Editing City Series:Volume4a Chapter 11 (section)

===Part 4===

'''5:58 PM

The first thing Shoui saw when he opened his eyes was a brown shadow.

His eyes focused on that brown color instead of the dimly-lit space around him.

Finally, he could tell what it was: a Dog God.

The small, foxlike animal was resting on Shoui’s chest as he lay on his back.

He was also staring curiously at the boy’s face.

“You don’t need to worry.”

The words came from the Dog God’s mouth rather than his own.

He placed a hand on his throat and felt the bandages there.

He still could not speak.

“I can’t believe this.”

After having the Dog God say that, he looked in a different direction.

His focus shifted and the ceiling came into view.

It was an expensive-looking ceiling with a pattern drawn in warm colors.

It was both high and large.

“Is this a mansion or something?”

“No, it’s a hotel.”

He turned toward that male voice.

He removed the blanket placed over his chest and the Dog God quickly hopped over to his shoulder.

Shoui looked to the speaker while feeling the Dog God’s claws through his thin innerwear.

A Buddhist monk sat cross-legged on the twin bed next to the one Shoui was lying on.

Shoui recognized the monk outfit as the kind worn at the Mountain.

The man wearing it had folded up the bed’s blanket and sat on the flat sheet.

A tray on the sheet held a glass and a rectangular bottle of whisky.

The glass only contained some damp ice, so he had apparently already drank the contents.

But Shoui looked to the man without paying that any heed.

The short man had not sunk into the bed at all, so he was lighter than he seemed.

“Who are-…?”

“Wait.”

When Shoui started to get up, the man held out a hand and gestured to the boy’s feet with his chin.

“?”

Shoui looked down and found Takada lying on the bed.

She had removed her stole, the blanket by his feet was placed over her, and her eyes were closed.

He saw a ring on the hand gripping the top of the blanket.

It was an unadorned golden ring.

He tilted his head at the glittering ring of unknown origin, but then he noticed some small movement.

It was Takada’s Dog God.

The creature ran up onto her back and hesitantly looked between Shoui and the man’s gazes.

The one on Shoui’s shoulder replied with a quiet voice reminiscent of a creaking door.

“It seems Takada and the Dog God have taken a liking to you,” said the man.

“Is that so?”

“To be honest, this is a problem.”

“Is she your daughter?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why?”

“That Takada girl is destined to become the queen.”

Shoui stared at the monk when he heard that.

His mouth remained closed, but…

“Talk about sticking with the classics. Don’t tell me you’re seriou-… Don’t say it! Not now!”

“I do not mind.”

“Oh, that’s luck-… Stop that!”

“I see the Dog God is reading all of your thoughts.”

“Yeah, and it’s not exactly fun. Can’t you stop it?”

“This is the first time the Dog God has naturally taken a liking to anyone other than Takada, so there is nothing I could do.”

“Is that so?”

Shoui shrugged and lay down on his side.

He made sure not to wake Takada as he adjusted his position and sighed while propping his head up with his hand.

“So what’s going to happen to me here?”

“It seems Nakamura can become the king with you here.”

“Nakamura…”

“If what he said is true, then he is the one that kicked you in Osaka Prefectural #2’s student dorm.”

“Oh, the guy who crushed my throat.”

The man frowned a little at that.

“…Your throat?”

“Yeah, he kicked it. Got a nice solid blow from directly below.”

“It’s unusual for Nakamura to miss.”

“Miss? …Where was he trying to hit me?”

“When going for the face, he was trained to hit the side of the head here or the jaw.”

“If I took that kick to the jaw, I think I’d have lost about five teeth.”

“It was an additional attack meant to keep you from speaking, so the end result was little different. Still, allow me to apologize in place of my student.”

The man obediently bowed.

Shoui was impressed that the man still did not sink into the bed even when he moved.

“Who are you?”

“Yuuki Senga hasn’t told you? I used to train under her.”

“Oh, so I was kind of following in your footsteps. Sorry. …It’s only been three days since I came down from the Mountain, so I still haven’t been by Nandaimon.”

“But I had heard the boy named Hizaka Shoui was Nandaimon’s protégé.”

“That may have been true two years ago.” He laughed bitterly. “I trained at the Mountain for two years and still didn’t become a Chancellor. I haven’t figured out how to face her when I go back.”

“Two years? Has Yuuki Senga had anything to say about that?”

“Like I said, I haven’t seen her. She hasn’t come to say anything to me either, so I feel like I missed my timing.”

“I see. Then…”

The man crossed his arms for a few seconds.

“You may have been lucky to be so talentless.”

“What?”

“I assume you know Yuuki Senga used to be a head teacher at the Mountain.”

“Yes.”

“But I doubt you know that she traveled around Japan thirteen years ago, creating Chancellors as she did so. She created Chancellors who could use the Heavy Rhythms that have since become Death Techno.”

“Thirteen years ago?”

“Yes, the same year as the Kinki Riot that began as a sports riot after the Koshien game went into extra innings.”

The man pushed back his right sleeve to show off the arm.

The entire right arm was covered in keloids.

Shoui gasped and the man continued.

“As we fought each other, something seemed wrong. I began to worry over why we were fighting. And…”

“And?”

“After the third death, when the Heavy Rhythms began to be feared, I realized that we had been placed on the path to conflict.”

He covered his arm with the sleeve once more.

“Yuuki Senga tried to seal away the Heavy Rhythms that the world viewed as dangerous and she tried to suppress that age in which student conflicts were frequent. To do so, she taught the Chancellors supporting Japan how to use the Heavy Rhythms and had them fight.”

“You’re lying.”

“I am not.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“…”

Shoui laughed quietly at the man’s silence.

“Not even Old Lady Senga could manipulate people’s hearts to that extent. Besides, the sports riot that began the Kinki Riot wasn’t faked. It was a natural incident caused by the cheering squad. She couldn’t have interfered in that.”

“Then why did I alone survive?” asked the man. “We realized our mistake and wished to settle our differences, but our surroundings did not allow it. Most notably, the Mountain. …The Tokyo Chancellor and Osaka Chancellor were driven to death by the Mountain and the corporations.”

“But…”

“They were pursued by the private army of the corporations that feared the Heavy Rhythms…and they were surrounded by the special forces of the Mountain led by Yuuki Senga.”

“…”

“That was when my Words changed.”

The man breathed a deep and heavy sigh.

At the same time, he sank cross-legged into the bed.

His head was still hanging.

“Dis-Worder, it was only Chancellors with special abilities like yours that Yuuki Senga taught to use the Heavy Rhythms.”

“Eh?” asked Shoui.

He recalled what Saki had said on the roof the other night.

“There was once a boy who had no Words. He brought misfortune to Osaka and died…”

“You heard that from the 1st Special Duty Officer of Osaka’s Chancellor’s Officers, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” confirmed Shoui. “The 1st Special Duty Officer at the time was his friend. And his Words…”

He looked to the monk, but the man did not raise his head.

His shoulders shook a little but there was a small smile on his downturned face.

He was laughing.

“Yes, this hand is all that remains. …This hand that, at the end of it all, could not defend against Yuuki Senga’s spear and allowed those two to kill each other!”

Shoui was left speechless.

“Do not worry. You were kicked out of the Mountain, so they must have decided you cannot use a Heavy Rhythm. Even if it took them two years to do so.”

“Why would they want to have me use a Heavy Rhythm?”

“Because of what I said.”

“…?”

The Dog God on Shoui’s shoulder expressed his confusion by tilting its head.

The monk raised his head with a powerful smile on his face.

—''Shoui – Mind Tech – Take – Decode Expression – Miss!

The expression was too powerful to read.

A chill ran down his spine and the Dog God hid behind his head.

“I said I would create someone who could use a Heavy Rhythm, so Yuuki Senga attempted to create someone to oppose them.”

“What?”

“You still do not understand? Think carefully. It is not just you. Her granddaughter is the same.” The man took a breath. “Remember this, boy. While Yuuki Senga erased all kings and split Japan between east and west, I intend to create a king and reunite Japan once more. …She does not like it, though.”

“Doesn’t like it? …And that’s why she made Yuuki like that?”

“Yes, the Killing Holder. …She mentally trained up her own granddaughter after the girl killed someone. I assume she did so once she realized she could not rely on you.”

“…”

Shoui silently removed his head from his hand and lay down on the bed.

“Ahh, ahh,” he sighed. “So it’s all my fault.”

“I don’t think it is,” said Takada’s voice without warning.

Shoui froze in place on the bed.

“Don’t be so mean, Iba-sensei,” said her voice. “I’ve been listening, and you make it sound like Shoui-san caused all this.”

“No, I was saying Yuuki Senga had-…”

“Shoui-san trusts this Yuuki person.”

The man named Iba fell silent at that.

Shoui realized the weight of Takada’s arms had left his legs, so he got up.

“…”

He saw her smiling.

It felt like the room’s dim light was illuminating only that smile.

He scratched at and tilted his head.

“I feel like these past few days have been the busiest in my life. Everyone who shows up says whatever they want and I’m faced with these huge revelations on a daily basis.”

“You are probably working through two years’ worth of truths and obligations,” said the Dog God on Takada’s shoulder.

Shoui nodded and the man to his right cleared his throat.

“Takada, I need to get going soon.”

“Oh, you’re causing a diversion in the city, right? From underground.”

“I really should have gone with the other two…but I wanted to speak with Yuuki Senga’s current student.”

Shoui tilted his head at that.

“Um, what are you two talking about?”

“We’re stealing the strongest Rhythm from Ixolde.”

Takada sounded entirely casual as she clasped her hands and stretched a little.

Shoui’s head dropped forward.

“What?”

“You understand the situation, don’t you? We’re from Tokyo’s Chancellor’s Officers. Since Osaka creating the strongest Rhythm would be a threat, we’re going to steal it.”

“Um… This is kind of sudden.”

“Don’t worry. We aren’t making the attack. We’re only creating a diversion.”

“Attack? Diversion? I’m hearing a lot here that makes me worry.”

“You don’t have to worry because you have time to figure it all out. …The diversion team doesn’t have to start moving until the attack team has made their attack and escaped. We still have plenty of time.”

Takada smiled.

“Please understand your position here. If you do, nothing like the Kinki Riot will happen. That misfortune only occurred because there was no one to worry about who they were.”

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