Published at 26th of March 2019 12:07 am

Volume 6, Part 7

◇◇◇ Kazuki Hoshino - 09/11 FRI 23:02 ◇◇◇

"Maria has become a [servant]?" I parrot back what Mogi-san has said.

"Kasumi...what's that supposed to mean? W-Why would Maria-chan...?" Haruaki asks as he raises his head while continuing to kneel on the ground.

"I-I only repeated what Yanagi-san told me, so I don't know anything else..."

How could this happen?

Daiya's 'box' had no effect when Iroha-san stepped onto my shadow; when Daiya steps onto Maria's shadow, it should be equally ineffectual.

Unless she wishes to accept it of her own volition.

"——!"

Suddenly, my cell phone beeps, notifying me of a new e-mail. As I take it out, it beeps once again.

"...W-What the?"

Given the situation we're in, it can't be a good sign to receive multiple e-mails in a row.

I'm unfamiliar with the senders' e-mail addresses. I try opening the second e-mail, but it only contains the letter "O", and even as I read it, a new e-mail arrives.

Five more e-mails from unfamiliar addresses reach me in 5-second intervals. They all contain only one letter, and chronologically sorted, they form the following text.

"F"

"O"

"R"

"G"

"E"

"T"

"M"

"E"

The identity of the sender couldn't be any clearer.

"Maria...!"

So it's the truth.

It's true that she has become a [servant].

No, even worse.

"Maria has given [orders] to at least eight different people..."

Maria has become a [master].

"...Why...did it come to this...?"

Yet another e-mail reaches me while I'm still mired in confusion. The sender is yet another unfamiliar e-mail address, but this time, the e-mail contains more than one letter.

"Watch the news"

With bated breath, I start up the 1seg function of my cell.

I immediately see what she was referring to. The newscaster cites the following text:

"Breaking news: Katsuya Tamura, a victim of the so-called 'Dog Human' phenomenon, has just regained consciousness. This is the first known case of recovery. The official police statement is that they have taken Tamura-san into protective custody, he is calm and showing no signs of confusion. Furthermore, he claims that he has no memory of his time as a 'Dog Human', that he killed his parents and that he is willing to accept any form of punishment. —We have just received additional breaking news. Yasumi Ishikawa, another 'Dog Human' victim, has regained consciousness as well and..."

What's going on? Why did Daiya release the 'Dog Humans' now, of all times? Didn't he plan to make the people of the world reconsider their ethics by mass-producing 'Dog Humans'? Isn't releasing them rendering his efforts futile?

Or is it Maria who's doing that?

But then why is Daiya permitting this?

One would think that Maria has taken over the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment'!

"......Good lord."

Is that possible?

Did Maria seriously wish for the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' of her own volition? Did Maria become a [servant] and [master] for the sake of using that power at will?

If that's true, then why?

"—No, that's..."

As clear as day.

If that's true, her motive is obvious.

Her only 'wish' is to make others happy. She cares about nothing else. Therefore, what she is doing now also serves that ultimate goal.

In other words, Maria determined that the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' is capable of bringing about happiness.

I know she's been searching for a 'box'.

And the 'box' she chose is the 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment'? The power to control others?

"What...the hell..."

I grind my teeth.

Doesn't that basically imply that Daiya is the person who best understands and most needs Maria?

Over—

"Over my dead body."

I know what she is going to do next.

Unlike Daiya, she's not going to make a big spectacle. She will approach people one by one, and intervene where needed to guide them to attain happier lives.

That's an impossible and endless undertaking.

A life wasted on serving others.

Despite that, Maria would gladly devote her entire life to the happiness of others.

She would be delighted that she has finally taken a step forward.

"Over my dead body," I repeat to myself.

She is only acting this way because she is obsessed with 'Aya Otonashi.'

She is completely disregarding herself.

"I will............"

In that case, my answer isn't hard to reach.

"I will also crush......"

I won't leave her any hope as 'Aya Otonashi.'

The only thing 'Aya Otonashi' will get from me is despair.

"I will also crush that 'Shadow of Sin and Punishment' you cling to!"

Is it the ray of hope you have found after so long?

I don't give a fuck!

Cry as much as you want, I won't hold back from crushing your 'box'.

I have made up my mind.

The question now is how to pull off my plans.

Daiya can [order] Maria. He can threaten me as much as he wants. By threatening to use the 'Flawed Bliss' on Yuuri-san, he can get whatever he wants from me. If he orders me to destroy the 'Wish-Crushing Cinema', I'll have to destroy it. If he orders me to let Maria go, I'll have to let her go.

"Ngh..."

Then what can I do?

Daiya is still standing between me and Maria. Unless I find a way to oppose him, I will fail to recover Maria and lose.

—A way to oppose him. A way to oppose him...!

What comes to mind is—

My gaze wanders to Haruaki, who has been asking something of me. He wanted me to bring him and Kokone with me into the 'Cinema'.

"Haruaki."

Right, at the end of the day, she's Daiya's only weak spot.

"Let's meet up with Kokone."

A shiver runs down my spine.

A shiver runs down my spine because of what I am planning.

✵

Mogi-san said that she wanted to support me, but we couldn't just take her into the 'Wish-Crushing Cinema', so we hurriedly returned her to the hospital. After that, we met up with Kokone.

We had called Kokone in advance, so she was already waiting for us in a parking lot near the dorm.

As soon as we meet, Kokone jumps into my arms, clinging to my chest.

"Daiya just sent me a message," she says in a trembling voice, "saying that he loves me."

She doesn't look up at me.

Even if she weren't shaking like a leaf, I could tell that she is crying.

"This is the first time he's said that to me after he realized that I've changed."

Haruaki bites on his lip as he silently listens to her.

"I've made my choice. And I'm going to have my way," she says as she raises her head and looks at me with bright red eyes. "I will go save Daiya."

Her resolve is unshakable.

"Kokone..."

He must have told her indirectly that he loves her via e-mail. It's obviously a trap, but that won't stop her.

However, that happens to support my own plans.

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes?"

"I am. I'll put my life one the line if that's what it takes."

That's the answer I wanted to hear.

That's the answer I wanted to hear, so I can take advantage of her in order to oppose Daiya.

"Kokone. Haruaki. Let's enter the 'Wish-Crushing Cinema'."

I will make use of Kokone's passion for Daiya, but solely to recover my Maria.

Yet, Haruaki smiles at me.

"You're taking us with you? Thanks a bunch, Hoshii!" he says as he grips my hands. Firmly.

"T-That hurts, Haruaki."

But he doesn't loosen his grip, his eyes remain fixed upon me, and tears start running down his cheeks.

"Thanks, Hoshii!"

Even though bringing Kokone with me doesn't mean that Daiya will be saved.

In fact, Haruaki is most likely going to witness Daiya's destruction. And yet Haruaki sheds tears of relief, incorrectly believing that I made this decision for the sake of Kokone and Daiya.

He finally lets go of my hands.

They have become hot.

"Ah—"

My heart suddenly heats up; so much so that it's hard to bear.

The pure tears they shed for Daiya attack me.

And they make me realize.

"Ugh...gh..."

I look at my hands that Haruaki's tight grip have warmed. These hands possess the power to crush 'boxes' and knock out others' 'wishes'.

These hands prove that I have strayed from the path of humanity.

My intention to exploit their feelings for the sake of Maria proves that I have strayed from the righteous path.

For what I am going to do is——

"AAAahh..."

When did I go so far astray? No, wasn't my attempt to kill Iroha-san already proof that I've got some screws loose? I had already been messed up mentally back then; I just didn't notice because Iroha-san happened to survive.

I want to pray for Daiya. I want to pray for Daiya's happiness together with Kokone and Haruaki. I want to cry together with them. I want to share their feelings and ride to his rescue together.

But I can't.

I will recover Maria. I can't help but prioritize her above everyone else. There's no helping it.

I have changed for good.

By obtaining the 'Empty Box', I have been recast into this monstrous shape.

"Uh...uuuuuh....."

I shed tears.

But mine are not beautiful tears like Kokone's and Haruaki's, shed for someone else. They are hideous and egotistical tears, shed in lamentation of what I have become.

"Haruaki, Kokone."

I can only put my honest feelings into words.

"I really love you two."

That's the one thing I can say with sincerity and honesty.

Haruaki embraces us.

Kokone is crying out loud.

It feels like a horrible sin to shed such monstrous tears. Kokone's tears drip onto my cheeks, their purity seeming to silently condemn me and making me even sadder.

"I love you, but I may betray you."

They look at me with rounded eyes.

"I'm sorry. No matter what, I will do anything it takes to save Maria. I will even exploit your feelings to recover her. I might not be able to save Daiya. I might corner him. But I really really think that I want to save him. Sorry. But I can't commit to that from the bottom of my heart. Sorry. I'm sorry that I can't wish for his rescue with all my heart." My tears won't stop. "Please forgive me."

For a while, we remain silent, hugging each other in a tight circle.

Kokone is the first to speak up.

"It's okay," she says as she sobs. "I'm no different. I can only act for Daiya's sake. I couldn't act for my own, even if Haruaki wants me to."

She pushes away from my chest, slipping out of our circle, and smiles at me.

"I forgive you, Kazu-kun, so please forgive me too."

Looking at their tears, I can only say:

Just like the four movies Daiya has been watching, I can't imagine how this story could have a happy ending.

Where did I make my crucial mistake?

When did things start to go wrong?

If I was mistaken from the start, was Daiya right about correcting the world?

I don't know.

I don't know, but we have to go.

To the shopping mall where the entrance to the 'Wish-Crushing Cinema' can be found.

To Daiya.

To Maria.

But before that, I shall carve a reminder that I have gone astray into my body.

Yes, I'll do it to the part of me that possesses the power to crush 'boxes'. I'll choose my right hand.

Once I've done that—

I will go and watch the end credits of this story.

scene 4: Piercing at Fifteen 3/3

95. BLUE BACKGROUND KOKONE (MONOLOGUE) Please...

96. WHITE BACKGROUND KOKONE (MONOLOGUE) May Daiya find true happiness.

97. BLACK BACKGROUND

98. RED BACKGROUND

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