Kino no Tabi:Volume2 Frontispiece

On top of a hill, within a forest, a sniper lay waiting.

Armed with a powerful long-range persuader built for sniping, he scanned the forest with a night-vision scope.

Movement at a serene lake within the forest had caught his attention.

A man was playing by the water, oblivious to the presence of the sniper. The sniper looked on, slightly surprised for a moment, then brought his rifle to bear down on the man.

The man was short but rather good-looking, but the next moment he would be dead and tainting the lake a bloody red.

The sniper slowed his breathing to reduce any shaking in his hand. After he was ready, his finger reached for the trigger.

“Please don’t do that.”

The sniper heard a sharp, determined voice speak behind him. He turned and came face to face with a women.

She wore tight-fitting clothing with a head full of long hair the color of a raven. She was beautiful without a doubt, while in her right hand was a large caliber revolver aiming at his head.

“Sorry to have frightened you, but please don’t move. If I miss, it would waste the bullet and powder.”

“Why do you want to kill me?” the sniper asked guardedly.

The women smiled, her persuader never moving an inch.

“Because you have killed those who have entered the forest. The friends and family of the victims wanted you dead.”

The sniper replied tensely now, “So you are here to kill me.”

The woman nodded and the sniper continued.

“What are you waiting for, then?”

A pained look appeared on the woman’s face. “Good question.”

“Actually, at the same time I took on this assignment, I had agreed to another contract from some people from the same country.

"They paid me equally to not kill you because they wished for everything to remain unchanged. Although most people hate you, there are some who are grateful to you. For removing their enemy, letting them receive their inheritance early, releasing those with incurable diseases and allowing some to start anew. So there are people who wish for you to remain alive.”

“Really.”

“I was indecisive on what to do as I traveled and scouted you out. I still can’t make up my mind right now.”

“If that’s the case…”

“If that’s the case?”

“If that’s the case, then please give me an order. Before now, I would kill all who I found, but from now on I will only kill a person upon a certain count. That way, the number of death would drop yet there will still be victims. As for this count, it is up to you to provide.”

“Good.”

The women gave the sniper a number.

The woman left the sniper on the hill and returned to the forest.

At the lake, the man was swimming naked in its water. On seeing the women, he ran toward her crying.

“Master! What took you so long! I thought we were done for.”

The women stood rooted to her spot and told him to shut up and put on his pants.

As the man pulled on his pants, he turned to face the woman.

“We are still alive. That means you killed him right?”

“Nope.”

The man leaped when he heard that, accidentally putting both legs into the same leg of his long pants causing him to trip and fall.

The woman explained the deal.

“B… but that means death is now a fixed ratio.”

The woman barely gave the matter any thought and she walked toward their car, a run down little vehicle on the verge of falling apart. The man rushed hurriedly behind to join her.

Once inside the car, he asked.

“What now? We can’t return because we didn’t kill the sniper and yet we didn’t let him continue killing unchecked. We can’t receive any reward from either side.”

“I know.”

The women smiled slightly and started the engine.

“Since we already have the down payment from both parties, let’s just disappear with it.”

“…”

The man was about to reply but the woman ignored him and stepped hard on the gas.

The moment the car jerked forward, a bullet came flying toward them, splitting a tree where the car had been just seconds ago.

Today, the forest still remains, and the sniper still waits on the hilltop.