Hidan no Aria:Volume8 Chapter3

3rd Ammo: Silver-white ICBM

"The accused, Kanzaki Kanae--is sentenced to 536 years of imprisonment."

That verdict echoed within the 800th courtroom of the Tokyo high court.

I, seated in the seats of the defense, couldn't believe my ears.

The text which declared the postponement of the death sentence or life sentence wasn't spoken by the judge, so I had had a bad feeling, but...I can't believe it. Aria's mother, Kanzaki Kanae-san...

...was convicted.

And there wasn't even a delay before its execution. It's a heavy sentence. Too heavy.

"..."

Sitting next to me and dressed in a suit, Riko looked over to the prosecutors with sharp eyes.

Jeanne, who we had lost all communication with after Bandere, and Sayonaki Vlad, being held in a level 5 holding facility in Nagano, wasn't present, but I had thought that we would definitely win this trial.

--We lost. Completely.

The sentence was reduced from the first trial, but still, this high court trial's a loss for the accused.

Because, Kanae-san's actual life sentence hasn't changed.

(That's not right...! Something like this is...!"

Strange.

This trial is strange.

For some reason, there wasn't an audience, and there wasn't anybody from the mass media either--

I even feel that there's something that we don't understand lurking at the back of this.

"That's an unfair verdict!"

Aria stood up, her chair scraping on the floor, and she shouted in a high-pitched voice.

"This---Why!? I gathered so many testimonies, so much evidence--Why!? Mama is...Mama is innocent! Why!?"

Aria, also dressed in a suit, tried to sprint over to the prosecution, but--

The young female attorney, Renjou Kuroe, held on to her tight, keeping her back.

"Don't raise a racket, Aria! The impression at the next one will be bad! We'll appeal today, calm down!"

--The next one--

If she's sentenced to life imprisonment, we'll no longer be able to overturn it.

This trial has finally been driven into a corner.

"Let go! Let go of me! I'm not angry at you! You're talented, and you did all you could! The one's that're strange are those people!"

Aria wept as she pointed at the prosecutors and further, even the judge.

"Do it over! Do it over again! I'll replace all of you and do it again! This is a---mockery! You've all conspired together to frame Mama...My Mama! This is a conspiracy!"

"Stop it, Aria! There's still the supreme high court! This isn't definite!"

Unable to say anything other than that, I also went to restrain Aria, but--

Even when together with Renjou, who was a former Butei, we couldn't control her.

Looking around, the security had taken out their handcuffs and were coming to surround Aria.

This is bad. This is really bad. If Aria punches them and gets arrested here...!

"--Aria. Please calm down."

With that single quiet sentence, uttered from the seat of the accused--

I knew that Aria had regained control of herself.

Her gaze was turned towards her own mother--

--Kanzaki Kanae-san.

Aria had been struggling violently just a moment ago, but her eyes changed from rage to sadness...she just...she just looked at Kanae-san.

--Please don't go. Please don't be apart from me--

Her eyes seemed to be clinging onto those words.

Wearing a grey suit and shaking her wavy hair, Kanae-san faced Aria...

"Thank you, Aria. Your hard work...really made me happy. I can't believe that you had made I-U your enemy, that you had accomplished this much. You've grown a lot. For a parent, that's a joy beyond all other."

...and she was calm.

More so than anybody else here.

"Tohyama Kinji-san. I thank you too from the bottom of my heart. You've given Aria an amazing partner. I'm happy that I'm able to see that with my own eyes. But--"

Kanae-san spoke up until that point--

Erasing the expression on her face completely, she closed her beautiful eyes with those thick eyelashes.

And her face formed the expression of...someone who had been made a scapegoat and was thinking about the person who had appointed her death...someone who wasn't here.

"--I knew that things would turn out this way."

She muttered.

Apparently trying to comfort Aria, who was clutching the guns with Kanae-san's picture on them and continuing to cry, Renjou bundled us into her own Audi, and after spending some time in the parking lot...

She started forward, as if chasing the vehicle carrying Kanae-san from the high court.

She was thinking along the lines of...'Even if just a little, I'll let Aria be by Kanae-san's side', right?

Aria, in a passenger's seat, was staring at the transport vehicle, who had gone through Roppongi Road, avoiding a traffic jam.

"Mama..."

Flicking a glance to the front mirror in response to that voice, i saw that Aria was...still crying.

That's...that's right.

In this trial, the defense was fought to win.

For the sake of winning, Aria had literally risked her life, continuing to fight. For several years too.

Throwing away her youth as a normal girl, she ran around the world, fighting with Riko and Jeanne, capturing Vlad, driving away Sherlock and Patra and gathering evidence.

--In spite of that.

Only Riko, Jeanne and Vlad's share was deducted from Kanae-san's sentence.

The evidence of the defense concerning the other members' crimes wasn't enough. They were left behind.

Why? I don't know. The case of the prosecution regarding Kanae-san's crimes seemed...even for an amateur like me, illogical. It was clear that their reasoning didn't stand. Even their evidence was ambiguous.

--However, judgement was passed.

...What do we do now?

Would it be fine if we arrested all the scattered remnants of I-U, including Patra and Hilda? And then would it be fine if we took a rope to their necks and dragged them to court, making them say that they were in the wrong? That's just a dream.

Even if we could, something like that would take years.

Renjou had bought us time, but there's no way we would make it in time for the Supreme High Court.

The delay of s trial in Japan was improved through the enforcement of frequent new laws. No matter how hard we worked, within maybe three years...no, within two years, the supreme high court would judge, and Kanae-san's life sentence will be definite.

...While worrying about that, I looked at Riko, who was sitting next to me.

Riko had closed her eyes earlier, seeming to be thinking about something.

The car drove on, keeping up with the transport vehicle. It took a right at a reservoir intersection--entering Sotohori Road--and approached Kinnoushita.

At that moment, at a place quite far away from the stop line of the traffic light...

The transport vehicle stopped.

"...?"

Renjou took off her sunglasses and looked up the road.

I had also noticed the irregularity.

The traffic light in front of us--

(It's off...?)

Neither red, yellow, or green were shining. It was off.

The lights for pedestrians were also off, and people were milling around in front of zebra crossings, looking around at each other.

"...What is it...?"

Looking around, I saw that crowds of salarymen were pouring out of the buildings to the left and right, worry all over their faces.

I noticed late because it was noon, but it's dark inside the cafe's and convenience stores on the ground floor.

The lights on the billboards had also gone out.

"A blackout?"

Just as Renjou muttered those words, Riko opened her eyes wide, as if she was alerted of something.

"...?"

The next instant, my eyes--

--took hold of something...irregular.

Something black was spreading out from below the transport vehicle in front of us, which was currently stopped...and it was coming this way.

It looked like it could have been a fuel leak, but that wasn't it.

That was...a shadow...!

The 'shadow' was stretching this way.

I looked to the sky from the car window, but it didn't seem as if there were any helicopters or airships passing by.

"...!"

In the blink of an eye, the shadow enveloped the bottom of our car.

That too was strange. The space outside the car remained bright.

Though there's nothing above, there's still a shadow...!

--This is...!

The instant the memory of a scene like this flashed into my mind----

"--!"

A flash of light erupted, and following it was an overwhelming screeching of sparks, piercing my ears.

Renjou's voice of surprise as well as Aria's shriek resonated in the car.

I had thought that it was an explosive, but that wasn't it. This is--electricity. A high voltage electric current had just torn through our car.

It gave rise to an impact which felt like we had been struck by lightning from below.

"...!"

The current seemed to have passed through the metal portions of the car--in other words, the exterior, leaving the interior unharmed.

However, smoke as well as a choking sound was rising from the bonnet...not to mention the flames licking out from under the hood.

Tens of liters of gasoline are held inside a vehicle.

If it ignited, all of us--

"Everyone, get out of the car! We're in danger!"

Kicking the door open and getting outside, smoke was rising from the transport vehicle in front of us as well.

All its tires had gone flat too.

"Kanae-san--!"

Just as Aria and I tried to sprint towards the transport vehicle--

Golden sparks burst from the rear of the vehicle.

"--Mama!"

"Aria, wait! It's a trap!"

Looking inside, the driver was hammering on the door.

It seemed like he was trying to get out from the car, which had come to a stop, but was unable to.

Could the door be broken? Or was something installed there and is keeping it closed?

Having gotten onto the asphalt, I noticed that the strange shadow by my feet had disappeared.

A series of unnatural movements from an unnatural 'shadow'--

"Hilda...!"

The reason I shouted her name--

Was because I could see her.

At some point in time, she had stood up on the car and now, she was twirling her frilly parasol--

Giving off a decadent and, somehow, unlucky impression, a girl in gothic lolita.

Having put herself forth as 'Grenada' during the Bandire, the most battle hungry of them all--

And she was the vampire girl who bit Aria that night!

"...Hilda! I've seen you in photos--but this is our first meeting, isn't it...!"

Hilda sniffed at the sight of Aria, who had drawn her guns reflexively.

And shaking her twin-tails, curls of golden hair hanging downwards, she looked the other way.

"That's intolerable. How rude. I'm not really in the mood to fight, you know? I really hate the sunlight."

Hilda pressed the handle of the parasol against her cheek, as if embracing it--

"I say that, but I accidentally acted! Well, you just casually came out of Tamamo's barrier after all. And also..."

Tapping the roof of the car with a stiletto heel made of black enamel, she indicated inside it.

"This is your Mama, isn't it? I'll exterminate every one of Father's enemies, their families, their followers...I'll force them to extinction."

"--Kinji, give support from the right side!"

Aria shouted in her anime-like voice--

Following her usual movement pattern, she sprinted straight towards Hilda.

She ran with abandon, a reckless charge which made it seem like she had a jet engine strapped onto her.

"...!"

Without missing a beat, I drew my Beretta and ran towards Hilda's right...I see, it seems like her field of vision on this side is limited because of her parasol.

The instant my and Aria's shadow stepped into the shadow of the transport vehicle...

"--Mm."

It seemed as if Hilda exerted herself slightly--

"Uu---!"

"Kyaaaaaaa!"

Aria and I fell to the ground simultaneously.

T-This is...!

Her ability...!?

It was like I had taken the shock of a 600~900 thousand volt stun gun.

"As I was saying...don't show me yourselves like this...your blood running so high. I won't be able to hold myself back, will I? Ahh. I wonder if I should start feasting. Even Primo like you...it feels like I could."

I tried...I tried to stand, but I couldn't.

I'm staying conscious. That's another similarity with a stungun. Her ability--the current is impressive, but it doesn't seem as if she can raise the voltage.

"...Fu-Fuck...!"

In spite of that, pain is flashing through all my nerves, and I can't put any strength into my muscles.

Even so, Aria hadn't let go of her guns, and her knees were quivering...

"Hi...lda...!"

Crawling inside the shadow, she clung to the license plate of the transport vehicle, which was still smoking.

Her teeth clenched tight, she strained, but--she couldn't. Aria couldn't stand either.

"...Ahh, I've had it. Aria, when I look at you...hunger just seems to well up. I remember your delicious flavour...I remember it well..."

Hilda stepped down towards the trunk as if going down a set of stairs--

Not even giving Aria's guns a thought, she crouched down.

"I wonder if I'll have some accompaniment to my drink. The blood of that dying cockroach over there tastes like soured wine left in a thrown away bottle. On the other hand, your blood is like century old wine."

By cockroach...does she mean me?

I may ask that, but if this continues...I'm really the same as a dying cockroach.

Only able to squirm on the ground...unable to do anything.

I can't even put strength into a single finger. I can't even fire.

"--Hilda!"

A yell rang out--

It belonged to Riko, who had exited from the car.

Only able to turn my eyes in her direction, Riko was holding Walthers in her hands, and knives with the tails of her hair.

"Get away...Hilda!"

Even as she was holding two knives and two guns at the ready, Riko was trembling. Trembling so much that even I, looking from quite a ways away, could tell.

She was stifling her terror, trying to bluff. That's what it felt like.

Seeing her behaviour, I recalled the relationship between Riko and Vlad, who I had battled in June.

When she was young--Riko was imprisoned. Imprisoned by the father of the girl standing before us, Hilda. Dracula Vlad.

Seeing as they seemed to recognize each others faces, could it be that Riko and Hilda met during that period?

"Aaah, the fourth. What fierce eyes. How cute."

Hilda hugged herself, performing the gesture deliberately.

"That's why I love you, fourth. If I'm the most high class of purebred dogs, you're a stray afflicted with rabies. But...you know, don't you? That you and I are friends."

--As if Aria and I couldn't be seen, she spoke to Riko.

"Currently, while father is absent, I am the master of the Dracula family. I won't shut you in a cage like father did. My marble room, my canopied bed of silk, my bathtub of pure gold...I'll lend it all to you. I don't mind leaving Koumeikan in Yokohama to you."

Having said that, Hilda descended to the road.

"Don't get any closer! Don't look down on me. Do you think that I'll be tricked by such worthless lies!?"

--She grinned.

At the sight of a screaming Riko, Hilda brought a finger to her mouth and grinned.

"Look at my eyes, Riko. They aren't the eyes of someone who's telling lies, are they?"

"..."

Riko reflexively stared at Hilda's eyes--crimson irises only slightly filled with sparkling gold.

Her breath seemed to leave her, as if she heard the words 'oh fuck' coming from her heart.

"Alright. Put down your guns and knives. For the sake of our friendship. Do it while looking into my eyes...yes, like that. Do it while looking closely...slowly, slooowly..."

"......!"

Looking at her--Riko put her Walthers down, her hands trembling. She did the same for the knives in her hair...

"Yes. It's fine now, fourth. Good girl. Listening to what I have to say, you're a good girl."

Riko's body seemed to be moving contrary to her own will.

Hilda, her stiletto heels clicking, approached Riko until she was right before Riko's eyes.

Riko didn't fire. She just stared at Hilda in a daze.

--She's done. It seems like she's been affected by some sort of hypnosis.

This is getting ugly...none of us can fight anymore.

Isn't whether we live or die...entirely up to Hilda...!?

Hilda removed one of her bat earrings from her ear--

"As proof of our friendship, I'll give you this."

She attached it to Riko's ear.

"...!"

Riko withered, trembling, but even then, her eyes continued to glare at Hilda.

Hilda faced her with a smile.

Using that opening, I spasmed, trying to get a grip on my Beretta, but--

"Gaaah...!"

High voltage current once again tore through my hand.

My body snapped backwards, leaving me looking up.

With that, my hand was numb, and it couldn't move. All it did was twitch.

"--If you're the most hideous litterbug to ever walk this earth, I'm the most beautiful Helena Morpho butterfly. Tohyama. You're forbidden from even turning your face this way."