Editing City Series:Volume3a Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 4===

The moon had risen to the top of the sky.

The ruins of Kowloon Walled City were on a small hill in the center of Hong Kong, so they gave a good view of the moon.

Not much remained of the large flat walled city. The moonlight only showed walls without ceilings and a forest of faded stone columns.

Two people stood within that forest.

One was Rin.

The other was the young man named Gunmal.

They sat facing each other on broken columns and they looked into the city of Hong Kong.

They were occasionally lit up by something other than the moonlight because Gunmal was smoking a cigarette.

He had already gone through five of those small lights since sitting down.

He threw away yet another one and it vanished after bouncing off the ground.

At the same time, the wind blew through.

The wind came from the ocean, so it smelled of saltwater.

Rin opened her mouth as if responding to the blowing wind.

“Sorry you had to visit the catacombs so soon after arriving in Hong Kong.”

She looked to the metal hatch embedded in the ground behind Gunmal. That was the entrance to the Yard’s morgue.

“I knew about the underground space below Kowloon left after the Second Divine Punishment War, but I’m surprised to see it’s being used for this.”

There was no hint of sadness in Gunmal’s voice and no stiffness in his expression.

“Well, I’m thankful I at least got to see my brother this way.”

“Were you here to see him?”

“I explained that when you questioned me, didn’t I? I was here for his wedding, but all I found was his funeral. Since I’m already here, I guess I’ll do some sightseeing.”

“If you want to drink, I’ll join you.”

“I don’t have time for that. This city looks pretty interesting. It’s British territory so it has a door to the same heaven as Aerial City and there are both Glossolalians and humans on the surface. Even sleeping feels like a waste of time.”

He smiled and added “I reserved a room for a whole month.”

“Are you planning to look into your brother’s death?” asked Rin.

His expression did not even budge at the blunt question.

“I dunno.”

He sounded casual, so Rin sighed.

She looked him in the eye as if trying to see something there and spoke.

“I think Akira has the night shift tomorrow, so rely on her if something happens during the day. …I feel like the two of you will get along.”

“Get along?”

“Both of you have a unique feel to you. And since you’re from the direct line of the Maldrick family, I assume you’re pretty talented.”

“Can you see my Live?”

“Don’t worry. I may have an official Tuning education, but not even I can see it. …This is about what my instincts tell me.”

“Talented, huh?” He smiled bitterly. “Please stop using that word.”

“Why?”

“Busting and Tuning are a killer’s profession. It’s the same here in Hong Kong, isn’t it? You’ve fought several Divine Punishment Wars against China or the Nein Engels and it had to have been Busters and Tuners at the center of the fighting.”

A brief silence fell.

[[Image:City_v03a_095.jpg|thumb]]

“You’re right about that. It was true of my parents and my grandfather.”

Rin thought for a bit and nodded.

She met Gunmal’s gaze before asking another question.

“You said you intend to quit Busting after you destroy J-Gun’s Device here in Hong Kong, didn’t you?”

She sighed.

“That will be the end of Europe’s top Busting family. And the Maldrick family only took that position from the Borderson family fifty years ago.”

Gunmal said nothing and looked up into the sky with a slight smile.

Rin looked up as well.

Perhaps drawn by the city lights, a single dove was flying south even though it was night.

Gunmal spoke quietly while watching the dove.

“That’s because Busting is boring.”

“?”

“You can’t even make a single bird. All you can make are ugly weapons.”

“Really? I think both Busting and Tuning have their interesting sides.”

She answered on reflex and almost seemed to be making an excuse, so he suddenly looked back at her.

“Do you really think that?”

“Why do you ask?”

“A Message sometimes leaks out of your Live.”

She looked to him in surprise, but his eyes were closed and his hand was on his forehead.

“I’m sensitive to other people’s Lives.”

“I see. Then I guess you read that I used to be so full of myself I thought I could make a dragon.”

“A dragon? You mean one of the three secret techniques of Tuning and Busting?”

“Yes, but ever since the texts on it were lost during the Fifth Divine Punishment War, you only ever hear about it in Peking opera or from Akira.”

Rin gave a self-deprecating smile.

“Also, I’ve lost sight of why I wanted to Tune in the first place. I’m so busy that I just don’t have the time. …And about five years ago, I realized you need wings to fly.”

“Wings, huh?”

Gunmal paused for a moment.

“Her wings are so pretty.”

“You mean Akira’s?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, she is a Nein Engel.”

He started to say something, but stopped and asked something else instead.

“A Nein Engel?”

“It’s Hong Kong slang. There didn’t used to be many of them, but about forty years ago, the angels were nearly wiped out by a bacteriological weapon in the Fourth Divine Punishment War. To leave behind some descendants, a lot of them began procreating with humans.”

“I see. And the person you’re searching for is one of those Nein Engels.”

Her expression changed at that.

It stiffened.

“Why do you know about that?”

“During a break in the questioning, I met Akira at the Yard’s restaurant. She told me while we were eating.”

“The Yard’s restaurant? You mean the Human Meat Bar?”

“Yeah. She was busy putting together her written apology at the time, so we promised to drink there later. …You want to join us?”

“No thanks. That place is meant for Glossolalians. They even serve rocks for Rockbiters.” She crossed her arms. “But Akira does have a bad habit of talking too much”

“She was worried about the person you’re looking for. She said Nein Engels tend to be persecuted in this city, so I would guess your story has something to do with that too.”

“We just happened to be moving in different directions. And don’t dig too deeply into my personal issues.”

A slight seam appeared in the stiffness of her expression.

That seam gave a glimpse of darkness below.

Gunmal must have seen it because he clapped his hands to change the general mood.

“Well, don’t get too mad at her.”

“Hm? Have you fallen for her? If so, you’ll need the General’s permission.”

“Is he her father?”

“No, but he’s an old acquaintance of her father. When she came here three years ago, the General took her to meet her father on his deathbed. I was there too to tend to him,” she explained. “He may not look it, but he’s a decent Tuner. He wandered in from who knows where and saved everyone during the Fourth Divine Punishment War.”

“Oh? Sounds like I’ve got a decent rival on my hands.”

“Are you serious about going after Akira?”

He nodded.

“Yeah. She’s a good girl. She never said it out loud, but her Live apologized over and over for not saving my brother. She really is a good girl. But…”

“?”

“It’s still too soon for me to fall for her. …After all, I don’t like Tuners.”

With that said, he stood.

His eyes looked down into the city lights far below.

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