Published at 26th of March 2019 12:07 am

Volume 5, Part 2

◆◆◆ Daiya Oomine - 09/09 WED 08:10 ◆◆◆

If a movie were made of my life, those cinematographers would discover that it's no use waiting for the new screenplay to write itself; the story of my struggle to transcend my own limitations may be original, but it would not be well received. Topics like 'boxes' and 'O' are way too implausible for the average moviegoer.

If anything, I think that the scenes involving my past love life would attract a lot of viewers. Ah, but in that case, they'd have to tack on a happy ending. Let's say I die from a terminal illness; Kiri has to come to terms with my death, and moves on. How does that ending sound? A few decades ago, it would have been a hit.

Unfortunately, in reality I didn't die. Life went on even after tragedies struck and left behind permanent scars.

The story of Daiya Oomine has long since ended.

The curtain has fallen.

Therefore, I should bring everything that remains of my human life to an end.

In order to do so, I returned to school.

"Oh Kazu-kun... why don't you just admit that you were fascinated by my beauty?"

"Time to open her eyes, Hoshii! 'No. I only stared at you because I mistook you for a giant dung fly.'"

Kiri and Haruaki are joking back and forth although classes are about to start.

I try to join in while sitting at my desk:

"I've always used the word 'bloodlust' without much thought, Kiri, but thanks to you I finally understood its true meaning. I'll no longer misuse it in the future. Thanks."

"Eh? Aah, did my brilliance make you unable to stand your own wretchedness and cause you to feel bloodlust toward yourself? Well done!"

What a superficial, fake conversation. It's the same as copying some popular song by looking at the score.

It's painful to watch them carry on in this blatantly false fashion.

I disappeared for a long time. On top of that, I obtained a 'box' and changed. Plus, some people in our class may have seen that Shinjuku video and noticed my starring role. And, I came back all of a sudden at the end of the summer holidays. There's no way I could smoothly reenter daily school life after a single day.

The lukewarm atmosphere Kiri used to strive for doesn't exist anymore. As further proof of this, some of the girls are avoiding her.

Most likely, the everyday school life would have broken down whether I came back or not. Maria Otonashi's arrival and the various 'boxes' Kazuki Hoshino has gotten involved with have opened up various hairline fractures in it. Nonetheless, Kazu may have been able to maintain the peace if he had chosen to do so - but now that he has overcome the 'Game of Idleness', Kazu won't bother with something so futile anymore.

This false everyday life is ending.

And I will deal it the killing blow.

Yesterday I brought several dozen students under my control. This school marks the starting point for my scheme.

If everything affected by a 'box' is "distorted," I will cover the entire world in "distortion."

I use my cell phone to write a message to a certain murderer. One of the students under my control had gotten me her contact info.

"This is Daiya Oomine. I want to talk, so meet me on the rooftop during lunch break. I'll make sure the door is open."

Student council president Iroha Shindou accepts my request, and appears on the school rooftop during the lunch break.

"Long time no see, Oomine-kun. Hmmh? Ah, even that isn't true. I guess this is the first time we really get to talk?" she says. "Can't you choose a better place to confess? I'm sweating like crazy."

I was expecting her to still be recovering from the 'Game of Idleness', but... this girl has the guts to casually converse with someone she opposed in a fight to the death. That's Iroha Shindou for you.

That only reinforces my decision to call her out.

"You do remember killing me, right?"

My blunt question causes her eyes to widen for a split second, but she quickly laughs it off with a "you look pretty alive if you ask me!"

"Looks like you do."

Shindou purses her lips and scratches her head. She may seem cool, but she really isn't. The look on her face shows that it's only an act.

"Well, let me jog your poor memory. You should be smart enough to know that that incident was neither a dream nor an illusion. But I believe that there are certain gaps in your memory. Do you remember the identity of the culprit?"

Shindou hesitates slightly, and answers contemptuously.

"...it was Kamiuchi, right?"

"Right. And since you remember that, I'm sure you have also wondered how Koudai Kamiuchi was able to do something like that," I say. Then, I mention a certain word. "He had a 'box'."

Shindou is waiting for me to continue. However, I keep my mouth shut, convinced that I’ve already said enough.

Seeing me maintain my silence, she scratches her head.

"Umm... Haven't you cut your explanation a bit too short?"

"Didn't I say enough for you to understand at least some of what was going on?"

"Looks like you're overestimating me. I'm not good at drawing conclusions or anything, you know? ...But a 'box', huh. From your wording, I assume that it's the tool that brought about that killer game? Or should I think of it as a tool that, among other things, has the power to create such a game?"

As I expected, Shindou was able to draw plenty of information from just a few comments.

Not only that, she even moves on to conclude:

"So? Could it be that you've also got one of those 'boxes', Oomine-kun?"

Heh, who are you saying is not good at drawing conclusions?

"Yes. While it's not specialized for creating killer games, I do possess a 'box' right now. Well, I suppose it wasn't hard for you to guess as much, since I raised the subject after calling you out here."

"Uh, well, I just realized that the air about you has changed, and that makes it clear that something must have happened."

The air about me has changed?

Hardly a surprise, I guess, after everything I’ve done since becoming an 'owner'.

"And what exactly is a 'box', now?"

"It's an item that can grant any wish."

"Any wish? Not bad. But most of the time, you can't take something like that literally, can you? It's bound to be some sort of cursed object. Like a piece of equipment you can't take off from some famous RPG. Ah, let me clarify: I have enough common sense to reject that 'box' story. But because we'd get nowhere like that, I'm proceeding on the assumption that it exists," she says. With a disparaging attitude, Shindou adds, "That aside, what was your wish, Oomine-kun? Requited love? Now aren't you cute!"

"A worldwide revolution."

Shindou abruptly falls silent.

"...are you serious?"

"Yeah."

Unsure of how to react, Shindou replies without any expression at all:

"Hah... whatever. I'll take your word for it. So that means that you're trying to stand at the vanguard to change the world using that power? Listen, Oomine-kun - I don't think you're up to that task, and I don't think you're well-suited for it to begin with."

She sure doesn't mince words.

Still, her evaluation is perfectly natural since she really only knows me from the 'Game of Idleness'.

As an NPC, all I did was reject contact with others. I didn't support anyone else. A person who wants to "stand at the vanguard" should have protected the other players like Shindou did.

If asked which one of us would make the better leader at that particular point in time, everyone would have voted for Shindou.

But exactly because of that, I must surpass her.

That's why I called her out—

—to the sunny rooftop, where I cast a thick shadow.

"Let me tell you how I am going to change the world."

"Yeah?" Shindou replies half-heartedly. "You know, I'm really not interested to be honest. I'll lend you an ear if you insist, but can't we at least go to the canteen? I'm burning up out here."

"No."

"Aha. Goodbye then. You already know my e-mail address, so drop me a line. Make sure you make the subject 'my *brilliant* plan to change the world.' Pft. You've definitely watched too much anime, Oomine-kun. If you sent me such an e-mail, I wouldn't even open it, let alone read it."

She turns away from me, but I get right back in front of her.

"Hey. I know I’m so charming that you don't want to let me go, but girls don't like pushy guys, you know? If I were Yuuri, I'd cry in front of my admirers and tempt them into giving you a beating."

Shindou dodges around me.

But that doesn't matter anymore. I have already achieved my goal.

I have already made her tread upon my shadow.

Thus—

The sin of murder flows into me.

Now that's a fierce one...

I'm having a hard time standing upright.

When I was dealing with that middle school girl, there was a strong feeling of hatred, but this new sin is just razor-sharp. That's one hell of a stimulant. Just one moment of carelessness and that piercing sin will easily tear my innards to shreds.

But I absorb even such a sin.

"Shindou," I say toward her back, "Drown in your own sins."

I grab the shadow of sin that I have just received and—

"———!!"

—swallow it.

"Uh...Ah,...AH!"

Moments before reaching the door handle, Shindou suddenly groans. Her face distorts in pain and she sinks down to the ground, as if her heart were being crushed. She’s drenched in cold sweat. Shindou is feeling the same cutting pain I am feeling.

Suffer. This is your sin.

I look down at her while she scowls up at me from her crouched position.

"What... have you… done?!"

"Despite your composed appearance, it seems you haven't gotten over it after all. You just became good at hiding it, huh."

"I'm asking what you've done!"

"I merely made you recall your guilt."

"...Hah?"

"Oh well. Let me give you an explanation about my 'box', the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment'. It's a 'box' that enables me to subjugate humans and control them at will. Once I swallow people’s 'Shadows of Sin,' they recall the moment of their life when their pangs of remorse were at their very worst. To be exact, they recall the feelings they had at that moment. In your case, it's the murders you committed during the 'Game of Idleness'."

"...T-These feelings are from… back then...? No… wonder they seemed kind of familiar," she says while getting teary-eyed.

"You have been [subjugated]. I can now control you at will."

Holding her chest, she stands up and assumes a hostile attitude.

"Do you think [subjugating] me like this will prove your oh-so-high caliber or what?"

"There'd be no point to that, would there?"

Shindou wrinkles her brow.

"...T-Then what do you have in mind?"

"The power of the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' is triggered through shadows. See my silhouette on the ground? That's it. This shadow, which has gotten darker than black because of the countless sins that have mingled inside it, is my 'box'. But this 'box' doesn't belong to me alone. It is shared among all people whose sins have been absorbed."

"...Does that mean..."

"It means that you can use it, too."

Shindou widens her eyes.

"Hold on. In that case, have you called me out here because you want to...?"

Quick on the uptake as ever.

Guessing what I was going to say, she continues:

"You want to make me your ally?"

I answer by daringly lifting a corner of my mouth.

I want to increase my chances of winning against Kazuki and his companions. For that purpose, I need the unbending will of Iroha Shindou.

"That being said, if you disagree with my intentions, you’re not going to cooperate. Therefore, I'll explain what I plan to do."

"...Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just do something about this pain!"

"Impossible. That pain has been yours from the start. I merely woke it up. Do something about it yourself. Otherwise, you're not worthy of my power, and I'll just take advantage of you as a servant."

"You half-assed visual kei wannabe...! Tch, yeah-yeah, I got it! Don't underestimate me, okay? As long as I know where these feelings come from, it's a fucking piece of cake to get them under control! Wait a sec until I can clear my head again. I'll tear that plan of yours apart with my words alone!" she hisses... and then takes a deep breath, as if she's just completed a strenuous set of exercises.

After a few more breaths, she gradually grows calm.

"Okay, please go on," Shindou urges me, having completely regained her composure.

Not bad at all. I sure didn't expect her to really clear her head within a few seconds.

"Alright. I plan to strengthen mankind's moral compass. To do that, I will create a new perspective that looks down upon the world."

"Aah, yeah... you've completely lost me, but go on."

"Okay, let's say you’re about to vandalize a statue of Christ. Even if you know that it’s a lifeless block of stone, you'll have a hard time convincing yourself to do it. Say you're an atheist -- you're still socially conditioned to be in awe of God, and it's natural to fear that you might somehow end up cursed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Be it Buddha, God, society or whatever: it gets harder to commit a misdeed if there's a belief in some universal entity that observes and stands in judgment of your actions. Using the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment', I will create a new universal observer."

"How?"

"Have you heard of the 'Dog Humans?'"

"Of course. Ah... you’re behind that phenomenon? But why would you take such a roundabout approach even though you have a 'box' that can do anything? Why didn't you just wish for everyone to behave ethically in the first place?"

"I’m a realist, so my wish was limited."

"Hmpf? Poor boy. Oh, well, but if other people can also use that power to control someone, there will be some who abuse it, right?"

"Perhaps, but that's not actually an issue."

"You think so?"

"I'm not going to randomly make [masters]. Unless someone who already is a [master] permits it, it's impossible to acquire the power to control others. At this point, I am the only [master]. In fact, you're also the first to know that the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' is a 'box' that can be shared."

"Oh, what an honor," she says sarcastically. "But that means that I would be able to make new [masters] if you made me a [master], right? Wouldn't you lose track if the number of users increased exponentially?"

"[Masters] won't pass their power on carelessly. You'll understand why once you've actually acquired this power."

"I'll find out why, huh... well, even if that's true, you still haven't convinced me that that power won't be abused."

"You're connected to the others through feelings of guilt. If you are aware of the fact that you're abusing the 'box', it will lead to feelings of guilt. And these feelings will be conveyed to the others—especially to the [masters]."

"Huuh. So everyone's kinda under constant mutual surveillance."

She purses her lips again. Ah, if I remember correctly, she has a habit of doing that.

"Well, I guess I understand. But Oomine-kun, why did you use your 'box' for something like that? If you ask me, you'd be much happier if you were honest about your wishes."

"......"

I wish I didn't have to tell her, but I need her cooperation.

I open my mouth while fiddling with one of my piercings.

"I hate thoughtless people."

"Well, I don't like them either, and I think anyone with some brains would concur."

"Until a certain point in my life, I believed that lives were ruined by conscious malice. I thought that villains were responsible for the destruction of good people. But I was mistaken. It's the thoughtless idiots who steal others' happiness and ruin their lives. Not the evil people—it's the fools, the scumbags who are incapable of considering how much their selfish behavior will hurt others.

Let's take a habitual shoplifter for example. Because of the losses caused by his shoplifting, a targeted shop might close down. One of the employees might be unable to find a new job, and his or her family might fall apart due to the lack of income. If the shoplifter has considered all of these factors and still continues to maliciously steal, then he's an evil person. But most shoplifters aren't like that. They have a vague idea that shoplifting is a bad thing, but they still steal in order to satisfy their desires-without even considering the collateral damage caused by their actions—and ruin the lives of others without a second thought."

"Oomine-kun," Shindou says with an unusually earnest face. "Your happiness was stolen by someone like that, right?"

I have no intention of answering that question.

"Once the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' has my desired impact on the world, people will be more aware of their sins. That's also the reason I'm causing such a fuss about the 'Dog Humans.' When everyone reflects on the meaning of guilt, ethics will improve. The masses will start to consider the consequences of their actions. They will stop committing crimes. And finally, the number of tragedies will decrease."

"Do you think it will go that smoothly?"

"The die is cast. There's no way back anymore."

Shindou gazes at me with calculating eyes.

"But say... is that really your...," she stops. "...No, forget what I said. Umm, I think that the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' is a clever system, and what you're doing is quite interesting, but as I mentioned before, I don't think you're up to the task."

"How about judging me then?"

"Mh?"

"I am going to give you the power of a [master] now. In order to [control] a [servant], you have to burden yourself with the entirety of his sin. I'll turn over... yes, 10 people's sins to you, including some of your classmates'."

"So you'll enable me to [control] those ten people? I don't quite get how I'm supposed to judge you with that power?"

"You'll understand soon."

"...Hmpf. Are you sure? I haven't agreed with you yet, so I might not cooperate even after getting that power?"

"If you still think that I'm unworthy of your cooperation after judging me, then I don't mind. But should you acknowledge me, you will cooperate with me—no ifs, ands, or buts."

Shindou nods and gives me a provoking smile - as if she were dealing with a pampered child.

"Okay, deal! I've made up my mind. If I acknowledge you, I'll go along with your plan!"

"Don't forget that promise!"

"Ah, but don't read too much into that, okay? There's already someone who's taken my fancy."

I can't avoid laughing while she continues to make silly jokes.

Last time she took on the 'boxes', she was driven to murder – yet she's still so laid-back right now.

I suppose she's sure that she won't have to acknowledge me. She must be thinking that she can't possibly lose to my 'box'.

"...Heh."

Don't get cocky, Shindou!

I'll make you regret your arrogant acceptance of our deal. I'll defeat you and show you which one of us is more capable! I will literally bring you under my control and make you lick my feet.

A faint smile forms on my face as I close my eyes.

At the same time, I also close myself.

I search through the countless thoughts that slumber deep within me.

Becoming a [master] also means taming these monsters, the "Shadows of Sin" of [servants], which never tire of rampaging and trying to rip up their host's body.

Shindou, are you capable of that?

"Shindou."

"What?"

"Don't lose trust in people."

I grab her head and push my index finger and middle finger into her mouth—along with a "Shadow of Sin."

Swallowing a sin is like swallowing the dirtiest parts of a person's soul and embracing them.

The first time I absorbed someone's sin, I thought that my blood had turned green and was emitting a foul stench. I even got the feeling that the dirty blood flowing through my veins was making my cells rot. In broad daylight, I hallucinated that I was melting like a zombie. My fingertips reeked of excrement and I feared that I would attract dung flies. That's how much I suffered.

But Shindou might succeed in swallowing such a sin without any trouble.

Perhaps only weak people feel that pain, and Shindou is so strong that she might be unaffected.

If that's the case, I've lost. I'll have to give up on getting her on my side.

Nonetheless, my plan will still proceed, but this defeat will have harsh consequences. I'll lose her strength and even worse, I'll start doubting whether I'm really fit to be a master.

Therefore—

"Uh, Ah, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"

Hearing that ear-shattering scream reassures me.

"Ah, ugh, AAAH! N-O! Stop this, what the hell! So dirty-dirty-ouch-owww-OUCH-AAARGH-disgusting-fuck-this is just SICK-just die-DIE, that guy doesn't deserve to live!"

The truth that she's just learned is even worse than that hatred.

"But! But! ...A human. It's just... an ordinary... human..."

That ugliness comes from an average person who lives around the corner. That person isn't a criminal, isn't a wicked fellow – he’s just an ordinary person Shindou might even know and be on good terms with.

People commit sins just by living.

Most of us have gotten accustomed to these sins without realizing it. Through our egotistical, individualist values, we forgive ourselves. Even though our sins are disgusting from an external perspective, we readily accept them without any qualms because we have grown accustomed to our own hideousness. To put it plainly: each and every human is terribly easy on himself.

We humans are hideous.

Therefore, we harm others just by living.

While squinting at the despairing Shindou, I mutter:

"Nine more to go."

I grab her head again and prepare myself to make her swallow another shadow, but she suddenly grabs me by my hair with a completely flushed face.

"Don't fuck with me! You... what are you trying to do to me?"

"Do you want me to stop?"

Shindou scowls at me with teary eyes.

"Of course I do! NINE!? Even one more would be too much!"

"But I've got 967 of them," I say out of the blue, astonishing her. "I'm telling you that I have already burdened myself with 967 sins."

Shindou is bereft of speech.

"Y-," she's cut off by a coughing fit. Still hostile, she continues, "You've got 967 of these things?"

Shindou laughs and shakes her head.

"Haha, impossible! Your mind wouldn't be able to take that! Not without being prepared to ruin yourself!"

"Yeah. You got that right."

"Huh?"

"I know that my ruin is inevitable. I could go insane, bite off my tongue and die any moment. I'm prepared for all that."

My life will end miserably. No one will praise or respect me; I will only receive scorn. People will just avert their eyes from my hideous remains, hold their nose due to the foul stench and maybe kick my dead body into a ditch. That's about it.

But I am prepared for that.

No matter what it takes, I will wipe out all those fools.

Shindou slowly loosens her grip.

"I don't mind dying if I manage to set up the stage to a certain extent. In that case, my allies will take over. That's why I designed my 'box' to be shared. I can bequeath the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' even if I die. As long as I don't abandon my 'box', the system will remain intact. Once this system gets rolling, I don't mind if I die."

"What are you..."

"So?" I scoff. "Am I of a higher caliber than you are?"

While looking deeply into my eyes, she lets go of my hair.

She then wipes away her tears with a swift movement of her arm, takes a deep breath and calms down.

Her eyes are once again sharp, and she raises the corner of her mouth.

"......I'll take nine more. I promised to do so, after all."

"You're okay with that?"

"Of course not! But I keep my promises and I believe I'm capable of anything."

She flashes a daunting grin.

"You have my respect, Daiya Oomine! I'll go with that plan of yours until your very last breath!"

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