a delusion that has become to real, that can even be explained.

I will not admit the delusion that is you nor will I accept you.

Even if, as a matter of fact, I do not appear in the mirror.

"I may not be able to exist without you, but unlike you, I know why I came to be!"

Do I want to know? There is no need. It is easy enough to deduce the answer, as I already have.

Deduced the answer?

Aah, no, that is not right. I do not know the reason for your existence, because you do not exist to begin with.

I am a rational person who does not suffer from delusions.

"Yes, you do know—"

I do not. I do not hear anything.

"That I exist—"

I do not. I do not know anything.

"After all—

"—When people look at you they see me."

===2===

I find myself in the second music room, playing a song from a movie that came on TV the other day on the piano. The students that have gathered around me let out gasps of joy.

How did I wind up exhibiting my piano skills in an open place like this, anyway?

Obviously because I was asked to.

My classmates wanted to hear me playing the piano, so I started to perform here in the second music room, showcasing the fruits of practicing at home. I originally used the practice room, but my performance became popular among the students to the point that even the teachers got wind of it and, for some reason, suggested to use this room.

Thanks to them, I am now forced to perform day in, day out. Even though I do not plan to become a pianist.

With smooth motions I move from one piano key to the next. Because I have taken lessons since I was a child, playing the piano now feels approximately as natural as writing.

Of course, I did not take lessons because I wanted to.

The music reaches my ear.

It sounds just as boring as always.

Why do they all look so captivated as if I were performing like a first class pianist when I play so poorly? There is no emotion in my music, just raw, mechanical skill. They cannot be moved by something like this. I feel irritated, as if I was watching an apathetic conductor.

After I finish my playing, the audience surrounding the piano give me their applause, some of them even with tears in their eyes. Stop that! This was just a crude performance by a student like you! Without showing a sign of my true thoughts, however, I smile at them and thank them.

"I love that movie!" says Kawai-san, who became president of the student council after me. Of course you do. It was your request, after all.

"...You do?" I smile, again without showing my true thoughts.

"Your performance is so touching, Reina-san."

"Yes, indeed. I wonder why your music turns out so different."

"You are magnificent!"

"Thank you," I say and feel the same thing as always: a one-way mirror is extending around me.

A one-way mirror. A curious mirror that lets me see everything that happens on the other side but does not let them see me.

The girls on the other side are cheerfully chatting with the mirror in front of them, and even though I do not show any reaction whatsoever, they are delighted by the reaction of whatever they see in the mirror. Girls, come to your senses! Do you not see that you are talking with a mirror? What is the point in reacting to your own reactions?

But they feign ignorance and enjoy the conversation.

Everyone except for me, who is standing inside the one-way mirror.

With an unvoiced sigh, I start playing the piano and the girls around me fall silent. I prefer them to just hold their tongues rather than get engrossed in a conversation that I cannot take part in.

As I watch my audience, who think my performance were something special, I ponder. At the end of the day, nobody is interested in me.

Nobody wants me to talk. All they want me to do is nod to them and approve of them. I am not permitted an own will.

I wear a specialized, tailor-made mask for every single one of them, and they love that.

Therefore, I cannot talk about myself.

And yet—even though I have not told them a single thing about me—they act as though they were in an intimate relationship with me.

—Tell me, what do you see in me?

It was a terrible mistake to enroll at the Junseiwa school. I feel that negative phenomenons like my fake reflection or the one-way mirror have been aggravating and getting more frequent ever since I came here.

Hm? Why did I come to this school, anyway?

This is easy to answer. Because my mother wanted it.

In the end, my own will is not to be found anywhere. None of my actions reflect my will. I only move by being pulled by someone.

I focus on playing the piano and shake off my stray thoughts.

As always, the melody sounds empty.

I finish my performance and receive a grand applause.

After being forced to play for more than a full hour, I walked home together with a few students that live in the same direction. I commute to school from home. At the Junseiwa School students are obliged to live in the dormitory if possible, but because of some serious trouble during my time in the middle school section (it should not be difficult to imagine this when considering my current situation), I was allowed to live at home when I graduated to the high school section.

However, because I had been separated from my family for three years (except for holidays, of course) the distance between us had become insurmountable. My position in our family had always been unstable, but now they completely and permanently forgot how to treat me as part of it.

They started to treat me like I were fragile.

Having sensed that, I had no other choice but to take the same attitude toward them as to my fellow students, which entailed tailoring masks and looking at my family through a one-way mirror. Only Sakairi-san, our housekeeper, did not treat me like something fragile, but it was still far from normal.

There is no haven for me anymore.

I opened the door, greeted my family, had a mostly wordless dinner and took a bad.

From the three bathrooms we have, I went to the middle-sized one, added in some bath oil and soak in the bath. Our largest bathroom is big enough to accommodate us and our housekeepers and still have space for more, but it is barely ever used by anyone. The larger the bathtub, the longer it takes to fill it with warm water, and the faster it cools down, and the more gas it takes. It is a terribly unpractical bathroom, and with it losing its novelty, its bathtub has deteriorated to a merely big hole. There are many of these useless things in this house. Apparently, the larger a house gets, the more useless things accumulate. Even though maintenance gets costlier.

While showering myself off, I shift my thinking to my future.

What might become of me after high school? Well, I will certainly enroll at a first-class university. But after that?

I would make myself unpopular if I said this aloud, but there are not many things that I cannot become. It might be out of reach for me to become a specialist in something that requires training from an early stage on, like a competitive sportsman, but I am confident that I would be admitted by any university and I am just as confident that I would be hired by any company. I might even be able to make my way into the show business and become an actress or a singer, something that everyone dreams of but gives up on.

My mask can be customized to deliver the best performance in any job, and from experience I know that it performs outstandingly well.

However, I think. What do I want to become?

This may seem like a problem that everyone has, but my question is of a different nature. I believe most people know that they would like to become, but are either too embarrassed to talk about it, have set their goal too high, or are frankly not that bent on it.

I, on the other hand, can think of absolutely nothing that I would want to become. Not in the slightest. All I ever do is standing still in a white realm without a horizon, waiting idly for something to arrive because there is nowhere to go, and simply reacting to whatever is happening before my eyes.

Yes, even though I have the sense to do anything, I cannot become anything.

Powerless. Meaningless. Worthless. Yes, I do not have anything.

Maybe I should just die, then?

Die? Why?

I do not know, which is why I will probably not die.

Still gloomy, I leave the bathroom and go to our video room to watch a DVD. I have not decided on a certain DVD, but because my father has the habit of buying several DVDs every month despite not watching them, there are plenty of movies that I have not seen yet.

By the way, I do not study much when I am at home. Since the speed of teaching is adjusted according to the average of the class, it tends to be slow for me despite the reputation of the Junseiwa School. I repeat old knowledge and prepare for the new things in the spare time during my classes.

Efficient? Certainly. But I do not know for what sake.

When I enter the video room, I find that I am not alone.

"Ryoji-san."

I call his name and he turns around to me.

"Oh, it's you?" he says briefly and looks away.

I have changed into my pajamas. I am not concealing my body with a single bath towel. And yet, Ryoji-san averted his eyes in a way that I consider is unnatural for family, at least in my definition of the word "family."

But he has always been like that.

Ryoji-san is always averting his eyes from me. He only sees the parts of me that he likes to see.

When I wear my pajamas, I remind him that we are family, which is why he does not like to see me like this. He has shown signs of feeling attracted to me in a non-family manner and thus seems to have difficulty getting along with the other sex. Is he interested in me as a love interest? While I do not believe that is as simple as that, it might be something close to it. Ryoji-san is suffering from an inferiority complex that can be attributed to overestimating me by looking at me through rose-colored glasses of admiration. Most likely, he does not know the true shape of his feelings for me himself, so I do not know anything else, either.

"Want to watch something? I'm only trying to pass my time, so I can go if you want."

It does not seem like he is trying to be reserved; he really is just passing his time. He has a liking for action movies because they keep him awake and are therefore suitable as a way to pass time, which is the only meaning he sees in watching movies. Even now he is watching some Hollywood movie that is mostly known for its tremendous production costs.

"It is the same for me. Do not mind me."

"Uh-huh," he mutters without even looking at me. Not that it bothers me, but why does it not occur to him that we could also watch the movie "together"?

Slightly curious about his attitude, I decide to ask, "Ryoji-san?"

"Hm?"

"What do you think is bothering me about you, Ryoji-san?"

Fairly surprised, he looks away from the screen and gazes at me. After pondering for a while, he replies, "Before I can answer this question, I need to think about the reason why you asked it."

"Yes."

"Your question makes me think that I'm less worth than you. That you are blaming me."

"Yes."

"However, you are able to predict my reaction and thus would not pose this question lightly. In other words, the true answer is more complicated."

"Yes."

Like this, he keeps complicating the intention of my question. I must commend him for his excellent imagination, but he clearly lacks the ability to tell apart right from wrong.

The answer is much simpler: Why do I have to be so polite even though we are siblings?

I suppose I am to blame for that, but you do not give me another choice because this is how you want me to treat you.

In the end, you have no clue what I want from you.

Dear brother, what do you see in me?

And this is how I spend my time, finding no rest in anyone's presence.

I enter my room and can finally be alone.

However, there is no rest even when I am alone.

The thing inside the big mirror of my dressing table is watching me.

I ignore it and quickly finish my homework. I then continue reading an interesting foreign novel in its original language, armed with an electronic dictionary on the table.

"Admit it."

What is un avocat again? Ah, of course, a lawyer.

"You are smart. You should have noticed by now that I am only telling the truth."

...So do I hear this voice even without looking in the mirror now? I sigh and perk up my ears. But I still have my novel open. Because I have not admitted anything.

"No one is looking at you. All they see is someone else."

Someone else? Certainly, they are not looking at me, but at themselves in the one-way mirror.

"And that someone else is me."

But why should that be you?

—Wait!

People are not looking at me but at the one-way mirror that is surrounding me.

At the mirror.

And that mirror is showing you?

Oh, the irony—

—When I look in the mirror, all I see is you as well.

"I will now talk to myself," I say, alone with myself in my room. Of course I am talking to myself. "Mind you, this is a soliloquy. I am not talking to anyone. I do not expect an answer, and even if I feel that I heard one, I will ignore it."

The thing in the mirror that resembles me remains silent. No ... Again, there is no one here besides me.

"Yes, I do get the impression that no one is looking at me. I sometimes even feel that they see something else instead of me."

The room is dead silent.

"But that is only because I have many faces. Because I make use of more than 30 masks to enact the role of a flawless beauty. I am certainly more skilled at using masks than an ordinary person, sometimes to the point that I forget which my real face is, but ultimately everyone uses masks. In psychology, there is a concept called persona. Human beings are thought to create a personality, or a persona, specialized for socializing. I simply happen to use personae more frequently than an ordinary person."

I am able to explain why I feel that others do not seem to look at me like this. It is absurd that my masks would get out of control and get a life of their own, let alone become visible to anyone else.

Exactly. This is a satisfying explanation that is clearly correct and in line with common sense.

But there is one problem.

The fact that I explained it to myself.

Obviously, I know what I just explained. I think it is absurd to see someone else in the mirror.

And yet, I can see the girl inside the mirror.

"But you are beautiful," she says in a voice almost the same, and thus essentially different, as mine

Ironically, the more rational I get, the more I realize that she is not a mere illusion. No, am I not contradicting myself with this very train of thought?

I do not know.

"You are beautiful like me."

I do not know, but I heard her voice.

"And you are aware of your beauty."

She says something that would not even occur to me. That would not even occur to me. In other words, if she were just a delusion, she could not have said it.

In utter surprise, a question slips out of my mouth:

"What ... What are you talking about?"

No! I think, but it is already too late.

This cannot be undone.

I talked to her.

And thus—I subconsciously admitted her existence.

===3===

Her gaze pierced through the one-way mirror all the way to me.

Surprised by this now unfamiliar feeling, I found myself looking at her before I knew it.

Mitsui-san...?

She is not looking at me anymore, but I am looking at her and even paused putting my schoolbooks into my bag.

What was that? Did I see things?

"...Reina-san? What's wrong?" Kawai-san, who has come all the way to my classroom just to hear my performance, asks suspiciously.

"...No, never mind," I answer wearing my mask again, but it seems like Kawai-san has already realized that my surprise was a special sign.

After our short exchange, I notice that Mitsui-san has already left the room.

"Excuse me, Kawai-san, but there is something I need to take care of at home, so I would rather not play the piano today."

"Huh? Ah, yes ... of course, if you are busy."

With these words, I bow my head to her and secretly pursue Mitsui-san. She has not joined any club and does not seem to have a lot of friends, so often goes straight home. I hurry to the shoe lockers.

I found her.

While she is busy changing into her outdoor shoes, I walk up to her. Noticing that someone is approaching, she turns to me.

"Kamisu-san...? Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just in a little hurry because of a pressing matter," I explain and observe her. In an unobstrusive manner, of course.

Aah, it is as I thought.

Mitsui-san is looking at me right through the mirror. There is no doubting it.

"...Goodbye then, Kamisu-san."

"Goodbye."

I part with her in a natural manner.

It feels like it has been a long time since someone other than Sakairi-san last saw me, not "her". Mitsui-san did still project something else on me, so it is still far from sufficient, but she is definitely different from Kawai-san and the others, who are entirely blind of me.

...But why Mitsui-san?

I am not particularly intimate with her. Well, I am not intimate with anyone, but she is one of the people who barely have any contact with me. She is just a classmate.

Is the answer hidden in her nature, then? She is a very aggressive person because of her vulnerability. She believes that everyone wants to do her harm, which is why she has drawn a defense line to protect herself in the event of a real attack. But ... how is that related to the way she looks at me?

"———"

I try contemplating for a while, but I am entirely lost. There are two less leads.

Besides, is there even a point in finding out?

Perhaps there is none, but now that I have become unable to completely deny "her" existence, it strikes me as important to find a way to discern people who see "her" from those who do not.

If I do not take measures, "she" is going to take me in.

I have not admitted "her" ... I think. But ... as a matter of fact, I accidentally talked to "her". It is as clear as the day that this mistake is going to help "her" to pervade me slowly but surely.

Being taken in by "her". While I do not know if that is a good thing or not, I am neither enlightened enough nor desperate enough to willingly surrender myself to an unknown being.

I suppose I will have to talk to Mitsui-san in person...

I waited on a moment that lent itself to talk with her about it.

However—there was no indication of such a moment to come.

My momentary surprise when first taking notice of Mitsui-san's look turned against me in an unexpected form. Kawai-san, who had astutely observed my slight change, also noticed that Mitsui-san's gaze was different. That would not be an issue in and of itself, but for some reason she mistook Mitsui-san's look as one of scorn.

Because of that, Kawai-san and Mitsui-san have made enemies of each other.

It is impossible for me to disregard Kawai-san's will and become friends with Mitsui-san. As someone who exists for others, I do not have any freedom.

At any rate, it has become difficult for me to approach Mitsui-san.

What should I do? Can I even earn something by approaching her?

I do not know, but ... I feel that it would be wrong not to act when at last I have a reason to.

Therefore, I looked up her address and went there.

Although not as big as ours, the house in which Mitsui-san and her family lived was a quite magnificent brick house and was suitable for a student of the Junseiwa School.

I rang the doorbell and was answered by the lovely voice of a girl, who was probably Mitsui-san's little sister. After I told her why I was here, she briefly said, "The door is open. You may wait inside if you like," and stepped away from the intercom. She must have gone to call her big sister.

Accepting her offer, I walked to the entrance. This would not be necessary in the case of normal houses, but because there was quite a distance between the gate and the entrance, I would have otherwise made Mitsui-san unneeded work.

For a while nobody came. Considering that her sister answered the doorbell, it was possible that they had not employed any housekeepers. They did seem to have their house cleaned from time to time.

While I was gazing at the expensive-looking objects and handicrafts, Mitsui-san arrived and looked at me with blatant bafflement.

"Hello," I said as gently as possible to reduce her caution.

"—Kamisu-san?"

Apparently, my effort to get her guard down ended in a failure, but she was so kind as to take me to her room. Unlike my room, hers was only equipped with the things necessary, which was quite to my liking, and I also praised her for that. After her little sister had brought us some black tea and she had lowered her caution a little, I decided to go ahead and ask her.

"It has come to my attention that you have been watching me in a peculiar manner lately."

Much to my surprise, her expression changed abruptly. Is she aware of the fact that her look is piercing through my one-way mirror? Or is she aware that hers is different from the looks of others?

No ... I suppose not. She has practically been threatened by Kawai-san. She must think that I am blaming her. She is that kind of person.

"Ah, please excuse me. I do not mean to blame you," I assured, trying to calm her down. I also said things to the effect of not intending to attack her and staying on her side, which, for some reason, seemed to surprise her.

Is it so surprising? Even though I am just putting on masks that happen to fit the situation?

This is odd. Does that mean that she was not really looking at me, after all? If she was, then her current attitude makes no sense. Her attitude suggests that she does not know what kind of person I am and what kind of actions I take.

She is not deflected by the one-way mirror and does not see that thing that resembles me. But what if that is all there is to it?

"Ah ... that reminds me, you have not answered my question yet."

Right, what matters is not how she thinks of me but why she is looking at me in this way.

"Your question...?"

"I was wondering why you are watching me."

"T-There's not..." She pauses for a few seconds and continues. "—There's not much to it ... at least I can't put my finger on it."

She seems to be telling the truth.

"You do not not know, either ... I understand."

That means that there was no point in coming here. In that case, I have no business here anymore.

"All right, I think it is time for me to take my leave."

"Mm..."

I stand up and see myself in the mirror.

—No, I see "her" who resembles me.

She is smiling. With a beautiful smile like mine.

Aah—

—It cannot be undone.

The bitterness of biting a coffee bean spreads in my mouth. This bitterness may belong to "her" but it is something different. I don't know this. I don't understand this. I don't admit this. But I do recognize it. I am also aware of the fact that I pretend not knowing the answer. I want to keep feigning ignorance. But now that I can see "her" beautiful smile, I cannot suppress it anymore. I instinctively know what "she" is going to do ... no, what I am going to do using "her", and I also know that it is morally reprehensible. But I cannot control it. There is no one to stop me. I am "she" and "she" keeps accelerating me.

I am not interested in the individual—

—and the individual is not interested in me.

"She" is smiling. "She" is calling me.

＊＊＊

Unable to gain anything from approaching Mitsui-san, I lost to reality.

I face my mirror. I face "her" who resembles me.

"I believe that the evil witch in Snow White lost to herself."

I start to talk to "her".

"Mirrors only reflect. If you ask it who the fairest one of all is, you will only receive the answer you believe yourself. The witch lost faith in being the fairest and thus the mirror answered Snow White. And then she tried to kill her with a poisoned apple.

"But ultimately, even if Snow White had deceased, the mirror would have never again said that the witch was the fairest. It would have continued to say different names, because the witch had admitted Snow White's beauty and with it the possibilty of others being more beautiful than herself. The mirror would not have given the answer the doubtful witch sought."

"What might the point of telling me this little allegory be?"

"Mirrors only reflect."

"That is true."

"That means that you are me and I am you."

"You are stating the obvious."

"Yes, so it is impossible to escape from you."

"Yes, because you are longing for me."

"Longing for you? Even though I do not know what you are?"

"You claim not to know what I am? Even though you have a fair grasp of my nature?"

"But I have not understood you entirely. I need an explanation."

"I suppose you do," "she" smiles inside the mirror. "I am a phenomenon."

"What kind of phenomenon?"

"A phenomenon called 'Reina Kamisu.'"

"That is my name."

"Yes, it is. But what else would you call me?"

"Point taken," I smile.

"I am a phenomenon no powers other than being visible. A phenomenon that can be given a role by naming it."

"But if you are 'visible' then you must be linked to something, right?"

"Yes, I am linked with the Form that is based on beauty."

"The theory of Forms."

"That might be a close term for it."

"Are you independent?"

"To almost no degree. I am dependent on other beings and I lack the ability to reflect and to actively update information. I do, however, have knowledge and I do obtain a consciousness when taking shape."

"The ability to update information?"

"Even I have to adapt in order to persist. For example, when I speak your language, I make use of your knowledge to transform raw information into words. Since my hosts, which are you human beings, are in permanent change, I have no other choice but to change with them."

"In other words, information is what links you with us?"

"This is not everything that it entails, but it certainly is part of it."

"It is difficult to follow you."

"As I said before, I am transforming information into language, so my words are lacking accuracy."

"It is no different for us! I also often feel restricted by the imperfection of words. But that aside ... if you are connected to us in such a way, do we also suffer from any side effects?"

"I suppose that because of my remoteness to your common world view, there is a chance that you might lose it by 'seeing' me." 

"Which means?"

"Your world view is a filter of sorts. By sending information through it, you are able to process data smoothly and without falling into confusion. Did you know that if you are born blind and have a cornea transplanted, you may not be able to see anything even though your eyes are properly functioning?"

"I think I have heard about that."

"Why is that? It is because they cannot process the information gathered by their eyes! People who have been born blind lack the practice of 'seeing' and therefore do not know how to cope with the light sent through the cornea. They cannot filter the information. As a result, they see nothing."

"In other words, by 'seeing' you we are forced to cope with the kind of information that would normally be filtered out by our subconsciousness?"

"Yes. As a result, you might fall into confusion, stand out in the world that is defined by the common world view, and mistake your selection of what information to filter out."

"Has that already happened to me?"

"Who knows?"

"This sounds synonymous to 'insane' to me."

"That is another way to put it."

"Am I insane?"

"I cannot deny that."

"Quite honest, aren't you?"

"However, you have already defined me as true."

"That alone is the truth."

"There is no such thing as universal truth, though."

"Sadly, you are right."

"Well then, let's get to the point. What role have I given to you? Why did I wish for you?"

"Do I even need to say it?"

"I suppose not. After all, you are Reina Kamisu."

"Yes, my role is—you."

"Your role is—me."

"I am the you who you believe has been lost inside others."

"Yes, you are the most perfect and beautiful and inanimate mask I have ever created."

""That is why others will see Reina Kamisu when they look in these eyes.""

"You then wished for me."

"I subconsciously wished for a perfect mask. By obtaining a new self, I wanted to lose my interest in others because they would only ever ignore me."

"Because it would make you relentless."

"Lose my interest in anyone."

"Lose your sympathy for individuals."

"Lose my soul."

"Therefore, my role is—"

"Yes, your role is to go against this world that turned me into this. To be—"

""—a tool of vengeance.""

＊＊＊

I became aware of the being that is Reina Kamisu.

I became aware of my tool of vengeance.

And the moment I became aware, I lost my powerlessness. I was set free from the control of others.

Even better, I am now freer than anyone else and can even soar up to the skies.

I am in a position where I can easily have my will.

After all, I have become one with Reina Kamisu and can freely make use of her.

This is how I use the perfect mask that is Reina Kamisu.

Or perhaps it is how Reina Kamisu uses me.

Either way, all that is left is to head straight for my goal.

Until everything crumbles into dust.

Until I crumble into dust.

===4===

Reina Kamisu is a concept that belongs only to me. Even if the phenomenon can exist by itself now that it has received the name of Reina Kamisu, it is safe to assume that its scope is still limited to myself at this point.

However, the people around me can clearly see Reina Kamisu.

For example, if your view is obstructed by some kind of white haze, you may interpret it as a ghost or as a white cloth, or you do not even bother yourself with the question of what it is at all, but you can see it in any case.

Likewise, other people can clearly see her. The perfect mask I have obtained by losing my soul certainly exists. I may be the only one who interprets her as the phenomenon Reina Kamisu, but they can see something that is different from what I see but that is essentially the same.

For example, it might be yourselves reflected by the one-way mirror.

"I will die in a few days from now."

I say something that can be interpreted in many ways.

"Die?"

"Yes."

"You?"

Which leads Ryoji-san to start puzzling over the deepest meanings of my words. All that is left for me to do is to to say the things he wants me to say. I do not get an answer from him. All he can do is present his answers to Reina Kamisu.

Alas, dear brother, with so few hints you cannot get it right!

As always, Ryoji-san engages in fairly solid reasoning and drifts off from the answer more and more.

I say the phrase I prepared for him:

"Go to my room when the time comes."

The mirror is there. Reina Kamisu is there. Of course, she is only visible to me, though.

This is my way of putting a curse on him. A curse that I am afraid he is unable to lift for the time being, for—

"I will die."

—Right. Because I will die.

This will cause him to use Reina Kamisu and aggravate the curse I put on him. There is a low probability that he might notice that it was not really me who he has seen, but if that happens then so be it. It would that he earned himself the right to be released.

"—but only metaphorically."

Right, I may die but Reina Kamisu will not.

And as long as Ryoji-san's own Reina Kamisu does not die, the curse will persist.

Death.

It is a tool that is most useful in the event of controlling someone's heart.

It has a tremendous emotional impact and can even be destructive depending on how you use it.

Death is unavoidable and of equal significance to everyone.

Therefore I decided to take advantage of it.

I start to make preparations.

I start to make preparations, using my Reina Kamisu.

Step by step, my vengeance gets executed.

After school, Mitsui-san called me out. While I do not know what she needs from me, I cannot turn her request down in front of everyone, since I am using Reina Kamisu.

My assumption is that she is seeking for help after being hurt by Kawai-san.

"Is it that you want to come back to our conversation the day before yesterday?"

"...No, that's not it," she says with eyes that do not see Reina Kamisu. They see me, not Reina Kamisu.

I suddenly feel a little unsettled.

Might her missing ability to see Reina Kamisu get in the way of my plan of vengeance? Her words bear far less weight than Reina Kamisu's, so I doubt that anyone would listen to her even if she tried to stop me. If, however, there are more people like Mitsui-san who can see "me" to some degree, they might give an ear to her.

What should I do? What if Mitsui walked around spreading her suspicions?

"After all, there's no bullying or violence. I'm just being hated by everyone. Even if the situation improved superficially, the actual hostility wouldn't disappear."

"Do you think so? I am convinced that this artificial hate would disappear with time once we took care of the problem on a superficial level. After all, it is just the peer pressure that is influencing them."

I fail to come to a conclusion.

For the time being, it might be a good idea to display my influence.

"Besides—I can take care of their hostility deep down, too."

It is but the truth, and Mitsui-san is aware of that.

She is left speechless.

We arrive at the back of the gym where she wanted to take me. The secretary of the student council, Anna Fuyuki, has already been waiting here and seems to be in a state of horrible agitation. It is quite obvious what is going to happen now.

I glance over to Mitsui-san.

Fuyuki-san is not someone who would willingly confess her love, let alone have Mitsui-san, an enemy of Kawai-san's, help her arrange it. That means that Mitsui-san has coerced her into this situation.

Why?

Before I arrive at an answer, however, Fuyuki-san opens her mouth:

"Sorry for ... calling you out to such a place."

"No, I do not mind at all."

I would like to catch a glimpse of Mitsui-san's facial expression, but Reina Kamisu is not allowed to avert her eyes from the earnest girl in front of my eyes.

Is that also part of her plan? No, I doubt she is that scheming.

Fuyuki-san struggles for along time to let out a single word, but eventually succeeds:

".........I love you."

Her words are extremely powerful. There might be no ill will in them, but they are essentially a threat. If I am basing my threat on my death, she is basing hers on her fragile and honest feelings.

They are so pure that they cannot be easily crushed.

Reina Kamisu fails to reply offhand.

"...I love you," she repeats.

Reina Kamisu manages to respond her pure feelings with a smile.

"Thank you, but I am sorry..."

And crushed them.

She crushed her pure feelings.

"...Thank you...for your time..."

With these words, Fuyuki-san disappears. The Reina Kamisu inside her should be fine, but ... it was a close call.

The total energy of emotions does not change so easily, but their direction does. Especially in cases like this.

Well then—

—Yukimi Mitsui is the greater problem right now.

I look at her. Ah, as I thought.

Her gaze is piercing through Reina Kamisu and reaches me.

"—Why are you looking at me like this?"

"Well, you said that you stayed on my side, didn't you?"

"I did, yes."

"Even if I look at you in this manner?"

"...Yes."

"You know, I noticed something when you promised to stay on my side. And just now I confirmed my assumption through a little experiment.

"Reina Kamisu, you do not have a soul."

No soul.

I did not expect her to figure out that much. Most impressive.

"...No soul? What do you mean?"

I feign ignorance, however, because it might be a wild guess on her part.

I must not readily admit to it. If she has really seen through me, my fears that she might stand in the way of my plan of vengeance could turn out true.

"Oh come on ... Kamisu-san, you're just a pretty shell without any content inside. You can't react in a differentiated manner to our behavior."

Interesting. Referring to me a "shell" is quite an accurate simile. For someone who does not see my content, Reina Kamisu, I certainly must look like an empty shell.

"It's true that I forced Fuyuki-san to confess to you, but her feelings for you are without a doubt real."

"Yes, I know."

"But you shooed her away."

"Shooed her away? Indeed, I was sadly unable to give her my consent, but I think I have replied to her sincerely. Or do you think that I should have beaten around the bush and told her a sweet lie instead, Mitsui-san?"

"No, that's not what I mean."

"What do you mean, then?"

"Looks like you really don't understand. Alright, listen, Fuyuki-san was serious. Do you have the slightest qualms for turning down her honest feelings for you?"

"I do."

I am perfectly aware that I crushed her pure feelings and even had difficulties doing so. However—

"On the surface, that is, right? After all, your sad expression vanished into thin air the moment she left."

—You cannot say that I have feelings of guilt?

"You only managed to bear feelings for a heartfelt confession at the moment when it occurred. The very instant you looked at me, your interest in Fuyuki-san died out!"

"You are over-interpreting things ... no?"

Wrong. It is just as she says. I can no longer explain my way out, but I must.

But I am not able to. Mitsui-san has understood me. By observing others, she has understood what Reina Kamisu is. She correctly assessed me and was convinced of her assessment when she saw my reaction to Fuyuki-san.

Driven into a corner, I make a slip of tongue.

"Or do you perhaps think that every single student at this school would obey if I told them to commit suicide?"

I accidentally tell her part of my plan.

I expected her to deny it. She could not possibly have such a fine understanding of me.

However—Mitsui-san replied without missing a beat:

"They would."

I am at a loss for words.

"I don't know what you plan to do at this school—maybe nothing at all—but I just want you to know that I realized that you're not normal. You're irregular. And you're aware of that more than anyone else. Yes—"

"—You can't be human."

How accurate.

Reina Kamisu is a phenomenon and I am her vessel.

Neither of us is human.

The following day I learned that Fuyuki-san had cut her wrist.

Beyond doubt, that confession was the cause. Fuyuki-san is a precious sacrificial lamb of mine; if I do not take measures, she might turn unusable because she is most likely planning to dissociate herself from me as it is. Do I look for a substitute, do I give up on one sacrifice, or do I get in touch with her and bring her back in order? After some wavering, I decide for the latter.

I walked to her classroom before school started, sneaked a peek inside, and found her sitting at her desk, hanging her head. She was easy to recognize thanks to her friends surrounding her. To my relief, Kawai-san was not among them.

As I enter the room I create a stir. With widened eyes Fuyuki-san notices me and immediately looks away. I suppose this is the natural reaction in this case.

Nonetheless, I walk up to her without hesitation.

"Fuyuki-san."

Surprised that I called her name, her eyes widen once more.

"H-How can I help you?"

"I would like to talk. Can you spare me a moment?"

Fuyuki-san nods a few times with her eyes still rounded.

"Thank you. Then ... yes, would you be so kind as to follow me to the second music room?"

She nods a few times again and follows me.

"Um ... what would you like to talk about?"

While she is waiting for me anxiously, I approach to the piano and sit down on the stool. To my chagrin, I have to admit that I have grown accustomed to this stool.

"How is your wound?" I ask with my gaze turned at her bandage, ignoring her question. I am expected to first worry about her wound.

"Ah ... I was just being stupid ... you don't need to worry about it, Reina-san."

"Please do not say that."

"No, but ... um ... it's not your fault, Reina-san..."

Oh, that is what she worried about? That suits her personality.

"Do not cut yourself anymore, all right?"

"......Yes," she nods hesitantly, which is fully understandable. Every child knows that one should not hurt oneself, and yet Fuyuki-san cut her wrist. She had to.

Fuyuki-san has been suffering enough to find herself in this situation—

—and thus longs for Reina Kamisu.

"...I have come here today, Fuyuki-san, to talk to you about yesterday."

Her face darkens as she hears me say so.

"Allow me to be direct ... Mitsui-san forced you to say it, right?"

After a few moments of hesitation, she replies, "Yes..." and adds, "but—"

"I thought so," I interrupt. I will not let her finish that sentence. "I was unable to properly handle your confession yesterday."

"Huh—?" she gasps and raises her face in surprise.

"I was unable to answer you honestly in the presence of a bystander, let alone the culprit who schemed it."

"W-What do you mean by this?"

I smile and say, "Now, please listen to my real reply: We are both girls, so I am afraid that we cannot become a couple."

"Yes ... I understand."

"However, I can accept your feelings nevertheless."

"W-What...?"

"This is quite difficult to express ... it might be more appropriate to say that I can be by your side while acknowledging your feelings for me. Going out with each other does not quite catch the nuance ... I really cannot think of an accurate term."

Fuyuki-san is left flabbergasted, but as the meaning of my words slowly gets through to her, she starts to blush.

"E-Err—"

"Are you unhappy with that?"

"N-No! By no means! I actually ... I wanted to become like this! Just ... feeling the same for each other ... is enough for me ... well, I guess ... I was dreaming of this kind of ... slightly special relationship."

"Is that so? Excellent," I comment with a smile. I can tell that she is charmed by me. "But have to warn you."

"Y-Yes ... what is it?"

"If possible, you should refrain from telling anyone about this. You understand why, right?"

"Y-Yes, of course."

"So why do we not make it our little secret?"

"—Our little secret..." she mutters with flushed cheeks and replies, "Yes!"

Our secret, yes?

Fufu, I am afraid that is not quite true.

It will be your very own secret, Fuyuki-san.

"Please take good care of Reina Kamisu."

Because—

—I will no longer be around later today.

As I explained to Mitsui-san, it is in my current power to control others. It would be child's play to get rid of Mitsui-san by taking advantage of Kawai-san.

But I did not do it.

Not because I thought it would be cruel. I do not possess human emotions anymore. As she correctly stated, I have lost interest in others.

And yet I did not do it. Even worse, I learned from Fuyuki-san that Mitsui-san was in danger and went there to intervene.

"Why ... why did you save me? I mean, I was so impudent as to say that you're 'not human' yesterday."

Why did I save her?

I wonder why?

I am not sure, but probably—I was happy.

I was happy that someone said I was "not human," that someone truly saw me.

"Did I not promise to be on your side? Besides, to be honest, I would like to avoid that cruel stuff even if I am not human," I explain my way out, because that is the answer she wanted to hear.

Aah, I am empty even in front of her. I am just a shell.

If ... If I met her a little earlier, perhaps I would have not turned into what I am now? No, I suppose there never was room for such an if scenario. I was born with this fate, floated all the way here—and will scatter.

"I'm so jealous."

I was not a little surprised to hear that.

Jealous. It is a word that I hear on a regular basis. However—Mitsui-san said so while understanding me.

"Jealous?"

"Yeah, I'm jealous. I could—do without a soul."

I see...

I finally found out. Why has Mitsui-san been able to look properly at me?

It is because to Mitsui-san, I was her Reina Kamisu.

Everyone sees Reina Kamisu through me, the ideal in the view of the observer.

Mitsui-san said she was jealous of me because I have no soul.

Right. Mitsui-san, too, sees Reina Kamisu through me. She, too, sees her ideal in me. However, I happen to be her very ideal; her Reina Kamisu is practically identical with me. She has no need to see Reina Kamisu because I am close enough.

That is why she could directly observe me.

"I want... I want to become like you, Kamisu-san."

"Do you want me to give you a hand?"

"Huh...?"

I was happy.

I felt accepted for the first time in my life.

Because of that, my facial muscles moved on their own. I have no means of knowing what my face looked like because it was an uncontrolled expression.

I am so happy, therefore let me grant your wish.

Luckily, it is in line with both my plan and the means I am going to employ.

"Oh, erasing your soul is not all that hard, really!"

Right, if Mitsui-san views me as her ideal, then she should be able to interpret a special meaning into my words.

My deep words and my death will guide her to the place she wishes to be.

"I will help you get there!"

Just like the others.

Of course, I have not the slightest idea where that will be.

I stationed Mitsui-san at the second music room where my body will pass during the fall. The only task that remains is to add the girl who has the strongest tendency of seeing Reina Kamisu to my plan.

Where might she be?

Just as I thought so—

"Reina-san!"

She, Kawai-san, called my name.

Nobody is as obsessed with Reina Kamisu and cleanliness as Kawai-san. She was longing for an unstained, beautiful person, and found it in Reina Kamisu.

Ignoring the fact that a person fulfilling her requirements does not exist.

"You have come at the correct time. I was searching for you."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"There is something I wanted to tell you," I explain briefly. Not many words are needed anymore in her case.

"Please take good care of Reina Kamisu."

This will make sure that she will pursue Reina Kamisu for the rest of her life. While I do not know where she will find her Reina Kamisu, I have a hunch that—

—it is where I am headed now.

I go to the rooftop.

＊＊＊

Reina Kamisu is already waiting for me when I arrive at the rooftop. She has broken free from the mirror. Well, she has always been right by my side since the moment I admitted her existence.

"Now you only need to fall down from here, is that right?"

"Yes, that will be the last step."

Fortunately, there is no one else here.

No, perhaps we are not alone. Perhaps I am subconsciously ignoring someone.

I do not mind either way as long as it does not impede my plan.

"I do not understand. How does this result in vengeance?" she asks.

"Well, I doubt that your role includes understanding my plan..."

"Would you mind disclosing some of it to me?"

"Sure."

"I am quite sure of this, but let me ask nonetheless. Having Kawai-san, Fuyuki-san and the others follow you into death is not what you consider your vengeance, right?"

"Exactly," I answer while searching for a place where I will fall past the window of the second music room.

"Should I think of your vengeance as something abstract?"

"Abstract...? No, I mean it quite literally. I suppose it can be considered abstract in the sense that it is hard to predict to what degree my plan will prove to be successful."

"...What is your plan, then?"

I shall answer her.

Ah, this tension in my facial muscles—I felt the same tension when talking with Mitsui-san earlier.

Oh, I remember this feeling now.

I am—

"To kill people!"

—laughing.

"Of course, I have no idea how successful my plan will be, but I want to kill people. I want to kill as many of them as possible. But not with ordinary means. I could only kill so many if I built a nuclear bomb. Would it not be a shame if there was no hope to kill more? If possible, I would like to wipe the entire human race from the face of the earth."

"How frightening. But how does falling down from here result in killing people?"

I finally find a good place that can be observed from the second music room. This will make sure that Mitsui-san will also have her soul erased.

"How I am going to kill? It is truly simple," I smile at Reina Kamisu. "I will use you!"

"Use me...?"

"Yes. Mind you, I am not talking about my interpretation of Reina Kamisu, but about your essence, about 'the phenomenon that can become visible.'"

"You want to use me as a weapon? Don't be silly. I have no power by myself. As you said, I am just a phenomenon that can become visible," she argues.

"That is more than enough."

"Poor thing. It seems like you have gone insane for good."

"I will not deny it. But although I may be insane, I can still think logically."

"Lunatics all say that."

I grab the fence. It seems to be stable enough to support my weight.

"What do you think will my fall from here cause?"

"...Let me think. First and foremost, you will die. After that, the people you prepared might end up committing suicide. Some kind of vicious cycle might even ensue ... but eradicating the human race is definitely impossible."

"You are right. I will die, Kawai-san and a few other people will die, and this marks the end of my preparations."

I lean against the fence and look Reina Kamisu straight in the eyes.

"This will allow me to overwrite your information."

Reina Kamisu gazes at me with utter surprise.

"Overwrite my information, you say?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean that you are going to redefine me as a phenomenon that kills people?"

"Exactly!"

"Even in the unlikely event that you succeeded in overwriting my information, what you plan to do would be impossible. Again, my sole power lies in 'becoming visible.' You could just as well tell a human to fly!"

"You do not need any new powers. You are fully capable of killing people as you are now."

"What was that...?"

"I just need to pin you!"

"'Pin me'?"

"At the moment, your shape is so vague that people refer to you by various names like god, angel, or whatnot. I will thus pin you to a single shape, by adding a new condition required to see you."

"Meaning...?"

"I will give you the fixed name Reina Kamisu."

"I do not understand. How does that give me the power to kill?"

"Do you not get my point? If you receive the name Reina Kamisu, you will no longer be just a vague concept but a 'person.'"

"That might be true, but what of it?"

"Your nature entails taking on the role your observer needs the most, right? What if you take on that role as a 'person'? Well, you will become the most important person to that observer. However, ultimately you are nothing more than a phenomenon, and once your observer realizes that, he will despair."

"And that is enough to kill people?"

"At least in the case of those who are desperate enough to seek you. Besides, do not forget that you will become Reina Kamisu. Do you know what this implicates?"

"...No, I don't."

"Nomen est omen. The name is a sign. For example, it is not possible to give you a boy's name because you are the Idea of Female Beauty. Likewise, it is not possible to give you the name of an object like an air conditioner, goggles or a toilet seat.

"However, it is possible to give you the name Reina Kamisu, and the name will bind you to a human appearance.

"And that is not all; there is more to this name. Originally, you are a phenomenon that only has a vague appearance, but you lose this vagueness by receiving the name Reina Kamisu. Your appearance will be reminiscent of me, and so will your nature. Right—"

While laughing I say:

"—the very name of Reina Kamisu will kill people."

"Fairy tales. As a matter of fact, you have not killed a single—" she pauses. "Wait—is that why you made those 'preparations'?"

"Exactly. I will now lead Kawai-san and the others to death. While I cannot predict how many of them will die, my plan is to make them die. To murder them. To attach an image to the name Reina Kamisu."

Reina Kamisu is at a loss for words. However, she quickly recovers and points out, "This is a well-thought-out delusion, but I am afraid that the premise is not established. How do you prove that it is even possible to overwrite my information?"

"Sadly, I have no proof."

"As I thought."

"But it makes sense, no? At the very least, the people I 'prepared' will see you. As Reina Kamisu, of course. Other students of this school or acquaintances of mine might also become able to see you and call you by my name. If so many people start to refer to you as Reina Kamisu, the odds are not too bad for your information to be changed the way I aspire to, right?"

"...I suppose the chances are not zero."

"That is enough for me to take the risk. I will sacrifice my own blood and that of several young girls and pray to create this curse. If that fails, then so be it."

With these words, I climb on the fence and stand on top of it.

I look down.

All I can see is the vicinity of the Junseiwa School, but that is just fine. Ultimately, my own world was no bigger than this, and yet I loathe the entire world. Unreasonable? Why? Isn't that human nature? Isn't it human nature to judge the whole by a part? The world is not kind to me. It is trying to dispose of me. It is ignoring me. That is why I will scatter, cursing anything and everything that belongs to this scenery.

"...You are a horrible person for dragging me into this."

I hear Reina Kamisu's voice behind me.

"Of course. You also belong to the things that I loathe."

"...What?"

"You are also a target of my vengeance, dear Reina Kamisu."

"This makes no sense. You said yourself that I am you and you are me."

"And that is exactly why—"

I bite my lips.

"—I hate you."

"I wanted to see myself in the mirror. You were uncalled-for. I wanted to be normal like everyone else. But—I could not! Because of you! Because of me!"

I am surprised by myself.

My voice is rough with anger? I am irritated? At whom? At Reina Kamisu?

...No. At myself.

I have not lost my feelings and I am actually turning them against myself.

But—

—I decide not to think about the meaning of this.

"I am going to take revenge on you. You will continue to exist for all time as a curse named Reina Kamisu, as a being that torments people."

"...Is that really what you wanted to accomplish?"

I unwittingly turn around to her.

"What do you mean...?"

"You could not see yourself in the mirror, right? You were just as blind to yourself as everyone else, right? Then how on earth would you be able to know what you want?"

"I don't know," I say bluntly and look ahead again, at the world I despise. "All I can do is—loathe this world that shows no understanding for me."

In response, Reina Kamisu whispers:

"If only you realized that everyone has to cope with the mundane feeling of not being understood in some way..."

Shut up.

I do not want to hear that nonsense.

I covered my ears.

And jumped.

＊＊＊

Everything tilts and tilts and tilts—

The despicable sky is colored dark red.

You do not change a bit even now.

I may be able to soar up to you.

But I am damned to fall.

I cannot reach so far.

I can only reach the bottom.

Oh sky!

Oh twilit sky!

Just like the sun that dyes you red every passing day,

I shall continue to dye you red with the blood I spill—

So at least—

—Do not forget me.

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Kamisu Reina:Volume 2 Afterword

2018-01-05T06:33:53Z

172.68.144.64: /* Afterword */

== Afterword ==

Hello, this is Eiji Mikage.

This book is the sequel(?) of "Reina Kamisu Is Here." If you start with this volume, you might find it difficult to understand the setting and you will miss out on a few tricks I have hidden in the first volume, so if possible, start with the first one.

To tell the truth, I have never struggled so much writing something in my life as with this book. There are many reasons that range from writer blocks and mental weakness to my neighbors, but the primary reason is that it was just flat out difficult to write. In the beginning I thought I could just take over the structure and the elements from the first volume, but doing so would inevitably lead to an inferior product compared to the first one because of the nature of the setting, so I had to change the protagonist of the first chapter and take a different approach. That in turn made the structure more complex. Hints here, hints there, hints everywhere ... well, a high amount of foreshadowing and hints isn't a bad thing, but it's also important to emphasize the parts that lead to the revelations adequately, and that might require new hints ... It was like filling out an exam where understanding the problems was a problem in itself.

Thanks to that, I lost quite some time with rewriting the entire third chapter and scrapping the epilogue twice, which is a shame because I thought I'd be quicker. I mean, the first volume was almsot done by May! Back then I thought even that was a slow pace.

By the way, a character mentioned that "words are imperfect and impractical." This is something I always feel when writing.

There are things that can't be worded. Things that sound cheap when worded. There are many of these things. (Take "love" for example) How do you convey these ideas without words? How can you get them across? How do you express something that your image of it doesn't get lost in the process? These questions are always on my mind. Words feel to me like frames that hold together meanings. If you use them the wrong way, the story will get engulfed by the frame of words and the words will be bound to the story.

And that's not fun, is it?

My stories may be fiction and disconnected from reality, but I would be delighted if some of my words managed to break free in someone.

Of course, that's not all that counts when writing a novel. There are many more things to take into consideration. It's really hard work. The more I write, the more I realize how difficult it is. Really.

All right, I think I will change my direction a little for the continuation (I didn't hear the people asking if there will be one). Well, I don't plan to throw everything over, though. Granted, I can't tell for sure at this point.

Well then, as I take my leave, I would like to thank my two editors in charge, my friend "K" and everyone who helped me with this book. Until we meet again!

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