In a street crammed with people. Since it was a holiday – students, families, working salarymen and many more other people were filling the street. s.h.i.+bata and Yanagi watched that active street while thinking of something else.
“Listen, we’re going to move just as planned.”
“I know, I know.”
s.h.i.+bata replied to Yanagi’s serious warning in a carefree att.i.tude. He wasn’t acting like someone who is about to execute an important plan, but Yanagi didn’t mind his reply and remained to gaze at the street. The street was full of people on this holiday, which was a good thing for their plan. Yanagi a.n.a.lyzed the situation with a calm mind before he clenched his fist and lifted his sight to the sky.
We finally… finally made it until here…
His gaze was harboring a sense of hatred as his expression gradually became serious. The direction of that gaze leads to a skysc.r.a.per standing in the middle of the city. The person they were looking for was inside that building. The President of the Organisation where they were imprisoned.
“It has already been 15 years…”
Yanagi muttered in a low voice.
15 years… I waited 15 years for this revenge…
He then restrained his hatred that was boiling inside him and calmed down by inhaling a deep breath and lifting his gla.s.ses with his finger. From the day he got into that accident and lost his family, he discovered his ability. He can teleport to anywhere he wants as long as he knows the place. At first, he couldn’t control it since he had no clue how to use it, but slowly throughout the time, he grew accustomed to it. Once he left the hospital, he was sent to an orphanage as he didn’t have any close family and spent every day there searching for his parents. Despite being told that they died, he didn’t give up and continued to search for them. One day, a strange man appeared in front of him.
“From the day onward, I will be your father. I know that you have many things to say about that, but I hope we can live happily together.”
That was the first step he made into h.e.l.l. Surely, Yanagi didn’t accept that person as his father. He refused him immediately and he spent the rest of his day as usual. The next day however, he woke up in an unknown room. He had no idea on how he got in it, but he guessed that something was happening.
The entire room was dyed in white, except for a single part. It was a window showing some strange people wearing white coats on the other side. Yanagi wanted to leave as soon as possible, but at that point, his will was no longer meaningful. He started going through cruel experiments without even getting an explanation.
The memories of what happened to him from that day on were something that Yanagi wished to erase from his mind.
“Stop! Let me go!!”
“I’m tired. I can’t…”
“It hurts!! It hurts!! It hurts!! It hurts!!!”
He went through a period of pain and agony that felt as if it were eternal. He cried and screamed until he dried his eyes out and didn’t receive the chance to give up. He had to forcibly undergo several inhumane experiments and was injected by powerful medicines to improve his
abilities. Every single day, he straddled the line between life and death and his days ended with his mental demolished.
“Help me… Save me…. Please…”
His cry for help didn’t reach anyone as he went through the same pain day after the other. No matter how much time pa.s.sed; how many years pa.s.sed, n.o.body came to save him.
“Why do I have to suffer like this…”
“Who made me suffer like this…”
Eventually, his mind began searching for answers instead of crying for help. He reached the answer for his first question almost instantly, as that person appeared again in front of his eyes while he was undergoing the torture called training. When he was crawling on the floor with his consciousness almost gone, he noticed a man wearing a suit standing among the white coats. He immediately recalled the few days he spent before suddenly finding himself in this room.
“I see… It’s because of this guy…”
It was at that moment when he finally found a target into which he can direct his hatred.
Too bad that you weren’t in the building when we escaped. But that’s fine. Everything will end today.
.
Yanagi raised his composed face up after he immersed into his past memories for a brief moment.
“I’m excited. I did play with many things recently, but none of the toys were excited me like this. I just can’t wait!”
s.h.i.+bata trembled from the excitement while standing next to Yanagi. He wasn’t this wicked up from the day he was born. Both of them were roommates in the building they were held captive. They slept under the same roof and went through the same experiments. s.h.i.+bata’s mental condition couldn’t bear with the torture he had to undergo every day and thus, his psycho character was born. Yanagi feels more sympathetic towards s.h.i.+bata instead of feeling disgusted when he sees him acting like that.
“Let’s move. We’ve got so much to do.”
“Sure!”
s.h.i.+bata nonchalantly replied to Yanagi and they both dived into the cramped street.
“By the way, Keisuke.”
“What?”
“What are we going to do about that guy? He left without clearing his intention.”
s.h.i.+bata asked a question that suddenly popped into his mind. He was meaning Yato by ‘that guy.’ Yanagi stayed quiet for a short while before he answered. Both of them sensed the intimidating ambiance he was emanating through the man they were using to contact him.
He is a dangerous one. We shouldn’t get involved with him.
Both of them have never felt such an intimidating aura in their lives. Yanagi was a.s.suming that Yato only has a teleportation skill, but it turned out that it may not be exactly the case. He is not someone with whom they could deal on their own.
“I’m not sure if he is going to get in our way, but it’s better to not get involved with him.”
“What if he tried to stop us?”
“I have a plan for that case.”
He knew well that he can’t win against Yato, but that doesn’t mean he should give up on his revenge. He was prepared to kill the President even if he were to get killed by Yato after that. With that certain resolve in his mind, Yanagi moved to the first step of his plan.
“So this the company of that President.”
I spoke to Meru while standing before a certain building.
“Yes.
building.
“Yes. He is on the upper floor, working on this holiday, Desu.”
He must be a hardworking fellow to work on a holiday. After listening to Meru’s response, I activated my【s.p.a.ce – Time Magic (Extra Large)】and searched inside the building. I didn’t perceive anything of unusual there. Those two should be aiming at this place for sure. I came to check if anything happened yet, but it turned out that they are still not here. Apparently, if our a.s.sumption were wrong from the start, then we will just do something about it at that time. While thinking about what to do, I s.h.i.+fted my eyes down and looked at my surroundings.
“But still, there are too many people… No?”
The street I was looking at was full of students, families and even salarymen. I noticed it since the time I got on the train. Something is definitely off with this large crowd. I had a hard making my way inside to arrive here.
“This place is near the train station, so it’s normal for it to be cramped, Desu. And besides, we are almost in the center of the city, so it would be conversely strange if it weren’t cramped, Desu.”
Meru explained in response to my complaint. Well, the station is indeed close to the building. It’s large enough that I can clearly see it from here.
“I’m just not good with these type of cramped places…”
I feel like I’m about to get engulfed by the crowd of people at any time. Maybe I will go back home…
“Hey, Meru.”
“Yes?”
“Can you surveil the President of the Organisation?”
“I can do that only if there is a camera near him.”
That’s obvious.
“Then I guess you can observe him while he is inside the building.”
“Yes, I can, Desu.”
“Okay. let’s go back.”
After finding out that the President was safe, I immediately headed to the station. I have no clue on when that s.h.i.+bata and Yanagi will arrive and Meru has the entire building under her observation. Moreover, I can’t spend my precious holiday inside this crowd.
“Meru, don’t lose sight on him. Keep observing the building and immediately report to me if anything happens.”
“Understood, Desu.”
Meru replied to my order in a cheerful voice and I walked to the station with swift steps. I want to go sleep in my room as soon as possible. That was the only thought I had in mind before I noticed a suspicious person standing in the sidewall of the station.
Who’s that?
It was a woman who was walking unsteadily while leaning against the wall. I couldn’t see her face since she was looking downwards, though I instantly knew who she was.
“Huh, Saya?”
I hurriedly walked to her and called her name.
“Hey, Saya. are you okay?”
“U-Um, Yato-kun?”
After hearing my calling voice, Saya lifted her head and replied in a trembling tone.
What happened to her?
Her face was completely pale and her legs were trembling like a newborn cat. The moment she saw me, she leaned in my direction as if she ran out of energy.
“Eh? W-Wait! Saya?! What happened?”
“T-Too many people…”
I got a little impatient and asked her while raising my voice. She then started explaining with a trembling tone.
“The train was too cramped… There were too many men and… I got absorbed in inside… and almost crushed… I felt like as if I
if I were about to die…”
Her words were broken but I managed to get a general idea of what happened to her. The train was too cramped and she had to jump into the crowd to get inside it. In other words, she went over her capacity by entering a train crammed with men.
Well, at least she didn’t faint there…
“You did well, Saya. For now, don’t move until you recover. I will stay by your side until you feel alright.”
“T-Thanks…”
I gently placed her near the wall and stood next to her until she recovered. I have no other option but to postpone my plan of sleeping in my room. Especially when I heard her muttering ‘station is scary… station is scary…’ repeatedly. I couldn’t leave her alone in that condition.
“Are you fine now?”
“S-Somewhat… Yes…”
After a short while, waiting for Saya to calm down, I noticed that her face looked slightly better. She wasn’t in her best condition, but she should be alright now.
“So, why did you do something as reckless? I’m sure that you knew what will happen to you if you got on that train.”
“Don’t be harsh on me…”
She got a little sullen from hearing my unreserved way of speech, but all that I said was true. Her acts could only be described as reckless. As she realized that I wasn’t intending to comfort her, she spoke the reason for her reckless actions while gazing at me with awkward eyes.
“I was asked by mom to go on an errand here. She told me to get used to this kind of places even though I told her that I can’t…”
“So you had no choice but to come here.”
Saya nodded silently to my amazed conclusion. How can I say this… I don’t know how to praise her courage for challenging herself this much…
“I’m impressed you made it until here…”
“I’m impressed by myself too…”
It’s nearly a miracle for her to arrive here on her own. An awkward mood floated between us after that conversation.
“What about you, Yato-kun? What are you doing here?”
Saya changed the topic by asking me that question. I couldn’t answer her instantly since I didn’t prepare an excuse.
“I just have some business here…”
Before realizing it, I had already said a random excuse and made Saya reveal a displeased face. She probably noticed that I was trying to dodge her question.
“You’re being like that all the time recently, Yato-kun.”
Those words that concealed her discontent towards me made me realize what I did. I ended up reflexively avoiding her question. I totally forgot my promise with Lina yesterday.
“Well, um… I will tell you.”
I guess I need to talk to her about it. I don’t want her to worry about me for nothing again.
“—— And that’s what happened.”
“So skill holders do exist after all…”
She looked surprised to hear that skill holders do actually exist.
“You don’t get any peaceful time, do you?”
But the thing that surprised her the most was the fact that I got involved in the situation.
“Don’t say it, please. I don’t want to admit it, honestly.”
That’s the one and only thing I don’t want to hear from her as someone who adores tranquilness. Saya laughed when she saw me making a face of someone wanting to escape reality. She had finally become cheerful again.
“But I’m relieved.”
“Hm?”
center style="margin-top:25px"> I’m relieved.”
“Hm?”
“You should be fine even if you get involved in this minor situation.”
Saya declared with a broad smile on her face.
“Why do you think so?”
“You’re strong, after all. I saw you fighting against stronger beings. That’s why you should be fine this time.”
She knows me quite well, huh…
I guess she doesn’t like being left out without knowing anything about my situation. I froze in my place for a short moment while gazing at the smile she was directing at me.
“Yato-kun?”
Saya tilted her head when she noticed my freezing and called me. I instantly replied with ‘nothing.’ and averted my eyes. That was close. I can’t believe that my heart skipped a beat by that.
Really, airheads are scary.
“What about your errand?”
“Ah, right! I need to go.”
Right when she recalled what she came for all the way here, Saya parted with me while waving her hand. I waved my hand as well and watched her off walking away, before she suddenly halted her steps.
“What is it?”
Calling her again when she stiffened in her place, Saya rigidly turned around as her lips twitched.
“I don’t think I can make it inside this crowd…”
Apparently, she wants to cross the street that was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with people. I should have expected that much from her. I bet she would have looked cool if she continued walking off without asking for my help this time.
I just can’t leave her alone, I guess…
A bitter smile reached my face as I watched her frozen in her place. However, the next moment…
“h.e.l.lo everyone! Good day!!”
I heard a familiar voice resounding in the street. Everyone walking in the area stopped in their place and looked in the direction of the voice.
“It’s him…”
I turned to the same direction and looked at s.h.i.+bata in the monitor of the station.
“I’d like your attention please.”
Asking everyone to look at him, s.h.i.+bata widened his eyes. I instantly grasped what he was about to do from now on.
Saya is in danger.
“Saya! Don’t look at him!”
I promptly covered her eyes with both of my hands and ignored her confused questions. The next moment, everyone in the area stopped moving like robots that stopped functioning. The noisy and bustling street became quiet in the blink of an eye.
“AHAHA!! It worked!!”
s.h.i.+bata laughed in a loud voice and turned off the monitor. Everything happened in a mere few seconds.
“This turned into a bigger problem than I’ve thought…”
I muttered to myself while looking around me. This situation was completely out of my scope of prediction. I heard Meru’s calling me in a panicking voice.
“All the monitors in this area had the same video and everyone who watched it got hypnotized, Desu!”
“Seriously?”
I used my【s.p.a.ce – Time Magic (Extra Large)】to check the area and confirmed that everyone there was standing still in their place. It felt like I got into a movie scene.
What are they planning to do by controlling everyone?
I tried to guess their plan while looking out for any unpredictable occurrence. The situation is getting more troublesome than what I was expecting.
I let out a heavy sigh and started to contemplate a plan.
―――――――――――――――――――――
Bonus
Forgetting.
“Ah, I feel like I’m not showing up recently… At this rate, everyone else will forget about me too~” ← Rouga.
………
“Ah, Chief!”
“…. Ah, uum, oh, Rouga.”
“Did you just forget about me Chief!?”
