Zaregoto Vol 5 Chapter 5

Other people determine your value.

Other people also determine other peoples' values.

1

I ended up using the stairs to the ground floor. I walked out to the hallway of the fourth floor once, but the elevator was stopped at the ground floor, and even in my excited state, I was able to reason that it would be faster to simply run down the stairs. Not that I was in any excited state. I was so calm that my body temperature was around zero degrees.

I fell down the stairs two, three times, and crashed into the landing. But I was able to immediately stand up. I was probably not getting off without a scratch, but it did not hurt much. Having come this far, it seems I had finally gotten somewhere. Although there is no way human beings can control their nervous system, at the very least, I was doing something similar. Speaking of which, when life forms take fatal damage -- for example, when half their head has been crushed, or when they have been split in half at the torso, in such cases -- I have heard that their nervous system gets cut off. They only have a few minutes left to live no matter what happens, so their body decides it is useless to send signals warning of impending doom. That made me feel much more pleased. It is a nasty story, but it made me feel very pleased. There is no value to pain to those who do not fear death. With just one decision, life forms can become this strong. Or perhaps, just by throwing away one decision, life forms can become this weak. Either way, I felt that it was splendid. I thought that as I picked myself up off the wall after my fourth slip.

It did not hurt nor itch to tumble -- well, really it left a bit of an itchy feeling -- which I was grateful about, but it was problematic that I could not walk properly. It felt like my feet were not touching the ground. I felt extremely unstable. As if I were floating in a zero-gravity field. Speaking of which, a long time ago -- before I partic.i.p.ated in the ER3 System's ER Program -- when I was thirteen, with Kunagisa Tomo, we talked about that. Whether by the time we became adults people would be able to travel to s.p.a.ce with ease. They might be able to. Do you want to go? Not really. Not interested. How about you, Kunagisa-kun? I want to go. Mmhmm. You want to go despite being a hikikomori? A pretty distasteful being. What's distasteful? A pathetic life form. I'm not pathetic. Maybe. But s.p.a.ce is pathetic. There is nothing worth anything in this world, anyways. There is nothing worth anything anywhere. Nowhere? Nowhere. Even if you go to s.p.a.ce, if you look at Earth, you just think, "it's blue." That is all you think by going to s.p.a.ce, you know? If you want to see that, you can just look at a picture book. Not just blue, but red, black, green, everything is there. Going to s.p.a.ce is just a roundabout way of confirming how insignificant you are. The extreme result of romanticism. It would be better to just look at your hair then. Eheheh. Stop laughing for no reason like that. Disturbing. I hate that about you. I love that you say stuff like that. Oh shut up.

"-- stop trying to flirt....."

A truly pitiful brat. I thought that myself. So conceited, so conceited, so conceited. So ecstatic, so ecstatic, so ecstatic. And misconstruing that as ego. Seeing just the surface of the world, or perhaps seeing just the back of the world. In any case, just looking at one side of things. Feeling wise after having a limited perspective and speaking as if having seen enlightenment. Afraid beyond afraid of having a hollow self crumbled to bits. And what remained after crumbling was nothing. The hollow self had become myself. A tragedy, a farce that did not elicit laughs nor tears. And the farce has not yet come to an end. It continues, forever. Forever, frozen. In other words, I have not grown one bit since being gripped by Dead Blue. I have not accomplished anything. Because there are other things to be accomplished.

Fifth tumble. At the same time, I arrived on the ground floor. It seemed this time I hit my head pretty hard. As usual, the pain was just a dull thing, but my consciousness seemed to wane just a bit. And again I had a flashback. First, my family. Little sister. Big sister. Father. Mother. Uncle and aunt on both sides. Memories of my childhood. I could not recall the face of a single friend. I did not know of any. No one know of me. Accident. Crumbling. Plane. My little sister disappears around then. Good bye. Kasumioka-san. Nao-san. And then Kunagisa Tomo. Everything else disappeared. Was this also a revolving lantern? I do not know the meaning of the word. ER3 System. Meeting Kokoromi-sensei. The cla.s.smates I could not get along with. The few cla.s.smates I did get along with. Omokage Magokoro. Parting with sensei. And then a lot happened. I could not remember most of that. If I could, my head would explode. Dropping out. j.a.pan. Kyoto. Reunion with Kunagisa Tomo. The same Kunagisa as before. The same myself as before. Asano Miiko-san. Suzunashi Neon-san. Pateren-san and the run-away siblings. What happened to her after she left for Tokyo. Wet Crow's Feather Island. The style-less artist. The decapitated Fool. The unstable cook. The unpleasant fortune-teller. He, the same. The wandering Lady and the triplet maids. I want to see them. Aikawa Jun-san. Mankind's strongest contractor. May. Meeting them. And contact with the human failure. Pointless conversations. Conversations without self-love. The worst witch, Nanananami Nanami. The girl who calls me Master appears -- when my memories caught up to Hime-chan, I snapped back to reality. What the h.e.l.l, I mumbled. I mumbled, consciously. I remember a lot. Jeez, my memory is not completely useless after all. Really, jeez. I picked myself up off the ground. I picked up the lock-picking knife that had clattered away from the ground, and slid it into the keyhole on the doork.n.o.b. And then after shaking a bit, the lock easily clicked. I gripped the k.n.o.b. I still could not feel anything. Given how my body was functioning, there did not seem to be any broken bones. It was a careless conclusion, but I decided to believe that, and opened the door.

Dim, though a light source was attached to the ceiling. Just a luminescent bulb that seemed like it would cut out any moment, in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the fourth ward that I stepped out into. As soon as I walked out, I heard voices from somewhere. Relieved. It seemed my hearing had not yet gone numb. I thought my eardrums may have burst from tumbling so much, but it was a needless worry. I perked my ears.

"--- I ------ . ------- so -----"

This voice -- who? It was terrible monotone, as unemotional as if a synthetic voice were speaking, and there was no break between the words. Kasugai-san. Kasugai-san is here. Where? Ahead. Of course, by the cages ahead.

"-- if that boy has gone somewhere it means I am at fault. That would cause me some trouble. That's why I must ask you. Understand?"

Kasugai-san's voice. Calm -- well, it was not so much, but it was also not very angry. I carefully, keeping my footsteps silent and my breathing inaudible, one step at a time, slowly progressed down the hallway. I was suddenly beset by a headache. I may have hurt my brain a bit with one of my tumbles. Not that it matters. Not that it matters for a brain that was broken from the start. Not that it matters, so please, wait a bit. Just wait a little bit more. I want some time. There is still something I need to do.

That was when I almost burst out laughing. That was when I almost burst out laughing for the first time in a while. Something I need to do. Me! For of all people me to end up with something like that. Even a child who has abandoned every sense of obligation and every right can end up with something like that! Then, perhaps in the end I did not simply stop moving. Perhaps, to this point, I had simply acted as if I did not notice. It was probably the latter. In other words, that means that even more than I had ever realized, and even more than anyone else has realized, I am a giant fool.

In the end, however, I did not laugh.

"Who knows?"

A nostalgic voice. I had only been gone for a few hours, but Suzunashi-san's voice sounded nostalgic to my ears.

"Maybe he went home? Maybe he got too angry at this treatment. Inoji was raised pretty extravagantly, despite how he looks, so maybe he just couldn't stand being here for a second longer."

"-- I am not kidding," Kasugai-san's voice remained emotionless. There was no anger or sadness or hesitation or anything. "How could he have left. And if he left you must have all seen him leave. How did that boy escape? Perhaps that means there is an insider here."

Strange, I could hear some growling behind Kasugai-san's voice. Like some beast. Kasugai-san was not the one growling. Nor Suzunashi-san. Then who? Kunagisa? I felt like my legs were falling asleep. No, not my legs. My whole body. As if the sense of pain I had sealed away was just coming back.

"Now that you mention it."

Woah.

"Boku-sama-chan saw. Ii-chan dislocated all of his joints and slid out through that crack. Ii-chan's so cool, you never know what he's going to do."

I was freed from my numbness. Relief. Kunagisa was still safe. However, the growling continued along with Kunagisa's words. What is it? Is there someone else? No, I did not sense another. While my inward senses were numbed, my outward senses were amplified a hundred, two hundred times. Then. I must do something while Kasugai-san is the only one in front of that cage.

I tried to think. Is there any good idea that I can use? I used about two seconds to think, and then I quickly shook my head. I used three whole hours thinking, and yet I was unable to come up with anything, so I could not think there any point in trying to think now. Then there is no need to think. My body automatically, without thinking, will move, I hope. Will move, I pray.

I turned the corner, and began stepping out toward the voice. Yes, if I turn the corner, I will be by the cage with Kunagisa and Suzunashi-san--

"----....."

And then. There was Kasugai-san. In a white lab coat. She looked at me with that cool gaze of hers. By her feet was one dog. The dog that was playing with me last night. Ahh, so that is the beast behind the growling. Black and big and vicious. Like last night, there was no chain, nor even a collar. Why had she taken a dog to this floor. I did not know what Kasugai-san wanted. That was why I naturally returned my gaze to Kasugai-san. She looked a bit startled, but without showing that inner expression, she simply said, "-- my."

"Why did you--"

"Ah, Ii-chan!" Kunagisa clasped the bars of the cage with an out-of-place happy voice. "Yahoo! Ii-chan! Welcome back!"

I could not respond to that voice. I simply faced Kasugai-san. But I also could not completely ignore her and glanced at Kunagisa in the cage. She looked well. At the very least, it did not look like she had been harmed any. It seemed I had made it. Probably, had made it. Suzunashi-san was there too. Calmly, with composure, she leaned against the wall. But she looked at me, said "jeez," and then, "..... so," she continued quietly.

"Inoji. By how you look, it doesn't look like you're all ready."

"Ah. You're right. Ii-chan, you're pretty hurt. Your skin's peeled all over. And bleeding. You okay?"

What Suzunashi-san meant was, of course, with regards to the case. However, Kunagisa did not seem to care about that all, and instead worried about my health. As usual. Kunagisa never worries about herself. Why. I did not know.

I took out the lock-picking knife, and with unstable footing (..... I meant to be, walking, though.....) walked closer to the cage. Huh. The key is open. Why? Perhaps Kasugai-san had opened it. I looked at Kasugai-san.

"Hey -- I'd rather you not do anything. Don't move."

She said something. I cannot hear. Maybe my eardrums had burst after all. I can hear but I do not understand what she is saying. I understand what she is saying but I do not know what it means. It was like easy-to-hear French. Oh well. There is nothing to be gained from hearing Kasugai-san's voice. I opened the door of the cage.

"Lets go home, Tomo."

"What? Ah, yup--"

Kunagisa hesitated. How rare. Huh. Did I say something strange? We are just going home together. Like always. Go somewhere together and then go home together. That is all. Ahh, right, I need to buy uirō on the way home. For Hime-chan's friend. Miiko-san will probably want some too, so six or seven bars.

Someone pulled my shoulder. Kasugai-san.

"-- please go inside like that. I'll try not to treat you badly."

"Shut up or I'll kill you."

I turned around and shook Kasugai-san's hand off.

"Please don't get in my way. We're heading home now."

"I won't let you."

Kasugai-san did not back down, and pushed me with one arm. Pushed, I stumbled two, three steps away from the cage. Away from Kunagisa. Ahh, I have to go back. But I was obstructed. By Kasugai-san -- and one dog.

And then I realized. The black dog by Kasugai-san's feet was not from last night. Looks the same, but feels totally different. Not even just like a wild beast. It was precisely a wild beast. As if glaring, as if staring at the face of an archenemy, it pointed its two eyes at me. Its front legs postured, prepared to lunge at any moment. Its weight lowered onto its back legs just a bit, as if prepared against any attack. Compared to this, the two dogs from last night were like domesticated puppies. They wore the same skin, but this was a completely differently life form.

"The last -- of the triplet."

"Precisely."

Kasugai-san looked down just a bit at the dog.

"Of course this is nothing like the two you met last night and is not nearly as docile. That is the result of experimentation, you know."

The result of experimentation? What sort of experimentation must be conducted to transform one that shares the same genes to this degree? I felt like she mentioned something yesterday. I also felt that she did not say anything. I cannot remember. There is no point in remembering. What is more important is what Kasugai-san wants to do using this dog. What she meant to do to Kunagisa using this dog.

"What -- are you thinking," I asked Kasugai-san. "Bringing such a wild dog along -- this is no longer a joke."

"It's your fault for escaping. If only you stayed put," Kasugai-san casually answered, without any hesitation or conflict. "Now hurry up and enter the cage please. I would rather not do something like this either. But if you won't, I will. That's all."

Ordinary.

Kasugai-san's way of speaking was far too ordinary.

In this extraordinary place.

In this extraordinary situation.

It was this, ordinary.

"-- I see. I get it..... I get it, you are like that, too."

I finally understood.

..... what Neo-san meant when he said be careful especially of Kasugai-san. Finally, in this situation, I comprehended.

I see, I see..... so that is how it is. What it means to have no conviction. It ultimately means nothing other than that she can do anything. She has no restrictions. She has no obligations. And thus she has no boundaries. That is the the ident.i.ty of this Kasugai Kasuga. Reason or theory, theory or conclusions, nothing has any meaning.

She chose nothing herself, she decided nothing herself, and that resulted in this. She binds other people without care, imprisons them, and hurts them. And that was not for any conviction of hers. Because she has none.

Professor Kyouichirou acts for his own research. Kokoromi-sensei a.s.sisted the professor for her goals, and revolts for those goals. s.h.i.to-kun and Misachi-san a.s.sisted the professor for their own sense of loyalty, and because of that sense of loyalty, easily crumbled.

But Kasugai-san is different.

She has no reason. No motive. No reason from the start. There is no understanding her, forever. If I had to describe it as anything, she is simply psychological. Incorrigible. There is no handling her. If I were to have arrived late, and she were to have set the dog free inside the cage, she would not be any different. Even if that were to ultimately kill Kunagisa, she would not be any different. She has no goals nor means, no guilt nor repentance. There is no negotiating. There is no placating or converting or threatening.

There is no conviction.

As Neo-san said, that is indeed terrifying.

However.

"That would mean she is just like me--"

I stuck my hand in my left breast pocket, and pulled out the knife. The lock-picking knife in my left hand, and the thin blade I received from Aikawa-san in my right. I faced Kasugai-san with this setup. She did not look at me with any sort of surprise, and without any sort of emotion.

"I do not think there is any point in meaningless resistance."

"Meaningless?"

"There is no meaning whatsoever. The Professor and the other researchers will be here soon. What will you do by breaking through me? Nothing."

"It is not nothing at all," I took a step closer. There was less than two meters to Kasugai-san. There is no point in using the pistol at this range. There was Kouta-san's warning, but I was also not foolish enough to use it without any practice. Even if this action of mine were to be even more foolish. "I will break through you, and then break through the Professor, and the other researchers. That is my plan."

"You're insane."

Are you seriously one to talk?

Before I could retort, Kasugai-san had snapped her fingers. And then the black dog twisted itself in motion. The snapped finger was a signal. As you would expect of Kasugai-san, a biologist. However, it was not an entirely unexpected or entirely a surprise -- so without losing my cool, I jumped back with my right foot about three steps' length. The black dog stopped in front of her, as if it meant to protect her. "As your senior, I shall warn you that if it bites you, it's over. I can hold him back for now -- or should I say muzzle him? Either way, I can restrain him for now."

I ignored Kasugai-san and faced the black dog. Kunagisa and Suzunashi-san said nothing. They were not in my sight, so I could not see their expression. Or perhaps they were saying something, but I could not hear them at the least .

Ahh -- perhaps I have gone mad.

To not even be able to hear Kunagisa's voice.

"I feel truly pleased..... truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly."

I threw away the lock-picking knife. Clang, the dry sound echoed down the hallway. The black dog responded a bit to that sound, but it did not lunge. I stood no chance with both hands occupied against a dog like this. One blade is enough.

"I see -- I see. You're serious. I'm just a bit disappointed," Kasugai-san said while seemingly, truly just a bit, but truly nonetheless, disappointed. "I thought you and I could get along."

"I only thought that just now, Kasugai Kasuga-san."

"-- break it."

That was the signal. The black dog unleashed its pent-up momentum like it was exploding, opening its mouth as it lunged toward me. I see. It was not standing in front of Kasugai-san to protect her. It was showing that it wanted to destroy me. I had completely misunderstood it. There was no way to survive for me, given that I nonchalantly and ignorantly chatted with Kasugai-san. There was not, but my body moved anyways. Faster than I could think, it quickly moved.

Even I thought it was abnormal. I put out my left arm toward the mouth of that lunging black dog. To be more precise, I threw a full-body punch with so much force that one might wonder if I wanted to take out its jaw into its opened mouth that sought to rip out my throat. In the end, the legs of a dog are simply a means of movement and serve no other purpose. As a predatory animal its only weapons are its teeth -- and as Kasugai-san herself let slip, only its teeth. That means it is easy to predict its path, and if you can predict its path, it is likewise easy to seal it away. And then, tragically, the habit of dogs is to not let go once it has clamped its jaws shut. Especially if its teeth have sunk into its target.

Well, that would be about it if I were to logically explain, but it was not like I was thinking anything of the sort. Simply put, the opponent opened its mouth, so I shot my arm in.

However, despite that preemptive strike, I was knocked on my back. It seems even having all my weight behind my arm was not enough to push the dog back. It appears there is a fundamental difference between the strength of humans and animals. I was pushed down on my back, and the dog ended up pinning me down. It was just like last night. However, last night there were two, and yet it was still less strenuous. Having succeeded in tackling me, the black dog pushed down on my chest with its front legs. And then it clamped down harder with its jaw locked over my left arm.

The black dog continued to clenched its teeth with more strength. As expected, it did not show any signs of wanting to let go. Well of course, it bit me through the jacket, and I had even twisted it around its mouth. It would not be able to pull its teeth out very easily. Not that this was a particularly good situation for me. If it cannot pull its teeth out, it simply needs to bite my arm off. Of course, I have a clump of muscle there, so even a large dog would have trouble just biting off my arm. Still, it would be able to crush the bones of my arm. It has enough strength for that. I could tell by its front legs pressing down on me. My nerves went haywire from the pain, and I could not resist. I could not think properly, and I was left screaming and waiting for the opponent to move -- well, normally that would be what would happen.

But I do not currently feel any pain.

I feel nothing even having been tackled and having my arm crushed. I feel nothing. I do not feel anything. I just thought it was a shame that my left arm, which had just healed, would once again be unusable. I swung my right arm up. I swung my right arm, holding the knife, up. No mercy. The black dog realized. But it could do nothing. You were the one that sunk your teeth so deep. Regardless of the what, you need to take responsibility for things of your doing. Is that not right?

Seriously.

We are both in such c.r.a.ppy positions.

I stabbed the knife deep into the left eye of the black dog, into that large, black eyeball. There was almost no resistance as it crushed the socket, and I think it reached the brain of the black dog. It did not scream. In exchange, it sank its teeth into my arm with yet more strength. The muscles had long-since been destroyed, and it felt like its teeth were penetrating my bones. At this rate, I would not be exaggerating to say that it would crush my arm. Destroying the brain does not cause a life form to immediately die. s.h.i.t, how much longer? How much longer will it take for this thing to die? How long will my body last? How long will my consciousness last? s.h.i.t. Not enough destruction. Still not enough destruction. Gotta destroy. Destroy. Destroy destroy destroy. Destroy more and more. This most miserable. Too miserable life. Too miserable dream. Reality. With the rest of my strength, I used my muscles, and lifted by upper body.

"-- GAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I re-gripped the knife with my right hand, and then drew a line from the skull to the torso. The opposite left arm, as if using the torque of my upper body, pulled back. In other words, my right arm dragged the knife forward, and my left arm pulled the body of the black dog -- the black dog along with its teeth -- abruptly backward, pulling it asunder, and with twice the power of one arm, moved the knife. The sound of bone being cut, the sound of blood vessels being ripped, the sound of skin being torn. Echoed. Perhaps my eardrums had resumed functioning, because that sound unpleasantly, yet somehow pleasantly, echoed.

Once I had dragged the knife halfway through the black torso, I pulled it out with a tremendous amount of force. Suddenly, blood began splattering. On my head. Over my body. The insides of the black dog spurted out. The black insides. The insides, like darkness was flowing forth.

Sparkling.

"-- ha... ah----"

Crumpled.

My body toppled over. I did not mean to topple over but it did. Like a battery that had run dry. Required recharging. However. My body no longer moved. The black dog fell over my body, scattering its insides. Heavy. Terribly heavy. My eyelids were heavy. Sleepy. Wanted to sleep. Wanted to go to sleep. Not yet. Not yet. Nothing has ended yet.

Clap. Clap clap.

The sound of applause.

"-- amazing. You. I'm a bit in awe," Kasugai-san said. "Perhaps I should call it moved. It's amazing you won against such a big wild dog -- but I think it's more amazing that you can kill an animal without batting an eye. That's pretty hard -- you know. Ahh but I'm leaving aside the idiots that don't know the value of lives though alright? To comprehend what it means to take a life and to still be able to take a life is amazing. A fool not mindful of life yet a fool that minds life or something."

"It is a great honor to be praised by you," I answered, panting. Was I able to enunciate properly? I do not know. "-- so. Please step aside and let us through. You don't want to die too, do you?"

"You're right. I think I don't want to die after having been able to meet someone like you. But I can't really just stand here and look unaffected after having my dog get killed..... and listen."

Kasugai-san motioned with her hands to make as if she was listening in on something. And the reason for that was revealed the next moment. Ding. The sound of the elevator arriving on this floor, that was the sound that I heard. Elevator. It was on the ground floor when I checked when I was on the fourth floor. That the elevator that used to be on the ground floor has arrived on the ground floor means that it is on the back end of a round trip. And that it went on a round trip meant that someone was on it.

That someone was coming.

"Time's up -- you know."

I could sense a bit of sympathy from Kasugai-san's words. Though perhaps I was misunderstanding her. I raised my head. And then I looked at Kunagisa inside the cage. I could not see Suzunashi-san. Where did she go? Did she go somewhere? I only looked at Kunagisa.

At my Kunagisa Tomo.

Huh. Why? Why are you making such a tearful face? You are not supposed to be able to make a face like that, are you? You are always laughing. Laughing innocently. Always smiling at me no matter what. Always grinning at me no matter where. You have to be laughing happily. In enjoyment. Why? I do not understand, Kunagisa-kun. That face of yours, I have only seen it.

A single time.

Once.

..... only.

The sound of someone running over. I angled my neck to look in that direction. It was not one person. There were many. At the front was Professor Shadou Kyouichirou. Behind that was Neo Furuara-san. Koutari Hinayoshi-san. Huh. And behind that was none other than Oogaki s.h.i.to-kun. And to his side was Uze Misachi-san. Wow. They already woke up. Then Kasugai-san may have checked the cage because they sent a warning. Maybe it was bad to have left s.h.i.to-kun next to the entrance. Though I was not sure. And behind the two was Miyoshi Kokoromi-sensei. Ahh. Then because Kasugai-san is already here, that meant everyone had gathered.

Maybe it is over.

I thought.

It is over.

I understood.

"In the end--"

Kasugai-san said.

"-- what did you want?"

It was a question.

A terribly knowing, a terrible precise, and probably, in the entire world, only Kasugai-san could ask me that simply, clear question.

"-- Love."

I mumbled.

I did not answer, but I mumbled.

"I wanted, love--"

It was a pleasant feeling. I wanted to laugh. Really, wanted to laugh.

I used my free right hand to raise my body. And then I tried to stand up. Alright then. Let me do one last struggle. My relentlessness is my sales point. My blood-covered body. My bloodied mind. My clothing felt disgusting. My thoughts were also disgusting. But I also felt like this was all I could do. I looked at the knife. As expected of a knife given directly by mankind's strongest contractor. Despite all that destruction, it did not have a single nick. Maybe this would be easy.

To rip my neck off.

I looked at Kunagisa.

As expected, Kunagisa looked like she was about to cry. She was clutching at the cage, and mostly crying. But she was still unable to cry. It was a painful expression that crossed crying with laughing. Right. Just as I cannot laugh, she cannot cry. Just like me, she cannot cry. She does not know how to mourn. That was when she ended up with such an ugly expression. And that was terribly disappointing. I wanted to see Kunagisa's innocent, naturally pure smile in the end.

Ahh, but.

That.

Would be seeking the moon.

I realized my left arm was heavy.

The black dog, which had already scattered its life somewhere, still had its fangs stuck in my arm. I remembered Utsurigi. I remembered Utsurigi's corpse. The brain destroyed by having a scissors plunged into his eyes, his mouth, breast, and stomach cut apart, his legs impaled, his body arms sliced off, that Utsurigi Gaisuke. It seems subconsciously I had performed the exact same actions as that crime suspect. How terribly ironic. Then in truth, perhaps I was the suspect.

Well, none of that really matters at this point. Whether the action happened is not a problem. It is whether the recognition is there. That was all. The footsteps came closer. My eyes were clouded over a bit so I could not tell how far they were. But I was truly out of time. I kept hold of the knife as I put my hand to the mouth of the black dog. It was a little hard to move like this. And I felt bad to leave this by just having it dangling like this forever. I felt bad for it, so I decided to rip it off. Yet strangely it was so stuck that it did not come off easily. No, this is not stuck, but rather its teeth are lodged in too deep. And it stiffened. Yes, in other words, a cadaveric spasm. A cadaveric spasm, the result of a violent death. I had just talked about it with sensei a couple hours ago, but I could not imagine then that I would see it like this.

"-- huh--"

And, as I was about to destroy the mouth of the black dog with the knife, when I had slid the knife into the gap, this time I froze. I had to freeze.

Did I just say cadaveric spasm? Did I say that?

"-- you! What're you doing!"

s.h.i.to-kun's voice echoed around the hallway. However, that was meaningless to me. That was meaningless to me, having been frozen. My eardrum did not even vibrate. Wait a second. Think. Think. Calm down. No, do not calm down. Hurry. Right there. Reach out. With your arm. Just a bit, right there. Just a little bit more.

In other words..... is that how it was?

I did not notice myself letting go of the knife. It fell.

Utsurigi Gaisuke. If. If that was the type of human being I think. That conversation yesterday. Utsurigi Gaisuke. Malignant Bacteria. Green Green Green. Cl.u.s.ter. Cracker. The reality that you would not imagine Utsurigi to quietly let himself be killed. For Kunagisa Tomo. For just that reason, the man that was obedient toward Professor Kyouichirou. The once and former comrade of Kunagisa Tomo.

Crucifixion.

It that was just priming.

If that was not a mirage but a priming.

"Hey, you! You! Are you listening?"

Thump, someone pushed me. Probably s.h.i.to-kun. That body of mine that I had finally pulled off the ground became intimate with it again. It hurt. My sense of pain was rejuvenating. It seemed by nervous system was coming back online. My whole body hurt. Especially my arm. Of course. Probably half my muscle had been ripped into. I will not complain. I did take the opponent's life, after all.

Belatedly, I felt bad for it.

However, it was not particularly wrong.

You were not wrong.

You were not wrong but your life died.

Not wrong.

Not wrong.

"Hey Kasugai -- what is this--" "Haa -- well you know-- --" "Whatcha doin-- hey man--" " wait--" "-- explain yourself-- --" "..... dog....." "----" " blood----fang " " medi cation "

"Can you please shut up for a moment, everyone."

I quietly said.

"Right now, for the first time since I was born, I feel like praising myself. Yes, I understand it might just be a delusion. I understand. I do not care if it is a delusion. So please, let me taste this feeling for just a little bit more--"

But that was not allowed. Even that wish was not allowed. I was slowly beginning to lose consciousness. This time, because of relief. But I thought I might not be able to wake up anymore.

Might not be able to wake up.....

Well, that sounds pretty good.

I feel so happy right now.

"..............."

What my fading sight finally glimpsed at the end was Kunagisa Tomo again. It was fading so I could no longer see anything, but my sight was blue.

Pure,

Clear,

Beautiful,

And comfortable.

How -- blue.

".........."

Can I say something selfish?

I love you.

2

Let me relate an old story.

Somewhere, there was one, just one boy that was beyond saving. He was a boy that had a terribly twisted personality and relied on a brutally broken sense of valuation to let his trail of nonsense carry him through life.

Somewhere, there was one, just one girl that was beyond saving. She was a girl that had a terribly honest personality and relied on a brutally correct sense of valuation to smile and innocently live.

Normally, that would be the end of this story. The boy would live a short, slightly unfortunate and slightly tragic life, and the girl would live a short, slightly blessed and slightly elegant life. The world in which the boy lived and the world in which the girl lived were completely different places, after all.

However, contrary to any reason, the boy met the girl, and the girl met the boy. It can genuinely be asked who and for what purpose caused this to happen. What sort of whim, what sort of consideration caused him and the girl to meet. It would be cruel to both the boy and the girl to chalk it up as mere coincidence or destiny or a miracle.

Many humans died.

Many inhumans died.

The boy died a lot.

The girl also died a lot.

The boy killed a lot.

The girl did not kill anyone.

And then, unable to handle the burden of sin any longer, unable to carry the weight of punishment any longer, the boy escaped, alone.

Escaped, alone, leaving the girl behind.

"-- a stereotypical old tale....."

Making it sound like a tragedy of myself the victim.

As if I were carrying on my back all the misfortune in the world. As if I personally owned all the unluck in the world.

The poor, pitiable victim.

Despite being the perpetrator. Despite being the perpetrator. Despite being the perpetrator.

Despite not being pitiable at all.

"People like me are everywhere....."

And then just now, alone, I mumbled.

My left arm was wrapped superfluously in bandaging. It was probably not superfluous though, I thought. Kokoromi-sensei said this was still just an emergency measure. The fangs of the black dog had not reached the bone, but the jaws were quite powerful, and that the radial bone of my left arm was avulsion fractured or something. Of course, that was not all for my injuries, given that I had tumbled down the stairs so many times, I had apparently been hurt all over. I say apparently like it is someone else's business, but I honestly do not feel anything. My sense of pain had mostly recovered, but Kokoromi-sensei had shot me with painkillers, so my sense of pain had been numbed yet again.

"Even so normally ya'd be dyin'a pain ya know."

Said sensei. A certified professor of dissection biology said that, so it must be true. In that case, it seems my body is weird after all. To the point that maybe it would be best for sensei to dissect me once.

In the fifth ward, on the rooftop of Neo-san's research ward, alone, I thought.

However, it is still nonsense. What is going to start now? You could call it a pre-established harmonic farce, and you could not. A farce would be what has taken place so far -- the half-day that I had partook in as the main character was all a farce.

As such, because of that, when I realized everything -- yes, truly everything -- that farce ended. There is no need for a curtain call. There is no need for the curtain to even be lowered. Everything ended there.

Then what is the scene that is about to take place?

"This is, in other words, like an aftertaste....."

No, that is wrong.

This is more like a premonition. A premonition of something incredibly important about to begin. A rite of pa.s.sage that cannot be avoided no matter what. If I thought of it that way, I felt like even this nonsensical scene held some meaning. Though I had no intention of complaining whether it had meaning or whether it did not.

So, here we go.

The one and only puppet show by the user of nonsense.

First, the two meters from the fifth ward to the fourth ward. That you can jump this distance with ease had already been proven by me. I took a running start for show, then jumped across to the fourth ward. The impact of landing reverberated through my legs just a bit, but it was not enough impact to really mind. Apparently the painkillers were working well.

The fourth ward. Where Kunagisa and Suzunashi-san and I had been imprisoned. Well even so, I felt like I had done Suzunashi-san wrong. Of course it was a given that my eyes would keep drifting to Kunagisa, but that person truly had nothing to do with any of this. There is a limit to how much one is allowed to drag other people into things, after all. Suzunashi-san is not as kind as Miiko-san, so I figured after all is said and done, she would be lecturing me quite a bit. Oh well. I did not dislike being lectured. Especially if it came from Suzunashi-san.

And then from the fourth ward to the third ward, I jumped. This was three-and-a-half meters, so I had to be careful. On the flip side, it meant all you had to do was be careful.

The third ward. Miyoshi Kokoromi-sensei's territory. I do not know how she felt on her end, but truthfully, I did not wish to see sensei ever again. I did not dislike her. I think. I just did not want to see her. Really, never again. Yet still, despite that, if she were not in this facility. If I think that way, this reunion had some meaning to it after all.

And then from the third ward to the second ward. Not even two meters. Like the jump from the fifth ward to the fourth ward, this was a casual distance.

This second ward -- Koutari-san's research ward. Koutari Hinayoshi-san. I remembered that person. And then that conversation I heard through the wireless device between him and the immoral Neo Furuara-san. That the Utsurigi Gaisuke death was a suicide."

"Well, if you call it a suicide there are few things more suicide than that suicide....."

I mumbled, but I did not think that to be the case. It may be, but it may also not be. It was all well either way. It was all bad either way. I think that is still in the end just a matter of recognition of the action.

From the second ward to the first ward, not three meters.

What I remembered then was Hime-chan. That self-described apprentice of mine who I asked to take care of the rest.

Hime-chan would probably know how I felt. That girl that had a trace of Kunagisa in her, yet inwardly was closer to me. By chance, we met last month, and recently she moved into the first floor of the apartment I lived in. She hired me to be her tutor, but there has not been much progress on that front. There is nothing more difficult than trying to teach someone who hates studying. However, that is what I need to be doing from now on. What I need to do to Professor Shadou Kyouichirou was something like that. I stood on the rooftop of the first ward dominated by Professor Kyouichirou and thought those thoughts.

I changed the direction I faced, and then one-and-a-half meters to the sixth ward. This was not even a casual distance.

Having crossed that much, I gazed across the rooftop of the seventh ward. I could see the silhouettes of several people. These are all audiences and simultaneously the dramatis personae of this puppet show. Put another way, I must use my nonsense to stomp these people into the ground. Is that even possible? When I wondered that, I thought of that denim-coated person. If that person was not around pointed specifically at her. While we ended up parting ways, it was all my fault. In that case, the least I could do to take responsibility is to pay her back the best I can, probably.

Incidentally, with regards to that person named Ishimaru Kouta, I decided to act like she never existed. s.h.i.to-kun and Misachi-san had sighted her, so I could not hide her existence in this facility, but if I were to admit a connection to her, I would also be forced to admit Neo-san's background. I decided that would not be in our best interests, and because I fortunately had the lock-picking knife with me, I said that I had escaped the cage on my own and that I had wandered around the rooftops of the facility. Of course, this is quite a forced explanation, but an intruder was not good news to them either, so they were forced to swallow the ambiguity whole.

"This is the extremity of wanting ambiguity--" I said to myself self-deprecatingly. "-- no, in this case, I am more wanting inconvenience."

From the sixth ward to the seventh ward, five meters. However, due to the shorter build of the seventh ward, it is more four-and-a-half meters.

Based on what Kunagisa said, the national average for long-jumping distance by high school boys is around that much. That made me feel a bit more relieved. Even if I had not done any proper exercise of late, I do not remember letting my body wither enough to lose to a seventeen-year-old boy. Maybe I simply lack the memory, but I have jumped this once. Even if I were self-absorbed at the time, there is no refuting that I had jumped the distance. Having succeeded once gave me a sense of comfort. I carefully gave myself a running start.

Running jumps are not simply a matter of using the leaping power of your legs, Kunagisa said. How well you can convert the momentum from the running start in midair into forward motion. Apparently it requires that sort of skill. Specifically, you need to reach top speed in the first half of the running start, and then you need to slowly shift your center of gravity to your upper body -- or so Kunagisa had lectured me once on the techniques behind running jumps, but that is not the sort of thing you understand with your head. That motion that experts perform while simply jumping is not something that a newbie like myself can copy. That was why I also simply jumped.

I ran -- and then I stepped.

And then my body levitated.

I heard a roar. Someone has raised their voice. Someone else did not. I had enough composure to think of such absent-minded things. The time until landing felt like forever. People say that when human beings feel their life at risk, they see everything around them in slow motion, and I felt like I was experiencing exactly that. Or perhaps I had not jumped far enough, and was simply plummeting to the ground. I did not care which, but at the same time I think that would not be good.

And, fortunately, I landed on the rooftop of the seventh ward. Or more accurately, I failed my landing, and had an unsightly tumble. I landed on the ground with my hurt left arm first, and while I did not lose consciousness, I hit my head a little, and then ended up writhing. It was a very uncool arrival scene.

"Whatcha doin'," asked Miyoshi Kokoromi-sensei with an exasperated voice as she walked to me. "Y'alright? And why're ya landing on the worse-off half anyways?"

"I am alright -- more importantly."

I took sensei's hand and was pulled to my feet. I saw everyone else over her shoulder. Professor Shadou Kyouichirou. Secretary Uze Misachi. a.s.sistant Oogaki s.h.i.to. Research fellow Neo Furuara. Research fellow Koutari Hinayoshi. Research fellow Kasugai Kasuga. And then after a bit of s.p.a.ce, Suzunashi Neon-san. And then, Kunagisa Tomo. Nine in all, ten including myself, were gathered on the rooftop of the seventh ward. Of course, I was the one that gathered everyone.

"-- well, as you just saw," I stood up, and as I looked across at them I spread out my arms. I spread out my arms to prove that I was safe. "Like so, this seventh ward is accessible from every research ward by using the rooftops. Do you understand?"

"Hmph," said none other than Professor Kyouichirou with an agitated expression and speech mannerism, and of course he would. "How foolish. What a foolish story, greenhorn."

"Greenhorn. Harsh," I parried that without care. I have to deliberately cut off my emotional circuits now. "However, unless you acknowledge reality, we cannot continue, Professor."

"Do you think such child's play -- no, a trick that wouldn't even fool a child would affect me any? You can tell with one look. This seventh ward is shorter than the sixth ward. You've proven you can get here from there, but you can't prove the other way."

As expected of you, Professor. Unlike me, you notice that right away. It would have been simple if I could QED here, but of course that would not fly.

"Or do you plan to jump to the sixth ward?"

"No no..... that would be impossible. I think, anyways."

See? the Professor chuckled.

"What a waste of time. I'm quite the person to have taken the time for this."

Quite the person -- indeed, that may be the case.

Even if it is simply because he is looking down on people, I cannot refute that being willing to tag along with this sort of thing makes Shadou Kyouichirou quite the person. To allow me -- an enemy, to act so freely makes him without a doubt quite the person. As for myself, I apologize to him in advance, but I will allow myself to take advantage of the opportunity.

"Well well, there is no need to rush to conclusions like that," I said. "Now -- as the Professor says, you cannot return to the sixth ward from the seventh ward. Unless we are to a.s.sume that we have a world-cla.s.s jumper among us. However, my actions just now have proven one thing. In short, even if you cannot return, there is a route for infiltrating the seventh ward."

"So what?" the Professor b.u.t.ted in. "If you cannot leave after entering, such a route holds no meaning. Do I need to remind you that even from the inside you must clear a mult.i.tude of locks, and even if you can clear those locks, you would still leave a record in the logs? That the door was opened from the inside. But nothing of the sort remained."

"Probably. Well, as you said," I care-freely agreed. "The double-layered security consisting of the locks and the log. We shall let that be the case."

"What? You make it sound like there's more to it. Are you saying that I, this Shadou Kyouichirou tampered with the logs? That I deleted entries?"

"Of course not. And you said you cannot do that anyways, did you not? Even if Kunagisa can do it, you cannot. Is that not right? Even if Kunagisa can do it. You said it yourself, Professor."

It was a bit of a mean way of saying things, and the Professor glared at me with quite a look. However, it seemed closer to bewilderment over the cards I had not yet shown as opposed to anger over my choice of wording.

"You--"

"To begin with--," I spoke over the Professor. "-- it is too early to say that one cannot return. After all, there is no rule saying that you must clear the gap with only your body. For example, if you can use a rope, you can create a road to the sixth ward."

"You can. But that's if you have rope that can support the weight of a person. So, where would you find that?"

"Well, you would not find one in this facility..... but the rope is just an example. For example you could tie the clothing you wear into a rope, or use the OA transmission device cables and cords to try to twist one together."

"Do you think they would support human weight?"

"I do not," I looked away from the Professor -- and faced Koutari-san. "However, if I were to borrow the Professor's favorite words--, as a candidate for rope that can support human weight -- what do you think of hair?"

Everyone looked at Koutari-san at once. However, Koutari-san simply adjusted the position of his sungla.s.ses and remained silent. He opted to remain silent. I felt slightly exasperated at his stonewalled expression and continued.

"Koutari-san's hair used to be extremely long. If you put them together, perhaps it could create a bridge to the sixth ward -- what do you think? Suzunashi-san?"

"..... hmm?" Suzunashi-san looked a bit startled. "My, you swung that to me? Well, right..... human hair is pretty st.u.r.dy. Although that depends on the person, too, but for example, I've seen Asano use that samurai ponytail to strangle someone."

"Yes. That is not a situation I would want to barge in on..... but if memory serves correct, one woman was said to have tested how much her long hair could carry, and it ended up being able to support over one ton," this was something I heard from Kunagisa. "That is an extreme example though and may not be the norm, but using hair is a plausible scenario. Or,"

This time I turned to Kasugai-san. Everyone followed suit.

Instead of a human, if you were to use an animal, it might be possible to leap this distance. Well, like so....." I raised my wrapped left arm for everyone to see. "It cannot be said impossible for that giant dog I fought to the death with earlier to be able to leap across this distance. What do you think, Kasugai-san?"

"Who knows. I've never tried it but it probably can," Kasugai-san tilted her head to the side but gave me an affirmative answer. "If that were the case from your perspective would that make me the suspect?"

"No, I have not said that much. All I am saying is that this seventh ward was not a sealed room at all, and that it was not completely closed off. I was just giving specific examples. Then what happens? At the very least, there is no longer a reason to suspect Kunagisa herself -- or rather just the three of us--"

"An old trick," as expected, the Professor did not bat an eye at this so far. And with a chortling tone, he stared at me. "Cobbling together extreme and memorable theories and using the impact to try to make it sound like the truth has been revealed. The stunt to run and jump to this seventh ward was for this, wasn't it? A pretty typical scam artist's method. I'm not biting, greenhorn."

"Cobbled together?"

"Yeah. It's obvious if you think about it. Both of those examples can be broken with just a bit of thought. Koutari's hair was long but it was still only a meter at best. If you were to wind that together into a rope, factoring durability, it would go four meters at best. Not enough to go from the seventh ward to the sixth ward. And the animal suspect theory is a joke. How does a mere dog stab a person, crucify them to the wall, and write letters in blood?"

"Who knows -- maybe someone was riding on the back of the dog?"

"I think that would be taking it too far," Kasugai-san interceded on my joke. She might surprisingly be a good person, after all. "Impossible to jump that while carrying a person."

"..... well, thank you," I bowed my head. "I am grateful for the information."

"So? What? Greenhorn. Are those the cards you brought?"

"So then -- how about this, for example? Let us think about the reason for Utsurigi Gaisuke having been dismembered that way. Why was Utsurigi's stomach cut open? What if it was a means for pulling out his internal organs?"

I asked, while I motioned extravagantly like an actor on a stage. I felt like I was acting too much, like Neo-san, but there is no such thing as too much in a case like this.

"Pulling out the internal organs--" sensei asked, mystified. "Whatcha mean?"

"They say the human digestive tract is like one long tube. One tube connecting the mouth to the waste output. And this tube made from meat has a good amount of elasticity, and as a result a certain level of strength. For example to use that as a rope--"

"Huh? Wait," sensei stopped me. "Utsurigi-san's internal organs were all right inside. I dissected his intestine an' liver an' all."

"Exactly. As such, this, too, was just a theory," I raised my palms. "Truth be the told, it is probably impossible to use the digestive tract as a rope..... that was a pretty crude type of joke. You know, lip service. But still, I do not think it a bad idea to a.s.sume that there was some sort of deliberateness to Utsurigi-san's body itself. I do not intend at all for a greenhorn like myself to host a mystery-solving conference right here and now..... but do you not think there is something to the rather absurd method of Utsurigi Gaisuke's death?"

"What're you getting at," the Professor said, irritated. "The way you talk is roundabout. Too roundabout. What're you trying to say, if you have something to say, just spit it out, like a man."

"Like a man. Well, I do not mind....." I shrugged my shoulders. Roundabout. However, that could not be helped, because there was something I needed to skirt around. "However, if you think about it, the Professor's theories were not particularly manly, either. Kunagisa Tomo should have been able to do it..... that was pretty forced. And, even if it were possible for Kunagisa, in the end -- that does not in any way mean that any of you could not have done it also. You just needed to say I cannot do it."

"..... is that your solution?"

"No, this was just faultfinding. There is no deep meaning to it. At this point."

The Professor looked at this half-a.s.sed conversation involving the giving and withdrawing of theories with a disapproving look, but this time he remained silent. In the end, that was what I was hoping for. At the end of the end of the end, I wanted to create a smoke screen. After creating a mirage to the best of abilities, to create anxiety in the Professor -- and everyone else. To fl.u.s.ter them. In other words, to rattle their thinking. In other words, to avoid standing on the same ground as them.

This is the exact opposite methodology of Mankind's Strongest Contractor, but for the weakest like myself, this is probably the only strategy capable of overcoming Mad Demon Shadou Kyouichirou.

"Sensei," I turned to Kokoromi-sensei and asked. "In any case, could you tell us the results of the autopsy on Utsurigi-san?"

"Mm? Ahh. Umm. Time a death was roughly 1AM. Cause a death'd be the scissors piercin' his eye and reachin' the brain. The stomach and all that other stuff came after. Arms cut off even later, and crucified after that. Well, that'd be the gist of it."

I had heard this already in the third ward, but that reality needed to be kept under wraps. Sensei of course understood that, and naturally reported, including everyone else. Despite it not really being the case, I felt like we had become accomplices. Although this was still probably not a case of trust.

"What bothers me, y'know, would be that time lag before cuttin' off the arms. Like three or four hours after he died. Can't imagine it'd take that long, so--"

"Hey, you're talking too much, Miyoshi," the Professor said, as if scolding sensei. "I don't care if you're an old acquaintance of his, I won't allow you to back that any more than necessary."

"Backing him eh," Kokoromi-sensei sarcastically laughed at the Professor. "Roger dodger. I'll hold off on doin' anythin' much. So, whatcha meanin' to do with Utsurigi-san's autopsy, my student?"

"Whatcha meanin' to do? However, sensei, would it not take a lot of stamina to destroy a human body to that degree, and then crucify them?"

"Are you trying to say that the Lady of Kunagisa cannot do so with her thin arms?" it was Professor Kyouichirou who answered, perhaps in an effort to prevent sensei from speaking any more. "Hah. I'd prefer if you stopped trying to find fault with everything. The Lady of Kunagisa doesn't need to be the one who did everything. After all, the Lady of Kunagisa simply needs to open the door. The rest -- you could do."

"As you say. I have not a word of retort," I did not respond to the Professor's taunt. That time -- this morning, that I became enraged at the Professor's taunt was my big failing. I will not step on the same landmine twice. If possible, anyways. "However, in that case, the question still remains unanswered as to why Utsurigi Gaisuke's body needed to be dismembered to such an extent."

"Are you saying you have the answer to that?"

"I shall answer that at a later time. Now, there is no point in taking up too much time and it will simply become a drag, so allow me to bring us into the solution arc. Truthfully -- unfortunately and helplessly truthfully, not only with regards to this seventh ward, but every building in this facility has so few points of entry that they can each be called indomitable fortresses. No windows -- while this cannot be helped, there is only one entrance. And that one entrance has the Kunagisa Tomo-made security lock. Well, not bothering with the lock itself, that means the only openings are this rooftop and the entrance. Forgive me if I call it a skyward tunnel. Professor Kyouichirou determined that the suspect who killed Utsurigi-san entered and left through that entrance," I glanced at Professor Kyouichirou. That would indeed imply that the suspects are Kunagisa Tomo and her acquaintances. However, as one of them, I cannot accept that theory. The Professor may simply call it a prepared agreement among accomplices but I can vouch for Kunagisa's innocence. Or rather, I know of Kunagisa Tomo's innocence. As a result, I would say the entrance was not used."

"So ya'd say the rooftop route's th'only option?"

"Miyoshi!" the Professor shouted. "Cut that out! You've been acting out of line!"

"Well m'bad. Guess ya didn't call."

Sensei bowed her head. As someone who already decided to cut ties with the Professor, it probably suits her better for my little puppet show to succeed. In that sense, perhaps sensei and I could truly be called accomplices. I think.

"Well, that is what I am saying. However -- this has quite a few restrictions," I turned toward the sixth ward from whence I came, and said, mumbling. "Do you know what the restriction is on this rooftop route?"

This question that I posed to no one in particular received no response. And after a while, the Professor said irritably, "We've already established that it's a one-way street."

"You can get here but you can't go bac--"

"No, well, that is true. Indeed, you cannot go back -- but if you think about it, coming is pretty difficult, too."

"-- what?"

From the fifth ward to the first ward, and from there to the sixth ward, well, the longest distance was about three-and-a-half meters, so anyone here would be able to make that jump -- but not anyone would be able to make this last jump--"

Five meters -- which really ends up being more like four-and-a-half meters. Rivaling the national average of high school boys-- however, it being the average means that there is some scatter. It absolutely does not mean that it is the minimal line that everyone can overcome. In fact, it actually means that around half actually cannot clear this jump.

In other words, there are those that can clear and those that cannot clear these four-and-a-half meters--

"As you can see, I was able to jump. Despite how I may look, a long time ago -- or rather, well, I shall spill the beans because everyone already knows, but five years ago I partic.i.p.ated as an abroad student in the ER program male youth development engine under the ER3 System research group. I trained my body a bit while I was there, and as a result -- I have above-average athleticism even now."

Although I am gradually losing it all, I added as a joke.

"Umm. Sorry, Suzunashi-san," I asked Suzunashi-san again. "Do you think you could jump this distance?"

"I probably can," this time she may have expected the question, as Suzunashi-san immediately answered. "I've never really measured it, but five meters should be a cinch. Maybe six meters -- might be impossible. Something like that."

"Is that so."

Even for someone unfamiliar with long-jumping, Suzunashi-san's extraordinary height, leg length, and her strength meant that her answer did not surprise anyone. Most probably figured she could jump further than me. I nodded lightly, and then turned to Kunagisa.

"Tomo, you?"

"Uuuh. Impossible," Kunagisa pursed her lips and answered unhappily. Not that there was