Mushi:Vol6 Ragnarok 04

Ragnarok 04: 29 year old bachelorette, bored every day

Having finally gotten a few days of leave out of his busy workload, Nageki Kurokiyo took his girlfriend to town.

This fellow looked really gross with the long fringe covering his eyes. His face could pass off as ‘cool’, but this man always just looked unclean. He was going to town on an off day, but he was dressed in ridiculous and drab clothes. Anyways, his first impression on most people was quite bad. He hadn’t shaved for days and his beard was growing out, while an unlit cigarette dangled between his lips.

His expression was gloomy and completely incongruous with the sunny weather, and he had been sighing for no apparent purpose since morning.

“Cough…”

Nageki was a policeman. Free days were as rare for policemen as they were for doctors and firefighters, but he did not seem relaxed at all. No, he was not complaining about having a few days of rest. Rather, he had worked too hard in the past few days and should slow down a little and rest.

Nageki just could not understand the case that he had been personally handling until yesterday.

The Man-Eating Demon case.

The scale and cruelty of the case were unprecedented, and the bureau had launched a massive investigation in response. Nageki was working 24/7 to chase down this unheard-of criminal.

This unusual criminal was stabbing the victim through their hearts, then sucked out and consumed their brains. Victims were appearing one after another despite the police’s meticulous investigation. This was a large-scale, inhuman villainy guaranteed to be recorded in the history of the modern world, let alone the history of this small town.

Nageki did his best to chase down the criminal to protect the peace of the town and the safety of the residents. However –

His superiors suddenly declared yesterday that the investigation was over.

The reason given was that they had found out the truth behind the case.

The Man-Eating Demon case was apparently all a farce, fabricated by the victims themselves. In other words, the cruel methods and the characteristics of the murders were all non-existent. Most of the victims were alive and living as normal people, so this could not be a murder case at all. And since they had severely impacted public order, these victims will be punished accordingly –

Huh? Nageki was speechless at this explanation.

Fabricated by the victims?

The characteristics of the murders were fake?

Nageki felt this was all a joke. He waited for the investigation chief to admit that it was all a joke, but the man maintained a serious expression. The investigation was truly over. Reports wrapping up the investigation will be sent into the division in a few days’ time, and that was how Nageki received a temporary holiday.

This made no sense.

The chief never saw the bodies killed by the Man-Eating Demon, yet he believed that bullshit about it being made up. No matter what, those were dead, real corpses! There was nothing fake about it. All those people were dead. It was tragic – the fresh signs of fighting, the blood that stained every surface of the crime scene, the bodies of the victims slowly losing their warmth, the family of the decreased crying all around them – no matter how you looked at it, it was an irreversible tragedy. The Man-Eating Demon really killed people.

No. This criminal was perhaps defying the law even now –

“Kiyo-kun. Kiyo-kun, what’s wrong?”

Nageki Kurukiyo was starting to stare at the people around him like a hunting hound without realizing it. The voice of his lover, Sunohara Ume – sitting in the wheelchair that he was pushing along – snapped him back into reality. She was looking straight at him.

Ume was a plain, ordinary, rather unnoticeable women. Her face lacked expressions, but she had a pair of remarkable eyes. Her eyes were innocent and clear, as if she could instantly look through someone or see into the deepest part of their hearts. Her gaze was bottomless, pure, angelic, and similar to that of a small animal.

The problem with her feet meant she was sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a white hat the prevented the sun from burning her skin. She pressed her hat down on her head as she gazed at Nageki Kurukiyo.

“This is a rare holiday, and we haven’t had a date since forever… But you are not listening to a word I said and was just dumbly staring at other people. This is rather dreary.”

“Ah, aaah – I’m sorry.”

Ume was older than Nageki and he always spoke to her with deference. When it came to addressing each other, Ume had always called him ‘Kiyo-kun’ in an intimate way while Nageki called her ‘Ume-san.” Hmm, but Ume didn’t care about such details. Rather, it was her nature not to think too hard about anything. That was how she managed to have no major problems all her life. Nageki always felt she should be more straightforward and talk more.

Nageki inherited an old apartment from his father. Close to the apartment, there was a bathhouse that the locals frequented. Ume was the daughter of the bathhouse’s owner. She was hurt during an incident that Nageki was investigating and her feet were disabled. Even though she did not appear to care too much about it, it was still Nageki’s fault for not protecting Ume and allowing her to be hurt by the culprit. Ever since then, Nageki had vowed to become Ume’s legs for as long as he lives and to help her walk, as a means to redeem his sins.

That was the ‘default setting’ up till this point.

Ume and most people in this world were oblivious to this, but the world had been broken once.

Very few people remember that other world. It was a world full of gloom and blood – the world of Mushi and eyeballs.

The survivors of that Last Battle – including Nageki – were all sheltering in a certain apartment building. It was a location involved in the destruction of the world, a veritable Noah’s Ark. Some of those survivors retained their memories of the previous world, becoming the final few proofs of its existence.

In this world, Ume was not stamped upon by a massive monster.

Nageki was also not obsessed with killing monsters. In this world, he was just a very ordinary cop.

That was how it should have been –

But the entire Man-Eating Demon case stank of a familiar, bizarre stench. Nageki felt, on pure instinct, that it was incongruous with this peaceful world. It felt closer to the world before the re-construction.

Should he obey his superior’s decisions, surrender his own powers of judgement, and forget it all?

This was already a peaceful world and Nageki was living in happiness. If he went against all this, discarded everything, returned to how he was before and continued to investigate this case –

then he might foolishly once again lose the person most important to him.

“… Kiyo-kun. This is enough.”

He was pulling on Ume’s hair without realizing it.

She didn’t look or sound upset, but she was probably upset.

“Ume-san.”

Nageki furrowed his brows in a pitiable expression. Ume sighed softly.

“Kiyo-kun… just… don’t think about your job when you are off work. Don’t think about those stuff with a depressed face when it’s your holiday. Otherwise, there’s no point in having holidays. Mmm, don’t get me wrong. I’m not upset because of how cold Kiyo-kun is towards me. I’m just worried about your health, Kiyo-kun.”

“I’m sorry, Ume-san.”

She calmly but firmly stated the right thing to do. Nageki lowered his head in genuine guilt.

Yes. He was no longer the melancholic cop full of sorrow who only wanted to kill monsters. He was just an ordinary cop, currently spending time with the woman he loved.

Were there other things he should desire?

However, he was still worried. Perhaps he should ask Guriko and Breaksun about the Man-Eating Demon after today’s date was over. He was still in contact with them.

“Seriously, it’s noon already. That person in the middle of the plaza seems to be a magician. I think I’ve seen that person on TV before. Why did he come to a faraway country like Japan? I don’t get it. Maybe we won’t get to see him next time we’re here. Let’s get closer! But there are so many people there… Ahh, Kiyo-kun, it’s that travelling husker from before! But with that many people, maybe we should give up… um, no, I’ll endure the crowd for that person’s tricks!”

“Alright alright. Sorry, Ume-san.”

Nageki gazed at Ume’s innocent smile as he walked on, pushing her wheelchair.

He had once again returned to his ordinary life. A happy life that he had glimpsed in his dreams.

He was home. This was Nageki’s favorite place, a place that will always be on his mind.

And yet, he was still thinking about monsters. Was it because of an endless karma, or was it a trait that had been etched into his body? It was painful.

Even though this world was completely replaced and changed, there were still seeds of melancholy in many places. In a way, compared with what he had to do in the future to track down monsters, the task of appeasing his completely enraged lover was a lot harder for Nageki.

Ahh, there were so many melancholic things in this world.

Aizawa Ume felt a bit down today.

Ume-chan was slow and clumsy compared to other people, and she would get confused at crowded places. Her parents brought her here to see that magician she had no interest in. But there were so many people here. She was short, and she couldn’t see anything. She got moved with the crowd and got separated from her parents.

She was on the verge of tears.

How did it end up like this? Why was she always messing everything up?

Was it because of her bad luck? That shouldn’t be it. Did she do bad stuff in her previous life, so something was stalking her? That shouldn’t be it. Ume was naturally a bit slow and she was unhappy on a daily basis.

Why was there nothing fun? No? It’s so boring.

Ume pouted. She could never be bothered to think about these difficult things. But there were too many exciting things in town. She lingered here and hurried there, and she was soon lost as she wandered around.

She didn’t know what to do anymore.

It was impossible for her to reunite with her parents, so she gave up. She just has to wait for the missing children broadcast to come on. Ume often got lost in the crowds and her parents were probably used to it. It was upsetting, as they were at fault for allowing Ume to be swept away by the crowds.

Ume walked into one of the shops along the shopping street just to waste some time. The shop sold all sorts of children’s small toys and was cheap enough that kids could to afford it. While the shop was very pretty, it was a bit deserted.

Ume liked a very cute ring with an apple on it. It was only a few hundred Yen. She fell in love with it at first sight and wanted to buy it immediately. Yes, children were not allowed to buy things themselves, but Ume was already a junior high student. Ume believed she was a qualified adult, so she should be allowed to buy stuff. She didn’t consider whether a qualified adult would get lost.

Ume’s clutched the ring in her little hand. There was the sound of the apparently unoccupied shopkeeper walking out from behind the counter in the deepest part of the small, empty shop. He was a young man who kept to the shadows and had spiky hair. He looked rather scary, but shopkeepers should be gentle towards kids, right?

He was wearing the uniform of the shop and looked very unfashionable. He wore a pin with the name “Shigure Benimaru” on his chest. He was reading the newspaper and looked up when he heard Ume’s voice. His gaze was terrifying, as it he was going to stab through her. Ume started to shiver without knowing why. She asked with a voice shaking in fear.

“Um, this one… thank you.”

She stood on tiptoes as steady as she could and placed the ring on the counter. That should be the right thing to do. Then the shopkeeper should scan the barcode with a ‘ding’ sound using the automated cashier machine, then tell her how much this thing costs. Then she should take out her wallet and take out the money…

Ume kept repeating these steps in her head. Suddenly, the man grabbed her outstretched hand.

“… Huh?”

Why is he grabbing my hand? This hurts. Huh? This is different from the steps I know.

“Um, uh, um, um…”

Ume’s head went blank and she tried her best to pull her hand back. However, her wrist was held very tightly, and she couldn’t move it at all. She was terrified and tears swelled up in her eyes. But that man did not care at all. He only glared at her ferociously.

It was a scorching, gloomy, and deplorable gaze.

“Little girl.”

His tune was laconic as he mumbled to Ume, whose gaze was locked on him.

“We don’t allow elementary school students to buy things from this shop.”

“Huh? Huh?”

“Are your Papa and Mama close by? No? They are not? Heh, hehehe.”

Ume became more and more unsettled. She was very flustered as she faced the shopkeeper who was snickering to himself. She had scanned around the shop, but there was no one to help her. School taught her that she should call loudly for help in moments like this. But Ume was so terrified that she couldn’t even make a sound.

A despicable kind of heat started to emanate from the shopkeeper. He gazed at Ume as if she were a dish to be savoured, and said in a low voice:

“Ahh… so cute. I’ve always wanted a cute little girl like this…”

“Li, little girl huh? I, I, I’m not a cute little girl?!”

“Your head is getting all confused, and your words are not making sense… Mmm, that’s cute as well. So cute… I need to give such a cute little girl a special service. This ring really can’t be sold to an elementary student – but if you listen to me, then I can sell it to you.”

As Ume paled, the shopkeeper said bluntly:

“Will you take off your clothes?”

“Ah? Huh?”

“Take it off!”

“Aaaah - !?”

Ume’s face went completely pale as tears rolled down her cheek. She struggled as hard as she could. But even then, the shopkeeper grabbed her tightly and she couldn’t escape. It only made him upset and grabbed her even tighter.

His expression became more and more vicious. He used one hand to hold down Ume and took out a terrifying dagger from underneath the counter with his other hand.

Then his expression changed. He seemed to feel hatred and sadness at the same time. He started to mumble as reason slowly left his eyes.

“Yes… yes, even an elementary student wouldn’t listen to me. That will do. That will do! If you don’t listen to me, then I will cut off your hands and legs and make you into a tumbler toy! That way, it won’t matter if you don’t listen to me. Everything is like this… everyone everyone everyone…”

Aah, she should have listened to her parents.

They said she shouldn’t go buy things on her own. Did they mean something like this would happen?

There was danger everywhere in town.

Ume still didn’t really understand.

As the dagger was stabbing down and was about to enter Ume’s wrist…

“… What an idiot.”

The blade of the dagger snapped and broke off together with that very annoyed voice.

Ume had no idea what had happened. She could only see something like a whip hit the dagger with lightning speed. It was so fast that Ume couldn’t tell what it was.

“What – ”

The shopkeeper was stunned and stared at the dagger, which only had the hilt left. Ume’s eyes were wide in shock. A woman was standing very very close to them without either of them noticing.

She was wearing a very beautiful purple set of clothes, and even her hair was purple. She wore jeans over her legs and a low-cut dress shirt without a tie. It was an outfit that fitted her very well. She was covered in the soft purple color of lavenders from head to toe, and her socks and boots were of a similar shade.

It was hard to tell her age.

Even though she was a woman, one could only figure that out from her figure. Her face was covered by a mask.

A mask. She was wearing a mask. It was not the kind of masks sold at carnivals, but a black-and-white mask with no decoration. There was an emotionless pair of purple eyes behind the mask.

The shopkeeper reacted violently when he saw the masked woman. He looked very shocked.

“What the hell?! Where – where did you come from?!”

The women took out two hand puppets before the shopkeeper or Ume noticed, then started to perform a realistic pantomime with expert ventriloquy.

“Ah, this is scary… Kirigirisu.”

“Yes, Kudan, this is really dangerous. However, if the elementary girl’s clothes were actually taken off, then he won’t be yelling so loudly anymore.”

The shopkeeper was dazed at this impromptu pantomime show, but Ume was excited. No matter how many times the world repeated, she still won’t think too hard about anything. That part of her personally was probably not going to change any time soon.

“Wow, it’s awesome! The puppets are talking!”

The female puppet with three eyes tilted its head and moved as if it never heard Ume.

“Instead of ‘rare’, this is a rather ‘nostalgic’ reaction. Whenever people in this country saw a magic show, they always tried their best to investigate the means and tricks behind it. They don’t have any capacity to simply enjoy art.”

“Mmm, it’s a national characteristic to consider magic as trickery and wanting to solve it.”

As if it was really alive, the male puppet wearing green clothes continued in a lively manner.

“’Tricks. These are just cheap tricks. Don’t take me for an idiot!’ They always say that, don’t they? It’s a magic show time! This is the most amazing magic trick!”

“Wh… what the hell? What are you? What the heck are all these things?!”

The shopkeeper seemed half frenzied as he moved to stop the puppets. The woman using ventriloquy had no changes in her expression – rather, this purple woman seemed quite bored. The shopkeeper still had no idea how she cut up his dagger. He clutched both of his hands into fists, looking terrified and about ready to bolt out of the store.

But the woman wearing a mask did not react at all, and simply continued her pantomime show with ease.

“… Mmm, it’s laughable, Kirigirisu.”

“Indeed, Kudan. People of this country are stupid no matter where they are, no?”

“I have never seen an idiot who swore at a magician in my country.”

“Yes, neither the lowest young thug nor the most advanced martial art master provoked the magicians.”

“Was it because those who use magic are rather scary?”

“Non-nonsense! What the heck are these things…?!”

The shopkeeper didn’t care about appearances anymore and swung his fist towards the woman.

The woman’s fingers, which were moving as agile as a snake within the hand puppet – suddenly became a sharp blade and stabbed into the shopkeeper’s jaw.

“Wh… at…?”

It was unbelievable. Disobeying all laws of physics, the man’s skin was cut open where the woman’s finger touched him. Blood was dripping out of his flesh. It was not an illusion, nor was it a trick. It was a genuine blade. Did the woman’s fingers metamorphose into a lethal weapon? What could it be? Was this really magic? Ume was busy thinking about this as she watched.

“What… You bitch!”

But that ignorant man glared viciously at the woman, as if he saw through her tactics. He mumbled, as if talking to himself:

“What is this… what is this… what is this cheap trick?!”

Those words seemed to have offended the woman. All emotions disappeared in her eyes. There was no intent to kill. No rage or sorrow. The only thing left was a gloomy, cruel, and cold nothingness…

“… There’s no theory and no tricks!”

As soon as her words ended, fresh blood sprayed onto Ume’s face.

Incredibly, it was an incredibly warm and rather nostalgic feeling.

Every day was very boring.

Boring, boring, boring.

Those days were boring and slow and absolutely meaningless. It was the worst.

The shopkeeper of this antique shop, who gave a perverted request of a sexual nature to an elementary student, finally calmed down after she cut open his face. Once a Japanese person saw blood, they either became unnaturally excited or immediately pale in fear. Both reactions were national characteristics that only emerge during agony. It was so stupid.

The fundamental education about crime and punishment was absent in this country. Everyone was spoiled and had no concept that they will be punished if they conducted evil deeds. This country was truly blessed by the world. It made her very upset.

She obtained and recorded the address and phone number of this shopkeeper named Shigure. She wasn’t planning to report this to the police (it’s too bothersome to be tied down by a case). She was only planning to use it as leverage if she got into trouble with him again. This country was full of self-centered people. It helps to have such information in her hands.

When she walked out of the shop, that elementary girl was docilely waiting for her.

The girl’s hair was parted into pigtails, and there was a hint of arrogance in her expression. This child appeared very cute, but her mannerism was full of timidity and fear. She didn’t like her.

“Um… Th-thank you very much!”

The girl gave a very deep bow.

Whatever. She didn’t need to courtesy. She was just a kid who barely started the journey of life. It’s the adults’ duty to stand aside and look after these kids when they are trying to walk their own road. The people in this country are all selfish trash – ah, better stop these pointless complaints.

Not wanting to scare the child, the woman knelt while look at the girl in the eye. She then wrote down Shigure Benimaru’s details on the back of her own business card and handed it to the girl.

“This is the address and phone number of that man just now. Explain what happened to your Mama and Papa when you meet up with them again. If Mama and Papa feel they want to report this as a case to the police, show this to them. You are a victim, and that man was a criminal, so there is no need to hide what happened to you. If you really want to punish the criminal, then don’t hesitate. Don’t think about how he would get into a lot of trouble. You need to clearly and thoroughly destroy him.”

“Oh… Mmm.”

The girl didn’t seem to fully understand. She just nodded very hard. Where were this child’s parents? She didn’t quite get the age of a Japanese person, but this girl should be an elementary student. It was very dangerous for someone so young to wander around alone.

Mmm, probably because Japan was relatively safe. Everyone has a very low sense of danger.

“The front of this card has my name and address. Mmm, it probably won’t be useful – if there are any issues with this incident, contact me. Seriously, an elementary schooler going out on her own can get mixed up into these dangerous things very easily.”

“Huh? I’m in junior high!”

“No way. Really? You’re tiny!”

“It’s true! I’m fourteen years old, but I’m the shortest in the whole class.”

The woman only sighed when Ume started to laugh nervously. If she was a junior high student, she should already know how to defend herself. When the woman was fourteen years old, she was already working to feed herself.

While the woman was silent, the girl looked at the business card and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Wow… magician. You’re a magician? Are you the person who performed in the plaza at noon? I went there with my parents, but there were too many people and I couldn’t see. It’s awesome. You’re such an awesome person. The thing you just did, when you poked out your finger – that’s magic too, right?”

That magic was different.

Mmm, she probably can’t explain it well to the girl. The woman only nodded in silence. Since the girl was so amazed and shocked, her next question should be about how the trick was performed, right? That was it. This was the petty characteristic of this country, where the citizens want to rip apart all the illusions and won’t rest until they learnt the truth behind every trick.

“It’s awesome.”

The girl blushed and stuttered in a small voice:

“Can I… do that too?”

“…”

“Ahaha, no way. I’m too clumsy.”

What had this girl been hearing in her everyday life? She was mumbling as if afraid of anyone hearing her. Maybe she kept hearing other people talking about her being stupid and slow. Even though that appeared to be the truth, those are such miniscule problems.

“God created all men to be equal.”

The women took out a Baguenaudier, grabbed the girl’s hand, and pressed it firmly into her hand.

“Everyone can become Jesus Christ as long as they try hard enough.”

The incredible baguenaudier and the clear gaze the little girl levelled at her made the woman remember who she used to be. She smiled bitterly. People used to laugh at those words of hers.

But that was fine. Her words were true. Everyone was equal. If you worked hard, you could definitely accomplish something. If she did not believe in that, she would not be able to save anyone at all.

She patted the girl on the head and softly spoke words incongruous to her appearance.

“Start to work hard from now and don’t give up. This tool is your first step. Try to solve it. This is different from life. If you grasp the methods behind it, you’ll definitely manage to solve it. This was made for beginners, after all. If you master this kind of tasks, your life will become brighter, too.”

“Wow, are you giving this to me? Thank you!”

She was already a junior high student, but she wore a smile as bright as an elementary student. The little girl mumbled bluntly.

“Then I’ll work hard. If I work hard… will I become a magician like you?”

“…”

The woman patted the girl’s head, then took off her mask and revealed her face. This despicable woman, the only one who called herself ‘magician’ in this country, usually terrified others when she took off her mask. Her face was burnt and looked horrid. She has had some surgery to patch it up, and it was somewhat better than before.

“Woah…”

For some reason, the woman became a bit clumsy as she faced the little girl, even though she was already 29 years old. She looked at the little girl’s feet and showed a silly smile. She mumbled:

“Mmm, do your best.”

Then the woman left the girl alone and thought about solutions on her own. This was not how she used to do things, and she used to dislike children too.

“Cell phone… you should have one, right? No one would call anyways. It’s quite dangerous for you to run around alone like this – this isn’t a fairy tale where a magician will always appear to help you when you are in need. That’s not possible.”

“Ahh… cell phone? I couldn’t get a signal from here! I forgot about it!”

When the little girl opened her eyes wide and dug out her phone, the rumbustious noise of the people who came to watch the street performers also disappeared. Mmm, not exactly disappeared, but there were less people than before. The clothes of the people walking past her was also different to how they were a moment ago.

The little girl tried her best to look upwards. She jumped and looked all around her in surprise.

“Huh. She disappeared… Woah. It’s so awesome. She really was a magician!”

No, that woman was just a single 29-years-old. She was just a boring woman who messed up in the middle of a travelling show and left the company to find a job on her own.

Mmm, sometimes she will dress up for her profession.

If she didn’t perform, every day of her life would truly become extremely boring.

She came to Japan because of a naïve wish that she might be able to change something.

The little girl thought she was very awesome, but she was just a magician with no stable income. She became very famous a few years ago due to her magic, but she had a fight with her colleague. The other woman poured acid on her face. Her face got disfigured and bad luck stuck with her ever since.

She wandered the world as if she were escaping something. She finally came to this country, which everyone praised as an utopia. It was safe, the food was delicious, and it did seem like Paradise. However – it was still humans who inhabited this land.

She hated humans. She wanted to vomit whenever she thought about it. She just wanted to die whenever she remembered she belonged to the same race as these disgusting creatures.

Despicable humans.

A despicable world.

A despicable daily life.

“What is this… this suck.”

She walked out of the shopping street and got to the corner of a quieter residential block. She sat down on the edge of a flowerbed and started to smoke. She put the mask aside and allowed the wind to caress her face. It felt great.

A world-famous genius magician was now a laborer who performed on the streets every day, and even then, she was barely managing to feed herself. She could recall her previous praises and glory, but it only made her feel even sadder.

A full house theater, bright stage lights, solemn background music, the never-ending applause – ahh, all of that were long-gone memories. Magicians fell because of those idiots who wanted to explore their skills and reduce them to ‘tricksters’. Magic and miracles were all impossible dreams. It was all wrong – that was the entire truth.

It was pitiful.

Pitiful, and yet there was nothing she could do about it.

She could barely remember why she became a magician and what she was seeking out of this profession. If it was just about earning money, there were plenty of other professions. But why did some people choose to become street performers, who sought to perfect their performing skills and devoted their entire lives for the stage?

Perhaps it was to show those expressionless kids something. That girl who looked nothing like a junior high student and the kids who were never happy just like how she was – these children should see the possibility of dreams, of hope, of magic. Even if she could only show them a sliver of those things – it was all for them.

But why…

Why… couldn’t she even achieve such a small wish in this world?

“What’s the point of all this…”

She repeated those helpless words over and over unconsciously. Suddenly -

“– Are you Moon Rainbow, the magician?”

– There was a sound.

The woman didn’t move from her seat. She lifted her head and exhaled purple smoke as she assessed the scene before her. An ominous, almost demonic girl stood under the bright midday sun.

She had golden hair and dark red eyes, and wore a thick frock under a sharp hat. She held a spear that sparkled with a golden light, but it somehow felt repulsive. The spear didn’t fit her at all.

“… Huh? What? Who are you?”

The unfortunate magician named Moon Rainbow opened her mouth incredulously and tapped her cigarette ashes onto the ground. At this moment, an extraordinary and indescribable silence filled this place.

The strange girl had appeared so silently as if she seeped into this place. She then spoke in a low, expressionless voice, as if she was an insect.

“My name is Broken Hair, the Ravaged Queen of Insects.”

“Huh? You are in the same trade as me? I don’t remember seeing you before…”

This unique appearance and way of speaking made her think the other woman was a performing artist too. Moon put on a look of spite as if she was a tourist, as if she was ready to dump the magic show and run away, as if someone was chasing her down to take her back.

But the other only shook her head slowly and refuted her question.

“It is incorrect to say we are in the same trade. I am God Mushi Emperor, and you are The Weakest… our tasks and responsibilities are different. We are both Greater Fragments that exist to uphold this world. On that point, perhaps we are indeed of the same trade – suffice to say we are existences that share the same origin?”

“… I don’t quite understand what you are saying.”

The girl calling herself Broken Hair expressionlessly blew away the cigarette smoke heading towards her face. Moon frowned.

“What is it? Are you a preacher? A salesperson? Sorry, I haven’t got any money. That’s why I’m sitting here.”

“…”

Broken Hair completely ignored Moon’s answer. Instead, she gazed directly at Moon’s face.

That pair of dark red eyes felt inorganic and inhumane.

“I have something to entrust to you.”

“…?”

Moon snuffed out her cigarette on the flowerbed and put on a surprised expression.

“Huh? Whatever… If you want to give me a job, go to my agent. But hmm, if I ignore my job, I might get fired by the agency.”

“Ahaha, then there is ample reason.”

Broken Hair’s reply made Moon upset, but the strange girl started to laugh. Then, she slowly took out bundles of money from under her clothes and dumped them into Moon’s lap.

“…”

There were bundles of money. Every bill was ten thousand Yen. Upon first inspection, every bundle seemed genuine. But it didn’t look like it was withdrawn from a bank. It felt like a stockpile taken from a stash and felt very bizarre. For Moon, this seemed ten times – no, a million times too easy. She was covered with money from her neck to her knees.

“If you don’t have a job, that fits my purposes. I… am hiring you.”

“This is really strange, right? Is this legal?”

Moon felt rather scared when she touched the bills. Broken Hair only looked at her silently form the side. This girl had prepared so much cash in this town and entrusted it to a person she barely knew – it made no sense. Even Moon would instinctively avoid this kind of a dangerous situation. There was something wrong with this affair. There was something wrong with this person. Moon couldn’t help but feel that.

“What’s wrong? There is no need to be so afraid.”

Broken Hair took out more bundles of money from underneath her clothes and placed it on Moon expressionlessly. Then, she said evenly:

“Didn’t you repeat many times that everything was boring? Then, if I overlay these things… These are some fun things I have created. Take it. Enjoy it. Or give it to your friends. You dislike this world, no? You looked extremely bored… then, why don’t you overturn everything? We will change the world using our own hands. The Weakest, of the Devil – I need your power.”

Um.

It was so weird. It just sounded like some complaints she couldn’t understand.

But somehow this made Moon happy and feel like she had a purpose. Completely destroy this boring everyday life – what a tempting thought. But this wasn’t enough. Of course she liked things that would bring her pleasure, but this was not enough. The words spoken by this girl calling herself Broken Hair seemed to have included more fun things. Moon just need to press softly on it, and mix something fun into it –

“This money is just the pre-payment. It has no value to me – if you like it, take it. Of course, since this was a pre-payment, there will certainly a full, official payment later. That would be the reward given after you succeed… it will be paid to you if you complete the job perfectly.”

“… Reward after my success?”

Moon was silently listening to the other talk up until now, and she intended to remain silent. However, this dreamy talk spoken by the strange girl made Moon open her mouth to respond. This would give her a job. She couldn’t waste her days loitering around like this. This was such a boring life – but even so, Moon didn’t hate it enough to discard everything.

However …

“Upon the completion of our goal…”

Broken Hair said these shocking words matter-of-factly:

“I will give you one half of the world.”

This was the talk of a mad woman. These words suddenly became very despicable, absolutely meaningless, and completely pointless.

“… Haha.”

But Moon found it very funny for some reason. Even she was surprised with how she nodded without hesitation.

“– This seems fun?”

It was the villain who destroyed the world. One of the Greater Fragment that acted as the enemy of the world in the conspiracy of the Last Battle had surfaced, together with her hateful smile.

She emitted a giggling laugh. An unbearable laugh that echoed in the emptiness –

Just like that, the Devil and the Beast of the End linked their hands together at a corner of the re-constructed world.

Return to Ragnarok 03: Peaceful, Everyday Heaven

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Forward to Ragnarok 05: Production-orientated Loner