kscans

Chapter 224 - Interlude: What I Want to Do

No POV

New York, America.

The great metropolis, a place that could be called the center of the world, with its towering skyscrapers and streets so crowded with people and cars that the pavement was invisible.

In the back seat of an unfamiliar luxury car sat a pair of young men, hunched over like cats in a new home.

"H-Hwah, hwahwah...!"

"C-Calm down, Hiroshi. Calm down...!"

Yamashita Hiroshi, leader of the world's largest organization of Awakened Persons, the `Walkers`.

And with him, an executive and his childhood friend, Kawashima Shougo.

The two of them sat shallowly on the leather seats, looking as if their hearts might leap out of their mouths at any moment. The slight tremor in their bodies was probably unrelated to the car's motion.

"Gentlemen, please try to remain calm."

In contrast to them, an elderly man impeccably dressed in a high-end suit spoke in a relaxed voice.

His ash-grey hair was slicked back with wax, and the eyes visible behind his thin-framed glasses held a high degree of intelligence.

"But, Chris—"

"It is Ash Raymond, Representative Yamashita."

"Ah, f-forgive me."

This was Ash Raymond, Yamashita's secretary in the `Walkers`... or rather, former ambassador Chris Mackenzie in disguise.

He had come to his home country to support Yamashita, who couldn't speak English and had almost no knowledge of diplomacy or high society.

"It's not as if they are going to eat you. You simply need to act as you always do. Yuusuke said as much, did he not?"

Chii-chii!

A single squirrel popped its head out from the breast pocket of Chris's suit.

Yamashita thought he saw the squirrel nod, but he shook his head, deciding he must have been mistaken.

"That's easy for you to say... This is my first time in America, you know. And the first place I'm going is the UN Headquarters..."

"Would you have preferred to do some sightseeing first?"

"No, that's not what I meant!?"

"Hmm... What has you so nervous? You look as though you're thinking, 'I don't belong in a place like this.'"

"Huh? Well... it's not 'as though,' that's exactly what it is. I, uh, I mean, I'm not the kind of person who gets invited to a place like that..."

"No. That is where you are wrong, Representative Yamashita."

This time, it was former ambassador Chris who shook his head at Yamashita's tearful denial.

His blue eyes looked straight at the young man, whose cat ears were flattened against his head.

"In Japan today, you are the person most worthy of being summoned to the UN... to stand before the world's representatives. In fact, you would be well within your rights to declare loudly that they should not have summoned you at a time when the presidents and prime ministers of every nation were not gathered in one place."

"Huh?! No, that's going too far—"

"Yes. I went too far."

"You're not supposed to agree with me!?"

"Heh heh... Yes. Just like that. Speak from your gut."

Chris offered a gentle smile to Yamashita, who had retorted reflexively.

"If you hold your chest high and speak in a loud voice, your timid feelings will naturally grow larger. Well, if you overdo it, you'll make a blunder, so moderation is key... but still."

"Right..."

"...He's right, Hiroshi."

A thick palm slapped Yamashita's shoulder.

"We, the `Walkers`, have grown that much. We're a bridge connecting Awakened and non-Awakened, and we're more than big enough for the job. If you, the pillar holding it all up, look like you're about to break, all our hard work will be for nothing."

"Shougo..."

"Don't worry. If things get really bad, I'll grab you and we'll run for it!"

At the sight of his friend's grin, unchanged since childhood, Yamashita gave a small nod.

His cat ears were no longer flattened.

"...Yeah. Let's do this. I'll stand tall and prove it. That Awakened Persons aren't dangerous. That we're just people, no different from non-Awakened. That we can sit at the same table and talk just like anyone else."

"That's the spirit, my friend!"

As former ambassador Chris watched their exchange with a smile, his smartphone vibrated softly.

"Pardon me. ...Hmm."

Stroking a fake mustache that matched his wig, he turned the phone's screen toward Yamashita and the others.

"Representative Yamashita. I don't know whether to call this good news or bad news, but it's big news."

"Huh? Wh-What is it? Don't tell me the UN said, 'Actually, you don't have to come anymore'?"

"You're still scared, aren't you?"

Former ambassador Chris shook his head at Yamashita's slightly hopeful expression.

"No. The 'Nation of the Awakened' that formed in the Middle East... has just been destroyed."

"...Huh?"

Yamashita froze, his face like a cat that had just seen the cosmos.

Next to him, Shougo froze as well.



A certain region in the Middle East.

The place that a mercenary group of Awakened Persons had occupied and declared the `Nation of the Awakened` had now become a hellscape of roars and gunfire.

Perhaps for them, this was just another day.

But this time, the opponent they were fighting was different.

"H-Hey! We're on the same side, aren't we?! Why are you—"

"Shut up! How dare you... how dare you deceive us!"

A soldier firing his gun wildly was cut down, sword slicing through his bulletproof vest.

Elsewhere, another took a spray of assault rifle fire head-on with a shield before running his foe through with a spear.

"I believed in you...! I thought... I thought you saved me!"

Some were enraged, others wept as the Awakened Persons decimated the soldiers.

It was the same sight as when they had first taken this land, a scene that had been repeated countless times until today.

But the soldiers they were fighting were the same comrades they had stood shoulder to shoulder with on the battlefield until just yesterday.

They weren't being controlled by some drug or spell. If one were to ask if they had gone mad, they were the ones who had been driven mad long ago.

They were the Awakened Persons who had been kidnapped from Japan and used as 'test subjects.'

In the sandy streets, grotesque beings that were a mix of human and beast fought alongside soldiers, barely holding back the fierce onslaught of the Awakened.

But when both sides knew each other's tactics, and both possessed modern weaponry... the superhumans easily overturned the difference in numbers, turning the battlefield into their personal stage.

—■■■■■■■...!!

A monster resembling a sea slug, yet clearly something else. A young man, once a victim of human experimentation, now reduced to a monster.

He let out an otherworldly roar and ravaged the monstrous men with bolts of lightning. It was a one-sided slaughter, no longer even a battle, but pure destruction.

'Damn it!'

The man known as the Boss hurried through an underground passage. With two of his closest aides in tow, he repeatedly fiddled with a rugged military satellite phone, clicking his tongue in frustration.

'Damn it all, where the hell did they find out...?!'

'Boss, more importantly, what do we do now... The surface is already—'

'I know! For now, we move to the safe house! If we wait there, rescue will definitely—'

"It may come, or it may not."

The three of them stopped in their tracks.

Just around a bend in the underground passage, a single man stood in their path.

He was a Japanese man in his thirties with a well-trained physique visible even through his camouflage fatigues. One eye was covered with a patch; the other stared straight at them.

Swallowing hard, the Boss forced a smile at the man, Hiratsuka Kikuzaburo.

"H-Hey, Hiratsuka. You came at just the right time. Our retreat—"

A gunshot rang out.

Smoke rose from the pistol Hiratsuka had drawn in an instant. The bullet had pierced the Boss's toe.

'Aaaargh!!'

"I believe I told you... you're persistent."

'You son of a bitch!'

Barking in his native tongue, an aide threw a grenade. At the same time, the other dragged the Boss back around the corner they had just passed.

The three of them stumbled into cover just as the explosion went off. The aides scrambled to their feet and tried to flee again with the Boss.

But they were stopped by an invisible wall that had appeared before them.

'What?!'

"Did you think I would let you escape?"

Tap, tap. The sound of boots echoed.

Hiratsuka emerged, brushing the smoke from his shoulder. The three men's throats tightened at the sight of him.

"I-I get it! We surrender! S-So please! Just spare our lives!"

"...I am taking you into custody. Disarm yourselves."

Hiratsuka's words stopped unnaturally, followed by the sound of shattering glass echoing through the passage.

Their gazes turned to two newly arrived Awakened Persons.

"Just in time... ya think?"

"We're alive, so we're safe, right?"

A man with a spear wearing a beast-like helmet, and a woman in full plate armor dual-wielding heavy machine guns.

They walked past the stunned Boss and his men to face Hiratsuka.

"What're ya spacing out for? Hurry up and get outta here."

"Yeah, yeah! It's one of those things. 'Leave this to us and go on ahead!' That's what this is."

"Y-You two...! Fine! I-I'll give you a bonus when we regroup! So kill him, even if it costs you your lives! Got it?!"

"Aye, aye~".

The spearman waved a hand at the fleeing Boss, who was being supported by his aides, without turning back.

At this sight, Hiratsuka holstered his pistol and instead deployed his `Arcane Gear`, which was reminiscent of a Shinto priest's robes.

Lowering his center of gravity, the one-eyed former SDF soldier asked in a low voice.

"...I believe I explained the situation to you two as well, did I not?"

"Yup! We remember! The Boss is a real bad guy, and all those heroic stories we heard were just him makin' stuff up!"

"We were just being used! If things go well, we might even get to go back to our old lives! Let's go to a future of hope, everyone!"

In response to Hiratsuka, the two of them readied their respective weapons.

"So. I was forced to help my parents pickpocket since I was seven. What kinda 'old life' d'ya think I have to go back to?"

"And I was forced to sell my body before I even got my first period. I don't really feel like going back to my old life, you know?"

"...I sympathize with your circumstances. I, too, have no intention of truly returning to my old life. The only ones I can trust now are my family."

Hiratsuka wreathed his fists in a barrier of energy.

"But even so. There is a future for you—"

"Ah, it's fine. The tear-jerking persuasion and all that. More importantly, ya can't chase the Boss unless you kill us first, right?"

"Mad-san's probably dead, too. He charged at Mr. Sea Slug with a crazy laugh. We just wanna go out laughing 'til the very end, ya know?"

A dense killing intent filled the straight underground passage.

It crept up from the ground, crawling from their feet to their throats.

"Some people say people don't change, while others say they have to."

"And then there are people who have no intention of changing. It's called diversity, Hiratsuka-san!"

"...Understood."

Flutter. Hiratsuka's eyepatch fell to the ground.

The prosthetic eye beneath it swiveled to fix on the two of them.

"I will beat you half to death if I must, but I will subdue you and pursue him. That is what I must do now."

"Then we'll—!"

"Let's die having fun! Because that's what we want to do!"

—That day.

The mercenary group of Awakened Persons was annihilated. The flag they had raised was shattered, and all the Awakened who had belonged to it went missing.

Due to a large-scale explosion, speculation ran rampant, suggesting infighting, an accident due to poor ammunition management, or perhaps even a bombing by a certain country.

Amidst the countless rumors, the eyewitness report of a man with an eyepatch leading several people away... simply faded away.



Time and place return to America. New York.

A certain room at the UN Headquarters.

"Damn it...!"

Yamashita raised his foot to kick a nearby wall but stopped just short, striking it with a small fist instead.

"All they did was talk down to us...!"

"What should we do? Should I go give 'em a piece of my mind right now?"

"Please refrain. That would be nothing more than extortion."

Former ambassador Chris admonished Shougo, who had a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"There was certainly an opportunity. We simply failed to seize it."

"If only we could have used the collapse of that mercenary organization in the Middle East to our advantage...! To have it turned against us like that...!"

"Calm yourself. The fact that you did not become enraged in that room is, in itself, worthy of praise."

"But—!"

"You must not be hasty. The path you walk is a long and arduous one. You have only just begun."

"...Yes."

Swallowing the words that had risen to his throat, Yamashita took a deep breath.

He looked around the spacious reception room, his brows deeply furrowed as he tilted his head.

"So. Why were we brought here?"

"Apparently, a certain bigwig who came in secret wishes to meet with you. I do not know who, however."

"What, is the President of the United States coming or something?"

"Hahaha. In that case, I would prepare for my death."

At Shougo's words, former ambassador Chris laughed with lifeless eyes.

Immediately after, Yamashita's ears twitched, and at almost the same time, the squirrel in the former ambassador's breast pocket let out a small chirp.

"Someone's coming."

"The VIP in question? ...It's not an assassin, is it?"

"Well. I would like to think they wouldn't try such a thing in a place like this. But that very thought could be the reason they would do so."

As they stood on quiet alert, the sound of a knock reached their ears.

"Please, come in."

Shougo put on his public face and slowly opened the door.

Former ambassador Chris's eyes widened at the person who entered, offering a light bow and a word of thanks in 'Japanese.'

"This is... It is an honor to meet you, Prime Minister Alfred H. Armstrong."

At his words, Yamashita and Shougo froze for a moment.

They too had seen the elderly gentleman before them on television, with his black hair slicked back and an aquiline nose.

Alfred H. Armstrong. He was the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

"N-Nice to meet you! I-I am Yamashita Hiroshi... uh, my name is!"

"Ah, please, calm down. Japanese is fine."

Prime Minister Armstrong, who had brought only a single secretary, smiled warmly.

As Yamashita stared blankly at his fluent Japanese, he continued with the smile of a kindly old man.

"A relative of mine was a great lover of Japan. So much so that he changed his nationality and even had his grave built there. Because of his influence, I am also proficient in Japanese."

"I-I see. Well... n-nice weather we're having!"

Prime Minister Armstrong let out a small chuckle at Yamashita, who was sweating profusely and speaking in a high-pitched voice.

"My apologies. Please, don't be so tense. Think of me as just an old man named 'Alfred.'"

"What?! No! I mean... yes, sir!"

His tail pressed flat against his back, Yamashita nodded awkwardly.

Former ambassador Chris whispered into his ear.

"Representative. A seat..."

"Ah! Armstrong-san! Please, have a seat!"

"Thank you. I shall."

Yamashita also sat down, facing Armstrong, who took his seat with graceful movements.

Looking less like a borrowed cat and more like a cat trying to disguise itself as a piece of furniture, Yamashita forced a strained smile.

"S-So, Prime Minis... san. What brings you here today?"

"I'll be direct. I came today to give you a friendly warning."

"A warning...?"

The ominous word made Yamashita's eyes narrow.

"Yes. Normally I wouldn't be so blunt, but I cannot stay long. To put it simply... the world is already prepared to drop the 'Flame of Wisdom' directly on top of you."

"What..."

He had already heard from Akasaka that they were 'on the verge of being used as a football field,' but hearing it from the current Prime Minister of the UK carried a different weight.

Yamashita nearly shot up from his seat but managed to sit back down.

"...Is it America?"

"They are the ones raising their voices the loudest, yes. But I said, 'the world,' did I not? The scales have already tipped quite far."

"Does that mean..."

"Hearing this, the people of Japan might consider evacuating abroad. That is, if the launch cannot be stopped. However... there will be almost no country willing to accept Awakened Persons."

"Wh-Why?! If anything, some places are fighting over them—"

"You have shown too much of your power."

Prime Minister Armstrong continued to speak dispassionately.

"'Only when the people have enough food and clothing do they know propriety and righteousness'... was it? A phrase from ancient China. You know what has become of that China now, I presume."

"...Yes."

"The collapse of that country has dealt a major blow to the world economy. The loss of a market. The closure of factories. There are still many foreign nationals who have not been able to return home. No country has any leeway."

There was no lie in his words. In fact, with China reverting to an era of warring states, stock prices in every country were fluctuating wildly.

On top of that, many terrorist organizations and activists had seized the opportunity to make their move.

Japan was not the only place where bloody stories were common.

"In that situation, what would happen if a country, having lost the market of Japan, were to accept a group of Awakened Persons? And there is no guarantee that the Awakened, having lost their home, would remain ladies and gentlemen."

"Th-That's—"

"Can you say with certainty that it's not true? You, who claims that Awakened are no different from non-Awakened, would you say that Awakened are more rational and kind-hearted than non-Awakened?"

"...!"

Problems caused by immigrants and refugees are happening all over the world.

If Awakened were to become refugees, the people of the country that took them in would see them as nothing but a source of terror—refugees who individually possess the combat power equivalent to a military platoon.

"Even if we were to accept them, a strong leash would be necessary. They would not be allowed to form groups. It would be impossible to treat them humanely. ...To remain a gentleman, one needs room in both one's wallet and one's heart."

"...In the first place,"

Yamashita clenched his fists tightly in his lap.

"Isn't there the option of not dropping the nuke? That way, Japan's Awakened would stay in Japan..."

"The white dragon and the red dragon."

Prime Minister Armstrong's eyes, thin as thread, opened slightly.

A sharp gaze, like that of a bird of prey, pierced through Yamashita.

"I have many friends. And besides, this is not something that can be so easily hidden. You have already heard from Akasaka Yuusuke, have you not?"

"...Yes."

"To dispatch an army into a dungeon and subjugate those two dragons. What would be the cost? And could it be recovered? Japan today has no such financial leeway, and the same can be said for the rest of the world."

As Yamashita fell silent, he continued.

"You may think it's all one-sided convenience. But that is how things are. People live by their own convenience."

"...Then today's summons to the UN was..."

"Merely a performance. For those who wished to use you to enhance their own value, and for those who wished to demean you to sell themselves somewhere. There was no one in that room who was truly thinking about the human rights of the Awakened. At least, that was the case in today's meeting."

"Grr...!"

Whether out of frustration or anger, Yamashita bit his lip.

If he hadn't, he felt he might have lunged at the man before him.

"If those dragons are left unchecked, the world will be in danger. Therefore, the world has no choice but to accept the 'sacrifice of Japan.' Even if it means using a power that is considered taboo."

"..."

As Prime Minister Armstrong concluded, Yamashita simply closed his eyes.

Seeing his reaction, the Prime Minister felt a flicker of disappointment, though he did not show it. He wondered if the boy intended to close his eyes, cover his ears, and escape from reality like a child.

But when he saw Yamashita's eyes after they opened again...

"Even so,"

He drew in a small breath.

"I... I don't want to give up. I want to struggle until the very end."

"...Do you fancy yourself having realized your mission? Automating one's thoughts is not something I would recommend."

"No. This isn't something I should do. It's something I want to do."

As Yamashita stared straight at him, Prime Minister Armstrong let out his first 'genuine smile.'

His lips twisted into a crescent moon, baring his canines. He faced him with a look that could hardly be called gentlemanly.

"A brat who hasn't lived a third of my life dares to bark so loud. What do you think you can do, you who are nothing more than a kitten?"

"I haven't decided anything yet. There's so much I don't know. Still, there are two things I want to do."

"And what are they? Yamashita Hiroshi. You, who are on the verge of becoming the king of stray cats, what will you accomplish?"

"First, stop the nuclear attack. Second, make the world accept Awakened Persons. I'll say it as many times as it takes. We and you are the same. The fact that we're physically stronger or can use magic is a trivial matter. We can sit at the same table, eat the same food, and laugh together. Me, and you...!"

Yamashita stood up.

For a moment, the secretary's eyebrows shot up, but Prime Minister Armstrong simply watched him in silence.

"So, please be my friend."

"...What?"

Prime Minister Armstrong looked quizzically at the outstretched hand.

"To achieve my goals, I want you to be my friend. Is that not allowed?"

"...A one-sided convenience."

"Yes. I am human, after all."

At his words, Armstrong laughed with a slightly exasperated look, then...

With a faint creak of his old bones, he stood up and took Yamashita's hand.

"To become a friend of mine... you may regret it later when I use you to the very marrow of your bones, you know?"

"The feeling is mutual, Armstrong-san. I'll be using you, too."

The great eagle with a defiant smile, and the kitten desperately trying to smile back.

They looked like nothing else, yet in that moment, they became 'friends.'

"...Prime Minister. It is almost time."

"Yes."

Nodding at his secretary, who had glanced at his watch, Prime Minister Armstrong released his grip, his defiant smile still in place.

As their fingers parted, he turned on his heel.

"Farewell then, Hiroshi. Prepare yourself, for I will make good use of you."

"Of course, Armstrong-san. And I won't go easy on you just because you're an old man."

"Don't be ridiculous, boy."

With those parting words, the Prime Minister and his secretary exited the room.

After they left, Shougo and former ambassador Chris rushed to Yamashita's side.

"Th-That was amazing, Hiroshi! You were incredible, man!"

"You've done it, Representative Yamashita...! This is without a doubt a huge step forward...?!"

The two of them chattered excitedly, but tilted their heads when Yamashita didn't respond.

Gently, Shougo waved a hand in front of his face.

"...Uh, it's no good, Raymond-san. He's passed out. Standing up."

"What..."

Yamashita Hiroshi. Representative of the `Walkers`.

With a smile on his face, he had burned out, completely... white as ash.



In the car on the way to the airport, Prime Minister Armstrong, both hands resting on his cane, chuckled at the memory.

'You seem to be in a good mood, Prime Minister.'

'Ah, yes. I went to see him out of pity, but... heh heh.'

In contrast to his expressionless secretary, the Prime Minister's smile deepened as if he couldn't hold it back.

'I thought he was just a kitten, but he may well be a lion. Goodness, this is what makes life so interesting...!'

'Shall we prepare a gift for your newfound friend, then?'

'That insufferable young man needs nothing. But, let's see.'

He tapped his fingers on the head of his cane.

'I told him that one knows propriety only when they have enough food and clothing, but to want to remain a gentleman until the day one dies, no matter what... that is the way of an Englishman. Don't you agree?'

'Indeed. I would like to be that way myself.'

'If that is the case, then like a gentleman, I shall refrain from placing a weight on the forbidden scales.'

Glancing at the cheerful Prime Minister, the secretary checked the concealed magical self-defense tool he carried.

He hadn't been subjected to telepathy or any kind of curse. Armstrong, as an individual, had simply taken a liking to the man known as Yamashita Hiroshi.

'By the way, Prime Minister.'

'What is it? Of course, after Japan is turned into a sea of fire—'

'No, not that.'

The secretary, who had been by his side for many years, stated flatly, his face devoid of expression.

'I have told you many times that your laugh is frightening and you should fix it. Can't anything be done about it? That vulture-like laugh of yours.'

'...Is it really that bad?'

'If I were a film director, I would cast you as Professor Moriarty with that face.'

'...I will be more careful.'

'Please do.'

The meeting of Prime Minister Alfred H. Armstrong and Representative Yamashita Hiroshi.

What effect their strange friendship would have on the world... no one yet knew.

Furthermore, several incidents would befall Yamashita's party before their return to Japan, but that is another story.