Satsuriku no Tenshi:Volume 2 Prologue

Prologue

The elevator reeks with the stench of fresh blood. The silence is so complete that Ray can hear her own heartbeat thundering in her chest – and her anxiety rises to a fever pitch.

Her calm blue eyes are like that of a still lake at the dead of night. And those quiet eyes of hers reflect only the gaping red wound in Zack’s stomach. It’s painful to look at. Ray slips her trembling hands beneath Zack’s shoulders, and attempts to pull him from the gloomy elevator.

(Heavy…)

However, Zack is unconscious, which makes doing anything of the sort extremely difficult. But she can’t just leave him there. Somehow, using all her strength, she manages to drag him out.

Blood falls to the ground like a pitter patter of rain drops as she drags the man out, the act of pulling him causing more blood to flow.

“Haah…”

(My hands are numb…)

Her body suddenly loses its energy. It’s at that moment that, at the corner of her eye, she suddenly notices a flickering light fall to the ground. Looking behind her, she can see the entire hallway has candles uniformly dispersed along the walls. The lights seem to continue on indefinitely.

(It’s different from the floors before…)

As she gazes down the rather solemn hallway, for some reason, she feels her heart jolt a little. Even throughout B3, she had felt an inorganic atmosphere characteristic of a building. But she can’t feel that at all anymore. She’s seized by the feeling that she’s accidentally wandered into some sort of dignified castle or mansion. But the elevator has, like all the floors before it, “B2” written in red letters.

B2 – they’ve finally come this far. But why did it have to be like this? Ray takes a deep breath to get her bearings, then musters the rest of her strength to take Zack to a wall.

“Zack, we’re on B2,” she whispers quietly, peering into his face as she sits on the ground in front of him.

“…” But he doesn’t respond. Ray’s heart pounds even further at the foreboding thought that this could be the worst possible situation. What should she do? How can she get Zack to open his eyes? He looks so pitiful – as if he might die—and Ray can’t possibly think things calmly like she normally does.

(…Zack.)

It seems unbelievable that after killing Cathy, they had gotten onto the elevator and simply exchanged a normal conversation. However, after falling prey to that woman’s numerous traps, and even injecting himself with strange drugs, Zack’s body is entirely hurt. It wasn’t that strange for that to happen to him.

If Zack doesn’t wake up…the promise we made…

Trying to dispel all the misgivings she feels, Ray takes a deep breath. The terrible end she imagines this coming to, so awfully vivid that it makes her want to close her eyes, is likely nothing more than despair.

(Zack, no…I don’t want this.)

You swore to kill me. You swore to God.

Please…wake up, Zack.

Praying fervently, she stares intently at Zack’s closed eyes, nearly covered by the bandages that wrap his face.

“…”

And, then as if her prayers had been heard – Zack’s eyes flutter open, his face warping in pain.

“Zack, thank goodness…!” Ray’s voice can’t help but grow strained with relief.

“…Aah? We made it…?” His voice hardly leaks out. But his vision is hazy and dark; he can’t see very well. He’s only able to figure out that they aren’t on the elevator due to the strange silence.

“Yes, we’re on B2. But…”

“B2…then let’s go.” He appears unconcerned about the state of his own body. He immediately attempts to stand.

“No! You’re still bleeding!” Ray immediately grabs at the grey sleeves of Zack’s hoodie, trying to stop his reckless movements.

“Huh? …Blood? This is nothin’.” Zack is as impertinent as a child. He doesn’t even attempt to look at his own wound, and Ray’s face pulls into a frown.

“No. The wound isn’t closed – if it opens even more, that’ll be dangerous.”

“I already told ya, it’s fine…” Though Zack attempts to appear strong, his voice isn’t nearly as energetic as it once was. On the contrary, it’s hoarse, as if he might go out again at any moment.

“…No.” Ray looks up at Zack’s face with an expression of sorrow the likes of which she hasn’t shown before. If she says “yes, let’s go” now, Zack will simply push forward, even if he has to drag himself. But that’s simply absurd in this situation. Not to mention that it’s obvious they should rest until the wound closes.

“Huh? Ray…”

In his blurry vision, he sees her making a strange expression, one he’s never seen before. He dimly feels like it might be a bit of a human-like expression. But, because of the intense pain, his consciousness drifts away once more.

“What are ya…makin’ that weird face for…”

Zack’s snakelike eyes narrow even further as he stares into Ray’s muddy blue ones. He sees himself reflected in those eyes as she stares at him intensely. He wonders why – that expression is quite odd.

(Weird face…?)

Why would he say something like that at a time like this? Ray’s eyebrows furrow slightly.

“I’m making a weird face…?” she quietly asks, turning her face away a little. She can’t exactly see her own face, but if it really does look that weird, she would rather he not look at her. But Zack doesn’t respond.

“…Zack?”

She has a bad feeling. Fearfully looking up, she sees that his eyes are closed. That sharp, gleaming golden eye is hidden beneath the bandages winding about his face.

He’s unconscious…

But she is once again assailed by distress, causing her heart to beat harshly.

“…Zack!”

She feels like if she calls that name again, he might open his eyes once more. But his eyelids don’t even twitch. It doesn’t seem he’s about to wake up, either.

Cautiously bringing her face closer to his, she notes that she can feel him breathing.

(It’s okay, he’s just asleep…)

Zack is still alive.

Relieved, she exhales slightly. But she has no time to sit around leisurely. If she doesn’t do something about this soon, Zack will die.

However, it’s not realistic for her to drag his heavy body around. She has no idea what might be lurking on the rest of this floor.

In addition, fresh blood continues to drip from the wound he gave himself. She always carries a sewing kit, with thread and needle. But there’s no point in sewing the wound right now. If she doesn’t stop the bleeding and disinfect the injury soon, the worst possible situation might happen.

(If Zack dies, that’ll be a problem…)

Dark clouds loom within Ray’s mind. However, as she digs her hand into her bag, she sees that she has nothing for first aid. Just what should she do…? She hangs her head in the face of encroaching despair.

If he dies, I won’t be able to get him to kill me…

Her emotionless eyes reflect the horrible wound on his stomach.

“When we get outta here together…I’ll kill you.”

That promise resonates within her ears.

However, she continues looking at the softly breathing Zack, expression unchanging. The blood dripping from his injury is painful to look at. But Zack had done that to himself for no one else but her.

With a soft sigh, she stands.

As she looks down at him, her heart wells up with an emotion she has never felt before. She still doesn’t understand what that might mean. There’s only one thing she knows: that she must leave Zack here to go and find medicine or a first aid kit, on her own –

“…Zack, wait just a bit.”

Seeing Zack lying there motionlessly makes it seem as if all his energy and liveliness earlier had been merely a lie. It gives her pause to leave him in such a dangerous place while he hovers between life and death. Someone might come. And it wouldn’t be strange for an ordinary person to lose complete consciousness in this situation. But she can’t just continue standing around here.

(First of all, I’ll look to see if there’s any medicine on this floor…)

The promise she had made with Zack cuts deep into her heart, as if at some point it had become a part of her.

I’ll definitely be useful to you…so, until then, please…

The words Zack had spoken to her ever since they had made the promise on B5….cradling them all, her hands form into fists.

Looking back at Zack just once more, she advances down the hall to the next room. She’s worried about him. But she doesn’t think to look back again. She only has a bit of time left –

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