Satsuriku no Tenshi:Volume 1 Chapter 5

“Hey, Zack…make sure to kill me after we get out of here, just like you swore to God.”

Ray looks up at Zack as if in prayer as they ride upon the elevator taking them to B3.

As long as we get out of here okay, I’ll be able to get Zack to kill me…

To Ray, that is her last…her only beacon of hope.

“Ya…don’t gotta say that over’n’over again. I get it.” Zack’s voice is intermingled with a sigh as he gazes into the girl’s eyes. Her persistence never ceases to amaze him.

The elevator doors swing open. Ray has to squint her eyes against the dazzling light.

(It’s bright…)

The floors until now were dim and gloomy. This one seems to simply have an excess of light. Looking up at the ceiling reveals that an abundance of fixtures have been installed in it.

“B3, huh. Even though we could just go all the way t’ the top, it’s gotta stop every damn time. I guess we gotta find another elevator,” Zack grumbles irritably.

“That’s right.” With a quiet hum of acknowledgement, Ray steps out of the elevator. In front of them is a wall of iron bars, blocking their path. Gently, she reaches out a hand to fiddle with the door.

(It’s locked…)

Ray’s expression trembles slightly beneath her apathetic face. If this door won’t open, they won’t be able to proceed further.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Zack looks puzzled as he stares at her standing there motionlessly.

“I wonder if you’ll understand even if I tell you…probably not.”

“Ah?! Just say it anyway, ya don’t know if I’ll get it or not!”

“All right. …This door is locked,” Ray answers quietly.

“Uh, I might be an idiot, but even I know that.” Though she likely had no ill intent, Zack’s lips curve slightly at her words.

“Do you?”

“…Anyway, ain’tcha good at openin’ locked doors? Good luck.” Given yet another cruel response, the man’s lips twist unpleasantly, and he urges her forth, content to leave the work to her.

“Yeah, I’ll do my best…” Ray nods, despite being at an utter loss.

The room they’re locked in together is a little over nine square metres. No matter where she looks, she can’t see anything else in it. It doesn’t look like she’ll be able to find any clues for unlocking the door just by searching.

(I have to be useful to Zack. But, what can I…?)

Ray slips a hand into the purse slung about her shoulders, looking for some kind of tool she might be able to use. Inside – are her sewing tools and something wrapped in a handkerchief.

But, this is…)

Upon suddenly touching that thing, she takes a deep breath.

(I can’t…use this…)

Exhaling slowly, Ray once again uses the handkerchief to cover that thing up with her slender fingers.

“Did ya find something?”

Unable to go on waiting, Zack attempts to peer into her pouch from behind her. A little startled, Ray turns to face him.

“Uh, thread, needle, and – ”

“Oh? Can ya pick the lock with that?” he asks, interrupting her.

“No. And this door doesn’t have a keyhole.” Ray shakes her head softly.

“So there’s no point in havin’ a needle or thread! Move, I’ll smash it open!”

“These are iron bars, so I don’t think you’ll be able to…”

“Shut up. We won’t know ‘till I try it!”

(Ah…)

Paying no heed to Ray’s warnings, Zack vigorously swings his large scythe at the iron bars. But, of course, the door doesn’t move even an inch. All he’s managed to do is cause a small mark.

“Shit, it’s hard!”

His hands grow numb from the recoil.

“…It’s iron.” Ray stares at Zack with an expression as if to say I told you so.

“Then ya shoulda said somethin’ sooner! My hands feel all nasty!”

“…I told you they were iron bars,” Ray says, her voice full of exasperation.

It’s at that moment that, before they can even react, a dazzling beam of red light envelops the room.

“…”

“…What?!”

In contrast to Ray, who stands there in disinterested acceptance of her situation, Zack cautiously looks around the room.

Before long, an ear-piercingly shrill beeping sound resonates around them.

“Hey, get back!”

Coming to his senses, Zack grabs a hold of Ray’s arm, pulling her toward him as he leaps out of the way of the door. He has the feeling he heard a soft noise…like a click from the ceiling, as if something had moved.

And, the next moment, just as he had suspected – a countless number of guns fire at precisely the spot Ray had been standing in.

She feels like her eardrums might rupture. Trembling slightly from the terrible sound, Ray unconsciously presses her face against Zack’s chest for just a moment.

“…Tryin’ t’ make ya into swiss cheese or somethin’…” Zack mutters dumbfoundedly as the guns cease their fire. Turning his gaze up to where the bullets had come from, he sees that numerous firearm muzzles poke out from the ceiling where previously there had been nothing out of the ordinary.

(…Bullets.)

Ray slowly takes a step back from him and takes in a short breath. Her heart is restless. The blue moon from that night faintly comes to mind.

The red light flickers out. Instead, a spotlight so strong the two of them can hardly open their eyes shines upon them.

(It’s bright…)

Ray squints her eyes.

((Ahahahah!))

The shrill, mad laughter of a woman bounces off the walls of the room that still echoes with gunshot fire.

((Hiii! Sorry about the late welcome! You were just so slow that I accidentally took a nap! …But…good job on not dying for now. You pass!))

Even though there is no one else in the room, the walls nearly shake with the forceful sound of loud applause.

(So loud…)

It’s truly unbelievably noisy.

((Especially you, Zack! I wonder just how wonderful your instinct really is! To tell the truth…I’ve thought for quite a while that you would make a splendid sinner. I was all sleepy just a moment ago, but now I’m wide awake!))

(A splendid sinner…?)

The woman simply sounds disparaging to Zack, and it vexes him. He looks toward where her voice seems to come from. But she is nowhere to be seen.

This is because the woman speaks to them through speakers installed all over the floor, elegantly watching them on a large monitor within a room through her surveillance cameras.

“I don’t give a single damn if yer sleepin’ or awake! More importantly, open the damn door already!” Within the spotlight so vibrant it seems it might melt the two of them, Zack snarls out an order and kicks the iron bars.

((Yes, of course. You’ve both passed, so I’ll grant you that boon. But I still haven’t finished putting on my makeup. I was asleep, after all! So how about you prepare to receive your punishment, while I finish up over here?))

“…Hah? Prepare?” Zack’s expression twists in confusion as he listens to the woman speak.

((Yes. Sinners have to take some steps before they can accept their punishment. It just feels better that way, don’t you think? Yes…when you talk of sinners…you obviously need a good mugshot. So go on, chop chop! I’ve left a door open for you.))

After speaking, the woman uses a complicated-looking machine panel to open the door.

“…What’s a mugshot?” Zack asks, looking down at Ray.

Ray opens her mouth to reply, but the woman’s voice rings out as if to interrupt her.

((A picture of your face, Zack. You’ve never had one taken before, have you? How wonderful! I’ll treasure it dearly.))

“…”

Ray stares up at the camera with a displeased expression. Both Zack and she must surely be reflected to that woman through that camera.

((That’s right…Rachel, you too. Make sure you both have your nameplates. If you don’t do as you’re told, you won’t be able to proceed to the next room.))

The woman stares steadily into the monitor as Ray stares back with an utterly unreadable expression. She has no idea what that girl is thinking.

(Rachel…)

Hearing a woman she doesn’t even know say her name feels rather odd.

((Heheh…I am the condemner…oh, you sinful evildoers! I’ll punish you until you’ve been forgiven. Because I am the one who has been permitted to do so!))

The woman speaks rapidly in an enthusiastic voice, as if having been given a part to play. And then the broadcast cuts off.

“…Argh, seriously, what the hell was that?! Her voice is so damn annoyin’, and she just blabbers on about whatever she wants…why the hell do I gotta be punished?! Leave the sleep talk for when yer asleep!” Zack grumbles, clicking his tongue.

“…Sinners…” Ray murmurs to herself, as if unable to hear him.

“Hey, Ray. We don’t got time t’ listen t’ that crazy bitch. Let’s go already.” Huffing out his breath in annoyance, the man proceeds through the door.

“…Yeah.”

(…Sinners…)

People who have committed a sin…

As Ray follows after Zack, that word echoes and whirls over and over within her heart.

▲▽

…Serial killer.

As Ray looks up at Zack’s face as they walk, she suddenly recalls what she had read in his profile.

(Zack’s killed a lot of people…)

“Zack, why did you start killing?:”

“Ah? What’s this all of a sudden?”

“…I’m a bit curious,” Ray says. If she says she’s not truly that interested, it might wind up being a lie. But he doesn’t need to answer. She simply wants to talk – it might not matter about what.

And, the word that woman had said, “sinner”…it still clings to her heart, difficult to dislodge.

“Dunno. But there are tons of worthless people that can be killed, right?” Zack replies as he walks. He’s never really thought deeply about whose life he ends. But, the first time he’d killed someone had probably been because he had thought they would be better off dead than alive.

But since then, I think it’s been different…I just kill ‘cause I want to.

“So you kill those sort of people, Zack…?”

“Not really. I just kill when I want to kill.”

(Because I want to…)

I wonder when he thinks he wants to kill someone…I wish he would think that way about me…

▲▽

The pair walk into the room that had been indicated to them by the woman.

It’s a room exclusively for taking mugshots. The back wall is white with a black border.

(I guess we’re supposed to take a picture in front of this…?)

In front of the wall is a polaroid camera. Beneath it, on the floor, are what appear to be numerous discarded photos, likely taken by that camera.

Ray kneels down to pick them up. All the people in the pictures hold nameplates, probably their own names. And each and every one of them have expressions of despair, as if foreseeing their own deaths.

(I feel like I didn’t see any of these people in the profiles…they might still be alive…)

Where are they…?

Feeling a bit of an uncomfortable chill, the girl stands up and looks around the room. Upon a desk are a set of strings and two white, seemingly blank plates. Quietly picking them up and turning them over reveals that they each have hers and Zack’s full names written upon them. These are likely meant to be hung around their necks.

“…Zack, I think you’re supposed to hang this on your neck,” Ray says, picking up the plate that says Isaac Foster and holding it out to him.

“Yeah.” Not thinking of anything whatsoever, the man takes the plate and hangs it upon himself as she told him to.

“…But…why the hell do I gotta get my picture taken…this is so stupid.” However, he quickly becomes angry at himself, perceiving his actions as bending to that woman’s orders. Having become an adult, he has absolutely no intention of adhering to anyone. But she had said that they wouldn’t be able to go further until they took their mugshots.

“…Haah.” Zack sighs at his situation. All he wants to do is get out of here, but it seems like he’s just being tossed around by each of the other floor masters.

“…Do you not like pictures?” Hearing the sound, Ray turns to ask him this in concern.

“I don’t care. I’ve never taken one or had one taken before. I never wanted to, either.” He sounds like a rebellious teenage boy.

“I see…but, we have to do this if we want to go to the next room.” Ray’s expression is somewhat troubled as she speaks.

(I don’t really want to annoy Zack…)

Though she thinks this, on top of both being sacrifices, it seems that actually getting out of this building is somewhat tricky. There are many traps, perhaps to prevent people from running away. Though she still doesn’t know what sort of system this building operates on, seeing those pictures on the floor makes her believe that they aren’t the only sacrifices here.

“…Argh, shit, I get it! We just have t’ take ‘em, right?!” Cursing angrily, Zack goes to stand in front of the bordered background.

“Yeah…then, I’ll start.” Closing one eye, Ray peers into the camera’s lens.

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up.”