Editing City Series:Volume3b Chapter 6 (section)

===Part 3===

“It’s going to rain soon,” said Double Lee as he sat in his chair.

He was in a room on the fifteenth basement of the former Archs RDC building. He was using it as a simple residence, but it contained nothing that would let him see outside.

He had determined that by listening to the Lives of Hong Kong.

“Typhoons are proof that nature can take some pretty drastic measures. Don’t you think, Genius?”

He rotated his chair toward the room’s entrance.

The automatic door was the same flat white as the wall and Genius stood in front of it.

“…”

She remained silent.

“Is something the matter?”

Double Lee tilted his head and smiled thinly.

“You were the one that came to my room, so we can’t start speaking until you ask me something.”

“I’m sure you already know what I want to ask,” replied Genius.

Double Lee closed his eyes with the smile still plastered to his lips.

Then the smile moved to produce words.

“I want to hear it in words, Genius. I am not your translator.”

“…Why?”

“That’s what I want to know. If you aren’t even willing to say it out loud, why do I need to say anything? So why are you asking me with a Message carried by your Live?”

Genius’s shoulders drooped.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“I always am.”

“I know.”

“Then go ahead.”

“…”

“?”

“Aren’t you going to accuse me?”

“Of what?”

“Of showing off. I told J-Gun’s brother and the Yard’s General about the final ceremony.”

“I do not mind. It’s not like they can stop the ceremony.”

Genius frowned at how casually he said that.

“But I need to make up for acting against our interests.”

“Then how about you go without any dinner? The ceremony is coming up, so a fast wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.”

“I’m not talking about something personal. I mean something to help the organization-…”

“Do you see an organization anywhere around here?”

Double Lee cut her off.

“All I see is myself walking at the forefront of the words Master Huang left us.”

His smile had vanished.

“I must guide everyone else. And I do not believe I ever required that the rest of you follow me.”

“…”

Genius lowered her gaze a little.

“Why are you so intent on this?”

“On what?”

“On continuing this ceremony even though it will kill so many people. You even returned badly injured after fighting J-Gun’s brother. …What are you thinking?”

“If we were an organization, that would be a decent criticism.”

He gave a slight bitter smile and sighed.

“Hong Kong’s history contains several wars that killed many people. I am sure everyone lamented those losses as you are now. …But I do not mind and I can heal myself even if I am injured.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. …Why are you so intent on this?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“You can read my Live, but I can’t read yours.”

“A fair answer. …But I would like to hear a more direct answer.”

She hesitated at that.

“…”

She loosely crossed her arms by her waist and looked him in the eye.

“I want to know why J-Gun died.”

“I see.”

Double Lee sighed and sank deep into his chair. The tips of his main wings, the longest of the six, slid on the linoleum.

He continued looking Genius in the eye.

“That was not mentioned in Master Huang’s instructions or in his predictions. His instructions simply said to have J-Gun make the Device.”

“Isn’t that because Master Huang’s instructions aren’t absolute?”

“Are they not?”

“Perfect predictions are impossible. He couldn’t possibly account for everything.”

“But what if he could?”

That question confused Genius.

“…?”

“This is an old story, but a human man and a Nein Engel woman once fought a Nein Engel man and read the Live of time.”

“…Eh?”

“Before, they had only been able to read the past, but using a certain individual’s instructions, they read the future. …Master Huang was one of those who read the Live of time.”

Genius uncrossed her arms.

“Do you…do you really believe that!?”

“I do. And as proof, Master Huang died. As an Archs, he was the closest being to god and thus should have had a long, illness-free life. And yet, he aged.”

“How is that proof? Are you saying that was why he died!?”

“It is simple.”

“…”

“Master Huang realized Hong Kong’s future was headed toward destruction, so he resonated with the other two who had read time with him and they broke down the Lives of Hong Kong.”

He took a breath.

“Then, the three of them swapped out their own lifespans with Hong Kong’s lifespan.”

“…”

“Master Huang in particular received a large portion of the destruction, so he did what he could to keep his own destiny from overlapping with the other two’s. Those other two left a prophetic song in the time period they found themselves in…and then they returned to their original time period.”

Double Lee kept his eyes on Genius the entire time.

And Genius kept her eyes on his.

“Then what was J-Gun’s death?” she asked.

“Proof that the future is changing.”

“To something different from the future Master Huang saw…and different from the one he was trying to create?”

“Yes. Most likely…”

Double Lee closed his eyes.

“We are paving the way ahead.”

As soon as he said that, his eyebrows moved slightly.

“Genius, J-Gun is coming to a stop.”

“J-Gun is?”

“Yes. Based on his Live, he is slowly adding the finishing touches to his work. It should take…another half day.”

Genius reacted to the word “work”.

She frantically turned toward the automatic door behind her.

“Genius, you are getting ahead of yourself. He will not be done until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”

“It’s never too soon or too late to start waiting.”

She reached for the button to open the door.

“Double Lee.”

“Yes?”

“Did Master Huang’s instructions about the future or destiny or whatever… Did they mention the bottle of his blood breaking?”

“Do not worry. I have a way of acquiring blood filled with the power of Yang.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I have a sister, so everything will work out.”

“!?”

“Please do not look so shocked. Besides, your blood or Fei’s would not work.”

Genius steadied her breathing and let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t understand you.”

“Why not?”

“I can never tell if you mean what you say or not.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

After nodding, Genius pressed the button.

The door quickly opened and she passed through the newly-formed opening.

She walked forward.