Her voice was very weak.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Fail? What will fail?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Well. . .this attack!” Nagi roared.
✦ ✦ ✦
The arm she’d kept hidden in the muddy water thrust forward, clutching some sort of staff. It was one of the objects that had spilled out of her bag a moment before.
✦ ✦ ✦
"......!"
✦ ✦ ✦
Makiko reacted quickly. The weapon darted past her chin, touching only air.
✦ ✦ ✦
But she had not expected the attack, and it unbalanced her.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi’s movement did not stop there.
✦ ✦ ✦
"......nargh!”
✦ ✦ ✦
With a grunt, she stabbed the weapon into the water. It was a stun-rod that had been altered to remove all limitations, releasing extremely high-voltage electricity into the water where Nagi herself was sitting.
✦ ✦ ✦
A horrendous electric current shot through
✦ ✦ ✦
Makiko’s body. The water they were in was no ordinary water...Nagi had spilled her bag deliberately, filling the small pool with materials that conducted electricity well.
✦ ✦ ✦
"...aughghghghghghghghgh!!"
✦ ✦ ✦
Makiko arched backwards as electricity ran up her spine. A shock more powerful than anything else she had ever experienced ripped through her body.
✦ ✦ ✦
While Nagi, on the other hand. . .there was smoke rising from her here and there, but she was standing upright, unaffected. She was wearing a custom-made insulated jumpsuit.
✦ ✦ ✦
Of course, if the current had traveled up the water covering her body and reached her exposed head she would have died instantly. It had been quite a gamble.
✦ ✦ ✦
“That’s why I was worried,” Nagi said, tossing aside the rod, which had shorted itself out. She pulled another one from her belt, extending it.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Unghghghghghgh. . . !” the Fear Ghoul groaned, flinging herself at Nagi.
✦ ✦ ✦
But a second later, Nagi’s body moved like a piece of paper carried by the wind, and swept the Fear Ghoul’s legs out from under her.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi’s hands only appeared to twist lightly. But with that, the overwhelmingly powerful monster spun in the air, crashing to the ground. The movement was less like karate and more like Aikido. It was almost a sort of sleight of hand. The monster’s body slammed into the puddle, and then Nagi zapped it again.
✦ ✦ ✦
".........!!"
✦ ✦ ✦
She screamed without making a sound.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was clear which of them had won. Makiko
✦ ✦ ✦
could not understand what had happened.
✦ ✦ ✦
How?
✦ ✦ ✦
Why...?
✦ ✦ ✦
Why, what, and how had things turned out like this...
✦ ✦ ✦
How can this be?
✦ ✦ ✦
Her entire body was numb, her limbs flailing wildly, her electrocuted body unable to move freely.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Why?! How did...!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi grabbed her flailing arm, twisting it at the joint.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...why...?!”
✦ ✦ ✦
She tried to struggle anyway, and then it happened:
✦ ✦ ✦
...Snap.
✦ ✦ ✦
Like a dry twig breaking, the arm Nagi was holding tore right off.
✦ ✦ ✦
“......?!”
✦ ✦ ✦
The force Nagi had been using knocked her over.
✦ ✦ ✦
But Makiko showed no reaction to the loss of her arm, just crawling away on her remaining three limbs, trying to run, faster than any human could possibly move.
✦ ✦ ✦
“W-wait!” Nagi yelped, jumping up. But her
✦ ✦ ✦
legs were still throbbing with pain, and she toppled over again.
✦ ✦ ✦
As she tried to right herself once more, she heard a voice.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’m surprised,” it said.
✦ ✦ ✦
“......?!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi looked around. The person was close by.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I did not expect you to escape that danger on your own. I took too long catching up with you, but it appears to have turned out well enough.”
✦ ✦ ✦
It was a strange voice, like a boy’s, like a girl’s, like both at once.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Wh-who are you?!” Nagi called out. But the
✦ ✦ ✦
person did not answer.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Leave the rest to me,” it said, instead, and was gone.
✦ ✦ ✦
There was no pain from the ragged stump of her arm, just a vague sensation. She could no longer even remember who she was, as though her memories were covered in mist.
✦ ✦ ✦
She had met something utterly terrifying. Something very frightening had happened to her. She remembered that much, if only because she was now running. Running away from it, yes, but away from what? Her confused mind could not remember. She felt like she had once had a grand purpose, but that purpose was now far, far away.
✦ ✦ ✦
The powerful electric current had caused her evolving body to lose its balance. What had once been growing rapidly was now disintegrating at twice the speed, but she couldn’t even tell what was happening.
✦ ✦ ✦
For a moment, the waves had crested, but then they passed by, the current washing past her, into the distance...gone forever.
✦ ✦ ✦
There were little popping noises all over her body as parts of it started breaking down.
✦ ✦ ✦
Still, she did not stop. She could not stop. She was scared. Terrified. It felt like everything in the world was after her, and she was trembling violently, her teeth chattering.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Eek! Eeeeeek...!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Tears poured down her face. What had she done wrong? How had this happened to her?
✦ ✦ ✦
“Eeeeeeeeeee...!"
✦ ✦ ✦
She could only assume that everything had
✦ ✦ ✦
been wrong. She felt that just being alive had been a mistake.
✦ ✦ ✦
If she was going to be this scared, this frightened, then she was better off never having been born. Why was this happening to her? Why...?
✦ ✦ ✦
She heard something in the distance. It was a strange sound...bright, yet somehow lonely. It was the sound of whistling carried on the Wind. It was impossible to determine its source.
✦ ✦ ✦
She looked up. She’d heard that music before.
✦ ✦ ✦
"A proper fight to the death? Like a duel?"
✦ ✦ ✦
Those words floated across her mind. Words she had said herself.
✦ ✦ ✦
When had that been? Who had she been talking to? She couldn’t remember, but she knew there was at least one reason why she could not afford to be afraid.
✦ ✦ ✦
Yes.
✦ ✦ ✦
Him.
✦ ✦ ✦
He was here.
✦ ✦ ✦
I have to fight with him. We promised. No remorse.
✦ ✦ ✦
No time for fear. I have to face him down.
✦ ✦ ✦
"...ah ha!"
✦ ✦ ✦
The smile was back on her lips.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ah ha! Ah ha ha! Ah ha ha ha ha ha.
✦ ✦ ✦
She stopped running, and turned around, facing down the entire world. “I’ll take you on anytime!
✦ ✦ ✦
Come at me any way you like!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Her voice was very feeble, barely able to claw its way out of her crumbling throat, but to her ears it sounded proud and haughty.
✦ ✦ ✦
From behind her came the response, “I will.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Even as the voice spoke, there was the sound of something slicing through the air.
✦ ✦ ✦
She tried to turn around, but she suddenly realized everything was already spinning.
✦ ✦ ✦
The sky, the earth, her own body, everything around her...she could see her headless body crumpling to the ground. But if she could see that, then that meant...
✦ ✦ ✦
Uhm...?
✦ ✦ ✦
As the world spun, she saw a shadow flit across her field of vision. The shadow wore a strange, asymmetrical expression, like it was smiling. Like it was crying.
✦ ✦ ✦
That was it. The microfilament wire snaked out at the speed of lightning, cutting Kisugi Makiko’s head clean off. It spun through the air and fell to the ground.
✦ ✦ ✦
5.
✦ ✦ ✦
Wlen Nagi returned, Mo Murder was on the brink of death. His wound was mortal, but he had lived for several minutes despite that...a testament to the strength he had been given. Like Makiko said, he was not human. Despite his inhuman power, there was no saving him now.
✦ ✦ ✦
"...Sasaki-san,” Nagi said. “Any last words?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Breathing raggedly, Mo Murder tried to speak.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi leaned closer.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...I’m glad...you survived,” he said. “The
✦ ✦ ✦
bug. . .isn’t that bad...”
✦ ✦ ✦
That was all.
✦ ✦ ✦
"........."
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi stood up.
✦ ✦ ✦
“The bug. . .?” she said, refiectively.
✦ ✦ ✦
She looked behind her. A strange figure in a g black hat and cloak stood there. It was the one who had spoken to her earlier.
✦ ✦ ✦
“What do you think that means?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“No idea. But if he says it isn’t bad, then i that’s all you need to know. He seems to have been satisfied just knowing you’re alive. Isn’t that enough?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi couldn’t tell if the figure was a boy or a girl. He seemed about Nagi’s age, but she couldn’t be sure. There was white makeup and black lipstick on his face.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I suppose. . .but. . .what are you? You followed me all the way here, but why did you finish off Kisugi Makiko?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You were the one that defeated her.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“...I’m not so sure,” Nagi said, scowling. “I feel like this whole affair was a trainwreck. Not one thing went right...”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Not everything does,” the cloaked figure said, oddly confident. It was a strange way of speaking-expressing conviction without reason.
✦ ✦ ✦
“What do they call you?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You mean my name?”
✦ ✦ ✦
"...what else would I mean?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Fair enough,” the cloaked figure said, thinking about it. Then he nodded. “I shall call myself Boogiepop.”
✦ ✦ ✦
"...that’s a weird name.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You could say that as well, Kirima Nagi.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi nodded, ruefully.
✦ ✦ ✦
She turned serious again. “...what should we do about. . .the leftovers?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Forget them. Someone else will clean up,”
✦ ✦ ✦
Boogiepop said, disinterested.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nagi glared at him, but he just shrugged.
✦ ✦ ✦
“There are forces at work behind this. Ma-
✦ ✦ ✦
jor ones. Leaving things to them will cause less trouble,” he said, calmly.
✦ ✦ ✦
That did seem to be true, Nagi thought. “So
✦ ✦ ✦
Sasaki-san will be the killer?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“If the world knew a doctor was behind it, there would be panic. All the patients she treated would be looked at with suspicion. And I doubt “Sasaki-san” would want that. He would have been happy to take the blame. Anything for you.”